Fade Rift Application

RIFTER APPLICATION

PLAYER

Name: Mary
Age: 21+
Contact: delatour
Other Characters: N/A
Interests: Fingon would be deeply interested in Thedas, a world both very like and unlike Arda. He'd be moved by the dysfunctions of the the setting to try and help, whether that would be politically or militarily. Admittedly, he would probably prefer the latter; Fingon can manage problems which are solved by talking to people, but it's much easier to just shoot things.

And, of course, Thedas has dragons. Fingon is a thrill junkie and has a bit of history with dragons, and if he can't get his hand's on Glaurung the Father of Dragons, he'll happily try for one of Thedas' collection.

CHARACTER

Name: Fingon the Valiant, High King of the Noldor (or Findekáno Ñolofinwion)
Canon/OC: The Silmarillion (Tolkien's Legendarium)
Canon Point: Late Spring, Year 472 of the First Age; about a month before his death in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad
Journal: utulien_aure
Age: c. 2500-2700, appears to be in late 20s

Canon World

Arda, it is said, was created by song; the Ainur, the host of divine spirits, sang it into being at the behest of Iluvatar, the creator god. But not all the Ainur were willing to limit themselves to fulfilling Iluvatar’s vision, and the most powerful among them, Melkor, chose instead to introduce discord into the Music and thus evil into the world.

That world itself is in some ways much like modern Earth; indeed, according to some versions of the story it will eventually be the Earth we know, long after magic and youth have fled from the land. For now, though, Arda is young and fierce and beautiful and terrible and the Sun and Moon are still new to the sky.

Across the sea to the West lies the continent of Aman, where the Valar, the lords of the Ainur who still hold faithful to Iluvatar's vision of the world, live and teach. The Eastern continent will one day be known as Middle Earth, and it is in that continent's westernmost region, Beleriand, that Elves and Dwarves and Men fight a great war against Melkor, now more commonly known as the Dark Lord Morgoth, and his legions of orcs and dragons and monsters.

They are not winning that war. Even at the best of times fighting a war against Evil Incarnate would be difficult; the task is made even more difficult by the divisions between and among the Free Peoples themselves. The Elven-Dwarven relationship is complex and will one day spill over into murder and war, Morgoth has poisoned the minds of many Men, and as for the elves....

Well. The Elves have longstanding grievances with each other. For some of the most dedicated warriors against the Dark are to be found among the Noldorin Elves, who left the West itself to avenge Morgoth's murder of their king. But in their reckless leave-taking, they cut down the Elves of the Telerin tribe, who had been their friends once. And this has proved a hindrance even to their attempts to help in Middle Earth, for not only have the Noldor been cursed by the Valar themselves to fail in their war effort, the native Sindar are close kin to the Teleri that they slew.

Arda's First Age of the Sun, for all it's glory and beauty, is proving a fraught time to be alive.

History

Fingon was born in Valinor, during the Years of the Trees. His father Fingolfin was the second son of King Finwe of the Noldor, and family drama was a constant throughout his childhood. Still, he was very close to much of his family and developed a particular relationship with his elder cousin Maedhros, whose father Feanor was often feuding with Fingolfin.

The family relationship went from awkward to toxic under the influence of the Dark Lord Morgoth, who was riling up the Noldor to cause trouble, but when Morgoth murdered Finwe and fled to Middle Earth everyone seemed finally on the same page. Only they weren't; in his eagerness to run after Morgoth and avenge his father, Feanor tried to steal the ships of the Noldor's neighbors, the Telerin elves. Feanor's followers didn't tell the other Noldor they were going to do this, so when Fingon got to the docks he saw what he thought was the Teleri trying to murder his family and people. He and his followers ran into the fray to help, becoming kinslayers in the process and being cursed by the gods.

Then Feanor and his people took the ships to Middle Earth without telling anyone, and once on the other side, they burned them. So Fingon, Fingolfin, and the rest crossed to Middle Earth on the Helcaraxe, a hellish ice bridge which took them years to cross. Once they got there they found out that Feanor had gotten himself killed and that Maedhros had been taken prisoner by Morgoth. After some thought Fingon went to rescue him, and in gratitude Maedhros gave Fingolfin the kingship of the Noldor.

Fingolfin ruled for over four hundred years, eventually dying in single combat with Morgoth himself. Fingon, his eldest and heir, ruled after him. However his reign was not nearly so long. He and Maedhros planned a great battle to retake the offense in the Noldor's war against Morgoth, but the battle-plan proved hopelessly compromised by internal treason. Their armies were cut off from each other and Fingon was killed by Gothmog, the Lord of the Balrogs.

Personality

Sometime after his death, a historian will write the following of Fingon the Valiant, High King of the Noldor: “Of all the children of Finwë he is justly most renowned: for his valour was as a fire and yet as steadfast as the hills of stone; wise he was and skilled in voice and hand; troth and justice he loved and bore goodwill to all, both Elves and Men, hating Morgoth only; he sought not his own, neither power nor glory, and death was his reward.” It’s a little hagiographic, as many memorials of dead kings are, but the basic picture is truthful: Fingon is the closest thing the Noldorin royal family has to a knight in shining armor, and an elf of uncommon courage, decency, and devotion.

