#undoom

It starts off pretty much the same. It's not like Fëanor is listening to the Valar at this point.

Losgar still happens.

The Helcaraxë still happens.

Fëanor's death still happens.

Maedhros's capture still happens.

But Elenwë lives — maybe she's walking in a different place because she had to break up an argument between Turgon and Fingon about 'understanding the meaning of kin'.

And Argon lives — Elenwë saves his life. (She was a champion javelin thrower in Vanyarin athletic contests, before she got married and those sorts of risks became less appropriate.)

The tense reunion is basically the same, even if Turgon in particular is a little less hostile.

Maedhros's rescue is the same.

Giving the crown to Fingolfin is the same.

Early interaction with Doriath is the same; Thingol's Ban is the same.

[You know what this is already self-indulgent, maybe I'll just add some of the OCs from 'Absence of Evidence'.]

The arrival of Iestorwen Laethriel is the same. However, she's obviously not going off past Ered Luin by herself.

Ulmo's message to Turgon and Finrod is a bit different. Still the piece about hidden strongholds, but also something to the effect of "if you don't hang together you will surely hang separately".

Finrod's own behavior doesn't change much, but later on he does convince Galadriel not to take off for east of the Ered Luin.

Turgon's behavior would be a bit different even without the different message, because Elenwë wanted to come to Middle-earth, and holing up in a hidden city was not what she had in mind.

Gondolin is still very isolationist, but Turgon does send very trusted envoys — Aredhel, Glorfindel, Elenwë a lot more often than he'd like, rarely himself — to Barad Eithel at least every five years.

Aredhel takes off for Himlad from one of these trips, so rather more people are aware she's missing. There's a great deal of worry. No one's felt her die, but that's not a guarantee.

When they hear about it in Menegroth (sooner than they would have without Galadriel still there), Melian has a feeling that yeah actually this is kind of their problem.

Nothing more than that, though, and they conclude it's Nan Dungortheb, not Eöl. Melian doesn't like Eöl but she hasn't seen THIS coming.

Doriath sends some marchwardens with Galadriel to aid in searching Nan Dungortheb. Obviously this does not lead to finding Aredhel, but it does lead to understanding one another a bit better.

Meanwhile the arrival of the Edain has been much the same.

(Caranthir admires Haleth, especially how she manages to be a leader while being prickly and not particularly polite, but he's already married to a Nandorin/Avarin woman named Alpheth.) (Haleth for her part isn't into freaky unnatural glowing-eyed beings. It's Bëorings who are into that. Freaks.) (This is my go-to version of their interactions regardless of Doom.)

Eöl weaves his defenses more densely to the north because of the searching, and they stay up even after it dies down. Aredhel and Maeglin eventually escape south. (And Galvornil.)

They go to Nargothrond. Unlike Gondolin in canon, they already have a vague suspicion that some sort of foul play may have been involved. And unlike Gondolin in canon, they can just keep someone outside the front door — they don't have to bring them in or kill them. Eöl isn't admitted.

Thingol is not pleased about the diplomatic fallout. He repossesses Nan Elmoth. Eöl disappears into the east.

Maeglin stays in Nargothrond. (With Galvornil.) Aredhel stays too until he's older, but eventually resumes traveling.

(Another go-to version regardless of Doom: Aegnor and Andreth get secretly married in defiance of advice. Their immediate families eventually find out, but they don't want to tell anyone else. They have three kids: Gilrodel Barawen, Gilhíril Bardhis, and Gildor Bronadui. When visiting Nargothrond or Dorthonion they're presented as kin and given a confusing patronymic. Barawen chooses mortal, Gilhíril and Gildor choose elf, not that any of them realize it at the time.)

Sealing alliances by marriage is something Men do. Some Edain have hinted at it, from time to time — Fingolfin gently deflected more than one inquiry involving Fingon. But they don't ask often, because elves are otherworldly and not necessarily marriage material, and anyway elves always say no.

Wel the Easterling is relatively new here. (Wel the Easterling has already been nicknamed Ulfang by some dwarves he got on the wrong side of, but no one is SUPPOSED to be calling him that anywhere he might hear about it.)

Wel's suggestions of an exchange of brides were categorically refused, earlier. 'Elves do not marry Men,' he was told. It didn't make him any better disposed to the elves, but whatever.

But you know actually, with these new rumors coming in, it looks like they DO, what do you know! He wants an exchange of brides.

Caranthir tells him elves only marry for love, and anyway elven princesses are all either warriors or sorceresses and any man who marries one will never be the ruler of his own household. Have you paid attention to these stories at all?

…All right now that someone mentions it that does sort of seem to be a theme. Maybe he doesn't want an elven princess.

But that doesn't mean he couldn't marry his daughter to an elf! He has several beautiful maidens to offer…

I SAID elves only marry for LOVE—

That's not what I heard. I heard your brother wanted to marry a girl for an alliance.

Technically he wanted to marry her for a claim on her father's throne, Caranthir doesn't say. He doesn't think Wel wants a law-son after his position, and Celegorm wouldn't want that anyway.

But, actually. Celegorm did just go and make things harder with Nargothrond and probably Doriath. Would it kill him to make things easier with the Men? How long would it even be, like fifty years?

He says he has to consult his eldest brother.

But Maedhros is off to Hithlum and then Nargothrond, so he puts it to all his other brothers first.

Celegorm is NOT amused.

(Certain other family members may be amused.) (Just a bit.)

Celegorm asks if Caranthir is putting him in the same category as the Arafinwioni, now. Caranthir says WHY NOT.

Those are fighting words. It's all Huan, Maglor, and Curufin can do to break them up.

Amrod and Amras are laughing too hard to help.

Curufin suggests maybe THEY should marry Easterlings.

Maglor thinks: What would Maedhros do? Try to understand what's going on! He goes and consults Marce-not-yet-Bór about this.

Marce… doesn't quite understand what the trouble is? He can understand not wanting to marry a daughter or sister to Wel, but if Wel's the one who offered a bride, then that's a fast easy way to tie him a little closer. The man's not the most reliable.

What Wel is hoping to get out of it? A powerful grandson, and a guarantee that he'll have a voice, and acknowledgement as an equal.

Thank you, that's very helpful.

Maglor comes back to the still-ongoing argument. He says HE thinks if they're going to do this probably one of them should marry one of Wel's daughters and one of them should marry one of Marce's daughters, for fairness. It's not like it would have to be a REAL marriage, and Men don't live THAT long. But of course he's not saying they should! That's up to Maedhros.

Oddly enough that doesn't really improve the situation.

Celegorm says if it's not a REAL marriage then Maglor and Curufin should be eligible, too, since it's not like their wives are AROUND. This also doesn't improve the situation.

Maedhros gets back finally and is like you guys. What the HELL.

(This isn't WORSE than Celegorm and Curufin's Nargothrond stunt but it is WEIRDER.)

Caranthir is like you said keep them happy I am TRYING TO KEEP THEM HAPPY.

Maedhros says forcing Celegorm to marry an Easterling would not, ultimately, keep the Easterlings happy. (Celegorm doesn't know whether to feel pleased or insulted.)

Caranthir isn't sure about that, he's not sure Wel actually cares about his daughters' well-being, let alone happiness—

Shut up.

Maedhros can't believe he's considering this.

Maybe it's not too late to go back and let Finduilas drown him in the Narog.