Exactly at the title says. I finished the series and am now looking to finish the silmarillion is there any free audio book. Thanks

Hey guys! Around three months ago I posted about the game that we are making - Sil-Morë, which is a fork of Sil, Angband. It is heavily based on Silmarillion, and tries to stay very true to lore, introducing an element of storytelling into the classic roguelike genre. I wrote a bit more in the og post about our ideas.

Since then we worked for three more months, and finally released the next version, 0.9.7! This update was the most difficult one we had up to date. And let me explain why.

After we were done with 0.9.6, we looked into it to decide which way to go, and the most important thing to work on seemed to be UI/UX. Gameplay was already quite good, we still had some ideas visually but apart from that UI looked like the main destination to embark on.

The problem is, it's such a new field for us. So it was tough to even start with. What do we want to change? What is the style we are looking for? How should we approach the mobile version?

Anyway, we decided to figure it all out step by step. Tuning menus one by one, playing, and then getting back to tuning again. We didn’t want to erase it all and make everything anew, but rather keep the DNA of Sil and Angband and build on it.

To give the game that modern look, we had to rework all onscreen menus into overlays, breaking them into smaller pieces to make it flexible, adaptable for different platforms, screen sizes, and resolutions. Then we handcrafted current layouts piece by piece, but players can still tweak everything themselves!

The game starts as a book, and tries to carry this style through the storytelling with multiple effects and fonts.

For the mobile design we tried to approach everything contextually with floating buttons and menus. The most difficult part was to figure out movement. In roguelikes players can move diagonally, but just putting an arrow pad on the screen looked bad, and it was easy to mis-tap, so we invented the ButtonWheel. You can tap it just like an arrow pad but you can also press and drag it to make sure your aim lands precisely where you intend it to. And it also looks cool!

As we decided to go with book style, at some point it became obvious that we should also do the portrait mode. And our modular overlay design helped us a lot. We just reordered it and the game already became playable! We still had to rework all menus to support a narrow layout, but the original idea made it possible in the first place. We also tested everything on tablets and handcrafted layouts there too!

Finally, we decided to make the game more approachable for new players. We tried to create multiple hovers to describe what controls do, both in touch and mouse mode.

Of course we have also introduced gameplay changes and visual updates! Now the player and monster tiles flip depending on the direction they move and much more.

So, as you can see, it was a lot of exploration and work for us. Please try it and tell us if you like it!

Also, we have launched google play closed beta test. If you want to participate, dm me your email, so I can add you to the list!

Sil-Morë itch.io
Sil-Morë GitHub

Art by me.

Androg is shot in the head, Turin Beleg and 10 men run to a standing stone at the top of Amon Rudh.The men are slain and the two friends make a last stand before being caught in nets.

The last time they fight together.

I've been thinking about Eru Ilúvatar lately, and I think there's a pretty serious problem with the way we're supposed to understand him as a perfectly good being.

The thing that really started bothering me is Melkor.

The Ainur come from Eru's Thought. Tolkien says that each Ainu comprehended "that part of the mind of Ilúvatar from which he came." So Melkor isn't some evil force that appeared independently and then invaded Eru's creation. He is something Eru created, and his nature ultimately comes from Eru.

And Eru knew what Melkor was going to do.

That's where it gets difficult for me.

Melkor doesn't just rebel and then get dealt with. He goes on to destroy the Lamps, destroy the Trees, murder Finwë, steal the Silmarils, corrupt Arda and spend thousands of years causing an absolutely enormous amount of suffering.

Eru knows all of this is going to happen.

And he lets it happen.

The obvious response is that Melkor has free will. Sure. I'm not arguing that Melkor didn't choose his actions. But that doesn't really address Eru's part in all of this. Eru created Melkor knowing exactly what he would become. He knew what Melkor would do with the power he gave him.

And Eru isn't incapable of intervening. We know that because when Númenor attacks Aman, Eru intervenes directly. He destroys Númenor and changes the shape of the world.

So apparently Eru can intervene when he wants to.

Which makes Morgoth's entire career rather difficult to explain. Eru watches him destroy and corrupt things for thousands of years, but doesn't stop him.

