Anyone part of the Tolkien fandom knows most of the fandom tend to be catalogued into periods of time. You have the Silmarillion fandom which are generally split into Pre-Silmaril and Post-Silmaril periods, the latter which also tends to get heavily split between which groups of Elves the writer is more sympathetic with.
Then obviously you have the late Third Age, with the War of the Ring, and the Hobbit. The Hobbit is an especially interesting case as a lot of the fandom leans almost entirely on interpreting the Jackson movies, probably to an even greater degree than The Lord of the Rings.
Then you have the Second Age, which is almost entirely Silvergifting and... That Show which I shall not discuss.
And then there's everyone else.
Early Rohan has recently seen a surge of interest with the recent movie, obviously, but unfortunately for me, a middle-Third Age-Angmar-War-to-Ruling-Stewards enthusiast, far less attention gets paid here.
Which is a shame, honestly, as there's this is an era that's positively ripe for fandom.
It's what I like to call the 'Sauronic Cold War' period, where the Dark Lord himself is present and plotting but lacks the strength to act openly and so must do what he does best, undermining his enemies, but this time without the advantage of appearing Fair. So rather than acting as an agent provocateur himself, he falls back into the role of the unseen puppetmaster with like a dozen or so plots rolling at once.
It's also a period where Gandalf is probably at his most secret agent-ish. I like to think a lot of his time was spent stomping out light-to-middleweight supernatural threats in this period, possibly set up by Sauron to throw the White Council off his tail, given that the idea of 'A Nazgûl' setting up shop in Mirkwood was considered but apparently not high priority enough on Saruman's to-do list for immediate action. This is of course also the period where Gandalf first finds the Shire.
And the North itself is just taking L after L. Arnor falls, obviously, leaving the entire region depopulated for centuries. The Witch-King doing his best Dracula impression, but somehow nobody realizes he's a Nazgûl until the very end. And if the fall of Arnor wasn't bad enough, immediately after this Khazad-dûm falls as well. This all takes place in a span of five years, bastions of the Free Peoples in the north falling one after the other, definitely one of the darkest periods in the entire Third Age.
And of course let's not leave out Gondor. If anything it's likely going through just as much hell as Arnor. Invasion after invasion, a civil war (The Kin-Strife is such an interesting event, my God), plague, staring towards the East as Mordor becomes more and more of a pit of evil but unable to discern what the source is. The biggest and most significant W for Gondor is Valacar establishing strong alliances with the Northmen, and despite the Kin-Strife this pays off big time with events eventually leading up to the foundation of Rohan years down the line.
The build up to the Kin-Strife is insane when you think about it. Valacar is sent as emisarry to Rhovanion in 1250, marries Vidumavi sometime before 1255 when she gives birth to Vinitharya, and they return to Gondor in 1260 where Vinitharya and Vidumavi both take Gondorian names, Eldacar and Galadwen respectively. Romendacil II, who sent Valacar north doesn't become king (in name at least) until 1304. Vidumavi dies in 1332, presumably at a very old age, 77 years after giving birth to Vinitharya. Valacar becomes king in 1366 and rules for 66 years, dying 1432. Eldacar takes the throne and the kin-strife begins, with Castamir overthrowing him in 1437.
This is an insane timeline for a civil war, from root cause (Eldacar's birth) to outbreak is 177 years! Vidumavi is dead 100 years before her son takes the throne! What on earth was going on in Gondor in this time? Did Romendacil II guess that this would cause a civil war? Did he support Valacar completely or try and encourage him to ditch Vidumavi? Was Vidumavi taking a Gondorian name an attempt to hide her ancestry? Did her hair and ageing give it away? Was this a scandal? Could Romendacil II have prevented a civil war by purging the army and navy of blood purists? Or was there no way of knowing? What was it like under Valacar, was everyone just waiting for a civil war? A conflict generations in the making. It's such a strange situation.
I feel so sorry for Vidumavi in this situation, I doubt anyone would have been rude to her face, but there must have been snide coments behind her back, and an absurd amount of pressure to be perfect, and to fit Gondorian customs. Did she realise what was coming? Did she ever regret marrying Valacar?
