Ange1e4e5
Well-Known Member
How it’s different this time around? Maybe Morgoth leaves some instructions behind for Gothmog to follow since this absence from Angband is of his own volition?The biggest problem Morgoth is facing when the season begins is that sunlight defeats his troops. His trolls literally turn to stone in sunlight, and his orcs are terrified of it and won't go out in it without strong persuasion (and are then weak when they do). So, figuring out how to make clouds to blot out the sun to allow his troops to even take the field is a victory (of sorts). It's true Angband doesn't win the Dagor Aglareb...but they are able to field an army and fight it.
But it's possible that Morgoth is not home at the time of the Dagor Aglareb, and if that's the case, then certainly Gothmog is calling the shots. He's a loyal yes-man to Morgoth and won't do much on his own initiative, but he's definitely who Morgoth would have left in charge. So, this returns to the question of Hildorien, and what roles we want Morgoth and Sauron (or other characters) to play there.
Gothmog's ongoing role in this project is his feud with Sauron. Gothmog has physical strength and the kind of loyalty that Morgoth finds unquestioned. He's a 'natural' leader. Sauron...is not physically strong (compared to balrogs; obviously it's a different matter compared to elves!). He has his tricks and his magic and his clever plots that unfold gradually. He's careful with words. They are drastically different from one another, though they both serve Morgoth and they're both a bit hung up on power (Morgoth's followers followed him in the first place because of his power). It's clear that Sauron will be involved in capturing elves, questioning them, and then (allowing) some to escape. He'll be spying. He'll be ferreting out the truth of the Kinslaying. He might be involved in the Hildorien storyline (or he might not).
So...what is Gothmog doing during all of this? He can't make dragons himself; that's Morgoth's project. He can't be involved in Hildorien; the fall of Men is nothing to do with him. He can't fight in the Dagor Aglareb - that's specifically an orc-only battle. He can't train trolls to endure sunlight. So...what is he doing? 'Ruling Angband in Morgoth's absence' would be an interesting enough side plot, but we've seen him do that before (Season 2). How is it different this time around?
Regarding the Petty-dwarves....'hunting' is the wrong word. We're not picturing a group of Noldor going out to hunt wild boar and 'accidentally' bagging some petty-dwarves instead. This is a case of a small group of Petty-dwarves being mistaken for creatures of Morgoth and killed in an act of aggression - it could be started by either side, but the violence is a fight, not an issue of attacking helpless creatures and hunting them down.
We don't need to have this scene, but I don't think we *can't* have it, either. My only stipulation would be that if we do indeed give this scene to the Fëanoreans, it occurs before they meet the dwarves of the Blue Mountains. Even if they have heard that dwarves exist, that doesn't mean that they'd automatically assume *these* are Thingol's allies, and not Morgoth's. Something about the scenario should suggest that these new beings are in league with Morgoth, and then...the Fëanoreans would have little compunction in slaughtering them. Right? That was their reaction on meeting Morgoth's orcs, Morgoth's werewolves, Morgoth's balrogs, and Morgoth's trolls (not that those last two went very well....)
Anyway, as far as I am concerned, the real issue here is that, if such an incident occurs, how does that impact the relationship between the Dwarves and the Fëanoreans? We know they're going to get along fairly well...but...what is the consequence for having slaughtered some of their (exiled) kin?
I’ve thought that after Morgoth scares Men, Sauron finishes corrupting Men, as a foreshadowing to the corruption of Numenor. He then leaves Fankil in charge while he returns to Angband to pursue the Elven capture program. However, Fankil messes up somehow and three tribes break off westward towards Beleriand.