January 5, 2015

• "The Orc that nobody wanted"

  Here's a plot for a book that needs to be written!  I'd write it, but I'm not a good enough writer, and also I'm too busy.   Basically, Orcs are always portrayed as 100% evil in Tolkien's world.  In our own real world, God specializes in redeeming the lives of people who are considered too evil to be worth saving.  The God of the Bible corresponds roughly to the "Illuvatar" of Tolkien's world.  So someone needs to write a book which upends the usual storyline, in that an Orc "comes to his senses" and is rescued, to remind us of the incredible riches of the true God's grace and love.   I am fully aware that this plot does not fully "fit" Tolkien's worldview and his use of the race of Orcs.  But I think this 'reversal' of what we commonly expect from Tolkien's plot could be very useful.

  Here is a basic plotline.  I'm giving it away for free.  Someone who is a good writer - please write this book!

   

  - initial scene... they're preparing for another battle, no one likes little Naghsk.   they criticize everything about him

  - constant fear of Sauron, and his commanders

  - he eventually deserts, lives by foraging in the forest, but when he tries to enter a town of Southlings(?) they fight him / try to kill him

  - he wanders (be more specific)

  - he wonders - why do people/elves/dwarves hate orcs?  why do orcs hate people?

  - one night in a dream, Illuvatar appears to him,   ("you're afraid of Sauron? Sauron is nothing, compared to Me.  I made Sauron, and his lord, Morgoth.  I am the one who raises up kingdoms and puts down kingdoms.  You have done many wrong things, Naghsk.  You have hurt my other creatures."   Naghsk realizes that it's true, begins to feel guilty. .. Illuvatar tells him to seek the one particular wizard (Radagast in Mirkwood) for info...

  - eventually finds him, eventually convinces him that he really wants the truth (but he keeps saying 'there are no good Orcs!' but eventually relents)  ... Radagast tells him about Illuvatar, the Valar, etc.   Naghsk asks whether 'there's any hope for me?"  to live a peaceful, happy, good life?   Radagast tells him that there is a legend that some day, Illuvatar will Himself come to MiddleEarth to make all things right and end evil forever, and that would be his only hope to live at peace with the Elves, Dwarves, Men, etc. ... but that he (Radagast) doesn't really believe that legend, because it would be too demeaning for the great Illuvatar (it would even be too demeaning for one of the Valar to come, from Numenor... they can't be troubled).

  - that night, after he leaves Radagast, a random group of Orcs ambush R, and entrap him.  When Naghsk finds out about it, he is stricken - Radagast would undoubtedly think that Naghsk had betrayed him.  He decides to try to rescue Radagast.

  - at the cost of his own life, he succeeds... (he opens the locked door, runs away into the woods to draw the other orcs away, then they chase/kill him)

  - dying, he looks up at the sky and begs Illuvatar to help him, or at least 'remember him'..., though he knows he's "not worthy"...   at the end, he suddenly sees a vision of a shining ladder into the sky, and a bright shining figure to lead him up  "welcome home, my child"  ?

  • 3:04 pm
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