“You have come and are here met, in this very nick of time, by chance as it may seem. Yet it is not so. Believe rather that it is so ordered that we, who sit here, and none others, must now find counsel for the peril of the world.”
- Elrond
Here comes the 9th day of our friendly contest! It’s time to vote! You can leave your votes in comments, asks, messages, be that anonymous or not.
BRING FORTH THE CANDIDATES:
Kin-Strife - The civil war, that occurred in Gondor from T.A. 1432 - T.A. 1447, causing the series of strikes and battles, resulting in lost of any lives of men, realm of Umbar and Dome of Stars with Palantir in Osgiliath.
Aragorn’s Backstory - The story of Estel’s life from learning his heritage at age 20 and departing from Rivendell, to reuniting with Arwen in Lothlorien. His life as ranger, meeting Gandalf, serving in Rohan and Gondor, fighting beside the men of the South against Sauron’s forces, Moria, and MUCH more.
The Creation of the Rings/The Last Alliance - Celebrimbor’s backstory with the creation of the Three rings, Sauron’s creation of the Seven and the Nine. The battle against Sauron, which is briefly shown in the Fellowship of the Ring.
Rohan’s History/Theoden’s Backstory - Rohan’s history is full of great kings and remarkable events, such the Eorl’s and Helm Hammerhand’s stories.
The War of the Ring as told in the East - we all know the main plot for the War of the Ring. However, no less important was the War in the East of Middle Earth. Mirkwood, Kingdom of The Lonely Mountain, Dale, and Lothlorien fought against the forces of Sauron, holding them back from South-West.
The War of the North - the war in Arnor, when Dunedain fought against Witch-king of Angmar.
Hobbits’ Backstories - Hobbits have a rich history of their appearance and establishment in Middle Earth. Halflings have loads of interesting traditions, as well as a unique culture and lifestyle.
Gondor’s History - Don’t even get us started at the amount of events in Gondor’s history, starting from its establishment and first kings, its falls and rises, numerous battles and conflicts, and ending on the victory in the War of the Ring and Aragorn’s rule.
Durin’s Folk - the Hobbit hasn’t covered the whole history of the dwarves of Middle Earth before the events in the Lord of the Rings. How about the tale about Durin’s heirs, Khazad-Dum’s formation and the Durin’s Bane, establishment of Erebor, the Battle at the Gates of Moria?
Stories from the South - Middle Earth has a LOT of nations. However, the Southern nations didn’t get much attention and it’s their chance to show their history, too. Possible Blue Wizards appearance (depending on copyright).
THERE YOU HAVE IT! We Now have our ten choices. Vote to decide which top three ideas you’d like to see remaining in the next nine days.
One textual ghost ladies I stress and ponder the most over has to be Eldacar's wife. Because you know he would have been under pressure to marry a full-blooded Elrosian Dúnedan princess to ease the taunts and worries of 'Vinitharya'. Of just who was this woman: did she survive and follow Eldacar into exile? Was it only a political match; did she feel any affection for her husband, were they allies and partners or bitter enemies?
Guys~
What if she was related to Castamir? What if she was his sister? or daughter?
Because I love the Kinstrife (and I think I've made one or two others a little more interested in this period of Gondorian history), and this section has some great information and implications about the societal and political situation facing Eldacar, of his mother, and even of his grandfather.
Juicy drama.
Romendakil II (Minalkar) (Lieutenant of the King 1240, King 1304)
In the text of the First Edition there was no reference to the name Romendacil as having been taken by Calmacil's son after his victory over the Easterlings in 1248, and indeed there was no mention of the victory. In the Second Edition, in the list of the Kings of Gondor (RK p. 318), the original text 'Calmacil 1304, Romendacil II 1366, Valacar' was altered to 'Calmacil 1304, Minalcar (regent 1240-1304), crowned as Romendacil II 1304, died 1366, Valacar'.
