Headcanons Masterlist

Canon Characters/Canon OCs (Textual Ghosts) Boromir - 2, 3, 4, 5 Eadlin (sister of Théoden) Elerian (daughter of Aragorn and Arwen) Elfwine Elwyna (sister of Théoden) Éothain - 2 Idis Morwen Steelsheen Nimriel (daughter of Aragorn and Arwen)

OC Headcanons

Aerdis Aerlinn Imrad Khalarîn Sairina Savadir

Thank you for the ask! (from this ask game)

I kinda sorta did this for Freyothain in "Ten Things I Love to Hate About You", although that was more "Enemies to somewhat tolerating each other enough that they don't want to kill each other on sight"

I would definitely consider writing it for other characters, and while thinking about it, there are a couple of pairings that will appear in Garthad Estel who somewhat fit this dynamic.

The first being Nimriel, daughter of Aragorn and Arwen and Princess of the Reunited Kingdom, and Imrad, son of Savadir and Khalarîn and future Prince of Umbar.

Faceclaims Sai Bennett and Mehmet Günsür

I won't go into a lot of detail but one of the conditions of Aragorn's peace dealings with the Haradrim is that the kings are basically demoted to Princes--like Dol Amroth/Ithilien. They are semi-autonomous as far as being able to keep their culture/religion/politics the same, but they are under close watch by Gondor, and any hostilities instigated by them will lead to the Prince being removed from power and someone of Aragorn's choosing replacing him.

(Also I just realized that their ship name is Nimrad, good grief)

Needless to say, this is a marriage based wholly on politics. Nim won't know the language and will be looked at unfavorably by the Prince's household and advisers. Imrad won't know for sure, but he'll think she's there to spy on him and his family. There is also the matter of whether or not Imrad will take another wife among his own people, which is not only unheard of in Gondor but makes Nim feel insecure as well as jealous (though she's not sure why).

I don't have much else to say about their marriage at the moment, but it gives me lots of things to think about.

The second pairing is Elfwine and Elerian, youngest daughter of Aragorn and Arwen (ship name Elferian).

Faceclaims Joseph Morgan and Matilda De Angelis

Elerian is a lot like her older brother in the sense that she is always on her best behavior in front of her parents and in front of her in-laws, but when it is just her and Elfwine alone, she goes out of her way to make his life hell. She frequently insults him, doesn't want to learn about his country/culture/language/people, insists that he not even look in her direction or speak to her unless she gives him permission, and refuses to spend time with him during the day unless it is a social/public gathering where they have little choice. There is an 11-year age gap between them, and Elfwine thinks she's childish, spoiled, and beyond infuriating.

I have a lot of work to do on developing their relationship, as well, and I have a feeling it'll be pretty rocky.

Thank you again for indulging me! Now, off to read your answer!

Yep, I wanted to wait until after Tolkien OC Week was over before I opened it again.

So, when Aerdis turns 15, she tells Boromir that he doesn't need to worry about trying to find a husband for her, because she already knows who she is going to marry. He plays along and asks her how she knows this, and she says, "A horse told me in a dream."

Naturally, Boromir's like ??????????????????????????????????

Then she says, "Not just any horse, but my future husband's horse. He told me that the man I will marry will be like you in authority, but his seat is far from here." Naturally, Boromir doesn't like the sound of that, but he doesn't say anything. Then she says, "The horse said that when we meet again he will introduce us."

Again, Boromir's like ???????????????????????????????? But he thinks that what she's saying is similar to something Anael might say, so maybe it was just a dream and maybe there was more to it. So, he kind of remains neutral about it, not wanting to agree and not wanting to discourage her, either, and he eventually forgets all about it.

She tells Salmar the same thing 2 years later, but since he knows more about Elvish dreams/premonitions than Boromir does, he's more understanding and believes her. (She's 17 when they meet so it's not as weird, but she still turns him down fast.)

Fast-forward 6 years to 31 FoA (Aerdis is 21), and she and Boromir travel to Arnor with Aragorn when he gifts the lands of the Westmarch to The Shire (canon). Anael and Fin stay in Gondor, and this will either be Aerdis' first time in Arnor or it will be her second (her first time being when she was 5). They arrive at Annúminas where they are met by some of the Rangers of Arnor, including *drumroll*

This guy ☝️ Galvorn, Steward of Arnor, descendant of Arathorn I

To his surprise, his horse suddenly walks right up to Aerdis, and he says, "This is unlike him. He never approaches strangers." And she says, "We are not strangers. We've met before." Boromir's watching all of this go down and then he remembers what she told him when she was 15 and he's like "Oh f**k she wasn't kidding." Similarly to what happens with Bergil, Galvorn is kind of intimidated by Boromir (though Boromir still insists that he's not intimidating).

Needless to say, Merry and Pippin happily offer their matchmaking services, much to Boromir's displeasure and Galvorn's embarrassment.

