Here is the artwork for @silmarillionepistolary day 6, Loss and Betrayal.
It is dark in Valinor.
Finwë, still remaining in self-imposed exile with his son and grandsons, fears for himself and the people he abandoned - never has the world been this dark, not even in the first days at Cuivienen. Melkor betrayed them all, and is nowhere to be found, but the Two Trees are dead, still bleeding black venom from the attack. Fëanáro is gone, he was summoned by the Valar, who seem to think he can help right the wrong that was done here only weeks ago. Finwë worries that his son will be too bitter and too proud to listen.
He misses his family, the ones he left behind when he chose Fëanáro’s side - he knows that Nolofinwë was deeply hurt by this, but he still thinks his eldest son needs him more - and he prays they are all right. Formenos is silent, but not dark … the Silmarils, set into the wall above his son’s throne, cast light into every corner.
I worry for him, Finwë writes. He needs me. It is dark, but those gems…
He pauses, looking up at them, before he takes a deep breath and goes on: Valar forgiv-
Finwë does not get to finish the sentence. He does not even have time to react as the heavy iron doors of Formenos are blown right off their hinges by a single strike of a massive iron hammer. A pitch-dark form rushes forward, and before Finwë can even cry out, Melkor’s hammer swings into him, and the force of the blow sends him flying backwards. His body collides with the wall far behind, and the last thing he sees is Melkor prying his son’s coveted jewels from the wall.
I am literally one of those high strung Respect Our Troops middle aged dads but about Frodo Baggins. If you hate on him I'm gonna pivot into a lecture about everything he's fought for and sacrificed and how you wouldn't last a day in his circumstances and
one of my hotter takes as a silm fan is an instinctive dislike of the common fandom trope of every noldo having one Chosen Craft they devote themselves entirely to and are known by. like not only does it not seem in line with what we know of feanor's crafts (he is clearly somewhat of a renaissance man, with a keen interest in linguistics, metalwork, gemwork, etc) but it also doesn't add up for a species with literally infinite time and apparently no economic necessity to establish a niche.
clearly they all have their preferences and inclinations, and some people (say, maglor or miriel) are especially and notably good at certain things, but a common trope i see is this elves pressure to Pick A Thing and construct identity around it and that feels horribly current-human-society to me, like a YA novel or a college major. it feels much more in line with the world to me that young elves might be expected to be reasonably well-educated in many different pursuits/crafts, and that most wouldn't come to be known for one thing specifically
The Kings of the Noldor do not cut their hair so long as they reign. But before taking the throne, each king-to-be cuts his hair in mourning for his predecessor.
Elven hair grows very, very slowly.
Finwë dies surrounded by an ocean of raven-dark hair, spilling around him as blood. Gil-galad's ankle-length hair smolders as fine silver ribbons tossed into fire.
Fingolfin, riding to Morgoth's gate with fire in his eyes, tucks his dark waist-length braid into helm.
Turgon's dark braids fail just over his shoulders as he takes up his great-sword for the last time. Fingon's curls, too short to braid, spill out of his helm fall in his eyes, sticking his bloodied cheeks.
Fëanor had cut his hair unusually short in mourning of his beloved father; had hewed messily at the braids until his scalp was visible through the uneven tufts of hair. It looks much the same when he dies, the bald spots barely covered.
Morgoth cannot cut Maedhros's hair when he captures him, for Maedhros has already done the job himself.