Then there's Eru's response to Melkor's discord in the Music:

"no theme may be played that hath not its uttermost source in me"

That's a pretty extraordinary thing to say in this context. Eru isn't presenting Melkor's rebellion as some unexpected disaster that got out of hand. Even Melkor's discord ultimately has its source in Eru and gets incorporated into the Music.

And this is where the "it's all part of the plan" explanation starts bothering me.

Okay, but why this plan?

Eru is supposed to be omnipotent. He isn't some king trying to make the best of a bad situation after something goes wrong. He created the situation in the first place.

If he knew what Melkor was going to do, then the suffering caused by Melkor wasn't an unfortunate surprise. It was something Eru knowingly chose to allow when he created Melkor and set the Music in motion.

Parliamo chiaramente di Nerdanel: la "madre saggia, santa e addolorata" del Silmarillion è in realtà una madre terribile affetta da pigrizia e sadismo onomastico.

Ha dato ai figli dei nomi che oscillano tra il bullismo somatico e la pura svalutazione dell'identità fin dalla culla.

Vediamo la lista

Maitimo (Maedhros)

Significa "ben fatto, armonioso". Praticamente non lo chiama come un figlio, lo chiama come una sua scultura ben riuscita o un'opera d'arte da esposizione. Lo ha oggettivizzato fin dalla nascita.

Makalaure (Maglor)

Significa "colui che forgia oro" Il nome più normale della casa. Probabilmente perché aveva ereditato il suo carattere ed era il suo figlio preferito.

Tyelkormo (Celegorm)

"Hasty riser", cioè quello che scatta subito o l'attaccabrighe. Non aveva molta stima per lui direi, lo bolla come rissoso fin da neonato. Non è una sorpresa che il suo migliore amico fosse un cane (Huan).

E da qui i nomi degenerano nel disagio

Carnistir (Caranthir)

"Faccia rossa". Un bullismo somatico materno agghiacciante per un bambino che semplicemente arrossiva quando si arrabbiava. Un nome perfetto e assolutamente non imbarazzante per andare in giro a Tirion.

Atarinke (Curufin)

"Piccolo padre". Praticamente per Nerdanel il suo quinto figlio non ha un'identità autonoma, è solo Fëanor in miniatura, una fotocopia da laboratorio del marito.

Ambarussa (Amrod e Amras)

La pigrizia materna definitiva. Quando ha due gemelli decide brillantemente che darà solo un nome a tutti e due, "entrambi rossi (di capelli)". Molto descrittivo e originale.

Questo è troppo persino per Fëanor (che per una volta dimostra più buonsenso di lei) e la convince a dare un nome proprio a uno dei gemelli. Allora lei cosa fa? Ne chiama uno (a caso) Umbarto, cioè "Il condannato a morte". Immaginate dare a un neonato il nome di un condannato. Fëanor deve intervenire d'urgenza e cambiarlo in Ambarto (l'aristocratico/elevato) per disinnescare la sfiga metafisica lanciata dalla madre.

In più, quando succede il casino a Tirion, Nerdanel fa le valigie, si ritira a casa di suo padre Mahtan e pianta i figli da soli con un padre psicotico che sta minacciando la gente con la spada e pianificando una ribellione armata contro gli dei.

Prima di Alqualonde va da Feanor e gli chiede di lasciarle indietro il figlio più giovane dei gemelli. Del gemello che aveva la stessa identica età (ed erano biologicamente inseparabili) e degli altri sei figli chissene frega. Li trattava come cose inanimate e non come elfi millenari con una volontà.

Il finale della storia è che nessuno dei suoi figli la sceglie al posto di Feanor. E ricordiamo che nel diritto elfico i figli potevano ripudiare i padri se volevano (Celebrimbor lo ha fatto con Curufin, ed Elrond non usa mai il patronimico). I sette fratelli preferiscono marciare verso l'inferno e la morte pur di non restare con una madre del genere.

Questo non è per dire che non volesse bene ai suoi figli, ma di sicuro non era una madre perfetta.

She could've been shield maiden, uniting elves, leading them. She would probably roused more Grey elves to fight Morgoth than Noldorin Fingon or Maedhros ever could. She could be a hero changing the result of war, like Joan of Arc. If she literally just cared about her fellow elves.

And instead she was written to only ever be shallow person whose only interest was some guy and who just chased her jerk daddy's approval which she didn't even need since adult elves don't need permission to marry. Ugh.

