If we're talking about less-than-ideal endings, I must admit that I've long seen Tasa as a very good candidate for either insanity or death. She's not the sort of character that lives happily ever after and never has been.

I'm willing to countenance half of us falling, though I'd almost rather have just two. Any more and the final lead up to the voyage is deprived of a lot of interesting interaction.

Oh, and, in other news, my Smith save is filled. I think I want a few more reactions-especially from the undrugged and deeply horrified Lomwe-before I send Tasa and Malris forth.

Tasa doesn't necessarily have to die, but she'll never live happily ever after. She could never be happy with somebody other than Malris, but she was never truly meant to be with him.

At best, she was once content within the gardens of Lothlorien as a handmaiden to Galadriel, who knew her well. She could be content again in solitude within hidden gardens in Valinor, but she won't be the one at the end of the tale that gets all she's worked her life for. She'll be the one to devote herself to the world around her.

Tasa's not a main character, she's a supporting role in her own story. She's a martyr and nothing that I write will change it.

I can be honest, I suppose, since I suspect it will affect your planned ending, Ang. I've long been flirting with the concept of Tasa returning alone to Lothlorien rather than sailing West.

My save is filled. I am considering using Lindir in another story, so please do not sever his head from his shoulders. :p

Lindir also will not be sailing west....

Oh Lord. That means at best only Malris, maybe Endamir if pio relents, and Lomwe on the ship...

I have thought of a decent wrap up to the love triangle, and will PM the two beauteous ladies to discuss it...don't worry, it involves no shred of happiness. But I think it's quite satisfying...

I am satisfied.

SAVE filled in. Events have taken their course, the strays have returned, and Endamir is again cursed with sanity.

By the way, quite a lot of the supernatural stuff relies on the agency of Curufin in Mandos. I imagine it as Mandos agreeing to allow Curufin-through him-to remedy some of the evil he left on Middle-earth.

Anguirel - Please check your pm's.

Er...I haven't any.

You do now. ;)

Edit performed...hope it works...

Now, some action?

Many thanks Ang. I appreciate that.

We're really within shooting distance of a finish now, so let's press on.

Endamir has a new and dreadful reality to deal with.

Lomwe and Lindir can reveal that they are not truly bound and help subdue the Smith, whether by force or conversation, though only the latter, as Lindir guessed, will be effective.

Tasa-if you're around, Fea-has reacting to do, as do the others actually. Once we've got a bit of this laid out I'll write Maglor's song, drawing the day to an end and making the company's future course clear...

Unless something comes up, I'll be around after this weekend.

Lovely post, Fea...Kafkaesque drifting of mind...

Ooh, thanks. I was a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to carry off the stream of consciousness-ish aspect of it. I messed it up pretty badly with something vaguely similar I did recently (not really, just that I didn't like it) and wanted to try again and this was a perfect chance.

Hee hee...I never expected to say this, pio, but please can you fill in your SAVE? Filling my own will be more difficult until I know Endamir's reaction to the tragedy.

EDIT: Typical...I post this and you've done it! Wonderful post. My SAVE following...sorry...

SAVE filled. Firefoot, I moved Lomwe from his chains; do say if you object.

Ang - that's fine.

Save is filled.

Save filled.

Tasa will be unable to follow (referencing Child's post) of her own will. If guided, she can be led, but she's not really following what's happening.

Thanks for the reminder. Surely we would not all run out on a companion who seems dazed and distracted. At the very least someone would bring her along. (Hint to those posting after me..... :p )

I'd post myself, but how in depth can one get with "Tasa kept standing there."? :) Sure, I could make it fantastically lengthy and all, but when it all comes down to it, it would still just say "And she kept standing there, totally missing out on what was happening."

Um........

Ang?

Firefoot, we cross-posted, but not to ill-effect, I think.

Everyone-would it be completely unrealistic to aim to end this game by a week on Friday?

I'm hoping to end the day with Maglor's song tonight or failing that tomorrow morning. Before I do that it would be good to see poor Endamir's reaction to this throng of sombre well-wishers...

