#shared histories

[the-real-dev]

whatever. go my ocs that i made for school. that i then became very attached to

[from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras]

I’m (maybe?) almost done with a Théodred story I’ve been working on for a long time and, in looking back over some of my notes about his canon life, I couldn’t help clocking the many similarities between his experiences and those of LOTR’s other first son of a kingdom of men, Boromir. It’s not super relevant to my story, but I ended up with this running list and I’m just sticking it here because why not. None of this is groundbreaking stuff (and there are probably more) but so far I have that Théodred and Boromir both:

1. Were heirs to the leadership of their respective realms and held their land’s senior military positions (Second Marshal for Théodred—there being no First Marshal at the time—and Captain of the White Tower for Boromir).

2. Lost their mothers early (Théodred at birth and Boromir at age 10) and grew up in households run entirely by powerful fathers who never remarried.

3. Ended up taking on dangerous challenges at least in part because those fathers were both having their reason and good judgment manipulated by opponents (Théoden through the treachery of Gríma/Saruman and Denethor by the selective truths shown to him by Sauron in the palantír).

4. Got killed in a battle where their opponents were targeting them to the exclusion of others around them (Saruman’s forces at the Isen were told to kill Théodred at all costs even while “disregarding” others, and the orcs at Parth Galen fire their arrows “always at Boromir” while leaving Merry and Pip untouched).

5. Were trying to summon aid at the time they were struck down (Théodred is shouting “To me, Eorlingas!” to summon reinforcements when he’s fatally wounded. Boromir blows his great horn to alert the rest of the fellowship before he’s brought down).

6. Took massive injuries but lived long enough afterward to pass on last words in which they invoke the names of the men who will come to replace them as leaders and express the hope that those next leaders will achieve victory (Elfhelm and Grimbold believe Théodred is dead before they discover he’s still breathing just enough to say, “Let me lie here to keep the fords til Éomer comes.” Boromir, as we all know, lays there with those arrows in his chest long enough to be found by Aragorn, at which point he says, “Farewell, Aragorn. Go to Minas Tirith and save my people.”).

7. Died within hours of each other (Théodred on the night on February 25 and Boromir around midday on the 26) at the same age of 41 because, oh yeah, they were also born within months of each other.

8. Didn’t get a burial/funeral in keeping with their status and the traditions of their people because they died in awful circumstances far from home (Théodred dies and is buried by Elfhelm and Grimbold’s companies at the fords rather than in the barrows outside of Edoras with his ancestors. Boromir is sent over the falls by the three hunters instead of laying in Rath Dínen with the other kings and stewards of Gondor).

9. Mentored and protected little brother-type figures (Faramir as Boromir’s actual little brother and Éomer as Théodred’s cousin/adopted little bro) who would go on to achieve what they were unable to do themselves while alive.

10. Died unmarried and childless despite being extremely marriageable, in the primes of their lives and presumably expected to produce another heir. (There’s an explanation given for Boromir—he’s not into women and prefers fighting and arms—though there is none for Théodred.) (Like many other people, I have my own personal HC for Théodred’s romantic life, but that’s for another day.)

I’m not sure what to make of all that, but I find it interesting. We hear so often about contrasts between Gondor and Rohan—the different histories and heritages, the personality of cold, hard Denethor against kindly, grandfatherly Théoden, the magisterial stone and marble of Minas Tirith versus the rustic wood and thatch of Edoras, Gondor’s vast libraries and the Rohirrim’s oral traditions—but they’re so deeply linked as kingdoms and as individuals. By fate and by choice, they’re inextricably tied together, and I love the amount of detail that went into creating and including the subtle parallels between the first sons of each land as just one more way to see those ties play out.

[yvraine]

Shared Histories Prologue Updated!

Hey Shared Histories readers hanging out on tumblr with me,

I've extended the prologue now that I've solidified a lot of my thoughts and ideas about Samara and Gortash. My 2 am short about the scrying eye from earlier today is now part of the prologue as well.

I'll be working on at least the first ten chapters similarly.

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[yvraine]

Shared Histories Updated, again!

New chapter up as of yesterday. With the holidays, my updates are a little slower. Any comments would be much appreciated. I'm getting near the end, I think!

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[yvraine]

Ya'll. Sam looks like Jaheira's kid. I can't get over the 'I have to ask mom first' energy every cutscene holds with her in the party.

[yvraine]

Prequel Project

Hey Shared Histories readers--

I haven't given up on the prequel project. I got a new update up this weekend! This also exists.

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[yvraine]

Shared Histories Updated!

New Chapter, finally. I swear I didn't forget that the Emperor exists.

--

I can protect you from the tadpole. I cannot protect you from yourself. He once said. The truth was that he preferred her to be an empty shell just like Raphael. Just like all of them.

“That we do. I'm sure you needed the time to figure out how best to manipulate me now that I remember what I did to you to get us all here in the first place.”

“That is unfair, Sam.”

She held up a finger to silence him. “Samara. My friends call me Sam. You will have to earn that privilege again.”

--

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works