New Challenge: Allusive
Literature and art constantly refer back to each other using allusions, and this month's prompts are inspired by allusions to literature, myth, art, and history.
SWG News
Cultus Dispatches: "The Rings of Power" Is a Ripple (So Far)
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data for 2025 shows that "The Rings of Power" TV series has not had the same impact on the fandom as the film trilogies did ... so far.
New Challenge: Building Middle-earth
Let global architecture be your inspiration in this challenge, where you will work with a prompts that are architectural styles, locations in Arda, or both.
Cultus Dispatches: Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey
Ten years of demographic data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey show consistencies in who reads and writes fanfiction, as well as a few key demographic shifts.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] House of Finwë by softmoonlightmelody
One drabble per Finwëan. Currently on first and second generations.
[Writing] The Mirror Crack'd by AdmirableMonster
Rescued from a brutal Angband hunt, an ex-thrall with a strange and powerful artifact embedded in his spine is brought to Himring, for it is one of the only places in Beleriand which welcomes such folk. Though he has no memories of his life before, Anniavas slowly becomes accustomed to his new…
[Writing] From That Rubble by StarSpray
Fëanor shrugged, studying the contents of his wine glass. “Something must be done about that house. It will fall down eventually.”
“It does not follow that it must be you that tears it down single-handedly. Are you sure you do not want help?”
“It’s not as though I…
[Writing] A Thousand Winds that Blow by StarSpray
When uneasy dreams bring him back into Beleriand, Daeron finds a pair of twins who have lost their home, and an enemy who has lost himself. The Shadow's reach is growing ever longer, and if they are to survive, they must do it together.
[Writing] Into the West by Grundy
Dawn does not call sailing off into the unknown with a guy they've only known a few days a great plan.
[Writing] Explain This by Elrond's Library
Melkor demands an account of Mairon’s failures.
[Writing] Message in a Bottle by StarSpray
Over the course of his very long life he had found a handful of messages in bottles, but it had been a very long time. So when he found the glass bottle on his little stretch of pebbly beach, he picked it up with the intention of tossing it into his recycling. But it wasn’t, he found, just…
Current Challenge
Random Challenge
Crime and Punishment
Create a fanwork that involves worldbuilding or themes related to crime and punishment. Read more ...
New in References
"The Rings of Power" Is a Ripple (So Far) by Dawn Walls-Thumma
The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film trilogies mark perhaps the most influential events in the history of the Tolkien fanfiction fandom. As the Rings of Power show approaches its third season, data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey shows that it is not even close to matching the impact of the films ... yet.
Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Data from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey shows demographic changes in participant gender, age, and education and new revelations about neurodiversity.
Communities Do Comment: Expanding the 3C's of Commenting with SWG Data by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Expanding on my 2018 article "Why People Don't Comment," comment data from the SWG underscores community as an essential component to a robust commenting culture.
Featured Themed Collection
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Artwork] A Memento of Faery by Grundy
TRSB26 art 144 - an artifact brought back from Faerie by a Starbearer.
[Writing] Down the Long Years by Isilme_among_the_stars
Bilbo, the strange old hobbit with the wandering feet, senses something special in young Frodo the first time he sees the lad; as they become close, they find in each other a cameraderie not well understood by other hobbits. Five poignant moments between Bilbo and Frodo Baggins over the course…
Around the World and Web
Sindar Week 2026
A Tolkien event week for the Sindar, the Grey-Elves, from the Years of the Trees to the Third Age.
Finwean Sibblings Prompt Fest 2026
A prompt-based fandom event aiming to focus on celebrating Finwë's children: Fëanor, Findis, Fingolfin, Lalwen, & Finarfin - ships, gen relationships, or character-centric
Tolkien Sapphic September
Tolkien Sapphic September is a month long event focusing on Sapphic relationships and characters in Tolkien and adjacent materials.
Gigolas Week 2026
Gigolas Week is a tumblr event focusing on the relationship between Legolas and Gimli
Innumerable Stars 2026
A character-based Tolkien fandom gift exchange is returning for another year of gifting.
