[Elora]

Glad that some more light onto the matter has been thrown for you, Imladris. Have to say, if you were indeed posting "in the dark" you've done an impressive job. Maethor is a wonderful character. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]


Something I mentioned Nerindel in a P.M is a decision concerning Vanwe's opinion of her mother and father.

Given all that Vanwe has endured, I thought it unlikely that she would have done so if she truly believed all that is said of her parents. Vanwe will have built up an idealised version of her parents to comfort her in the Haradwaithe. There was nothing else to offer ease for the conditions she experienced there aside from her own internal "world".

Vanwe will be experiencing a classic conflict between what her mind tells her and what her heart wishes to be true. Namely, Vanwe wishes for her mother to be a loving one and her father to be alive. However, all the information she has points to another situation entirely.

I figure that this makes sense for her back story as well as facilitating the forward plot. It answers why she would have bothered to incur the wrath of the Southrons in order to seek only more woe. It will make it easier for Naiore to lull her daughter also.

Naiore does not lie outright, but she does hint and use ambigious statements that she knows will be interpreted however the listener's wishes. With a combination of "beautiful" deception and circumstance, Naiore will be able to lure Vanwe away and keep her compliant longer than by use of force. Obviously, though, Vanwe has to realise the truth and she will have her doubts. She's not a complete fool, and Naiore cannot maintain a guise of traditional loving mother indefinately.

Vanwe will realise that her mother is as terrible as all say, perhaps Menecin will be the final straw that breaks her internal wishful thinking - don't know yet. But the extent of betrayal at that point will be massive enough to act as impetus for Vanwe to take action and pursue her mother for a reckonning. In fact, it may be the first time Vanwe was ever truly angry in her life. (Hmmm, gotta figure out how that will work).

Of course, she also has the challenge of forging alliances with those she does not trust entirely yet - which is largely the entire known and unknown world. That's another issue I have to think about.

Such is her fear of authority figures, Rangers included, that it would make it extraordinarily difficult for her to set that aside and trust them. Therefore she would need something extraordinary to impel her to do so... perhaps a beginning of a bond with a Ranger that is interrupted by Naiore's removal of Vanwe.

I suspect she'll come to trust Amandur over time, particularly with Lespheria's influence. Maethor and Rauthain she may be able to trust more readily in the right circumstances, as neither have had the opportunity to ask her the sorts of questions that Vanwe finds lands her in a prison somewhere for further interrogation.

Hanasian she already has an unusually close (for Vanwe) bond with, but that could be tested when he tells her of her mother. Also Vanwe has a growing bond with Lespheria and a lesser one with Benia and Gilly (she's undecided about both - friend or foe or both?).

Menecin will frighten the living daylights out of her... he frightens the living daylights out of himself... it would take Vanwe a very long time to even dare speak to Elladan or Elrohir. So too does Kaldir...

For Vanwe, survival will be based on her ability to make the right decisions about who to trust.

Just thought that would help when trying to plan how Vanwe might react to your character. Menecin is unpredictable, but right now is only reacting to the voices in his head. Naiore will either kill you or decide to truss you up for later sport. Barrold, well Barrold will try to sell you something or alternatively sell you.

Any more characters to predict???? I've lost track