And now here's all of my notes, better organized and with mostof your Act 1 wording incorporated. I still haven't had time to watch the rest of the session video yet, but I will.
Episode 10 or 11
allude to project of creating Trolls as an escalation of military force
reference to responding to force of Ents
don’t show their actual creation or reveal that they’re golems
Ep 12 miscellaneous notes:
- Focus on Fingolfin’s leadership – by the end of this, they are all 100% united behind him and confident in his leadership.
- Question: how can we make it plausibly look like Maedhros is going to win when Sauron is there?
Season 3 Episode 12: Despair and Hope
Protagonists:
- Fëanorians: Maedhros
- Doriath: Lúthien (secondary Thingol)
- Helkaraxë: Galadriel (secondary Fingolfin)
First appearances: Trolls
Final appearances: No named characters.
Characters: Aegnor, Amras, Angrod, Aredhel, Beleg, Caranthir, Celeborn, Celegorm, Círdan, Curufin, Daeron, Fingolfin, Fingon, Finrod, Galadriel, Luthien, Mablung, Maedhros, Maglor, Melian, Thingol, Turgon
Frame: Elladan, Elrohir, Estel, Halbarad
Summary: The Fëanorians agree to a parley with the Mouth of the King of All Arda. It does not go well. Spiders continue their assault on Menegroth, and are repelled by the Girdle of Melian, which saves Thingol’s surrounded army in the process. Fingolfin’s host nearly succumbs to cold and starvation.
Theme: Despair and Hope.
Conflict: Maedhros attempts to trick the trickster, Lúthien forgets she has an Ainu on tap, and Galadriel’s respect for Fingolfin as a king grows.
Primary Storyline: The false parley
Frame teaser – Estel struggles to carry Hamilcar's body back to the Dunedain camp through the snow. He is met by Elladan and Elrohir, who were out looking for him. No words are spoken, but Estel’s shame and sorrow are quite clear. (Characters: Estel, Elladan, Elrohir)
Act I
Scene 1. Fëanorian camp in Mithrim – The Fëanorians discuss the offer of parley from Morgoth. Thuringwethil has just delivered her message and is pacing on the fringe of the camp, making Feanorian soldiers who are watching her extremely uncomfortable. The parley meeting will be with Mairon [only named “The Mouth of The King of All Arda”].
Within the central tent, the Sons of Fëanor discuss. Maedhros is willing to meet with the emissary. There is friction among the brothers. Curufin is reasonably certain that Morgoth’s people have no intention of giving up a Silmaril. It is probably a trap. Maedhros agrees: “I know he is lying, that’s why none of you are coming with me.” His brothers look on this with general disfavor. Maglor especially is concerned for Maedhros’ welfare. Maedhros convinces them that the Oath leaves them little choice if there is even a chance that a Silmaril could be gained. Amras asks if he will treat with Morgoth, who slew their grandfather and whose minions slew their father. Curufin steps in, suggesting that they need only appear to be prepared to negotiate if the goal is to obtain the Silmaril. Maedhros agrees and has no intention of depending on nonviolent negotiation – if he brings a large enough force, he can defeat whoever the emissary brings. Maedhros instructs Maglor to gather 500 soldiers – volunteers only. (Characters - Amras, Caranthir, Celegorm, Curufin, Maglor, Maedhros, Thuringwethil)
Scene 2. Main gate of Menegroth on the Esgalduin – Giant spiders close in on the Thousand Caves. There are ~100-200 Shelob-sized offspring of Ungoliante, and a few hundred more smaller giant spiders. On one side of the river, Beleg stands outside the gate with a few soldiers, between the two lamps that light the entrance. On the other side, the trees are spanned by webs of darkness and infested with spiders.
- Lúthien is there trying to bring hope to embattled Grey-elves: “We’ve already had word that my father and his army are on their way, they will save us.”
- Shelob stares across the river at them from the darkness. Melian stands with Luthien inside the main gate and seems to “make eye contact” with Shelob before saying, “She is coming.” Curious and foreboding look from Lúthien.
- Suddenly, the horrors surge across the river towards them. The Elves rush inside, pulling the gate shut just before the spiders reach them. The spiders quickly snuff lamps out with webs of darkness.
- The spiders swarm over the gates while Elves standing at arrow slits above it shoot ineffectually into the mass.