There is no need to give the whole of the new version, since the substance of it was largely retained in the revised text of Appendix A, but there are some portions of it that may be recorded. As originally composed, it opened: Narmakil (9) and Kalmakil were like their father Atanatar lovers of ease; but Minalkar elder son of Kalmakil was a man of great force after the manner of his great-grandsire Hyarmendakil, whom he revered. Already at the end of Atanatar's reign his voice was listened to in the councils of the realm; and in 1240 Narmakil, wishing to be relieved of cares of state, gave him the new office and title of Karma-kundo 'Helm-guardian', that is in terms of Gondor Crown-lieutenant or Regent. Thereafter he was virtually king, though he acted in the names of Narmakil and Kalmakil, save in matters of war and defence over which he had complete authority. His reign is thus usually dated from 1240, though he was not crowned in the name of Romendakil until 1304 after the death of his father. The Northmen increased greatly in the peace brought by the power of Gondor....
In the long version there is a footnote to the name Vinitharya: 'This, it is said, bore much the same meaning as Romendakil.' After the birth of Vinitharya this version continues:
Romendakil gave his consent to the marriage. He could not forbid it or refuse to recognize it without earning the enmity of Vidugavia. Indeed all the Northmen would have been angered, and those in his service would have been no longer to be trusted. He therefore waited in patience until 1260, and then he recalled Valakar, saying that it was now time that he took part in the councils of the realm and the command of its armies. Valakar returned to Gondor with his wife and children; and with them came a household of noble men and women of the North. They were welcomed, and at that time all seemed well. Nonetheless in this marriage lay the seeds of the first great evil that befell Gondor: the civil war of the Kin-strife, which brought loss and ruin upon the realm that was never fully repaired.
Valakar gave to his son the name Eldakar, for public use in Gondor; and his wife bore herself wisely and endeared herself to all those who knew her. She learned well the speech and manners of Gondor, and was willing to be called by the name Galadwen, a rendering of her Northern name into the Sindarin tongue. She was a fair and noble lady of high courage, which she imparted to her children; but though she lived to a great age, as such was reckoned among her people, she died in 1344 [in one copy > 1332]. Then the heart of Romendakil grew heavy, foreboding the troubles that were to come. He had now long been crowned king, and the end of his reign and life were drawing nearer. Already men were looking forward to the accession of Valakar when Eldakar would become heir to the crown. The high men of Gondor had long looked askance at the Northmen among them, who had borne themselves more proudly since the coming of Vidumavi. Already among the Dunedain murmurs were heard that it was a thing unheard of before that the heir to the crown, or any son of the King should wed one of lesser race, and short-lived; it was to be feared that her descendants would prove the same and fall from the majesty of the Kings of Men.
20 Valakar 1194 238 crowned 1366 1432
Valakar was a vigorous king, and his son Eldakar was a man of great stature, handsome and valiant, and showed no sign of ageing more swiftly than his father. Nonetheless the disaffection steadily grew during his reign; and when he grew old there was already open rebellion in the southern provinces. There were gathered many of those who declared that they would never accept as king a man half of foreign race, born in an alien country. 'Vinitharya is his right name,' they said. 'Let him go back to the land where it belongs!'
Crossover of Doom- Rurouni Gondor, Character Musings 1
So following this post Bakumastu Kin-strife (and I still haven't hammered out answers to the gaping holes yet) I start to lay out the railroad pieces for characters.
Introduce the main character's back-story-
Ugh, so first up semi-ignoring last names because there isn't a widespread use of them in non-Hobbit communities.
Kenshin Himura
Notes for Re-Name: Kenshin - Heart of Sword
original name Shinta - Kindness, rechristened a more 'warrior-fitting name' when adopted by his master/mentor Hiko.
Himura - if I remember correctly basically means scarlet red village.
Nebulous character history transliterated over to the time period in Middle-earth:
A boy is born to a poor farming village that is struck by cholera, he is one of the few survivors and is picked up by a slavers caravan that is later attacked by bandits.