At some point during the trip, Aerdis asks Boromir if they can visit Rivendell, and Aragorn says that they should have Galvorn escort them there (not only because Galvorn is originally from the region formerly known as Rhudaur and knows the area well, but more than likely due to the advice of his counsellors, Merry and Pippin). It's awkward, but Boromir does accept that his daughter's prediction might come true, and so far he's had no reason to think that Galvorn would be dishonorable.

Aerdis and Galvorn write to each other, and the following year Galvorn comes to Gondor to ask for her father's blessing, which he grants. They follow the Elvish custom of a year-long engagement, and then they get married in Arnor in 33 FoA, and Anael and Fin (along with Bergil and Cirion) attend the wedding. Salmar is there, too, and he plays music for them on his shell flute (Galvorn is confused/starstruck by the fact that there's a Maia at their wedding), and then he probably returns to Valinor afterwards. In 34 FoA their son Vorondil is born, named after Vorondil the Hunter who made the Horn of Gondor. Aerdis frequently plays her violin for Vorondil when she is pregnant with him, and Merry and Pippin teach her a few Hobbit jigs, as well (because they can).

And that's about it! Thanks for the ask!

Tolkien OC Week 2024 - Day 7

Title: Three Is Company

Rating: Gen

Word Count: 3,230

Characters: Faramir Took, Original Brandybuck children

Relationships: Gen (Faramir Took & OMC)

CW: Hobbits doing hobbit things

Summary: Faramir Took and Boromir Brandybuck go on an adventure. Boromir's little brother, Éomer, insists on tagging along.

@tolkienocweek prompt: Freeform

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

*** Also posted on AO3 ***

Notes:

According to Tolkien Gateway, Merry and Estella had at least one son, meaning they could've had more than one. It seems odd that despite naming all 13 of Sam and Rosie's kids, not only did Tolkien choose to not give any of Merry's sons names but that he didn't name them either Boromir or Éomer Brandybuck. If there is a Faramir Took then how can Merry NOT name his sons after Boromir or Éomer? Makes zero sense to me.

So, I have fixed that problem.

Also, I should mention that in my AU Boromir is alive and well (if you've read my other one-shots then you'll already know this). Yes, Boromir will meet Boromir Brandybuck.

Year 1442, Shire Reckoning

Buckland

Tolkien OC Week 2024 - Day 6

Title: A Golden Opportunity

Rating: Gen

Word Count: 4,565

Characters: Boromir, Original Characters

Relationships: Gen (Boromir & Original Characters), M/F (Boromir x Original Female Character)

CW: War wounds; references to war deaths; war widow; war orphan

Summary: Steward Boromir is looking for a live-in governess and tutor for his household. His secretary has a candidate in mind, the widow of a soldier who died in the war, and a meeting is arranged.

@tolkienocweek prompt: Background Characters

Dividers by @saradika-graphics

*** Also posted on AO3 ***

Notes:

As I mentioned in the notes for Day 3, in my AU Boromir was named the Prince of Osgilath, Lord of Anórien by Aragorn. Since Osgiliath is still being rebuilt, he and his wife and daughter are living in Minas Tirith.

There is a little bit of a flashback in the first part, but it shouldn't be too confusing.

Year 3 of the Fourth Age

Minas Tirith

Tolkien OC Week 2024 - Day 2

Title: Ten Things I Love to Hate About You

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 5,845

Characters: Éothain, Éomer, Théoden's sister, Dunlending OCs

Relationships: M/F (Éothain x OFC)

CW: Rating for suggestive themes; arranged marriage; grief/mourning

Summary: As a part of the peace negotiations between their two countries, Éomer King and the new Dunlending chieftain agree to a marriage between Éothain, the new Lord of Harrowdale and the king's cousin, and the chieftain's sister. Unsurprisingly, neither Éothain nor his bride are pleased with this arrangement. And yet, despite their people's violent history and their many differences, they manage to find common ground in an unexpected way.

@tolkienocweek prompt: Canon-OC Relationships

Dividers by @saradika-graphics

*** Also posted on AO3 ***

Notes:

First thing I should point out is my headcanon for Éothain. In my AU, Éothain is the son of Dúnhere of Harrowdale and Eadlin, one of Théoden's sisters (the first one born in Rohan, before Théodwyn); therefore, Éothain and Éomer are cousins. He has a sister named Edrys, who is married to Dervorin, the son of the Lord of the Ringló Vale who came to Minas Tirith with Prince Imrahil and the other Lords of the Outlands. After the death of his father at the Pelennor Fields (canon), Éothain inherited the title of Lord of Harrowdale. Éothain is about two years younger than Éomer, so he is around 27/28 in this story; his bride-to-be is around 23/24.

