I just got back on my silmarillion bullshit and the victim of this round's hyper fixation is Dior
So when I found your story Birds Of Prey I was enchanted. Trust, I'm a seated for whatever they will have going on.
You noted in chapter 2 that if we wished to know about your quote “lengthy ramblings” on Dior’s peredhelness we must come here to ask. So here I am. Please, share the ramblings, I wish to know.
My working understanding was that Dior would likely have been a Man but also was he? Would he have wanted to be? If he was a Man how was he even allowed to be a King of the Eldar. Gosh there is so much to unpack regarding my new blorbo Dior Eluchil, First Peredhel and Thingol’s Heir, Last King of Doriath.
Thank you for your time. ☺️
Hello :D Thank you so much for asking!!! This might be slightly long so bear with me while I get through my thoughts on Peredhel-ism as a whole and how it relates to Dior as a person and a ruler, subdivided into the 3.5 main points:
(Legal disclaimer: this is just one interpretation of the material. YMMV)
A) The Nature of the Choice
All in all, we know of 5 characters who have explicitly made a Choice after Namo makes it an official thing: Elwing, Earendil, Elrond (for the Elves) and Elros, Arwen (for the Men). We can make a handful of inferences from this sample group, but the most important in Dior's case is that once someone chooses mortality, the downstream bloodline is cut off from the same choice.
This is evidenced by the fact that none of Elros's descendants are recorded as choosing to be an Elf — otherwise Ar-Pharazon could have just chosen immortality without having to go to war about it. (I'm not getting into blood quantums here, that's a whole other beast I'm not equipped to talk about.) They get some hereditary traits like beardlessness and longer-but-still-mortal lifespans as a consolation prize.
Elrond chose Elfhood, and his three children also get that same privilege of choice. Elladan and Elrohir aren't mentioned making one, and presumably sail, but this implies that an Elf can effectively stall in committing to mortality indefinitely. Arwen chooses mortality after ~1500 years, and has Eldarion after (who, again, lives a mortal life without a hint of having his own Choice). This makes two for two on circumstantial evidence that descendants of a mortal Peredhel are ineligible to Choose themselves. Since Arwen is meant to be a contemporary parallel of Luthien, her situation is even more relevant, which I discuss in B.
A.5) The Unpublished Text
"Now all those who have the blood of mortal Men, in whatever part, great or small, are mortal, unless other doom be granted to them; but in this matter the power of doom is given to me."
[Manwe to Earendil], The Lost Road and Other Writings Part Two: Valinor and Middle-earth before The Lord of the Rings, Quenta Silmarillion
I don't really like this take because it takes place after Dior's death (and is in an earlier version of the Quenta Silmarillion that didn't make it into the published Silm), and it runs a bit contradictory to Elrond and his children's existence for some amount of semi-immortal time. Arwen's doom of marrying Aragorn may make an exception that grants some other doom, but Elladan/Elrohir remain in a weird limbo, and they's also around for 1500+ years. Plus it feels unfair for Dior to get yanked out of the Halls mid-healing if he had been an Elf before this in canon. Plus it undermines the weight of the Choice.
Still, I would be remiss if i didn't mention it, since it's the basis for Christopher's assertion that Dior is mortal, and I want to include the guy who comes to my same conclusion.
B) Luthien, Ahead of Her Time
"But the other choice was this: that she might return to Middle-earth, and take with her Beren, there to dwell again, but without certitude of life or joy. There she would become mortal, and subject to a second death, even as he; and ere long she would leave the world for ever, and her beauty only become a memory in song."
J.R.R.Tolkien, The Silmarillion, Of Beren and Luthien
That's the Choice right there! Luthien explicitly made the choice for mortality! This sets her into the trend established (post-facto) by Elros and Arwen: her children will not make a Choice.