After that, here's what we have to do:

It will be found that the front entrance into the forge has mysteriously closed. The Smith will swear he has nothing to do with it. Malris and Tasa will be uncannily reminded of the door out of Giledhel's quarters closing.

Anyway, the party will have no choice but to press on through the backrooms of the armoury and into the Keep, accompanied by the Smith who seeks his bones. In the ancient audience chamber they will encounter one more powerful Coavalta, who you can find if you scan the battle with the band of Orc-spirits very closely-the Chamberlain of the Palace.

He will inform them of a remarkable situation and they will be presented with an unheard of choice. After they have made up their minds, the party (possibly numbering even fewer) will be conducted out of the fortress and sail to Mithlond. A fair wind will carry them. Then those who wish to stay in Middle-earth after all will do so; those who wish to sail will sail.

Do you think we can pack that into a week and a half?

I'm willing to go for it; it would be great if this was finished before I leave on vacation on the 20th (two weeks away). Agreed. It's always bad to be the second poster of a cross-posting... but fortunately this time I only had to change "Lindir's voice" to "Lindir's and Malris's voices." *relieved smilie*

No need to wait for my post fill in . . . it will resolve the present situation . . . after the France-Portugal match is over, that is . . .

Someone go ahead and carry us forward

If anyone wants to do something more dynamic than sleeping, feel free to skip ahead to morning, I suppose, finding yourself still in the forgery, with a faint memory of a Song lingering in your head...

Like Firefoot, I'd like to be done before I leave town, only I leave in three weeks, not two, for Oregon, and it's not exactly a vacation, though I'm sure it will be a lot of fun. :) I'm up for trying to end this soon, much though it will be really... odd... not to have it any more.

Yes, well, you see, I'm off to Florence on the 15th, so I need a speedy resolution still more!

I'm going to post waking us up now.

Can some of you start pulling us further into the day, please? If you're at a loss for what sort of thing to do, see my outline above. Someone needs to discover that the front entrance out of the armoury doesn't work.

If we don't get this finished by Friday (now five days!) then there are two options-another mega-break (the last one, I promise) till September, or you, pio, could kill Malris off, amputate the plot and finish the game speedily, I suppose.

But best I'd like to finish it properly this week.

I've got a bit of unexpected time today. I can snap Tasa out of her thing (and the enchanted[ish] sleep is even a good excuse for her return to her usual self) and have her take a bit of charge. It'll be up any time between now and tonight, but it shouldn't take too long.

Good going, everyone. Do me a favour and let me see we've moved exponentially fast by the time I've woken up...

By the way, everyone, feel free to NPC the Smith. Shouldn't be too challenging. He's driven by two main impulses-his irredeemable debt to Endamir, which comes out now in obedience, and his desire to find rest, ie, discover his bones and get the Elves to bury them (or ship them off, or whatever).

There, Ang, I tried to set it up for you to bring in that last Coavalta you mentioned. Getting to this big choice seemed the most important thing if we're supposed to be finishing this up in just a couple days.

I'm aware that some of you will want to point-blank refuse to go up to the Tower, just wanting to get out. If so, the Chamberlain has no power to stop you. But Malris at least will not be able to contain his curiosity!

Tasa will continue to follow Malris.

Oh and by the way, the momentous choice isn't simply whether to accept the meeting with Maglor, or whoever else rules Himring.

It's an offer that will be presented by the said ruler in that same meeting...

Well, I wanted Lomwe to go on... but unfortunately that would be rather out of character for him, and there you have it. *sighs*

There's one other thing...the Smith's bones ideally need to be found...I slightly forgot about them. It would be rather ironic and moral dilemma inducing if Endamir discovered them and had to decide whether to lay them to rest...pio, can you do that?

I sent a note to Child to see if she can do that in a post for her character.

If she can't, I'll do something.

But keep the game rolling on, as I can slot a post in anywhere as can Child.

~*~ Pio