"Defensive architecture", by Himring
Mar. 22nd, 2015 09:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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b2memB2MeM Challenge:
Prompt 1: Maedhros and Defensive Architecture: The elves have left Valinor and arrived in Beleriand, a land of opportunity surrounded by enemies. How did elves who grew up in a land without need for major fortifications know/learn enough to build fortresses strong enough to withstand the forces of Morgoth as well as link to other fortifications, creating a line of defense across the landscape? Did they consult with Sindarin warriors? Did they have an intrinsic understanding of thick walls, arrow slots, draw bridges, portcullis entrances, etc? Was one style duplicated in all of the buildings by each "king" (brother) or was each construction totally distinct. Let your imagination go wild. At least one of the Sons of Feanor should be featured, but it doesn't have to be Maedhros. [by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
engarian]
Prompt 2: Image Prompt: Fortress on a hill
http://starbrow.livejournal.com/pics/ca
Picture looking straight up at the side of a fortress on top of a rocky hill. Could be Himring?
(Picture is of Edinburgh Castle, taken by me - a fairly unique angle, as it was taken from the train line directly below the castle, one day when a train I was on stopped for a while.) [bystarbrow]
Format: ficlet
Genre: gen, family, epistolary
Rating: General
Warnings: none
Characters: Curufin (Curvo, Curufinwe), Maedhros (Russandol); reference to Nolofinwe (Fingolfin) and Feanor (Feanaro)
Pairings: n/a
Creators' Notes (optional): A smallish gapfiller in my Maedhros saga, I guess! I've written about the building of Himring before, but not this particular scene.
Summary: Maedhros and Curufin: two sons of Feanor and a fortress yet to be built. With an epistolary epilogue.
‘You want me to turn this hillock into a mountain?’ asked Curufin, regarding the high hilltop of Himring with a scepticism that perhaps it didn’t quite deserve. ‘Who are you taking me for? Aule?’
‘No,’ said Maedhros patiently. ‘I do not want you to turn it into a mountain. What I said was that Hithlum has barriers already that are defensible and we made use of them as we found them: the Ered Wethrin and also the Hills of Mithrim. These lands here are not so well defensible by nature. But if the Valar can raise the Pelori as a defence—and Morgoth can raise Thangorodrim—so can we make barriers, in our own fashion. But I am taking you for a Noldo, not a Vala!
Indeed, if all I wanted to do was to turn Himring into a mountain, I would not need your help, Curvo! All I would need is a great many Eldar carrying a great many stones up this hill and piling them up on top of each other—although I doubt it would be the best use of our time. But we are Noldor, Curvo, and we do not aimlessly pile up rubble, we build!
I want walls, Curvo—walls to defend us against our enemies and walls to protect us against the weather of the world for I do not think winter will be kind up here. Since we came to Middle-earth, you have devoted much thought to perfecting the weapons and armour we had devised in Valinor. Now think stone, not metal! Make me a shield for a whole people rather than a single warrior! Can you do it, son of Feanaro? For if you are not willing to try, I will go ahead without your help!’
‘You will do no such thing!’ said Curufin. ‘Show me those plans of yours! Give!’
He grabbed the scroll proffered to him, unrolled it and shook his head exasperatedly.
‘No, no, no! Those splendid walls of yours are likely to fall down on top of you if you do that! Here, here and here! You could… Let me think…’
He stalked off muttering, scroll in hand, to inspect the hilltop more closely. Already, in his mind, the fortress of Himring was beginning to rise like a fair crown on the hilltop’s forbidding brow, surpassing anything he had built before...
Maedhros smiled. Curufin had taken even less persuasion than he had expected.
To my lord Nolofinwe, High King of the Noldor in Endore, his nephew Russandol, now of the Marches, sends cordial greetings and I hope my letter finds you safe and well.
Our project of construction at Himring proceeds apace. Curufinwe has just revised the plans again, incorporating a few tricks he learned by studying Dwarven masonry during a recent visit to Belegost. With the building style Curufinwe is now developing, I trust we shall not only succeed in making Himring a place of strength fit to hold against any assault from Angband, we can also make use of it elsewhere to reinforce the natural defences other locations might offer.
With my letter, I enclose another series of sketches made by Curufinwe’s hand and humbly request you, uncle, to cause copies to be disseminated as widely as possible among my cousins and your other commanders, if it so pleases you…
Prompt 1: Maedhros and Defensive Architecture: The elves have left Valinor and arrived in Beleriand, a land of opportunity surrounded by enemies. How did elves who grew up in a land without need for major fortifications know/learn enough to build fortresses strong enough to withstand the forces of Morgoth as well as link to other fortifications, creating a line of defense across the landscape? Did they consult with Sindarin warriors? Did they have an intrinsic understanding of thick walls, arrow slots, draw bridges, portcullis entrances, etc? Was one style duplicated in all of the buildings by each "king" (brother) or was each construction totally distinct. Let your imagination go wild. At least one of the Sons of Feanor should be featured, but it doesn't have to be Maedhros. [by
engarian]Prompt 2: Image Prompt: Fortress on a hill
http://starbrow.livejournal.com/pics/ca
Picture looking straight up at the side of a fortress on top of a rocky hill. Could be Himring?