As a child and in his early youth, those were easy things to be. After all, Fingon grew up in physical paradise, the perfect setting for the kind of happy childhood that would bring out the best in most people. Young Fingon was noted for both his considerable physical courage and for his kindness, as being the kind of person who would try to think well of people if he was given half the reason to try.

But while Valinor was perfect, it was also a place of stagnation: Fingon, despite his royal status, was never likely to find a fulfilling role for himself in an immortal society which would be always dominated by his undying and supremely competent elders. It was that realization that first drew him to the idea of Middle Earth, where he might one day be able to build and defend something of his own. The fact that this would involve leaving the safety of paradise for a very uncertain future was one he largely ignored.

Since those halcyon days of his childhood both his courage and his recklessness have been on full display. He has dared to face a dragon and to rescue an old friend from the Dark Lord’s clutches; moreover, he has learned how to forgive those who have wronged him, and that hatred means less to him than love. He is also naturally impulsive and hotheaded, liable to act even when that may not be the wisest idea.

He does try to keep his flaws in check- the results of his participation in the kinslaying at Alqualonde were a sharp lesson in why unthinkingly charging into a situation is a bad idea, no matter how pure one's motives may be, and centuries of bearing the responsibilities of Crown Prince and general have taught him the values of patience and caution. But at heart, Fingon is still more hero and champion than king; it remains his first instinct to face evil head-on, and to act when others dare not. And ultimately, it is that tendency which will leave him dead on the battlefield, with his kingdom and his allies soon to fall after him.


Strengths & Weaknesses

Fingon is a gifted swordsman, a better archer, and in general considerably talented in military strategy. His general charm and interest in people make him a good diplomat, and he's sincerely interested in the people and situations he comes across. The product of a Noldorin nobleman's education, he's been trained in most arts and crafts, although the one he's most fond of is music.

Fingon's natural physical strengths are considerable. The Elves of Arda are immortal, generally faster and stronger than Men; this is particularly true for the Elves born in Aman like Fingon. They have much more well-attuned senses, including sight and hearing, and they don't sleep as much as they meditate on lovely thoughts. They have much more resistance against physical conditions such as extreme temperatures than Men do, though it's not immunity and Fingon in particular has seen a lot of elves die of exposure to cold. They usually also have some telepathic understanding of plants and animals, though it's more images and concepts that are conveyed than thoughts.

As to his flaws: Fingon is reckless and hotheaded, particularly in the attempt to put right wrongs he perceives in the world and in the defense of those he loves. As principally a man of action, he’s less liable to think and more liable to act in the face of what he perceives as a wrong or injustice. His tendency to follow his heart and leap in before he looks at a situation is most typified by his actions during the Kinslaying of Alqualonde, where he lept to the defense of his family members and thus participated in the first slaying of elves by their fellow elves.

He is also deeply stubborn, determined to stick to what he believes is the right course even in the face of opposing counsel. The fact that he hoped to travel to Middle Earth even in the face of the Doom of the Noldor and the betrayal of Feanor demonstrates his sure belief that going to Middle Earth was the right move for his people, it is also a sign of someone who will stick to one’s beliefs over the clear evidence that such actions are in vain and stand a great chance of harming one’s followers.

Finally, his natural optimism leads to a certain blindness when considering his options. Fingon is a knight out of the classic tales, and has an unconscious faith that this sort of decency and good intent will eventually win the day in the end. This, of course, leads to his belief that it is a good idea let his best friend borrow the army and attack Morgoth (Arda’s Satan analogue) in an open battle. As it turns out, that was a very bad idea, breaking the back of Noldorin military strength for the rest of the Age.

Arrival Inventory

Fingon will arrive wearing blue and gold Noldorin court robes, thrown over more practical blue and blackriding clothes. He wears the the crown of the High King and his hair is elaborately braided with gold thread.

He carries his sword with him, as well as a spare knife; Fingon is a wartime king and it doesn't sit well with his people to see him go unarmed.

He will also have one other item: the Green Stone of Feanor, a small green stone that was gifted to him by one of his cousins that he keeps with him regularly. As a textual forerunner to the Elessar it could probably strengthen the spirit to some degree, but Fingon has less aptitude for wielding such items than some of his relatives and primarily has it has a keepsake.

'Human'ization

As Elves do mostly have the same physical build as Men in Arda, the most straightforward way to humanize Fingon would be to dull his senses and reflexes, as well as require him to eat and sleep more regularly.

Fit

Fingon has centuries worth of experience as a soldier and a leader, so the situation in Thedas wouldn't be completely outside the realms of his experience. But it would be very strange to him indeed; Fingon is an Elf of the First Age, when the Eldar are at the height of their power and glory; the idea of a world of Men, with Elves comparatively marginalized, would be tremendously different to his experience of the world.

He would probably try to wait to speak to people and form his own opinions before getting involved, but he's equally likely to end up just trying to help people as he goes along and getting involved in things accidentally.

SAMPLES

I. Test Drive Meme

II. Dear Player thread