C) Thingol's Heir
The matter of succession in Doriath is confusing, to say the least. At Thingol's death, he has two competing living heirs, depending on your preferred mode of succession: Luthien (absolute or cognatic primogeniture) and Elmo (agnatic primogeniture). Instead, the throne goes to… Dior, the son of the still-living Luthien, only child of Thingol. This fits none of the above stated models of succession, which admittedly aren't the only ways to pick the next leader, but an established rulebook often helps solve crises and wars between competing claimants who all really want to be in charge before they have a chance to start.
Now what it does fit is the Tolkienverse's unspoken rule of No Girl Kings Allowed. (see: Findis is skipped over in Aman for Finarfin, Turgon preferring Maeglin as regent when he left for the Nirnaeth, the absence of any claim from Idril to the High Kingship of the Noldor after Turgon's death (and skipping over Earendil as well, but there were bigger boats to sail for that kid)).
Dior, on the other hand, is outright granted the epithet of Eluchil, or "successor". Whether this was a shrewd political move by Luthien to assert her mortal son's legitimacy in the succession to an almost exclusively elven kingdom is anyone's guess. But either way, he is explicitly noted in the Silmarillion as "Dior Thingol's heir" despite the lack of any proof positive that he'd been trained in statecraft by his grandfather or even been to Menegroth. Very Hanoverian of him, if that was the case. At least he solidified his claim by marrying Nimloth, a noblewoman herself by her relation to Celeborn.
And, at the end of the day, while Doriath was largely an elven kingdom that had historically been run by an Elf and his wizard wife, I think they kind of ran into an Air Bud situation, where there weren't any stipulations that a mortal can't be King. With the political situation at the time (Menegroth recently sacked) there may have been little resistance to an incoming mover and shaker who promised to fix things up.
Also in a very Hanoverian move, I think the title of King of the Sindar did not pass to Dior with the Kingship of Doriath. It's never mentioned in his context, and after Thingol dies the title mostly disappears. It seems to be a pretty empty claim anyways, largely used to assert dominion over lands and people he held no practical sway over on the continent. Maedhros even bullies him for it. So Dior is the King of the fealty of Doriath, but does not call himself king of the people-group that is the Sindar; it's an interesting inversion to late First Age Gil-galad, who is King of the Noldor people-group, but lives in the Havens/Balar that are emphatically Cirdan's lands.
TL;DR: Mortal + mortal = mortal. Ain't no rule say the Man can't rule Doriath.
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An Incident occurs and the Finwëan brood of Middle Earth are called to defend themselves.
The silliness continues! @silmarillionepistolary
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
A whimsical project born from Leaf and Lore with writing credits to @isilme-among-the-stars @glitterlessgold @a-tehta @beatles4ever65 @infiniteriver @mnimeresponding @stormsbreadth @motherfuckingnazgul @vaciena @gaydhros @dreamychaos
Thinking about how awkward it must have been for Finarfin to go back home after turning back from the Doom.
Walk through the front door and say to the wife "Hi honey, I'm home, sorry for mostly-but-not-quite going all the way along with the guys who killed a bunch of your family and stole their most treasured heirlooms. But, good news: by virtue of being the Last Son of Finwe standing in Aman I get to be King of the Noldor!"
Anyway I think Elenwë convinced Turgon to cross the Ice. This solves two problems for me: (a) why Turgon was opposed to Fëanor in the big Oath-swearing, Finweans-have-an-argument episode but chooses to go anyway, and (b) why he builds Tirion 2.0 in Middle-earth. He never wanted to be there. He went for Elenwë’s sake, and now she’s dead, and he wants to go home. (Also it gives Elenwë some fun agency.)
Then they are re-embodied and are furious with each other. They don’t want to be, but they are.
An Incident occurs and the Finwëan brood of Middle Earth are called to defend themselves.
The start of a charming tale of complete silliness told through letters.