Frankly this can all fit in Rhovanion without change. As the Northmen are the proto-ancestors of the Eotheod and descendants of the Hadorim, there can be some red-heads mixed in with the blondes. So Kenshin keeps the red hair (though I can either go the live-action movie route and keep it a subtle reddish-brown, or all the way up to a orangey ginger. Eyes are light- purple to a grey-blue). And we have the war between Gondor and the Easterlings in 1248 and the situation around it. There were many princes of the Northmen in Rhovanion who fought among themselves and some allied with the Easterlings. Vidugavia was the strongest of these princes, the one that sided with Gondor, thus the one favored. But it's not a unified or peaceful kingdom, and our young Shinta can comes from any Northmen village, the slavers that grab him be any people, and the bandits as well.
So- bandits attack. Everyone is killed except our Shinta, who is saved at the last minute arrival of Seijuro Hiko. If I was slavishly paralleling the legendarium instead of the manga for most of this, I would probably turn the bandit attack into an orc attack, because we get repeated instances of orc attacks from the First Age down. But I prefer to keep this between men because I want to make the same following point.
Seijuro Hiko XIII, our reclusive master swordsman and latest in a long unbroken line of a too powerful sword style, is so obviously an elf in this universe it isn't even funny. Instead of the thirteenth apprentice to master the style of the heavenly sword style that can turn someone into a one-man army, he's just a very old and powerful elf. Sort of. With his dark hair, misanthropic and arrogant beyond belief personality, plus his cover alias as a potter, Hiko has to be a Noldor. Except, frankly, I don't want to make him a First Age survivor or secretly related to any of the princes. Born in the Second Age, a veteran of the Last Alliance, just one of the regular soldiers, at most the leader of a company or minor house, something like Ecthelion or those other Gondolin lords. That fact that he's a elf and has martial talents greater than anyone else in the cast is more than enough specialness. Deserts after the defeat of Sauron, vowing to no longer serve a lord, which substitutes for the Hiten Misturugi philosophy of the sword:
"The truest mission of the Hiten Misturugi-ryu is to protect people from suffering! But it must be done without siding with any powers or parties! You must remain a free sword!"
Make Hiko an elf without a clear lord, and his insistence to stay out of the political squabbles between mortal men seems very natural. Had Sauron or one of his lieutenants like the Witch-king of Angmar got involved in the Gondorian Kin-strife, our former soldier of Gil-galad would have a different tune, but he isn't Elrond to have a deeply personal attachment to the Dúnedain.
Well, actually Hiko is very much like Elrond and various other Tolkien characters in regards to canon.
He wanders pass the bandit attack, slays them, but is too late to save anyone but Shinta. Tells the boy to go find shelter at the nearby village and walks off lamenting how lawless the world has become. A day or few pass. He buys some alcohol, asks and learns the boy never showed up at the village, returns to the sight of the attack to at least bury the corpses. (Note- beer or would there be another liquor in this scenario? Or for symbolic reasons make it mead?) Shocked to discover all of the corpses have been buried and crude grave markings put up. Hiko finds the boy in front of three stones (in the crossover I think we'll go with large and nice cairns and yes we should be seeing the multiple Beren parallels). He asks the boy why he buried all the corpses, including the bandits and slavers, and who the three graves after for. Shinta answers that in death they were all human, and the three weren't his family but just three girls sold by their families (or captured in raiding party) who tried to protect him. (Guys, you know why at least one of these ladies would be renamed Rían, and Glóredhel and hmm, Aerin.) Pours the beer/mead as an offering.
That's when our solitary elf decides to adopt a human boy and raise it (I don't really need to list parallel examples, do I?) In the process he decides to rename the boy from whatever the original Northman name to our translated Sindarian. And yes, teaching the boy Sindarian would be part of training- though we'll keep the quirk that Kenshin has terrible handwriting because. So training in the remote foothills and mountains.
Now this would have to happen when Kenshin is a child (I want to say around six or seven). Now Ruroken has him joining the Isshin-shishi as a fourteen-year-old.
