The first ring

[bunn]

"Do you remember that first ring? Made for no great reason, but simply to see if it could be done? Simply to find out if the theory could be translated into cold metal and gems. The first time anyone took the power of mind, hand and eye, and caught it in a thing of metal and stone...

It was an arm-ring, that first ring, far too large and heavy to wear on a finger. In the beginning, the only way we could hold the power balanced within the ring was to set it with four gems and inscribe it with the key-spell inside and out. Remember how we had to set the gems apart, in case the wearer should be burned?

A clumsy thing by the standards of later days, but still, something to be proud of; this new made thing of Middle Earth. "




The real version looks better than this. Oh well!

Comments

[huinare.livejournal.com]

That's a cool-looking armband! What is the inscription? My tengwar is pretty much non-existent. I love his eyes and his little smile; he looks rather mesmerized by his own work.

Also, the narrative that goes with it. It reminds me of how computers have gotten smaller and smaller as technology evolves. =D

[ladyofastolat.livejournal.com]

Is that Angruin second left?

I like the idea of a large prototype, made before they learnt how to miniaturise the technology. Just as well they started off with a heroic level of skill, or we might have ended up with a prototype Hula Hoop of Power.

And I shouldn't have said that, since I now have the idea of Sauron hula-hooping his way into battle, and I can't seem to shift it. Gah!

[bunn.livejournal.com]

My Quenya and tengwar are pretty much non-existent too, but I did *try* to come up with something appropriate - if I have got it right, it says 'I make/am making fire' in Quenya, which seemed like the appropriate language. I know he writes in Sindarin on the Gates of Moria, but that's supposed to be more of a public notice, whereas this is more like his personal notes. :-D

The written notes in his pile of papers on the left don't have full phrases, they are mostly numbers because it is hard to come up with technical notes in quenya from a handful of snatches of verse...

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I think it might be. He seems to have the rather Richard III hair that the miniature had.

Obviously that's supposed to be Sauron on the right, but he looks terrible. He was sort of working, then I decided he looked too much like a surfer and tried to make him look tired, on the grounds that being undercover among people who hate you must be fairly tiring even for the Evil. This was a mistake. :-(

I reasoned that the One Ring is like something designed by Apple, all tiny and smooth - you can't even see the inscription unless you activate it. Whereas the 'lesser' rings 'had each their proper gem'. Which made it seem like they were becoming less and less ornate...

A golden hula hoop sounds perilous for the toes. I hope Sauron has steel-capped boots. What am I talking about, of COURSE Sauron would have steel-capped boots.

[ladyofastolat.livejournal.com]

And now I want to filk Surfin' USA for Surfer Dude Sauron. ("Everybody get craftin', craftin' rings of power.")

I think it makes sense that he might find it rather wearying to be working undercover, forced to patiently bide his time while they slowly worked on all the prototypes. But I guess it depends on how his fair form is maintained. Is it all an illusion, in which case he can just illusion away the bags under his eyes? Or is it a genuine form, subject to bags and all?

[tovaglia.livejournal.com]

You can definitely tell from the painting that Sauron was an early adopter. The other onlookers seem politely interested, but slightly glazed, as if they're wondering if it's time for lunch yet.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking it was a physical form, eye-bags and all. That somehow seems like it makes more sense with him not being able to make another pretty one after the downfall of Numenor than if it was just an illusion.

Plus, the illusion idea seems rife with risk for someone who was hoping to take in not just Celebrimbor but Elrond, Galadriel and Gil-galad too, somehow.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Yes indeed. One feels that when lunch finally comes, Sauron is going to bore them all by insisting on going through the manual reading bits out while munching his sandwich in one hand :-D

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

And I shouldn't have said that, since I now have the idea of Sauron hula-hooping his way into battle

Did you have to say that?

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

You are a good artist, and have creative ideas.

[hhimring]

Oh, I like this.
He looks so immersed and intent on his clever new toy that there's no way he's going to notice Annatar being a bit weird behind his back...

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Heh :-)

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I am reasonably good at landscapes, and I am confident with line art and pencil sketches. I should probably do more with those, since the results tend to be better!

Acrylic portraits are not my strength, but I would really like to get to the point where I can do them well, and the only way to do that is practice...

I was just reading an art blog where the artist encouragingly suggested that one probably needs to paint 100 bad portraits before you are likely to start producing good ones, so I have a fair way to go before I can really allow myself to get too disappointed with them!

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Absolutely! The risks of getting too involved with your own work, ( a fair warning to us all!)

[anna-wing.livejournal.com]

He submitted his notes as "Rings of Power: Design, Construction, Operation, Maintenance and Safe Decommissioning": Vol 2784-89 Proceedings of the Standing Conference of Gemology, Materials Science and Metaphysical Engineering, Eregion. News of its impending publication was actually what prompted Sauron to speed up the creation of the One Ring. The entire print run was sadly lost in the fall of Eregion.


I like your fics very much, by the way. Rosemary Sutcliff was a staple of my childhood, though my images of everyone are based on the BBC TV series of "The Eagle of the Ninth", rather than the film.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Alas for the great lost libraries of Eregion!

I'm glad you enjoyed my fics! I watched the BBCTV series recently and it really is very good and so true to the book.

The movie was fun to watch and it got me re-reading Sutcliff and writing, so I'm very fond of it for that reason, but I don't particularly favour its characterisation even though I'm very pleased it was made.

[huinare.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I didn't see the notes before, neat detail. I like the inscription also, and your rationale for Quenya makes sense.

[huinare.livejournal.com]

+1. I'm fond of the idea that physical forms required some commitment on the part of the Ainur, fatigue and all.

[huinare.livejournal.com]

I now have the idea of Sauron hula-hooping his way into battle

That's actually a thing (http://i.imgur.com/n8RBwsj.jpg)(fair warning--what has been seen cannot be unseen, and I probably should be encouraging goofiness at the expense of one of my favorite characters, but still, it's a thing...)

[bunn.livejournal.com]

ARG! *staggers away in horror* :-DDD

[ladyofastolat.livejournal.com]

Gosh. It is indeed a thing.

This must be the fanart equivalent of Rule 34: If you can imagine it, someone else has already done fanart for it.