@silmarillionepistolary
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Brought to you by the collective brains of Leaf and Lore with a huge shout out to @isilme-among-the-stars @glitterlessgold @a-tehta @beatles4ever65 @infiniteriver @mnimeresponding @stormsbreadth @motherfuckingnazgul @vaciena @gaydhros @dreamychaos
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spring 2026 in review, silm Tolkien fandom edition
Every three months, I like to create a little round-up of my fandom experiences from the past season: fics I've written, great fics I've read, events I've participated in, and other milestones and notes. It's been a nice way to keep track of the highlights and raise awareness for some great fanworks that people are creating around the world.
Favorite fic I wrote this season: This might be the recency bias talking, but I'm extremely proud of The Sting of Salt and Pity, the fic I wrote as a fill for the May 2026 prompts in Leaf & Lore and LTC, and MerMay. Original female Elf character (a Bad Mom of Arda), Mature, 1.1k, horror themes, creator chose not to use archive warnings, see fic on ao3 for detailed tags and warnings.
Favorite fic I read this season: The Swan-Road by @glitterlessgold, Amrod-centric, General, 8.5k. A post-Losgar fic, not crispy Amrod, not toasted Amrod, but a new kind of Amrod we're calling BLANCHED AMROD!! I loved this fic so much. The imaginativeness, the grief, the inevitability & the Adventure of it all! Amrod talks to his boat much as Tom Hanks talks to Wilson the volleyball in Cast Away, and it's fantastic. (Btw, the author's Glorthelion WIP is also excellent!)
Complete roundup of fic and miscellany under the cut.
More fic recs:
A Florid Affair by @polutrope, Daeron/Maglor, Explicit, 3.7k, Sex Pollen (or is it)
Grounded by @amorbidcorvid, Celebrian/Elrond, Explicit, 2.5k, eldritch Elrond and FEATHERS this is so soothing and hot
Hand Over Heart by @a-tehta, Fingon/Maedhros's Severed Hand, Mature, 1.9k, this is so so funny i am giggling again just reading the tags and summary
History Obliterates by @regicidal-optimism, ensemble about the Third Kinslaying at Sirion, Teen, 1.3k, unreliable narrators
Hunger Inherited by @gaydhros, Fingon/Turgon, Explicit, 3.6k, guided masturbation, a brother sometimes just has to help another brother out like that
Metrology by @infiniteriver, Annatar-centric, General, 2.2k, Annatar invents the metric system!
Pet by Anonymous, Maedhros/OFC, Explicit, 1.5k, archive warnings for major character death & rape/non-con. This is such an unsettling and unforgettable fic. Maedhros keeps a tiny woman as a caged pet in Himring. I can't stop thinking about this story. I want to respect the rights of Anon but also I am just dying to crack open their brain and find more of their work
The Proper Bride-Price by @irnina, Celeborn/Celebrian, Celebrian/Maglor, Explicit, 6.4k, weird voyeurism and invented ritual sex practices. Incest!!
Sing for the Damage by @perchingpasserine, Maedhros/Maglor, Teen, 3.6k, angsty kidnap fam. SO good
the wittold's wife by @thepastisaroadmap, Curufin's Wife/Sons of Fëanor, Explicit, 5.0k, creator chose not to use archive warnings, wife-sharing, weird Noldorin sex rituals
Ficlets (which I am defining as works under 1k) and drabbles I wrote this spring:
Gil. Ga. Lad., Círdan/Gil-galad, Teen, 0.2k, an exercise in which I asked myself how could i take the intro of Lolita and make it Silmfic lol
I can't tell where your hair ends and mine begins, Marigol/Rose Cotton, Mature, 0.9k, hobbit femslash in a hayloft
Moonflowers, Earwen-centric, General, 0.1k
Naps in Alqualonde, Self-insert, Teen, 0.6k, written for Rare Kink Buffet 2026
nothing but the dark, Aredhel-centric, General, 0.1k
The Stone Eggs, Nerdanel-centric, General, 0.1k, Bad Moms of Arda
Longer fics I wrote:
Darling it's better down where it's wetter, Maglor-centric (well, Crablor-centric), Teen, 1.1k, Little Mermaid fusion fic for Crablor Day.