New and Updated Fanworks
Include Beyond the Silmarillion Fanworks
The Precious Baby Phenomenon Unpacked: A Treatise on Obstetric Care in The Returned by I.L. Finwiel and the Istar Institute by herenortherenearnorfar
He didn't marry Sauron the Deceiver for the peace and quiet. A baby before noon still feels like a step too far.
| Major Characters: Celebrimbor, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: Celebrimbor/Sauron |
| Genres: Family | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 2 | Word Count: 3, 870 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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A Traitor's Issue by herenortherenearnorfar
Ulfang's daughters(in-law) seek aid in the aftermath. Reckoning with their own grief and choices (or lack thereof) they navigate Angband, the nightmare they grew up with, now the only place they can turn for help.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Original Female Character(s), Easterlings |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings, Violence (Moderate) |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 17, 496 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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Fun and Games... by Grundy
It's all fun and games (until someone gets hurt...)
Drabbles written for the Holiday Party Instadrabbling, Never Have I Ever and Truth or Dare prompts.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Holiday Party |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 12 | Word Count: 1, 766 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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archaic and content by Fernstrike
A collection of stories concerning the Númenoreans, primarily the Faithful and Elf-friends. Some are standalones, while others crossover with larger fics and other series. Think of it as the Númenorean corner of Fern's Middle-earth Cinematic Universe.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Warnings: No warnings apply | |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
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his vision darkened by Fernstrike
A collection of stories concerning Thranduil, the Silvan Elves, and even the Doriathrim. Some are standalones, while others crossover with larger fics and other series. Think of it as the Greenwood's corner of Fern's Middle-earth Cinematic Universe.
| Major Characters: Unnamed Female Canon Character(s), Galion, Oropher, Thranduil |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Warnings: No warnings apply | |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
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The War of the Last Alliance by Fernstrike
A collection of stories featuring characters from across my "his vision darkened", "archaic and content", and "old path to a new hell" series, all leading to "Defiance" that will depict the war itself, and which will be followed by a final fic as a coda. Think of this series as the Infinity War/Endgame of Fern's Middle-earth Cinematic Universe.
| Major Characters: Unnamed Canon Character(s), Aratan, Elendur, Isildur, Oropher |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Warnings: No warnings apply | |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
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Nowhere Man by Lotrfan
What happened to Maglor after he cast the Silmaril into the sea? Modern setting AU with Maglor in our times, after ages of wandering the earth.
| Major Characters: Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Alternate Universe | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 5, 379 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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The Mírdain New Year's Eve Party by elennalore
Happy New Year 1230 S.A.! At the New Year’s party, Celebrimbor and Annatar are intoxicated with each other, among other things.
Written for SWG Challenge Holiday Party. Prompt: A Long-Expected Party.
| Major Characters: Celebrimbor, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: Celebrimbor/Sauron |
| Genres: Fluff, Romance | Challenges: Holiday Party |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 5, 211 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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Fraiwen's Flowering by Anérea
First Age 122: in the foothills of the Orocani Mountains—west of Hildórien and far, far east of Beleriand
A little girl discovers a little of her own magic.
(The second in my Hildórien to Beleriand series exploring the early life of the Edain ancestors.)
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Original Female Character(s), Maiar, Men |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Ficlet, General, Poetry | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 159 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
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(Of What Might Be, Or Should Be) by Anérea
circa FA50, Lórien, Aman
A half-baked pseudo-philosophical conversation between Ulmo and Irmo on Life, the Universe, and the reliability of dreams as a form of Unbiased Communication in aiding the Secondborn Children of Eru.
| Major Characters: Lórien, Ulmo, Valar |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 526 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
the old path to a new hell by Fernstrike
A collection of stories concerning a dark lord of many names and many guises. Some are standalones, while others crossover with larger fics and other series. Think of it as Sauron's corner of Fern's Middle-earth Cinematic Universe.
| Major Characters: Amandil, Ar-Pharazôn, Elendil, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Warnings: No warnings apply | |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
| View Fanwork | Comments (0) |
The Brown Lands by Fernstrike
As the Last Alliance marches east through desolation, Oropher learns of what befell the Entwives.
| Major Characters: Oropher |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 100 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
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silent night by Fernstrike
Elendil and his wife ruminate on the fragile space between what is seen and what is true, as Númenor slips silently into shadow.
