All posts by Conner Denton
Oops, then definitely Gothmog. Sauron’s failure at Tol-in-Gaurhoth led to Melkor’s ultimate defeat.
Plus Gothmog slew two Ñoldorin High-Kings
If the poll applies to Melkor’s rule explicitly, then Gothmog. But if it refers to each of their individual roles, then Sauron.
Melkor corrupted Mairon into Sauron, he wins lol
Fair counter but doesn’t discount the point that he is appreciated for what purpose he is meant to serve in the legendarium and anything beyond that serves the benefit of the reader’s imagination. Meaning the answer is no, he isn’t under appreciated, but precisely as he is meant to 😉
Nope. Short, sweet, and to the point. The air of mystery is for the benefit of your imagination
It would require top to bottom people that not only care for the IP, but have a sort of reverence that can be proven to the prospective audience as RoP killed a lot of good will.
Game of Thrones in its earlier seasons showcased how effective long form, episodic visual media is for adapting stories like this.
It is illogical to argue the supreme deity; that is omnipresent and omniscient, is capable of hubris. The very nature of His existence and being prevents that.
The Valar were stewards and shaped the world of Arda for the Children in accordance with Eru’s will. The Gift of Men was granted by Eru when He made Men, so that they are not bound to the woes of the world in the same manner of the Firstborn and the Adopted.
Also, it is impossible for Eru to be guilty of hubris as it is through Him Eä and everything within it exists. The only Vala guilty of hubris was Melkor, the one that practically unmade himself in his prideful ambition to show he knew better than his Father.
You misunderstand.
Numenor was a reward for the Edain’s assistance to the Eldar in the First Age, the Gift refers to the mortality intrinsic to the Secondborn. The longevity of the Dùnedain came with it and in their hubris they began to reject the Gift and see it as a Curse.
I would hazard you to not continue in this argumentation, as those that sunk with Numenor were complicit in sacrifice of the Faithful. The transcendent, omnipresent, and omnipotent being of the verse concluded this punishment for the crime of the King’s Men was necessary.
You can when they abuse as the expense of other’s lives and teach future generations the same behavior. You must understand, it was not their call, they were warned, and their hubris drove them to militaristic aggression anyway.
Genocide would imply all the Men of Westernesse, and those of the Faithful were aided in their survival to land safely back on Middle-Earth.
Oh we most certainly rationalize concepts of morality being superior to others my friend. For much of humanity’s history there was a belief; by right of conquest, commerce, or competency, that the enslavement of others was ok.
In the context of the legendarium however, we are explicitly told that the only member of the Faithful that remained behind was Elendil’s father Amandil; whom sailed West in an effort to beseech the Valar for mercy on behalf of the King’s Men. That means the rest that did not follow the Faithful to the East were of the King’s Men and complicit in the sacrificial rites, enslavement of “lesser” Men, and breaching the Ban of the Valar by force.
Eru was not wont to directly intervene because that would prevent His children from exercising the free will he granted them. Manwë laid down the stewardship of Arda because he understood Eru’s will was not to harm His children despite their hubris driving them to be rid of the “Curse” through force. This is why His punishment was the reshaping of Arda, removal of Aman to a different plane of Eä, and the Drowning of Numenor. Such was depth of crime committed by that faction of the Secondborn; and Eru had every right because they had abused the Gift granted to them in a means that could threaten all of His creation.
How so? Can you explain how our concept of morality is superior to a transcendental, omnipotent being?
Christians show reverence to the Angels in a similar way, and even to the Virgin Mary.
In the context of the legendarium however, everything stems from Eru. He is the only creator and through His thoughts the Ainur (both the Valar and Maiar) were given form and purpose. To the Children they may seem as much, but that does not mean they are gods nor should we the reader view them as such.
The Valar did not pass judgment upon Numenor as they were explicitly forbade from harming the Children. When the Great Armament landed on Aman, the Elder King laid down his right to call upon Eru to pass judgment on something utterly unprecedented. Prior to this, Manwe sent omens to warn the King’s Men of the Doom they would face if they continued upon the path of hubris.
Everything stems from Eru and it was Him that sunk Numenor as punishment. To morally debate the matter is effectively the same folly as Melkor sowing discord into the Music of the Ainur.
To a certain extent much of the strife each of the Children faced was a product of their own folly. The ents served the purpose that Yavanna made them for and they suffered regardless.
There is only one God my friend, and His name is Eru
Oh yes; sacrificing the Faithful, believing in taking immortality by force despite not having it being their Gift, enslavement of “lesser” Men, etc
What was good and prosperous about it went on to build the Dúnedain Kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor
I’ve always wanted to be a Calaquendi just to have seen the trees, ideally a Ñoldo that didn’t participate in the Kinslaying at Alqualondë so I could go into exile and see Middle-Earth through all the Ages of the Sun and then sail West after the passing of King Elessar.
The easiest answer is actually that the Quest required absolute secrecy. The Eagles do not answer to anyone in Middle-Earth as well and even carrying Gandalf to Rohan from Orthanc necessitated rest. Then there’s the fact that Sauron had complete control of Mordor, enough to declare himself openly, meaning it was well guarded and again, threatened the secrecy of the Quest.