🎃 One thousand hands that pull from the underworld

This is the Hador & Fingolfin verse I've been rambling about for two years now in a private Discord server, but never wrote anything until now. I have a general-ish idea of where things are going but not enough to start from beginning to end. So, I'm starting with bits I know I have something to tell. I want this story to be inspired by the show Vikings. Something gritty with blood, conquest, conflicts, and spirituality. With less gratuitous sex scenes than the later seasons of Vikings. There's still going to be some woo'ing because this fic is self-indulgence. Oh yeah, and Fingon's straight and kind of a jerk. Fingolfin has a broomstick up his bum. Hador is prone to anger and violence. Lalwen wants to symbolically express her freedom by woo'ing Hador (who's not interested in siring a half-Elf, thank you very much. Elvish magic as a contraceptive mean doesn't work whenever a man or woman (human) is in the portrait). It's going so well, yahoo! They eventually learn to be friends to fight their enemies together (spoiler alert: it's not Melkor, this time). Not to worry: humour is on the menu. I remain the author, after all.

As for now, what to keep in mind is that in this verse, Elves are no stronger than Men. Men are stronger, faster, and more resilient than Elves. They are close to Dwarves in this respect (who are respected among Men for their strength and sturdiness). Noldorin exiles believe Men are weak because they fall sick easily, are often injured, don't have their endurance, and have to sleep too often (Men stay awake for 16h and sleep for 8; Elves stay awake for 72h and sleep 24h.). What Exiles don't know is that what is fatal to an Elf is simple fever to a Man. Since I'd like to believe I'm super smort and can write super serious stories TM, I want those perspectives between Fingolfin and Hador to clash. The story is mainly told from Hador's POV. Noldor aren't those advanced and civilised folks in this story. They very much are annoying bugs that won't leave despite their oblivious struggles due to their difficulty in adapting to a new world where Men, especially the House of Hador, expand their settlements and sovereignty across Beleriand.

Idal's not in the story under the cut, but she's an OC and she's the absolute best. Lagertha 2.0 who looks like Pernille Blume. Hador is Ragnar-adjacent and he looks like long-haired Ben Dahlhaus.

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^ Crossposted from tolkienshortfanworks