Re: First Date

by Jason Hiller Tue Nov 10, 2015 10:55 pm

Jason nodded, munching thoughtfully on a bite of his glass slipper -- he was saving the unbirthday cupcake for last. "That's true too. I wonder if he'll try to replicate other things from fantasy books... athelas would be pretty handy, for one thing."

by Zaïren Tue Nov 10, 2015 11:35 pm

"I don't know if it'd have the same powers though. I mean, as I recall, that was specifically an interaction between the leaves and Elvish healing. The leaves helped you feel better, but Aragorn wasn't able to do much."

by Jason Hiller Tue Nov 10, 2015 11:38 pm

Jason nodded. "Good point. But it worked against the Black Breath pretty well, as I recall. At least it helped when Aragorn called their spirits back. I'm not sure whether he would have been able to do that without it. The text hyped it up as pretty important."

by Zaïren Wed Nov 11, 2015 12:04 am

"Oh sure. Like material components in spells. It was important, but alone it doesn't mean much. You have to have the power or skill to really bring out its abilities. Plus the Breath was something different from a morgul blade. Same source, different illness. Kind of like chicken pox and shingles."

by Jason Hiller Wed Nov 11, 2015 12:08 am

Jason nodded. "That's true. Helps that Aragorn had elvish blood himself, too. Forty-ish generations removed, but still. Apparently it was enough."

by Zaïren Wed Nov 11, 2015 12:56 am

"Exactly. Plus he was raised by Elrond, and that had to count for something. The most renowned healer of the age at least."

by Jason Hiller Wed Nov 11, 2015 1:03 am

"Ooh, good point. And Elrond was part Maia, too, which would have helped even more. Which means so was Aragorn, if in much smaller part."

He smiled. "I always loved the story of Luthien and Beren. They're both such badasses, total canon Mary Sues, and yet it works. Maybe because Tolkien based them off of himself and his wife, so it had some realistic touch."

by Zaïren Wed Nov 11, 2015 1:30 am

"Well, the fact that it works actually means they aren't Sues. They're fairly well developed characters that just happen to be powerful." Zaïren shrugged. "That term gets thrown around so much, usually about characters people just don't like and don't feel justified in saying that. And then others decide clearly the first person was right because... whatever reasons they have and it just explodes. Unfairly, usually."

by Jason Hiller Wed Nov 11, 2015 11:50 am

"Good point," Jason conceded. "And they weren't invulnerable like some Sues, either. I mean, Beren lost his hand, and they both died twice. Though, it's not stated whether Beren's hand-loss actually impacted his ability to do things. Maedhros at least had to relearn how to use a sword after the whole Thangorodrim thing."

by Zaïren Wed Nov 11, 2015 4:29 pm

"Not every detail has to be covered, in my opinion. It seems pretty obvious to me there was plenty he needed help with until he learned how to be handless. It's been a long time since I read the Silmarillion though."

Zaïren leaned forward and grinned. "Well, we share that fandom at least."

by Jason Hiller Wed Nov 11, 2015 9:49 pm

Jason grinned back. "True. I really want to read the History of Middle Earth, but I've never been able to find them. I like Unfinished Tales, though. Interesting to see the differences between that and the Silm."

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