| Requiem Mass |

| Requiem Mass |

This is a specially commissioned piece of artwork for Russingon zine in Chinese. The commissioner also used it to make A4 size reverse laser cards and L-folders.

The theme is that Maedhros imagines a non-dead Fingon to comfort him after the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. The Background is the shattered gates of Hithlum.

Anyway…thanks for the commission! I enjoyed drawing it!

Round Fingon, Gollum-like Maedhros, and eagle wings from weird perspective ♥ It was a very wild sketch and I am so proud that I managed to keep it wild till the end ♥

The Dispossessed shall they be for ever.

Thorongil

I’m really struck by this bit from the Nirnaeth Arnoediad:

Now Morgoth, who knew much of what was done and designed by his enemies, chose his hour, and trusting in his treacherous servants to hold back Maedhros and prevent the union of his foes he sent a force seeming great (and yet but a part of all that he had made ready) towards Hithlum; and they were clad all in dun raiment and showed no naked steel, and thus were already far over the sands of Anfauglith before their approach was seen.

Then the hearts of the Noldor grew hot, and their captains wished to assail their foes upon the plain; but Húrin spoke against it, and bade them beware of the guile of Morgoth, whose strength was always greater than it seemed, and his purpose other than revealed. And though the signal of the approach of Maedhros came not, and the host grew impatient, Húrin urged them still to await it, and to let the Orcs break themselves in assault upon the hills.

Húrin in this scene is 31 years old. He’s already been leading his people for ten years, ever since his father died in one of the follow-up assaults to the Dagor Bragollach. And he’s more self-controlled and cannier than elven-lords who are centuries to millinnia old. Not only that, he has the self-confidence to argue this point with the High King of the Noldor and all of his commanders, repeatedly, and is convincing enough that they listen to him, up until the gruesome killing of Gelmir, and Gwindor’s attack. He’s doing what a good general should be doing in this situation: urging them to maintain their advantage of cover and the high ground, and not be baited.

(This is the thing that you’d want the leader/general of your army to be doing, but prudence, caution, and levelheadedness are not exactly Fingon’s hallmarks. I’m amusing myself by imaging a parting conversation between Turgon and Húrin when Húrin leaves Gondolin. “Take care of my brother,” Turgon says to the 17-year-old. “Don’t let him do do anything stupid.” “Do my best!” Húrin promises.)

But it doesn’t last, and Gwindor launches his attack, and Fingon leads them all out to follow him and rides straight to Angband, and Morgoth springs his trap. And it all ends with Húrin being captured and the tragedy of everything that Morgoth does to his family - Húrin, who knew better, and warned them all that Morgoth was playing them.

Call me crazy, but sometimes Fëanor's "What I have left behind I count now no loss; needless baggage on the road it has proved." is good life advice