Swallowed Stars Sing (Dagor Dagorath AU)

Three siblings uncover a lost ancient artifact that promises blood soaked power struggles and a path to eternity for all children of The Great Smith of the Valar

[rowanoars]

This is a dedicated blog for sketches, notes, and more of the canon + original characters in an AU storyline set against the "Last Battle" of Tolkien's established world. (Reposting to other sites not permitted).

Posts will be tagged with the focus character(s) only (to avoid clogging the main LOTR, Hobbit, Silmarillion, etc tags) and any relevant content warnings I think of at the time of posting. If there are any specific tags you feel are needed please feel free to reach out.

[rowanoars]

When the youngest sister, Bríomhar, ends up being the tallest and uses Ceolmhar's head for balance just to annoy her. Jokes on Brío, Ceol is gonna get her back later (probably some sort of prank like collapsing her chair in thr middle of a meeting or something silly like that).

Drew most of this while in the car so it is pretty messy, especially Brío but I dont have the time/energy to refine it anymore than this right now.

[rowanoars]

Géamhar (Gaelige; lit. Braird - The first green shoot/leaf to spring up out of the soil) a year before the first large scale battle of Dagor Dagorath begins in the Domain of Oli (Oli/Aüle/Mahal).

[Thus is the excerpt from the recounting of Ceolmhar daughter of Géamhar in 1st year of the Second Song how her family came to Doriath-That-Was over a millenia before The Last Battle, with Legolas departing from Valinor in secret and taking on a new alias as a bearer.]

Far, far from out of these carven depths and to the West there is a home perched in the seaside cliffs where my Fathers lived during their time on the Distant Shore. The cliffs are of ancient basalt raising in great columns to hem the skirt of the Holy White Peak which towered over all other mountains and yet cast no smothering shadow across its southern slopes. Fresh snowmelt flowed without end in narrow waterfalls over the basalt cliffs that connected to form creeks that dumped into marshes and ultimately the sea. So even in the face of strong sea salt breezes along the coast, a great many secret valleys and lush ravines clung to their greenery so that in one place the deep treasures of stone and of tree were mingled together.

Their home spanned from the sheltered forest at the surface, carven halls wound down through the stone and at length the basalt cliffside high above the swell lines was perforated to allow fresh air even deeper into living areas of the home. At the base of the cliffs were tidal salt marshes and rivers which would swell and shrink with Ulmo's rhythmic motions mixing snowmelt and sea water together.

My bearer doesn't leave by sea though, their ship has sat neglected in dry storage for so long the sail bags had rotted through and dumped the great Forest green and Durin blue rolls of canvas fabric to the ground for several generations of mice to pick through for bedding. Grubs had feasted on the decking and part of the starboard side of the framing, leaving the prow cracked open to further damage. He had not been prepared for time to march on so cruelly while he had wept with no care or sense of days in the burial chamber after the funeral rites were completed and nothing could divert his heart's pain any longer.

Even if he made repairs to the hull and sewed new sails, braided new rigging, carved new blocks... it would be a lengthy process just to attempt launching the vessel alone and unaided into the salt creek to get back to the sea inlet and Bay of Eldamar. Getting up and leaving the home they had built together in the Undying Lands was an effort of years to crawl out from under the grief; the idea of years of tearing apart the vessel was akin to shredding the corpse of their desperate hope of delaying cruel Fate by fleeing to that far off shore.

So sailing their ship from its final resting place was unthinkable and abandoned. A new, smaller ship perhaps? Just for one elf to sail out and escape the pitying faces of the others who had nothing but celebrations and joy in the mind as more elves were re-embodied and exited Mandos to reunite with their kin. Legolas knew he would have to wait far longer than any other elf to see his husband once more in flesh.

They had time to prepare for Gimli's passing, of course, there were rituals and processes that had to be done and who else on this sacred land would Legolas entrust the task to? No one else. And there was no time to spare so the grief had been held back by the sheer wave of responsibility in that moment. Gimli had left his people back on the other shore, had not known that Legolas had overheard several comments made after his announcement to yield the Colony over to a relative and sail off to one last adventure.

Whether through trying to guilt the elf and sway their Lord's decision, it did not matter, these were secrets shared in a moment of anger, concern, or grief but secrets were shared none the less. Who would weave the Passing braids into Gimli's hair and beard to denote his many great achievements when he crosses to see their Ancestors in the Halls of their Maker? It would be Legolas. Who would lay the once Lord of the Glittering Caverns to rest in a carven tomb with gilded bowls surrounding him, each studded with a specific precious gem to carry his soul safely and in comfort to the Halls of Waiting? Legolas would, had known of an Elvish craftsman in Valinor who would be willing to work in secret out of respect for the ways of the Khazad to forge the bowls needed... had seen the very doors that Craftsman had made long ago along with the rest of the Fellowship.

Time had gotten away from him staring into the chewed out crevices of the body of the ship, it was empty and dead here so he could bear the sight no more. The dry storage was shuttered and abandoned after that, until such a time that I would make my way back to the place of my birth and would take the remains of that mighty Grey ship that once crossed the wide waters to create a vessel of my own, the Red Swallow.

It was to the root of the mountain that he went and from its depths was the Tunnelpath found.

[tolkienocweek]

Like if you're making something for Tolkien OC week

Reblog if you want someone else to make something, too

[rowanoars]

Legolas and Gimli cooling off in a spring fed creek during a summer in the Fourth Age.