Famously Kenshin was as a character conceived of as being over thirty at the start of the manga, but the editors at Shonen Jump demanded he be younger because the normal lead for such boy's comics was barely half that age. So Kenshin starts the story as 29, and lots of lampshade hanging is made of his age. As many of Tolkien's human heroes are actually much older than one would first assume, even the non-Dúnedan (Tuor as our example was 25 when he entered Gondolin, Beren is in his thirties when he meets Lúthien), having Kenshin be over thirty when we pick up the actual story nearly ten years after the end of the Kin-strife is no problem. And ten year intervals are fitting for canon.
Annoyance in the timeline : Kenshin is in Kyoto during the Ikedaya Incident, actively working for the Ishhin-shishi ('rebels') for about a year before that. However if we say the arrival of the Black Ships is the coronation of Eldacar and the eruption of fighting ending with Eldacar's explosion from Osgiliath is the chain of events from the May 11 Imperial Order to 'expel the barbarians'* followed by the bombardments of Shimonoseki and Kagoshima, Mito Rebellion, and Kimmon Incident, then there is only two years between those losses and the Satcho Alliance and turnabout leading to the Boshin War which is obviously our Battle at the Crossings of Erui (with Battle of Hokadate as Pelargir siege). And again, I want to avoid ten years of only Eldacar licking his wounds up in Rhovanion and waiting for people to get so dissatisfied with Castmir he can waltz back home. And I really like having the counterpart of the Ikedaya Incident when Choshu Ishin-shishi were caught off-guard by the Shinsengumi and which historians debate either held off the inevitable victory or brutality actually strengthened and intensified the counter-efforts of the Choshu. (Ikedaya: Shinsengumi are roughly a innovative peace-keeping police force -except bad reputation for thuggishness- trying to repress rebel Isshin-shishi. Captures one of the rebels, discovers -supposedly- plot to use fire to burn parts of capital city to capture political figure. Surprise raid on the Choshu rebels at meeting in the Ikedaya Inn -they claim it was a meeting to plan rescue of captured man. Most people tend to go with first version, if anything it makes a better story.) Now don't ask me why, but I thought there was an implication in how Ornendil died that he had been captured by Castamir in the seizure of Osgiliath and that there was some time between that and being put to death. Which would fit with the statement that Castamir's reprisals against the city were too harsh and bloody for tolerance. The public murder of a royal prisoner would do it. It makes a good story if for a while Ornendil was kept alive as a bargaining chip or bait for Eldacar's forces, until Castamir finally had him done away with. And therefore any supporters of Eldacar remaining in Gondor, especially in the capital, would be holding secret meanings trying to rescue the prince. Cue 'Ikedaya Incident', our counterpart Kastura (if we don't make Kido-san just the king himself, I can't decide.) the only one lucky enough to escape, Kenshin goes into hiding with Tomoe**.
But then, the reason Kenshin joins Eldacar's army would more logically be during that ten year period when the king is in exile up north in Rhovanion, calling for troops, and that Kenshin decides to join to help the rightful king and stop the suffering of people under Castamir's rule.
So instead I need to work on low-level rebellions and stuff that feels like a civil war instead of two sieges separated by ten years.
Grumble.
* Ironies of this crossover, I know. Castamir's allying call is going to be expel the foreigners/barbarians. Not just against Eldacar/Vinitharya himself but the growing influence of the Northmen.
**I'll get to her in a few posts.
Other notes- both Kenshin and Hiko can keep the long hair. Hiko's names breaks down to SEI = Pure JUU = Ten ROU = Young man HI = Compared to KO = Old, the times long ago, which honestly as long as the re-name is Sindarian, I'm not attached to anything.
Kenshin does pick up the moniker "Hitokiri Battousai' - hitokiri meaning assassin and the rest referring to his fast sword technique. And if Túrin Turamabar and Aragorn Strider prove anything, it's almost required for a main Tolkien hero to have a nickname given based on appearance or skill. So a nickname for our rebel fighter from Rhovanion, probably something along the lines of that demon berserker with red hair.
Final note- easy change of the hakama to tunic and trousers circa 500s. Hiko keeps some form of that giant red and white cape.