Freaky Friday, Aredhel/Fingolfin, Explicit, 3.5k, warnings for Rape/Non-Con and Underage.
Major Triad, Daeron/Maglor/Reader, Mature, 1.1k, a voyeur reader fic for Daemags week and polu.
The Queer Forest, Glorfindel/Treebeard, Explicit, 9.0k, WIP with 4/6 chapters posted, modern AU with Human Treebeard (or is he?), Huorns, dendrophilia & plantacles
Slain at Swanhaven, Galadriel-centric, Mature, 1.8k, Major Character Death, Canon-Divergence AU, Make It Worse
Firsts, milestones, and miscellany:
5 new ship tag inaugurations: Amrod/Glorfindel, Aredhel/Fingolfin, Glorfindel/Treebeard, Daeron/Maglor/Reader, Marigol/Rose Cotton
1 new character inaugurations: Marigol
1 fandom inauguration: The Hunt for Gollum (2027)
I reached 50 fics on AO3!
I discovered the Rare Kink Buffet which is just an absolute treasure trove of imagination and creativity. And may have claimed uhh 300 or so prompts 🤣
Events: the April 2026 Leaf & Lore was a wonderfully motivating community event as usual! I also joined TRSB26 as a writer for the first time, I wrote for Crablor Day & Daemags Day, and I participated in SWG Instadrabbling, the May LTC microfic challenge, and the May Leaf & Lore writing challenge.
This is my fourth "Season in Review" post, meaning that I'm rounding the corner on one full year as an actively sharing Tolkien fic writer! You probably won't hear me shutting up any time soon. Thanks everybody for making it fun 🫶❤️
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some other incredibly fucked-up way that I'll put in the tags
Voting ended onMay 5
also please feel free to tag when and where you were upon discovering you'd been pronouncing this incorrectly/everyone else was pronouncing this incorrectly
Sorry to combine silm and asoiaf vibes again but the concept of tuor, wearing idril’s favour, soundly defeating a succession of high lords in an elaborate gondolin tourney in order to crown her the queen of love and beauty… I would like to see it
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Where Fëanor physically cannot discern the difference between Golden Laurelin and Silver Telperion. Where everyone else speaks of a beauty he will never comprehend, and strives to study what makes it so by asking for a strand of his half-niece's hair, because everyone else says they shine exactly the same. Where he pulls the Tree-light itself into gems of his own making, even going to far as to bind his soul to them, so that he can finally see.
• Compared to Nerdanel, who gives 3.5/7 of their children color-based names (Makalaure (in which "gold" is explicitly a color/hue), Carnistir, Ambarussa), the only color cue Feanor includes in any of his children's names is "Mori-" meaning "dark" — this describes a value and not a hue, and is discernible in all types of colorblindness.
• Colorblindness in humans (and elf/human crossbreeding produces fertile offspring, so I'm assuming a lot of 1:1 genotype matchups between each) is most commonly inherited via the X chromosome — matrilineally. Míriel only had one son, so none of Feanor's half-siblings would be able to inherit that trait. And Feanor only had sons of his own, instead passing down his Y chromosome to each of them. All would inherit Nerdanel's color-sighted X. Therefore, "Russandol" as an epesse granted by Maedhros's brothers also checks out.
(This is also trans-Feanorion-proof, as a child with XX chromosomes needs to inherit the colorblind trait from both parents to be colorblind themselves... which would be very unlikely, to say the least.)
Feanor could very well be the only one like himself in the world.
Where Fëanor physically cannot discern the difference between Golden Laurelin and Silver Telperion. Where everyone else speaks of a beauty he will never comprehend, and strives to study what makes it so by asking for a strand of his half-niece's hair, because everyone else says they shine exactly the same. Where he pulls the Tree-light itself into gems of his own making, even going to far as to bind his soul to them, so that he can finally see.