In Memorium
Dec. 20th, 2017 07:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shireboundI'm saddened to learn that Nilmandra has passed away. She had been battling a progressively debilitating, painful, and sadly relentness series of illnesses since 2006 (or perhaps even earlier), and I know she fought to live and enjoy her life every single day.
Nilmandra began writing LOTR fanfiction in 2002, but I didn't discover her until 2003, when her angsty yet oh-so-gentle Frodo h/c story "Refuge" was posted to fanfiction.net. She went on to write many an Elf-tale, including the epic "History Lessons". In April 2003, she asked my opinion about her starting a new website for Tolkien fanfic, which culminated in the "Stories of Arda" archive. Nilmandra and her sister never asked for any help running or funding the site, and it's been a wonderful source of LOTR tales. By the time SOA celebrated its tenth anniversary, she had become too ill to be able to participate in the celebration. Her sister conveyed to her the congratulations of many of us.
Not all the decisions made over the years regarding SOA were perfect, and a few years back Nilmandra and I had a falling-out, but we were able to get back in touch as friends and mend fences before it was too late. For that I'm very grateful.
Now that she can walk and run again, and is free of pain, I hope the shining sands are soft beneath her feet, and the light warm and gentle.
I have learned how amazing the heart is, and how resilient the soul.
From Nilmandra's "History Lessons"
Nilmandra began writing LOTR fanfiction in 2002, but I didn't discover her until 2003, when her angsty yet oh-so-gentle Frodo h/c story "Refuge" was posted to fanfiction.net. She went on to write many an Elf-tale, including the epic "History Lessons". In April 2003, she asked my opinion about her starting a new website for Tolkien fanfic, which culminated in the "Stories of Arda" archive. Nilmandra and her sister never asked for any help running or funding the site, and it's been a wonderful source of LOTR tales. By the time SOA celebrated its tenth anniversary, she had become too ill to be able to participate in the celebration. Her sister conveyed to her the congratulations of many of us.
Not all the decisions made over the years regarding SOA were perfect, and a few years back Nilmandra and I had a falling-out, but we were able to get back in touch as friends and mend fences before it was too late. For that I'm very grateful.
Now that she can walk and run again, and is free of pain, I hope the shining sands are soft beneath her feet, and the light warm and gentle.
I have learned how amazing the heart is, and how resilient the soul.
From Nilmandra's "History Lessons"