[Anguirel]

RESULTS OF DAY FIFTEEN (M-e)

Arien was increasingly depressed by the land she lit up each morning; she watched the power of the Dark Lord spread, but could not halt it; saw the Elven kingdoms falling one by one. She was also stangely lonely. She had not appreciated Tilion and his crude advances, but now he was dashed to pieces she had no one at all to talk to. She began composing rather grim poetry, and at last determined on suicide, diverting her alloted course and shattering her ship against the peaks of Thangorodrim. She had the satisfaction of seeing Morgoth's fabled mountains warp and distort in the heat before she died.

Meanwhile, Glorfindel was dispatched outside the Encircling Mountains to harry an Orc army, but he was taken unawares and captured. Glorfindel was no craven, but the methods of Morgoth forced Gondolin's position out of him. Then the dark Lord read his mind and offered him Idril; but he spat at Morgoth's feet and defied him before he died, broken by torment.

RESULTS OF THE CHALLENGE

Gondolin was now bereft of many of her Captains, but Idril had long ago began to prepare a passage of escape into the mountains, warned in dreams by Ulmo. Yet she had come to treasure Gondolin, and could not envisage its fall; so only those who could not fight, with Earendil and Salgant, were sent away, and Tuor and Idril marshalled the defence.

The army that had been destroyed at Nargothrond was a quarter of the strength Morgoth now sent. Angband was at least half-emptied; all of Ancalagon's spawn, led by the dragon Scatha, were there, and the remaining Balrogs. But the walls of Gondolin were vast, and Tuor determined to make the city hold as long as it could.

The flying dragons, and some few of the Balrogs who had wings, assailed the rampants while the Orcs shifted their siege towers; but many were driven back by skilled archers. Scatha, fearless and terrible, seized Idril and enveloped her in his length; and Tuor rushed to her aid. His fight with the long-wyrm was lengthy, but at last he dealt it a mortal wound when it was distracted by Idril's flailings. But in its death-throes it crushed his wife.

Now Tuor was fey and mad with grief; and he fought on, though without hope, reducing Orcs at every turn, and burning walls that would fall into their hands. He knew that the passage must be defended; but the captain of the Balrogs discerned his purpose, and assailed him on a pinnacle above a chasm. They struck each other, and fell to their deaths together; but the passage was saved. So fell Gondolin, though only a fraction of its attackers survived its taking.

Challenge coming this afternoon...