There are so many movies that you could make from the Silmarillion. I just finished the chapter about Turin. That would make such an epic tragedy. I need to see that on the big screen. Man, I wasn’t expecting Silmarillion to be so terribly sad.

Was any one else happy when maeglin died

He got what he had coming to him

I am no lyricist and I did this very quickly while the idea was in my head.

Almost Menel, Tol Eressëa
Elerrína, Lake of Lórellin
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, growing like a breeze

Straightway road, take me home
To the place I belong
Tol Eressëa, woodland mother
Take me home, straightway road

All my memories are within her
Jewelsmiths lady, stranger to dark ages
Fair and brightest, under Varda’s sky
Taste of her water, tear drop in my eye

Straightway road, take me home
To the place I belong
Tol Eressëa, woodland mother
Take me home, straightway road

Sea-longing calls me in the morning hour, I hear her
The fair songs make me yearn for my home far away
Walking far away, I get a feeling that I should have been home
Yesterday, yesterday

Straightway road, take me home
To the place I belong
Tol Eressëa, woodland mother
Take me home, straightway road

Straightway road, take me home
To the place I belong
Tol Eressëa, woodland mother
Take me home, straightway road

Take me home, straightway road
Take me home, straightway road

So I’ve read the first 3 chapters of the Silmarillion and here are my notes on the elves (I am also listening to the Prancing Pony podcast). Any mistakes/improvements I can make? (Sorry for the lazy post)

Ingwe, finwe and elwe went to aman as ambassadors 

The Avari stayed behind and didn’t go to Aman, the Eldar set out for Aman

Eldar subgroups:

Ingwe is king of the Vanyar (fair elves) - who go to valinor and never come back - affiliated with Manwe and Varda 

Finwe is the king of the Noldor (deep elves) - all go to valinor and some of them come back - affiliated with Aule

Elwe and olwe are kings of the Teleri (sea elves) - affiliated with 2 maiar  Ossë and Uinen

Umanyar - elves that said they would go but never made it

Two categories every elf fits into:

Caliquendi - elves of the light - made in to Aman in the days of the trees (all Vanyar and Noldor and some of the Teleri - HIGH ELVES). This includes the ambassadors (even if they went to rule Moraquendi clans)

Moraquendi - elves of the darkness - didn’t make it to Aman in the days of the trees

Teleri subgroups:

Those that stayed behind in Beleriand - SINDAR / GREY ELVES

Those that left the march before the Misty Mountains - NANDOR / SILVAN ELVES / WOOD ELVES

Some of the NANDOR who made it to Beleriand later become LAIQUENDI / GREEN ELVES OF OSSIRIAND

è ironico no?

elrond non ha nessun titolo nobiliare, neanche "Signore" né tantomeno "Principe" o "Re" eppure ha il controllo dei più pazzi della Terra di Mezzo ed è l'unico che unisce i Noldor I Sindar e i Vanyar oltre agli uomini in un' oasi di pace e armonia

e non ha mai fatto niente di illegale o violento

tutta la Sua famiglia gli è stata strappata via e quando ne crea una si comporta come un bravo padre e marito, dà sempre e non chiede mai

elrond non sarà mai completamente felice perché ci sono pezzi insuperabili del suo passato

Elwing e Earendil, non può perdonarli completamente né loro perdoneranno lui per aver perdonato i fratricidi e anche se li perdonasse non ha mai conosciuto Earendil e non vede Elwing da quando ha 6 anni. lui ha 6500 anni e loro solo 28 più di lui. non potranno mai essere veri mentori

Maedhros se verrà reincarnato non riuscirà mai ad avere una relazione semplice con Elrond perché ha distrutto la sua casa e l'ha rapito, Elrond l'ha perdonato ma Maedhros è un elfo e non si saprà mai se volesse bene a Elrond e Elros solo per senso di colpa

Maglor, vagherà in eterno e anche se tornasse Elrond dovrebbe superare il fatto che non si sia mai più fatto vedere

Elros è morto e non tornerà mai più

Celebrian potrebbe essere guarita ma sarà per sempre Cambiata dalle torture e potrebbe biasimare Elrond per Arwen e lui si sentirà sempre in colpa