| Major Characters: Unnamed Female Canon Character(s), Elendil |
| Major Relationships: Elendil/Original Character |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 526 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
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the three laws (or, a means to an end) by Fernstrike, Lyra
In which a certain silver-tongued prisoner worms his way into Ar-Pharazôn's mind.
| Major Characters: Amandil, Ar-Pharazôn, Elendil, Sauron |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 5, 141 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
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memento mori by Fernstrike
In which the winds of change are sweeping through Númenor, and Míriel does her best to stand steady in the storm.
| Major Characters: Tar-Míriel, Tar-Palantir |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 860 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
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Diplomacy by Fernstrike
Elendur awakes one morning as the Alliance prepares to march for Mordor.
| Major Characters: Aratan, Elendur |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: Hidden Figures |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 1, 387 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
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| This fanwork is complete. |
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Riddle of Wings by Lferion
A riddle in stave form, written for the SWG Holiday Party challenge, Dec 5, Riddles.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: General, Poetry | Challenges: Holiday Party |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 2 | Word Count: 262 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (4) |
Family, long deserved by chrissystriped
Maeglin fears the worst, when he runs into Rog, but the meeting goes better than he could ever have hoped. Rog encourages him to go to one of the parties of the Angband-Elves Ecthelion hosts.
Laiglas sees a stranger looking indesicively at Ecthelion's house and goes to help him make up his mind.
| Major Characters: Original Male Character(s), Maeglin, Rog |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Alternate Universe, Family, General, Hurt/Comfort | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 5, 380 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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Hope, in Darkened Days by Idrils Scribe
"But when Estel was only twenty years of age, it chanced that he returned to Rivendell after great deeds in the company of the sons of Elrond; and Elrond looked at him and was pleased, for he saw that he was fair and noble and was early come to manhood, though he would yet become greater in body and in mind. That day therefore Elrond called him by his true name, and told him who he was and whose son; and he delivered to him the heirlooms of his house."
The story of how Estel became Aragorn.
| Major Characters: Aragorn, Elrond, Gilraen |
| Major Relationships: Aragorn & Elrond, Elrond & Gilraen |
| Genres: Drama, Family | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 2 | Word Count: 4, 602 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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Winter Light by Idrils Scribe
It's the day before midwinter, and Elrohir and Glorfindel are training for the great Turuhalmë tournament. Five year old Arwen is a little hellion, but she gets her present all the same ...
Pure fluff-coated fluff with a rich fluffy filling and only the barest sprinkle of foreshadowing.
| Major Characters: Arwen, Elrohir |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Family, Fluff, General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 2 | Word Count: 1, 490 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
Fire and Death by chrissystriped
After the Dagor Bragollach, Fingolfin sees no other way but to challenge Morgoth. When he hears of his death, Maedhros is devastated.
| Major Characters: Fingolfin, Fingon, Maedhros |
| Major Relationships: Fingolfin/Maedhros, Fingon & Maedhros, Maedhros & Maglor |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Character Death, Suicide |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 2, 715 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
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Baby Shower by elennalore
An invitation to baby shower party.
| Major Characters: Finwë, Míriel Serindë |
| Major Relationships: Finwë/Míriel |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: Holiday Party |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 105 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (5) |
Devotion by firstamazon
A brief history of Rúmil of Lothlórien and the intentions that guided his life.
| Major Characters: Rúmil (Lothlórien) |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Ficlet, General | Challenges: Holiday Party |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 208 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (8) |
Where the Ocean Meets the Sky and the Land by StarSpray
Eärendil has gone sailing again--this time through the skies--and Elwing is left to find a place for herself in Valinor, while the Valar prepare for war.
| Major Characters: Eärendil, Elwing |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Drama, General | Challenges: Holiday Party |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Chapters: 17 | Word Count: 33, 066 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
This fanwork belongs to the series
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (6) |
Ash and Embers by IdleLeaves
When Finrod rides into the valley of Imladris just after sunrise, half-shrouded in a frosty late-autumn mist, Maglor is certain he's gone mad at last.
| Major Characters: Finrod Felagund, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: Finrod & Maglor |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Chapters: 1 | Word Count: 908 |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
| Table of Contents and Single Chapters | Show All Chapters | Comments (2) |
