Balrog size - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

obloquy · 02-04-2002, 12:13 AM

You're all forgetting something: size is relative. The Maiar and the Valar were around (and were able to take bodies) before the Eruhini ever awoke. Imagine it from a perspective other than your 5-foot-plus body. Objectively speaking, is 15 feet really all that big? With trees, mountains, and the oceans as your measuring sticks, how terribly big is even 50 feet? The Ainur could assume whatever bodily form they wished. I think that the only likely limitations they had (after the awakening of the Children) was that they had to interact with incarnates, and what good would it do to be so enormous anyway?

Why didn't Melkor just take a 300-foot-tall body and annihilate the Elves with one swift kick? I'd rationalize this point by saying that at the time when he took his form, he was not as interested in nihilistic destruction as he was craving to dominate and rule all. By the time he was absolutely mad, he was too diminished and bound to his hroa to get huge and stomp about.

You're probably right about the body size relating somewhat to the spirit's power, in that taking on a physical form would require the fea to control a certain amount of physical properties constantly. Of course, this doesn't put a whole lot of restrictions on powers like the Ainur. If an Elf's fea had the 'power' to control a 6-foot body, a being like Melkor would have virtually limitless options. That said, a more reasonable body (though I wouldn't say Melkor would have settled for anything less than any of the other Valar) would probably be the most efficient, concentrating the being's power and requiring less of the constant effort necessary for maintaining control over the physical matter of the hroa.

This is a topic that, as far as I know, was never addressed by the Professor, so we can really only speculate. I figure the bad dudes would have chosen a nice balance between appropriately menacing and potently concentrated. In any case, that's just my take on it.

[ February 04, 2002: Message edited by: obloquy ]

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02-04-2002, 12:13 AM	#11
obloquy Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: WA Posts: 941	You're all forgetting something: size is relative. The Maiar and the Valar were around (and were able to take bodies) before the Eruhini ever awoke. Imagine it from a perspective other than your 5-foot-plus body. Objectively speaking, is 15 feet really all that big? With trees, mountains, and the oceans as your measuring sticks, how terribly big is even 50 feet? The Ainur could assume whatever bodily form they wished. I think that the only likely limitations they had (after the awakening of the Children) was that they had to interact with incarnates, and what good would it do to be so enormous anyway? Why didn't Melkor just take a 300-foot-tall body and annihilate the Elves with one swift kick? I'd rationalize this point by saying that at the time when he took his form, he was not as interested in nihilistic destruction as he was craving to dominate and rule all. By the time he was absolutely mad, he was too diminished and bound to his hroa to get huge and stomp about. You're probably right about the body size relating somewhat to the spirit's power, in that taking on a physical form would require the fea to control a certain amount of physical properties constantly. Of course, this doesn't put a whole lot of restrictions on powers like the Ainur. If an Elf's fea had the 'power' to control a 6-foot body, a being like Melkor would have virtually limitless options. That said, a more reasonable body (though I wouldn't say Melkor would have settled for anything less than any of the other Valar) would probably be the most efficient, concentrating the being's power and requiring less of the constant effort necessary for maintaining control over the physical matter of the hroa. This is a topic that, as far as I know, was never addressed by the Professor, so we can really only speculate. I figure the bad dudes would have chosen a nice balance between appropriately menacing and potently concentrated. In any case, that's just my take on it. [ February 04, 2002: Message edited by: obloquy ]