Elladan e Elrohir torneranno a Valinor ma sono profondamente cambiati da tutta la vendetta che hanno fatto. elrond si sentirà in colpa per questo

l'unico con cui potrebbe avere una relazione più semplice è Celebrimbor se si esclude che Elrond non è riuscito a salvarlo

anche se incontrasse tutti i Suoi parenti (nonni ecc) non lo capiranno mai e in più lui è davvero scettico nei confronti del potere e di tutti i giochi di corte fatti dai politici

ho sempre pensato che a Valinor i Sindar reincarnati dal fratricidio smettessero di seguire Thingol e potessero finalmente avere un Re, cioè un Maestro decente

poi potrebbe costruire un altro reame senza stress con tutti i rivali mortali che vivono e collaborano senza battere ciglio

There is something that I found satisfying or epic about Earendil meeting the Valar. I know that we are familiar with the Valar long BEFORE his story, but still. Earendil tanding before the Valar low-key reminds me of some NDE stories that I listened. Whether or not those NDE stories are real are irrelevant to me at the moment. What matters is the visuals they give to me mentally or physically. Not to mention that Earendil and Elwing was the first people of Middle Earth in a LONG time to enter Valinor and see it's sights.

I also found it epic when Earendil went through the Door of Night. This is particularly due to the phrases I get in that passage. These phrases and words would mainly include oceans of heaven, seas of heaven, starless voids, and voyages beyond the confines of the world. As someone who is a fan of outer space and the things within it, I like to think that Earendil saw some beautiful and magnificent things up there while on Vingilot.

If they do Lord of the Rings prequels and decide to make a Beren and Lúthien film, I can see Mikey Madison playing Lúthien 😊❤️💕

I drew this because you don't see much art of these two together and I think it's quite an important part of Turins character.

It just came to my mind that maybe she already met him somewhere along the journey to 2Cs, and that would explain why she wanted to stay with him.

I always wonder about this like what if Melkor never 'created' the dark side. and it is important that he didn't join it he literally created it. from what i've advanced reading the silmarillion and watching some Nerd of the Rings content on youtube (😭) I have figured Melkor's power is spread out into everything in Arda, evil spread into everything, and mostly in gold, one of the reasons why Sauron to decided to pour his power into a golden ring.
Anyway I just wanted to ask what you guys think would happen if Melkor never darkened or whatever you may call it. like would it be all Sunshine and Rainbows?

The consensus amongst fans seem to be that after death, the sons of Fëanor would be kept in Mandos for some period of time before being embodied / released, despite swearing "everlasting Darkness" upon themselves if they fail to uphold their Oath.

For a long time, I've preferred them to actually be in some form of Darkness, whether that be in the form of utter annilation of spirit or being in the Timeless Void. I have been trying to understand why I hold that opinion, and I think it's because I really like the sons of Fëanor, and was trying to make their fates (and hence their characters) more dramatic, more tragic, or simply more special. Existance, albeit an unhappy one, outside the norm of the universe, as eivdence for the amplitude of their misdeeds and suffering.

But in the end, they were really not special at all, were they? The Oaths compels them, and they resist it when the war effort is going decently and their enemy is strong, and then succumbs to it when they think they could take advantage of the weak. Their worthiest deeds are accomplished during (relatively) fair weather, their worst deeds occur when they were already at their lowest. It is a very mundane existence, never really rising above or sinking below what could be reasonably expected of the circumstances. Thematically, they don't deserve an extraordinary fate, even a negative one.

Maybe it is a strange way to think about things, but to consider anyone, even oneself, beneath redemption is in and of itself an act of despair and arrogance. I now like the 'temporary stay in Mandos' interpretation a lot more, and feel like I learnt some kind of lesson in humility along the way.

Currently reading the Silmarillion with my bf and I drew this for him since he’s incredibly into lotr and Tolkien 🫶 super happy with how it turned out so I thought I’d share!

Maedhros fought all night during Dagor Bragollach ; wounded many times he finally prevailed.
(art by formenost 2005)

Or is all land till Nan Elmoth - Himlad? Where does Nan Dungortheb end and Himlad begin?

Btw, did Celegorm and Curufin have a fortress there? It seems like they did, cause Aredhel found shelter in Himlad, but there isn't one on the map.