Character of the Month: Marach
There are few details in the texts about Marach, but he is noteworthy for his allegiances and his descendants, who would become pivotal to the history of Middle-earth and the eventual defeat of Morgoth and Sauron.
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Character of the Month: Marach
There are few details in the texts about Marach, but he is noteworthy for his allegiances and his descendants, who would become pivotal to the history of Middle-earth and the eventual defeat of Morgoth and Sauron.
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.
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.
[Writing] An Alluring Offer by octopus_fool
Tata is offered a solution to a grave problem, at a very low price...
[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] most days I don't recognize me by annarobots
Of course, she knew that in the Blessed Land, true harm was unlikely to come to him. The Valar watched over them all, and the lesser spirits were everywhere. It was a great hound of Oromë who had found him happily splashing in the creek, in fact. But anyone could drown in mere…
[Series] Eat, Pray, Love by AdmirableMonster
The Darkest Timeline AU for my Steampunk Númenor series.
In which the Mouth of Sauron is originally a Númenorean chemister rescued from Ar-Pharazôn's intimate attentions by Sauron himself.
[Writing] Rise from the Ashes by AdmirableMonster
In the wake of Sauron's death, his Mouth remembers Númenor.
[Reference] Speak Friend and Enter: Trends in Fandom Entry Year by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Across three surveys and ten years, the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey has document when authors began writing. These data reveal trends in how film promotions, the films themselves, the books, and other historical contexts have influenced not only who writes but how long they stay.
Allusive
Choose from our list of allusions to history, literature, mythology, and art to create a fanwork. Read more ...
Traditions
Create a fanwork about or showing the oral tradition. Read more ...
Speak Friend and Enter: Trends in Fandom Entry Year by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Across three surveys and ten years, the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey has document when authors began writing. These data reveal trends in how film promotions, the films themselves, the books, and other historical contexts have influenced not only who writes but how long they stay.
There are few details in the texts about Marach, but he is noteworthy for his allegiances and his descendants, who would become pivotal to the history of Middle-earth and the eventual defeat of Morgoth and Sauron.
[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…
LotR Week 2026
A week-long event for The Lord of the Rings
Finwëan Ladies Week 2026
Finwëan Ladies Week will run from September 21-27, 2026!
Fingon x Finrod x Maedhros Day 2026
A day to celebrate the relationship of the three eldest princes.
Forgotten Ground Regained Features Tolkien-Inspired Alliterative Poetry
The quarterly journal "Forgotten Ground Regained" publishes alliterative poetry and, in Issue 11, turns to focus on poems written about Tolkien's world, including several pieces by SWG poets.
Sindar Week 2026
A Tolkien event week for the Sindar, the Grey-Elves, from the Years of the Trees to the Third Age.
That was great fun to read. I love the family politics and wider politics as well. And the language questions were entertaining also. My mind is going blank on Agelast's story (surely I read it--I try to read all of her stories!). I will have to go back and read or re-read it now for a fuller appreciation.
I like your explanation of the link between Aredhel and Turgon. They always seem so different to me. But there they are for better or worse linked together in great events when I could easier imagine her and Fingon together.
Lawen and her girlfriend/spouse(?) are a great couple--very different but compatible. Nice characterization with them.
So many small details to like! Daeron's music. Fingon disliking improvisational poetry--sorry, I am with him on that--heard way too much among my ex- and my in-laws whose inside jokes are not as priceless among those outside the inner circle as they think they are! The point of raising that here is that so many little points like that are evocative/convincing/relatable and the piece is peppered with them.
I love your explanation of why only Maedhros and Maglor attended the Mereth Aderthad--the only two that Maedhros trusted not to slip up or provoke someone inadvertently or intentionally!
A joy to read.
Thank you so much! Agelast's original story is really great--she really nailed Fingolfin and Maedhros, and she does a lot of stuff with hilariously implied subtext that I kind of threw out the window in my remix.
I like your explanation of the link between Aredhel and Turgon. They always seem so different to me. But there they are for better or worse linked together in great events when I could easier imagine her and Fingon together.
I'm glad my explanation works for you. It's still something I'm thinking hard about, in terms of characterization. I think that Aredhel, despite her abrasiveness, does have some very feminine nurturing qualities as well (perhaps in spite of herself), and that those come to the fore when she interacts with the bereaved Turgon, and her niece.
And I am glad you liked my silly details, and found some of them relatable! (I am not sure where I come down in the poetry argument--but I can't accept that EVERY elf would have been excited about people bursting into song for no reason...)
A great Lalwen--and the contrast between her and Fingon's attitudes works very well!
And it feels sort of panoramic--which seems very appropriate for the Mereth Aderthad.
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Comments on The Importance of Family
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