Wolfhound of Valinor

Player
Name: Haze
Preferred Pronoun: She
Contact: PM me at so_dark_a_road. Or plurk me at tangyminx.

Character
Name: Huan
Canon: J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion

Pull-point: Immediately after his death.

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Age: Huan is said to have been born in the Blessed Realm, “before evil came.” This most likely means before Melkor was first brought there in chains. Thus, he’s about four and a half millennia in age. (Tolkien math supplied upon request.)

Gender/Sex: Male

Appearance: There’s so little description in the Silmiarillion that Huan's appearance has to be inferred. He’s a wolfhound and thus has an obvious resemblance to a wolf. Strong, muscular, light on his feet, with an elegant march. He permits Lúthien Tinúviel to ride on his back over many leagues of distance, so he must be at least the size of a horse. I make him a saarloos wolfhound, gray-furred with markings of white or silver, possibly with a buff-yellow cast. He has huge perky ears and wolvy-looking amber eyes.

History: Huan was given to Celegorm son of Fëanor by Oromë the Hunter, in Valinor long before the rebellion and departure of the Noldor. He chose to go with Celegorm into exile, and therefore he too fell under the Doom of Mandos, which predicted disaster and death for all who followed Fëanor to Middle-earth. But it was prophesied that before he met his end, Huan would battle the mightiest wolf that ever walked the earth.

He followed the horn of Celegorm through war and peace, but in the Dagor Bragollach Celegorn and Curufin were driven from their lands. The brothers were admitted to Nargothrond, where they tried to take their cousin Finrod’s kingdom from him. They plotted this treachery against him when he received Beren son of Barahir and agreed to help him in his quest of the Silmaril. They sent him off to Tol Sirion (now Sauron’s fortress) with few followers, hoping he would die there.

One day while out hunting, they encountered Lúthien Thingol’s daughter, who was trying to reach that dreadful isle in order to save Beren. Huan brought her to Celegorm, who deceived her to get her to come to Nargothrond, where he and Curufin confined her. They tried to force her father to give her hand to Celegorm. But Huan came to love Lúthien. He spoke for the first time, advising her on how to escape, and he aided her and went with her to Tol Sirion. There they battled Morgoth’s lieutenant, and Huan killed all the werewolves Sauron sent out, including the mighty Draugluin. Sauron took on werewolf form himself, but Huan seized him by the throat and pinned him down, and he yielded to Lúthien rather than be killed.

When the freed captives of the island returned to Nargothrond with the story of Finrod’s demise, Sauron’s defeat, and Beren’s release, the citizens drove Celegorm and Curufin from the city. Their people, including Curufin’s son Celebrimbor, refused to go with them. But faithful Huan followed his master still. The brothers encountered the lovers again near Doriath. They tried to slay Beren and kidnap Lúthien once more, but Huan had had enough. He protected his dear friends and ran the Fëanorions off. He then spoke for the second time, advising the lovers to meet their doom together, but he said he was not fated to go with them to Angband, though he foresaw that the three of them might meet again before the end.

Beren and Lúthien challenged Morgoth, and they prevailed and won a Silmaril. But Morgoth’s mightiest werewolf, Carcharoth, bit off Beren’s hand and ran amok with the jewel burning out his insides. The lovers and Huan were reunited in the valley of Esgalduin. But Huan was mortally wounded when he fought Carcharoth to protect Doriath -- as was Beren. Huan spoke for the third and last time, bidding Beren farewell. The lovers went to the Halls of Mandos and returned again to love and life. But no tale tells of any return for Huan the faithful.

Personality: Huan's most obvious characteristic is his indomitable ferocity, but his essence is love and faithfulness. He is capable of bonding deeply with a master or a friend, and he will give his life for that one. He reveres passion, beauty, and courage -- hence, his devotion to Celegorm and his brothers, and later to Lúthien and Beren. But above all, he is drawn by those who have both honor and virtue, as seen in his hard choice to abandon the Fëanorions and adhere to the daughter of Melian and the son of Barahir.

Abilities:
--all the knowledge and experience of an excellent hunting dog.
--the agility of a wolfhound, and not an ordinary one! -- an extraordinarily large and intelligent one. The fighting strength and ferocity of a wolf.
--he's an alpha male, having been the leader of Celegorm's and Curufin's hunting pack. (He won't insist on being the top dog in all situations, however. As described above, he has strong social attributes as well, and may choose sociability above dominance. Because he's something more than a dog, he has the ability to choose.)
--the durability and spiritual power of a Maia. It is said of him during the wrestling match with Wolf-Sauron: ". . . But no wizardry nor spell, neither fang nor venom, nor any devil's art nor beast-strength could overthrow Huan of Valinor." (Of course this is qualified later on, when Sauron's boss-wolf Carcharoth, the Red Maw, mortally wounds Huan while being chewed to death by him. Apparently, the needs of Fate can overcome prophesies.)
--the ability to understand "all things that speak with voice," i.e. the animals and birds of Aman and of Middle-earth. The ability to communicate with them. (He bade all things watch out for and aid Beren and Lúthien when they went without him to Angband. Thus, the lovers were rescued by Thorondor, who was tipped off by the great hound.)
--the power of human speech. (However, he was only permitted to speak with words three times in his lifetime.) [For current speech limitations, see NOTES section below.]
--the ability to assume a magical disguise. (The type of magic that involves manipulating appearances, that is. He put on "the wolf hame of Draugluin" while he and Luthien were speeding towards Tol Sirion to rescue Beren.) [ See Notes section below. ]
--he is somewhat foresighted, but his future is sometimes dark to him. (In this respect, he is akin to the other bright spirits of Arda, the Maiar and the Elves.) [ See Notes section below. ]

Inventory: N/A. He's a doggie. He travels light.

Anything else:

MY NOTES AND SUGGESTIONS:
--He obviously won't have foresight, as that's a power that won't function for any character here in Arda Marred.
--In his lifetime, he was only allowed to speak three times -- so I won't mind if his speaking ability is limited in Arda Marred. My suggestion would be that Eru, being drunk, might get the number of zeros wrong -- and award Huan, say, 30 instances of speech. Or 300. Then, I'd have to kill him off if I wanted to reset him for another round of speeches. (And I'm quite willing to keep track!) But in any case, he won't be loquacious. He's a canine, whatever else he is. Body language and facial expression and actions are his primary means of communication. [NOTE: He's going to have an allowance of 30 instances of speech. Eru wasn't drunk enough to see double on the zeros. XD]
--The magical disguises aren't unlimited. [ Note: He'll only be able to assume canine forms -- i.e. doglike forms, including wolf or werewolf.]
--On his strength and (in-)vulnerability: since Tolkien never really defines the catagory of beings to which spirits like Huan and Thorondor belong, I'm guessing that Huan might be classified as to strength along with the Maiar or, alternatively, with the most powerful of the Elves. But clearly, at Arda Marred such powerful beings may have limitations on their powers, so I guess it's up to mod policy. [Note: The mods seemed okay with this item as is.]