QUESTIONS AND INFORMATION
QUESTION: Given how much she's seen and accomplished throughout her life (like the building of Imladris), what does Lothrin herself consider her greatest accomplishment? Love the character btw!
ANSWER: I’m so glad you’re mentioning the building of Imladris. The historical atmosphere of that time was dire. Eregion had fallen, Khazad-dum had shut its doors to all outsiders and the forces of Mordor were rampaging everywhere in low Eriador. The remaining elves of Eregion, desperate as to not be slaughtered, fled north and founded Imladris. Lothrin was among them. And to be counted as one of those who helped build a place of such importance was definitely a great honor for her.
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No great achievement comes to mind though, only a string of small ones. Advising the kings of Arnor maybe? Teaching dunedain children about their history and how to wield a weapon? Being counted as a great scholar as she has been one of those who kept incredibly accurate records of the history of northern Middle-earth, as well as researching its people, languages and customs.
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Perhaps there is something I’ve not talked in much detail about.
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If it is of interest to you, back in the Second Age when Khazad-dum had excellent trading relations with Eregion, the friendship between dwarves and elves seemed to bloom once again, as it had once before, in the First Age. The elves of Eregion as well as the elves of Lindorinand (Lothlorien) were trading with the dwarves of Khazad-dum different materials and objects. The elves of Lindorinand had an emphasis on more natural items such as rope or wine or food of elven making, while Eregion shared the dwarven passion for gems and crafting.
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Lothrin and her father, as well as many other nandor elves, were among those who traded with the dwarves. This was the beginning of Lothrin’s contact with dwarven culture. As you can expect of such alliances, dwarves wandering in Eregion and elves wandering through Khazad-dum was no huge matter and many bonds and friendships were formed then. The most famous being between Celebrimbor and Narvi.
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In her early years, when the elven wanderlust formed roots in Lothrin’s mind, she left Lindorinand for Eregion, entered Khazad-dum and met Giznik Asnazul, an armorsmith. The accomplishment I am talking of here is the cultural exchange that happened between the two. After the destruction of Eregion, as we all know, relations between elves and dwarves were few and cold.
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But the pure and young friendship that formed between a growing dwarf and a blooming elf was a thing of beauty. Lothrin was only 500+ and Giznik himself was only 63 (even younger than Kili was in the Hobbit). A friendship such as this never came again to Lothrin in her 5000+ lifetime. Giznik fled Khazad-dum during the war and helped build Imladris as well, out of friendship for Lothrin. He then went west to Ered Luin and married and died there. A tapestry with dwarven motifs hangs in the Imladrim library, that Lothrin sewed, as gratitude for him, for all his devotion and work he put into an elven cause. Everytime she is in Rivendell, she cannot help but glance at the tapestry again and again and reminisce about the times of her young life.