If you've never cooled off in ice cold spring water during the dog days of summer I highly recommend it. Having a snack, smoke, drink, or whatever floats your boat on the creek is a great way to unwind and enjoy the summer. Happy summer solstice!

[taylortumbling]

[rowanoars]

Reblogging this previous post from my messy main blog onto this dedicated blog for the Swallowed Stars Sing verse (Dagor Dagorath AU).

[rowanoars]

When your adult child of mixed Dwarven-Elvish ancestry learns about your numerous questionable decisions during the Elvish equivalent of your teenage years, before you became a Dignified War Hero and DeFacto Elvish Expert on Dwarvish Matters, what else can you do but just sit there and take the lecture on the chin lol

Backstory and photo details below the cut.

On the left is Néalmhar, eldest of the 3 sisters/siblings and is considered the most serious one generally. Practical & direct to a fault, she isn't one to let resentment fester or injustices go unanswered. Unyielding to her own personal rules, she has a strong sense of self assuredness that often has her clashing with others or dragging them in line with her.

She is wearing a brat, fringed cloak/cape, and a leine, dyed bright yellow undertunic with long sleeves, which would be attributed to Silvan Elves in this AU. Due to the nature of her powers/blessing, she does not typically wear metal jewelry as a precaution and her personal preference is for quality over appearance for her gear. It gives her a very wild appearance to noble Dwarves which may look down on her or mistake her for an Exile.

Legolas (on the right; who uses the alias Geamhar for most of this AU) and his whimsical nature balance her out a bit when they are separated from Ceolmhar & Bríomhar. While he is typically far from serious in demeanor, Legolas earnestly passed on as many of his skills and knowledge as possible to Néalmhar for her future. She isn't particularly skilled with a bow and many of the standard techniques/drills didn't work as well with her physical stature being closer to a Dwarf. Most of her training eventually became self-directed with occasional mentorships while Geamhar spends more time getting the settlements and fields up and running before his eventual demise protecting his children from the drgon Bríomhar awakens.

The more complicated memories that Legolas may not have shared with the other sisters do get shared with Néalmhar as over time there were no secrets between them. It means that Ceolmhar and Bríomhar have a more distant relationship with their dad compared to her.

[dear-ao3]

[rookamell]

Writing isn't the hobby. Being insane about little fake people is the hobby. Writing is just the only outlet i have for that

[rowanoars]

When she is on duty Bríomhar is often in heavy armor although given the fiery/somewhat unstable nature of her fëa said armor doesn't last very long from being pummeled with fluctuations in heat intensity. Even though her personal preferences are for highly decorated and embellished pieces the most serviceable suits of armor for her are thick iron and steel based ones that are practical/functional with little decoration. The worst quality pieces of metal/armor, that are sent as insults rather than true tribute, are used more as disguises/single use clothing or emergency tool materials than actual reliable protection.

[rowanoars]

Bríomhar [Gaeilge; sounds like 'Bree-O-ver'; lit. meaning "Vigorous/Strong (of a person/plant growth/food & drink/speech)"]

Character Details and Photo Details Under the Readmore

Bríomhar is the youngest of three siblings born very late into the 4th Age in secrecy to an Elven bearer (nonbinary/masc Legolas). Her sisters and her lived their first lives as unrelated Dwarves across the Ages and when offered the chance to be re-embodied with a feä they took the chance for a radically different future than what they endured previously.

For Bríomhar that means simply existing as herself free from the oversight and expectations of the Firebeard lineage. The differing accounts of what happened in Doriath and her treatment post reembodiment as an Elf have swayed her towards being isolationist and distrustful towards anyone outside of her immediate family.

As Marchwarden of Eastern Beleriand-That-Was she spends the vast majority of her centuries long service in chain mail and armor but on the occasions where she is off duty it is a personal delight of hers to dress up in finery and gifts from her Admirer/Long Distance Situationship. She can be a bit of a party girl as otherwise it is difficult for her to endure crowds for longer periods of time without coming across as sharp or irate.

Imagery/Themes Associated With Bríomhar: Sun, Agriculture, Hearthfire, Family Ties (Chosen vs. Blood vs. Culture), Transfemininity and Differences in Gender Expression Between Elves and Dwarves

[rowanoars]

Sketching preliminary concepts for Mystery Project C: Wildfire 🔥 🔨

[rowanoars]

I think it will be fine to share concept art and small out of context pics like this for the event I'm participating in this summer. I've been making progress on the digital version of what this piece is swiftly morphing into.

It's difficult to choose between Bríomhar's standoffish nature with others or her more placid moments of solitude. It's moving away from the concepts haughty typical elven pose and face to get to something more authentic to Bríomhar's fierce dedication while being worn down by her long years of duty.

She's weighed down with armor, sprawled over a carven couch (a clear sign of this being a frequent part of patrol routes/outpost) as she surveys her grim work.

Something startles her or catches her elven hearing and she twists, reaching for her weapon (platinum/titanium staff with obsidian spearhead) swinging it over her broad armored shoulder to point at what is approaching.

[interstate75south]

i am about to create an au SO self indulgent. the target audience is 1 person and that person is me

[rowanoars]

Building up cave wall textures for Project D: Lantern 🌟⛲️

[rowanoars]

Sketching preliminary concepts for Mystery Project C: Wildfire 🔥 🔨