Void Trecker Application

[utulien_aure]

Player Information

Name: Mary
Age: 28
Contact details: delatour
Other characters: N/A

Character Information

Name: Fingon the Valiant | Findekano Nolofinwion
Canon: J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion
Canon Point: After his death in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, F.A. 472
OU/AU/CRAU/OC: OU
Age: c.2700-3000, appears to be in his late 20s

World Information:

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.

Personal 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 for their trouble.

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. Fingon thus became the Noldor's Crown Prince and one of his people's most successful generals in the war against Morgoth.

Fingolfin ruled for over four hundred years, eventually dying in single combat with Morgoth himself. Fingon, his eldest and heir, ruled after him- but his reign did not last 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.

Key themes: recklessness vs consideration, the power and limitations of hope, reconciliation.

Main Motivation: Looking after his people and anyone else he can help.

Skills:

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.

Item: a silver circlet studded with sapphires

Sample: TDM

Notes: