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[personal profile] phyloxena
Those of my dearest friends who do not share my facination with Middle-Earth -- please don't go any further! Between my sorry English and my immature pleasures, I cannot bear losing your respect. For my true brethren, forking AU plot summary. Of course, I'm borrowing heavily from lots of fic authors and cannot even recall what comes from there. Sorry for the breach and thanks for the ideas.

Note: there are many critical points and dreadfull dangers in the LOTR narrative, but some alterations are so fruitless I won't even go there. Also, I assume there are invariants to the story, if not to the history: for example, if Aragorn is too survive the war at all, he has to be one to lift the siege of Minas Tirith; sons of Steward have to have the prothetic dream; Frodo has to take it upon himself to go to Mordor in the first place (during the Counsil), and some others. Otherwise, it's so AU I'm not sure characters woudn't grow extra heads and get themselvs light sabers.

1. Gandalf doesn't go to Isengard because he's already wary of Saruman or just because he figures he'll call on hobbits first. That means by the time of Elrond's counsul he doesn't know Saruman is a traitor.

1.1.Elrond lets Saruman know of the Ring found and their plans. Finita. Epilogue: Aragorn and Faramir (because I like to see them as a good team even after the end of things) are lurking somethere in White mountains and leading guerrila warfare out of pure stubborness.

1.2. Elrond doesn't let Saruman in secret anyway, things are not that bad yet and we step couple month back: Gandalf personally takes Frodo to Rivendell.

1.2.1. Marry and Pippin remain behind. That means they are not kidnapped, Aragorn has no reason to declare himself in Edoras and to go by the way of the Dead, etc. -- we'll get back to it later. And they have to face the scourging of the Shire from the beginning, unprepared and with no idea of the bigger world.

1.2.2 Marry and Pippin join nevertheless, but they do not get lost in the Old Forest nor cought in the Burrows, and don't get Numenorian blades as a result. Frodo cannot wound Angmar and Marry cannot kill him.

1.2.2.1. Since they are with Gandalf and two to three month earlier, maybe they didn't meet Nazguli on the way; Frodo didn't get hurt and didn't show Elrond his resilence and didn't get that sixth sense of the waraith world.

1.3. Hobbits either didn't meet Strider before Rivendell or had him introduced by Gandalf.

1.4. Since Counsil is held three month earlier, Boromir misses it and Aragorn doesn't get the Summons. It may mean Anduril is not reforged and Aragorn has no token to scare Sauron and to impress the Dead.

Anyway, looks like the only productive line here is 1.2.1. + general shifting of timing. Other lines either too close to cannon or too disastrous.

2. Frodo et all. do not trust Strider. Finita.

3. Frodo is killed at Weathertop!

3.1. Nazguls know he's dead, they get the Ring. Finita.

3.2. Or he has to be killed to avoid turning into minor Nazgul himself. Well, it violates my imposed invariants. I imagine in that case they will bring him to Rivendell with the Ring on the body, and Aragorn will have to take the ring to Mordor.

3.2.1. He will probably move faster alone, most likely he will be able to cross mountains or risk the Gap of Rohan; since the last Sauron's intelligence was about the Ring with Hobbits and Aragorn is unknown to Sauron, he has a good chance. In turmoil of distruction of Rohan and the mounting war on Gondor he can sneak through Sauron's borders.

3.2.1.1. Aragorn gets rid of the Ring (and his index finger as a poetic justice and as an hommage to Isildur and Gollum) and maybe even gets his crown (especially if Boromir had survived so far to support him) and his Qween.

3.2.1.1.1. Or he may be so traumatized by the whole experience he goes West as a Ringbearer with Elrond and Arwen, leaving Men of Middle-Earth to their own devices. Not that bad, either. Interesting question -- will Arwen still die in Undying Lands for him?

3.2.1.2. Aragorn gets tempted by the Ring! Tragic death follows. Interesting political and angsty possibilities, but too far from the canon to discuss.

3.2.2. Counsil still forms the Fellowship. Boromir tries to bring Aragorn and the Ring to Gondor. Politics, temtations, angst and possible civil war.

Anyway, this is different story altogether. The main point of LOTR is the importance of small and unassuming creatures, no warriors, no kings. It's their world, not big folks only.

4. Gollum did not (yet) escape. Legolas did not come to Rivendell.

4.1. Some other Elf (Glorfindel, or Elladan and Elrohir) joins the Felowship. Lots of Noldor pride and Rivendellish inside jokes, no friendship with Gimli, nothing too interesting.

4.2. Gollum did not escape at all. No matter the composition of Fellowship, if it breaks down at Amon Hen, there is no one to guide Frodo, no one to betray him and to bite the Ring off him. Looks like JRRT intended the traitor to betray himself. Probably that means Frodo cannot get rid of the Ring himself and the West loses. Or Sam turns Gollumish and both are rather ruined but the world is save. An ultimate sacrifice.

