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Post by leyara on Apr 9, 2021 23:39:02 GMT
Thank you! I quite like your descriptions of the Nine. I always thought it was a shame that Peter Jackson made them interchangeable baddies (Angmar excepted) considering the costume budget for the films. Poor Frodo and Sam. Will we be seeing more of them during this book or are we returning to the caravan?
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Post by Elfhild on Apr 10, 2021 5:01:57 GMT
Jackson's Nazgul all look like Numenorean types, and really ancient ones to boot. Since the Nazgul come from different countries, I think they would have different appearances and costumes.
No, we will not be seeing anything from either Frodo or Sam for a long time. (Frodo does make a brief appearance in Book 8.) Initially, Angmar wanted the fates of the hobbits to remain unknown, but I always felt that they were too important for their fates to remain entirely a mystery. So I talked him into having a mention of Frodo as Sauron's prisoner. I had always planned to write a story based on the Sauron Defeated texts and Letter 426, and either include it as part of a separate Circles project or as a stand alone "what if" story. Since Frodo just happened to make an appearance in Book 6, I thought it would be a good place to put this story and help flesh out the Circles universe.
I tried to show how it is impossible for Frodo to destroy the Ring. As he walked away from the Sammath Naur, he regained some of his sanity and sense of purpose (like Tolkien suggested would happen in Letter 246), but the moment he tried to return to finish what he started, he succumbed to the Ring's temptation yet again. I have him using the Ring to command the Nazgul to stop following him, in a sort of role reversal of the scene at the Ford of Bruinen. The sad thing is, that he didn't even have to do this, as the Nazgul could NOT actually hurt him after he had claimed the Ring, but he panicked and lost his head because they were chasing him. (It's Khamul's fault, really; he made no effort to hide his hatred and anger towards Frodo.)
I did hesitate on having Frodo reveal anything about the Ring Quest under torture. While everyone wants to imagine their heroes bravely enduring torments, I just don't think that Frodo, in his demoralized state, would be able to hold out long, especially not if they started hurting Sam. Also, one look in Sauron's eyes would force Frodo to reveal all he knew - the torture was primarily for the amusement of his captors; information gathering was the second objective. But Frodo doesn't really know anything that Sauron does not already know. In the books, it is stated that Sauron learned a lot about the plans of his enemies the instant Frodo claimed the One Ring. I think the most important thing Frodo knows would be the Council of Elrond and who all was in attendance.
Will Frodo and Sam make an appearance in future books? Anything in Book 12 and beyond is unknown territory, so who knows.
The story will be returning to the caravan now.
Book 6 will soon be drawing to a close.
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Post by leyara on Apr 25, 2021 3:31:13 GMT
Of all the times for the Uruks to show up, I was NOT expecting that! What a cliffhanger!
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Post by Elfhild on Apr 25, 2021 4:14:18 GMT
Uruks always attack when you least expect it!
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Post by leyara on May 6, 2021 3:08:00 GMT
Esarhaddon must have been born under a lucky star - he's made it through an exceptional number of brushes with death. I'm excited to see the aftermath of the attack.
The changes to the Chamber of Nazgul Lore look very nice.
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Post by Elfhild on May 6, 2021 4:24:23 GMT
Esarhaddon is both lucky, in that he has survived so far, but unlucky in that terrible things keep happening to him. Although his fate in the last chapter is somewhat ambiguous...
I just added a TON of new links to both the Chamber of Nazgul Lore and the Nazgul Reading Room. The site hadn't been updated for several years, and I found quite a few things to add.
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