- Lúthien races to the platform where the archers stand and is looking out at the chaos when the first spider reaches the slit. She pulls away just in time for a spider’s leg to come through. More spiders climb up and shove many hairy, spiky legs into the arrow slits, grasping at the Elves who jump back in horror. Somebody strikes a leg with an axe, and does only minimal damage at best.
(Characters: Beleg, Lúthien, Melian, Shelob)
Scene 3. Helkaraxë - Finrod officiates over a mass funeral. Noldor stand huddled together around a row of 20+ wrapped bodies, the latest Elves to die of starvation and hypothermia. The living are miserable, gaunt, and tired.
- Finrod presides over a funeral. It is not elaborate, but they’ve done this so many times that it has become ritualistic. Finrod says a prayer to Ulmo, asking him to convey the dead to the Halls of Mandos.
- The bodies are tipped from the ice into the sea one by one, with their clothes on, but the living keep the blankets they were wrapped in.
- Somebody speaks of these deaths adding to the tally of hundreds dead so far on the Ice – deaths on the hands of Fëanor. Turgon and Galadriel, standing to one side, angrily say that Fëanor and his sons must be held responsible.
- Shouts from further toward the front draw Galadriel’s attention and she rushes to a peak of ice as there are shouts that mountains can be made out against the starlight to the East. We can see the silver outlines of peaks under the starlight.
(Characters: Fingolfin, Fingon, Finrod, Galadriel, Turgon)
Scene 4. Marches of Doriath – Thingol, his army, and many Nandor reach Doriath. The victorious returning army of the Sindar has passed the frontier. Thingol welcomes the Guest-elves to his kingdom. Saeros is gracious and grateful. (Characters: Thingol, Mablung, Saeros)
Act II
Scene 5. Fëanorian camp – Maedhros and Thuringwethil discuss the terms of the parley.
- Maedhros says he will bring a “bodyguard”, but not his brothers. He agrees not to bring his whole army, but no numbers are specified for either side [Thuringwethil seems to be very accomodating]. The Fëanorians demand that no Balrogs will be present, and want to choose location: a ravine in the mountains.
- Maedhros wants Silmaril to be shown from a great distance as assurance that the parley is legitimate, before he comes close. Thuringwethil says no, it will only be shown when he comes close enough for the Mouth and the emissaries with him to see that the full Fëanorian army is not present.
- Among themselves, the Fëanorians plan to bring additional Elves in secret, hidden in the dark.
Scene 6. Helkaraxë – A blizzard begins, rolling in from the northeast. Fingolfin walks along with individual families, one family at a time, to encourage them to continue on, just a little farther.
- Someone asks “when was the last time we ate?” [convey that they ran out of food a while ago]
- Galadriel also shows leadership – she is less confident Fingolfin is doing it correctly, and certainly thinks she should be one of the people in charge. She leads from the front, and keeps company with Aredhel.
- [Emphasize endurance through hardship, but also some ray of finding hope when there seems to be none.]
Scene 7. Menegroth – Spiders break through the outer gates.
- A huge number of the largest spiders cover the gates with spiderwebs, and pull. Gradually the steel bars and locks bend and then break, making hideous screeching sounds. The doors are eventually pulled open [they open outward].
- Inside the first set of gates is a short corridor lined with arrow slits, ending in a portcullis.
- Spiders rush into Menegroth. Some people are caught, while the rest flee through the portcullis and shut it just barely in time. Elves shoot through the portcullis, but arrows are useless against the spiders.
- Spiders ram up against the portcullis, poking many spiky legs through. Axes basically bounce off the spiders’ skins.
- Lúthien’s hope shifts away from Thingol to them saving themselves.
Scene 8. Angband – Sauron receives the news from Thuringwethil. She explains the terms agreed upon for the parley, including the rule against Balrogs. Sauron smiles and says “I didn’t want them anyway.” He has a fancy box. Thuringwethil is concerned Maedhros is being dishonest, but Sauron says it won’t matter.
Act III
Scene 9. Gates of Menegroth – Masses of spiders push into the hallway, those from behind shoving those in front or crawling over them. Desperate, Lúthien and Daeron come to the portcullis and sing together, trying to force the spiders to back out. They can’t push this many spiders away all at once, but they do stop them from moving forward. The scene ends in a standoff.
Scene 10. Eaves of Region – Thingol, his army, and the guest-elves are set upon by spiders. As they travel through eaves of Doriath Thingol, Mablung, Saeros, and company encounter giant spiders. They try to fight them, but cannot significantly harm any of them. Spiders criss-cross the trees above them, building a web. Some start dropping down on the Elves from above.