4.3. Gollum did escape later. Nasty surprise, but storylines converge.

5. Faramir goes to Rivendell! My favorite AU.

5.0. He met Eowyn on the way, antagonized Grima (and maybe somehow angered Eomer, too).

5.0.1. She knows her heart.

5.0.2. She does not (yet). Less hope for him.

5.1. Faramir is tempted by the Ring at Amon Hen, gets killed shortly afterwords, since he has no horn and Boromir is no dreamer, no one in Gondor knows or cares he is dead. Denethor knows, but has no certainty. Boromir intercepts Frodo in Ithilien, gets tempted as well.

5.1.1. Boromir takes the Ring to himself.

5.1.2. Boromir brings the Ring to Denethor. No fun, either.

5.1.3. Of course, Boromir could have let them go, as Faramir did in the book, but it makes the same story.

5.1.3.1. Only I don't believe Denethor would have sent Boromir to death. He could have get wounded and even killed in the siege anyway, but Denethor would survive. Than Aragorn lifts the siege, Denethor has to face him. Probably with Imrahil's and Eomer's support Aragorn is still the Commander of the Armies of the West. Boromir goes to Morannon and Denethor stays in Minas Tirith.

What happens to Eowyn in all 5.1. strand?

5.2. Faramir takes the Ring! Maybe Frodo even gives it freely, if something happened to Aragorn. Impossible after 5.0.1., possible after 5.0.2. Evil!Faramir is like Evil!Gandalf: he tries to impose justice as he sees it and practices pity and mercy as well as he can. Wellfare 1984-ish State Gondor follows. Aragorn (if lives) leads guerrila war, maybe Corsair attac, like Castamir.

5.3. Faramir goes to Mordor with Frodo. Interesting dynamics on the way: Faramir is like Strider in some sense (strong true learned Numenorian) and like Sam (again, true, and used to be second) in other. Maybe Gollum will try to kill him.

5.3.1. It's spontaneous: say, Faramir tries to convince Frodo to split the Felowship, meanwhile Orks attac, Frodo puts Ring on and disappears, but Faramir intercepts him at boats. Aragorn doesn't know exactely what happened.

5.3.1.1. Merry and Pippin kidnaped in the attac, Aragor with Gimli and Legolas chase Orks, and we need to make sure the timing is right. For example, with Boromir unscathed Denethor lives and Aragorn leaves the defense of Minas Tirith to him and goes to Morannon day or two earlier. Aragorn learns Faramir is true and feels much better for the rest of the War. No chance for spectacular healing hands and Steward's endorsement, and no part for Pippin, but we cannot have it all -- JRRT had.

5.3.1.1.1. Boromir intercepts Faramir and Frodo in Ithilien. Dark and intense chapter. He lets them go.

5.3.1.1.2. Boromir succumbes to the Ring and kills his brother, hobbits escape and go on. Boromit dyes after the siege, unwilling to return to King's summons: he wants to follow his brother.

5.3.1.1.3 Boromir takes the Ring. Too bad.

5.3.1.2. Or, the timing is not right and Aragorn is late at Morannon. F,F,S&G cought and killed. Finita.

5.3.2. It's planned: Faramir convinced Aragorn and Frodo they better split, and Aragorn goes to Gondor.

5.3.2.1. Marry and Pippin are still kidnaped. Back to 5.3.1.1., only less angsty for Aragorn and Eowyn.

5.3.2.1. Marry and Pippin are not kidnaped. This is most complicated fork: Aragorn planned to go to Gondor, and he can now. That means he didn't come through Edoras, didn't renew the union with Rohan, didn't meet Gandalf and didn't go through the path of the Dead. I don't see how he will lift the siege and proof himself to the people and Steward of Gondor. Plenty of politiking, no one to kill Angmar since Eowyn happily without Grima and dutifully remains behind. But maybe Merry and Pippin together will kill him.

5/3 Frodo is too ill to go (or dead), Aragorn and Faramir go to Mordor. With light sabers and "expeliarmus" charm well-mastered. Actually, it defeats all perpose of LOTR as I see it, but can be told an written very much in line with the Silmarillion with all it's doomed heroics. Just for fun, I mean, extra angst: Faramir reaches Rivendell this late because he is exiled: Denethor read the meaning of the dream, didn't send F. to Imladris nor had heart to execute him, but banished him from the realm. Subsequently, in Imladris he has a choice -- to try to bring the rightful King to Gondor, to go to Mordor himself (no one is likely to trust him with the Ring, even Gandalf) or to serve the king as he can. Of course, they meet Boromir in Ithilien! That's the whole point!

6. Boromir lives!

6.1. Boromir is not tempted, the Fellowship didn't break, they come to Gondor.

6.1.1. Unlikely happy developement: Frodo rests in Minas Tirith, crosses the river at Osgiliath, etc.

6.1.2. More likely strife in Minas Tirith. Finita.

6.2. Boromir is tempted, attacked, survives the attack, but he is wounded.

6.2.1. He is left behind and leads his own line. Can be very interesting. I think Aragorn would rather have Faramir his Steward, but let them see the victory first.

6.2.2. Boromir can chase Orks with Aragorn et all. At least Eomer knows him. Maybe he goes to Edoras with Eomer while A,G&L go to Fangorn.

6.2.2.1 Eowyn loves Boromir. Faramir gets nothing but King and peace -- no love, no Princedom. He will manage.

etc, etc. may be continued.
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