Secondly, while I will include a couple of "Dunlendish" words, for the most part if I have the characters speaking in italics, assume that they're speaking in their native language. Tolkien Gateway says that the Dunlendings spoke their own language as well as "broken Westron." I included a couple of subtle hints of that in their speech patterns, but for the most part I'm not going to make the Rohirrim seem like scholars while the Dunlendings sound like cavemen. I'm already bothered by the High-Men/Middle-Men dynamic, and I refuse to do something similar with the Rohirrim/Dunlendings.

I kind of based the Dunlending language on Old Norse, which is where I found inspiration for their names (although I changed the spellings). As I said in the one-shot for Day 1, I am not a linguist and writing is a hobby; I know some of the words/grammar/tenses/etc. will be wrong, but don't be a jerk about it.

Hjaldnef (Old Norse hjaldr "battle" + hnefi "fist") - Dunlending name for Tulkas

Brúðr (Old Norse for "bride") - Dunlending name for Nessa

I figured that since the Rohirrim honor Oromë/Béma, Tulkas was appropriate for the Dunlendings.

koma - Old Norse "come"

liggja niðri - Old Norse "lie down"

Holtland[ers] (Old Norse "rough/stony hill" + "land") - Indigenous name for Dunland (Because why tf would they refer to themselves and their country using a name the Rohirrim made up? 🤨)

Year 3021 of the Third Age

Harrowdale

Tolkien OC Week 2024 - Day 1

Title: The Lion's Pride

Rating: Gen

Word Count: 4,205

Characters: Haradrim OCs

Relationships: M/F (OMC x OFC)

CW: References to polygamy

Summary: Five years after suffering defeat at the hands of the Kings of Gondor and Rohan, Savadir, the young leader of Umbar, receives a letter from the Haradrim Ambassador to Gondor, stating that King Elessar invites him to Minas Tirith for a meeting. Gripped with worry about what the Gondorian King has in store, Savadir gathers his family and shares his concerns about the future of his country and people, and whether the horrific events of the past will repeat themselves.

@tolkienocweek prompt: Worldbuilding

Dividers by @saradika-graphics

*** Also posted on AO3 ***

Notes:

1. The title is based on how the Sultans were compared to lions. The word "Pride" refers to both a lion's pride and human pride.

2. The Haradrim living in Umbar and Near Harad are based on the Ottoman Empire, but Near Harad is more rural and the people have less Gondorian/Númenórean intermingling. Far Harad (which is called Baraka by natives, meaning "to be blessed" in the national language of Ethiopia (according to Wikipedia)) is based on the Oromo of Ethiopia. They are not featured in this one-shot (they will be featured in my main Fourth Age story, Garthad Estel), but the people of Rhûn are based on the Mongolian Empire and the Variags of Khand are based on the Byzantine Empire. Like the Ottomans, the nobility of Umbar practice polygamy, but rather than having an imperial harem, they have multiple legal wives, and for the most part there isn't a rivalry to be the "favorite" (and if there is it's not nearly as cut-throat as what you'll see in Turkish period dramas).

3. I am including some "Haradrim words" which will be italicized; they are either Turkish words that I found using Google Translate, formal titles used in the Ottoman Empire, or words that I created myself by combining two Turkish words together, as well as a few Oromo words because there is an OC from Far Harad/Baraka who briefly appears. Yes, Google Translate isn't exactly reliable, and I'm sure my grammar is completely wrong, but at least I'm attempting to create a language for the Haradrim unlike the original author.

TLDR; I am not a linguist and writing is a hobby. Please be nice.

Here are the words and their translations:

iskemleji - a page of high rank

katib - scribe or secretary

Saygın Hükümdarım - "My Esteemed Sovereign"

Séradan Elçi - Ambassador Séradan (it is canon that at some time in the Fourth Age a Haradrim ambassador traveled to Gondor)

Kralım - "My King" (In 1447 TA the sons of Castamir the Usurper formed a kingdom in Umbar, and though the Gondorians managed to reclaim Umbar for a time, it was eventually lost to the Haradrim again, so I believe that the kingdom would have been maintained. I headcanon that there are other kingdoms in Harad, as well as tribal factions led by chieftains, but Umbar seems to be the most developed region with a fairly cosmopolitan population.)

Karaltın - indigenous name for Harad; means "golden land" (combination of Turkish kara "land" and altın "gold/golden"). "Harad" is a Sindarin word, and the indigenous people of the region would not have used an Elvish name to refer to their homeland.

Abi - "older brother"

Amca - "paternal uncle"

jaalallee koo - "My love/my beloved" (Oromo)

Hin yaadda'in - "Don't worry" (Oromo)

ulfina keessan - "Your Majesty" (Oromo)

kalfa - women attendants in the imperial palace

Gidebilirsin - "You are dismissed/you may leave" (lit. "you can go")

Year 14 of the Fourth Age

Umbar