Scene 11. Helkaraxë – The blizzard, and Galadriel, begin to test Fingolfin’s leadership. The blizzard has gone on for a long time – hours or days, though time cannot be measured. People are barely able to walk into the wind and snowdrifts, over broken ground they can’t see. Some are saying they cannot go on much longer.
- Contrast Fingolfin and Galadriel’s leadership styles
- Fingolfin is trying to stay positive, not focusing on how terrible this is.
- Galadriel thinks he is taking it too lightly, and they have to do something.
- Fingolfin tells her, says we need to just keep going.
- Galadriel says to him “How can you say all will be well in the end? People are dropping dead and you have no plan to get us out alive.”
- Fingolfin answers “All we can do is just keep on going. The end has to be close.” [He knows they will all die if they stop moving.]
- Aredhel is encouraging individual families, like Fingolfin is.
Scene 12. Eryd Wethrin – The false parley beings. Sauron easily knows where the extra Elves are hiding, and calls Maedhros out on breaking terms. He is holding a fancy box, supposedly holding a Silmaril. Maedhros launches an attack when it is clear that there won’t be a deal, charging in the vanguard. The Noldorin ambush overpowers most of the Orcs and appears to be winning, but Sauron, standing in the rear of his group, simply smiles.
Act IV
Scene 13. Helkaraxë – Fingolfin finds the hope to continue.
- Everyone is down in the snow, too exhausted to go on, huddling around their children or with their friends/relatives, weathering the storm. Some have given up hope of survival. Fingolfin is almost on the point of losing hope himself. Galadriel and Aredhel are huddled up with one of the families Fingolfin was walking with earlier.
- Fingolfin looks up and sees one star, visible through a break in the blizzard. He pulls himself to his feet, and begins motivating those around him to stand up and continue on just a little farther. He shakes people one by one.
- Fingolfin: “We’re almost there.”
- Galadriel: “How do you know?”
- Fingolfin: “We have to be.”
- Eventually Galadriel helps Fingolfini to get people on their feet. Gradually, more and more people stand up and start walking again.
Scene 14. Eryd Wethrin – The false parley concludes. The Elves have killed the Orcs. But Sauron, left alone in the back, immediately sings binding spell upon Maedhros. Sauron sings two parts, in harmony with himself. Maedhros is frozen in place, unable to move or fight. Trolls pour down the sides of the ravine, and eradicate the Elves. Sauron turns Maedhros around and forces him to watch all his soldiers die. After the last soldier falls dead, Sauron tosses his fancy box on the ground at Maedhros’ feet; it was empty.
Scene 15. Gates of Menegroth – Melian makes the Girdle, repelling the spiders from Doriath.
- It looks like the spiders might break the stalemate and break down portcullis.
- Melian walks out onto balcony in full view of the spiders, and begins to sing. Her music repels them very hard and fast: they scream and scatter desperately.
- The expanding Girdle looks like waves of dark grey twilighty shadow/greyness, and a heat-shimmer effect of hazy distortion. [Not glowing or bright]. The leading edges of the greyness are shaped like shadows cast by many leaves. Webs crumble as the first wave of the Girdle passes over them.
- Montage: The Girdle spreads through the forest. Surviving Elf captives are freed as the webs holding them crumble. The Girdle saves Thingol, his army, and the Guest-elves, driving the spiders far away.
Scene 16a. Lammoth – Fingolfin’s people arrive in Middle-earth
- Fingolfin’s host reach Middle-earth. Fingolfin looks epic as he arrives on solid land.
- A last burst of energy, relief, and celebration.
- Someone asks, is it getting brighter?
Scene 16b. Rising of the Moon in the West, with dramatic music. Reaction montage:
- Fingolfin’s people unfurl banners and some ring trumpets. Moonlight glints off of a silver trumpet.
- Werewolves howl and go crazy at Angband’s gates [there are no windows in Hell].
- Dark Elves and Dwarves thoughout Middle-earth look up in delight.
- The Fëanorians look up in surprise [they still don’t know the parley has failed]
- Fingolfin’s states his mission: “Rest well friends. For soon we shall have an errand with Morgoth ... and with Fëanor.”
Frame tag - Dúnedain camp - Estel tells Halbard the story of what happened, explaining how Hamilcar saved his life. He is full of regret. He tells Elladan and Elrohir that he is ready to go home.