(Picture is of Edinburgh Castle, taken by me - a fairly unique angle, as it was taken from the train line directly below the castle, one day when a train I was on stopped for a while.) [by
starbrow]Format: ficlet
Genre: gen, family, epistolary
Rating: General
Warnings: none
Characters: Curufin (Curvo, Curufinwe), Maedhros (Russandol); reference to Nolofinwe (Fingolfin) and Feanor (Feanaro)
Pairings: n/a
Creators' Notes (optional): A smallish gapfiller in my Maedhros saga, I guess! I've written about the building of Himring before, but not this particular scene.
Summary: Maedhros and Curufin: two sons of Feanor and a fortress yet to be built. With an epistolary epilogue.
‘You want me to turn this hillock into a mountain?’ asked Curufin, regarding the high hilltop of Himring with a scepticism that perhaps it didn’t quite deserve. ‘Who are you taking me for? Aule?’
‘No,’ said Maedhros patiently. ‘I do not want you to turn it into a mountain. What I said was that Hithlum has barriers already that are defensible and we made use of them as we found them: the Ered Wethrin and also the Hills of Mithrim. These lands here are not so well defensible by nature. But if the Valar can raise the Pelori as a defence—and Morgoth can raise Thangorodrim—so can we make barriers, in our own fashion. But I am taking you for a Noldo, not a Vala!
Indeed, if all I wanted to do was to turn Himring into a mountain, I would not need your help, Curvo! All I would need is a great many Eldar carrying a great many stones up this hill and piling them up on top of each other—although I doubt it would be the best use of our time. But we are Noldor, Curvo, and we do not aimlessly pile up rubble, we build!
I want walls, Curvo—walls to defend us against our enemies and walls to protect us against the weather of the world for I do not think winter will be kind up here. Since we came to Middle-earth, you have devoted much thought to perfecting the weapons and armour we had devised in Valinor. Now think stone, not metal! Make me a shield for a whole people rather than a single warrior! Can you do it, son of Feanaro? For if you are not willing to try, I will go ahead without your help!’
‘You will do no such thing!’ said Curufin. ‘Show me those plans of yours! Give!’
He grabbed the scroll proffered to him, unrolled it and shook his head exasperatedly.
‘No, no, no! Those splendid walls of yours are likely to fall down on top of you if you do that! Here, here and here! You could… Let me think…’
He stalked off muttering, scroll in hand, to inspect the hilltop more closely. Already, in his mind, the fortress of Himring was beginning to rise like a fair crown on the hilltop’s forbidding brow, surpassing anything he had built before...
Maedhros smiled. Curufin had taken even less persuasion than he had expected.
To my lord Nolofinwe, High King of the Noldor in Endore, his nephew Russandol, now of the Marches, sends cordial greetings and I hope my letter finds you safe and well.
Our project of construction at Himring proceeds apace. Curufinwe has just revised the plans again, incorporating a few tricks he learned by studying Dwarven masonry during a recent visit to Belegost. With the building style Curufinwe is now developing, I trust we shall not only succeed in making Himring a place of strength fit to hold against any assault from Angband, we can also make use of it elsewhere to reinforce the natural defences other locations might offer.
With my letter, I enclose another series of sketches made by Curufinwe’s hand and humbly request you, uncle, to cause copies to be disseminated as widely as possible among my cousins and your other commanders, if it so pleases you…
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no subject
Date: 2015-03-22 09:53 pm (UTC)Well done.
no subject
Date: 2015-03-28 07:45 pm (UTC)I guess some people think Curufin's potential was stifled by events, but I choose to think that in fact he invented a lot of things in Beleriand, we just don't hear so much about them.
And if you want to come up with a new style of building under pressure, the best move is to involve your resident genius! Wouldn't want the walls of Himring to collapse without notice...
no subject
Date: 2015-03-22 10:29 pm (UTC)Lovely story!
no subject
Date: 2015-03-28 07:50 pm (UTC)I'm sure Finrod and Turgon did their own bit of experimenting but, yes, I like to think they were partly drawing on Feanorian know-how that Maedhros had made sure to share with them!
no subject
Date: 2015-03-22 10:50 pm (UTC)I think LJ has swallowed your paragraph breaks which makes reading somewhat difficult.
no subject
Date: 2015-03-28 07:52 pm (UTC)Also, thank you for the comment about the paragraph breaks--I've tried to fix the problem.
no subject
Date: 2015-03-22 10:50 pm (UTC)This is what it is to be an elder sibling... you just know which buttons to press.
I really like this.
no subject
Date: 2015-03-28 07:56 pm (UTC)Yes, Maedhros has a lot of (hard-won) experience in dealing with Curufin!
no subject
Date: 2015-03-23 12:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-03-28 07:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-03-23 01:23 pm (UTC)- Erulisse (one L)
no subject
Date: 2015-03-23 10:57 pm (UTC)As you see, it came together more quickly in the end than I expected!
no subject
Date: 2015-03-23 10:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-03-28 08:04 pm (UTC)I think the Finweans must all have had considerable leadership skills, in their different ways--but I'm happy you like Maedhros's way of doing things!
no subject
Date: 2015-05-31 05:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-06-03 10:33 pm (UTC)It's a variation on a theme--there's a scene in another story where Fingon looks up and admires Curufin's handiwork...
Also the photo that was the second prompt really reminded me of that earlier scene!
no subject
Date: 2015-06-03 11:15 pm (UTC)