Imagine being a former spirit of Manwe and then becoming a spirit of Mandos
You were a former spirit of Manwe, who became trapped in the form of a raven by Melkor. You then find yourself in service of Mandos and find new life within his halls.
Requested by Anon
Hello!👋 I would like to request a Namo(Mandos) x Maiar reader who once served Manwe until her sudden marriage arranged by Eru himself. She helps her husband with the souls, elven and men, by guiding them to their different resting places. She and Mandos didn't want to get married, but with a lot of convincing from Manwe and Varda they both gave in. (please continue I don't know what else to add🥲)
A little angsty, but fluff pls🥺
(she is like a wind spirit helping Manwe with the winds)
(I don't know what I am thinking/requesting🥲, you can ignore this request👍)
(Author's note: I struggled to come up with ideas for this as I didn't know how reader would end up from making winds to suddenly guide the dead, so I changed it just a bit to fit the original theme and make it work. I hope you're fine with that. Also--- when it comes to characters who are canonically married to someone known. My brain always goes *why not both?*. It might have also become more platonic than romantic. My head lost ideas on that part. Sorry if that was not what you completely wanted but it was the best I could come up with. )
Warnings: Melkor, torture, death, you being corrupted, living and surviving alone, angst, guiding dead spirits, reunion, becoming Mandos's maiar, angst to fluff, and a good ending.
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- You used to be one of Manwe’s wind spirits, taking care of the natural flow of the wind around the world. You were happy with your position as your lord was kind and compassionate toward you and your friends. But then, one day, you and your friends were taken against your will by his less kind brother, Melkor.
- You and your friends' forms were that of small birds and you had never been part of battles like Thorondor and his eagles, so you were powerless against the fallen valar as he subjected you to his cruel tortures and experiments — trying to discover the secret of your wings that allowed you to fly.
- You managed to escape by turning yourself into the wind, making him unable to grab you. However, as a mere wisp of wind, you could not help your friends as he twisted their bodies and very souls. It was terrible. You only left when your last remaining friend pleaded for you to escape. However, Melkor did not allow you to leave unscathed.
- As he was greater in power, he cursed and tainted your body with his darkness. The foul airs forced you to return to your bird form and be twisted into that of a raven, causing you pain and being cut off from your connection with the wind. He laughed in mockery as he allowed you to flee, calling out how you will never be accepted again by Manwe and the other valar for your new corrupted form.
- After you escaped his domain, you wandered and grieved for many years for the cruel fate of your friends and your new life. You did not want to believe the fallen valar’s words, but since you could no longer feel the connection you once had with Manwe’s domain, you feared he was right. You were completely cut off, trapped in a form forced upon you by him. Everything felt wrong and you were completely alone.
- Ravens already had a poor reputation for being associated with death and darkness. They were seen as ill omens thus the Valars might cast you out than let you step into their lands again.
- After some years, you learned to survive as a raven. You missed your home and Manwe, but due to your corrupt form, you learned to accept you will never see them again.
- When the first children of Eru awakened, you tried to watch out for them as they lived in darkened lands, meaning they were easy targets to Melkor and his creatures. You couldn't do much as Melkor’s servants were too powerful and the elves began to see you as a spy as you were always there when a servant of Melkor arrived — even though you tried to warn them whenever they were near.
- However, you then found out something strange. When you found body of a dead elf, you were able to see their disembodied soul and being able to speak with them. It was strange as you were not able to speak with them when they were alive. You have heard some maiars can develop different abilities if they were associated with a certain thing for long periods of time — in your case— death.
- You knew what would happen to the souls lost in the dark, so you took it upon yourself to guide them toward the direction of the halls of Mandos.
- It was not easy but when you succeeded in bringing the soul to safety, you decided to help as many souls as you could, saving them from the cruel grips of Melkor’s darkness. It was the first time you felt grateful for your new body as it allowed you to see through the dark and fly unnoticed by Melkor’s servants.
- You did it for many years. Mandos eventually took notice whenever a new soul came to his halls and spoke about a raven. He would bring it up to the other Valars who would become intrigued by this strange raven.
- When Orome finally located the elves — he also found you. He immediately knew you were a maiar trapped in a singular form. He spoke how your efforts have been noticed by the Valar and expressed his sympathy when you told him you were one of many who Melkor had taken against their will and twisted beyond recognition. He then said you were welcome to enter Aman and asked you to return with him.
- You felt fearful of the offer as you still saw yourself tainted and did not know how Manwe would react seeing you again. However, through assurance from Orome, you accepted his offer and returned to Aman with him.
- Manwe was shocked when he recognized you. He then grieved when you told him what Melkor did to you and your friends, and that you had wandered alone in the darkened lands for many years. He said he would not have turned you away if you had come to him. He knew Melkor took many of his maiars, and none ever returned from his cruelty, so seeing one of his maiars return brought relief.
- You felt small joy by his statement. However, the damage Melkor had done to you had already been done. You could no longer create winds or change shape thus there was no way you could serve him again.
- Mandos then suggested that you could come to serve in his halls instead since you had become more associated with the realm of the dead and spirits. Melkor’s darkness and evil prevented many souls from returning to his halls. You had already guided many souls back to the light and were capable of retrieving them from the darkness unnoticed.
- You accepted the proposition. If it meant you would have a home again and help those Melkor had wronged, then you would do it.
- As now a servant of Mandos, you diligently traveled in the darkness, guiding the lost souls back to their rightful resting places. Mandos was grateful for your efforts and through time you learned new abilities and had become a spirit associated with the dead. Melkor could not see you as your black feathers blended you with the dark and neither could he sense you as you moved between the realms of life and death, making his efforts to trap the souls of the lost futile.
- It was nearly ironic how his own curse had turned against him.
- Eventually, you became strong enough to overcome Melkor’s curse and regain your ability to change shape. Your form and powers had significantly changed as you were now a maiar of Mandos, but you no longer found anything wrong with your new form. You had even grown to prefer to stay in your raven form. It was small and quick.
- You had also grown fond of your new valar. Mandos was not the most expressive of the Valars, preferring to watch from the side in silence, but he was kind to you and his other maiars. His wife, Vaire, was also very kind to you. She was easy to talk to and often asked stories about the souls and their tales so she could weave them. In her mind, no story was not worth being weaved.
- The two valars were perhaps considered an odd pair by the outsiders, but to you, they seemed perfect for each other. Unintentionally, you had become quite involved with their lives.
- Mandos often allowed you to rest near him and you two would enjoy the peaceful silence inside the halls.
-Vaire would sometimes ask for small requests from you which you were happy to fulfill.
- You would sometimes end up getting pulled into some small drama when it came to Irmo or the other valars getting bored.
- Sometimes Mandos and Vaire would invite you for small leisure time, which would include enjoying the peacefulness.
- In your small free time, you would end up either playing or riding on Gorgumoth in your raven form.
- You were content with your life. You did not know if your experience was part of Eru’s plan but your past no longer bothered you. You were happy to serve your two favorite Valars.
námo stares, a lot. and his s/o is the subject of this gaze more often than not. it's far from unsettling, rather comforting. you have grown to understand his way of communication and expression of his feelings — however, you still grow flustered when you feel a pair of eyes on you, only to turn and see the vala shamelessly looking upon you.
no, he doesn't look away once he's caught. if anything he brings his viridian eyes to lock onto yours instead. his gaze says a thousand words. his adoration and love for you along with so much more despite his monotone expression.
sometimes he is fully aware that his stares fluster you and will do so intentionally. just to get a reaction out of you.
