New Challenge: Title Track
Tolkien's titles range from epic to lyrical to metaphorical. This month's challenge selected 125 of them as prompts for fanworks.
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New Challenge: Title Track
Tolkien's titles range from epic to lyrical to metaphorical. This month's challenge selected 125 of them as prompts for fanworks.
Our Annual Amnesty Challenge: New Year's Resolution
Start 2026 off with creativity! If you missed a challenge or didn't get to finish or post a challenge fanwork, complete any 2025 challenge before 15 February to receive the stamp.
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[Writing] In Early Spring by Serinquanion
In what Maedhros was re-embodied early and was sent back to Middle Earth on his volition with Glorfindel.
This isn't about what happened right then but years after Fall of Sauron when he still refused to return to Valinor.
He found a strange sapling at the shore of what remains of…
[Writing] Umnenyalië by Serinquanion
He was going to die. The molten rocks would burn him just like the cursed gem in his palm did. Maybe less painfully but still being burnt hurt and Maedhros knew it. He intimately knew it from his time in Angband where Þauron burnt him often in frustration and to toy with him and his master…
[Writing] Winter Warmth by Serinquanion
A winter night in Himring. But inside the quarters where fire blazed in hearth was warmer, and not only from the fire or quilt.
[Writing] A Hundred Miles Through the Desert by StarSpray
“Come on.” Maedhros grabbed his hand and pulled him along down the path, both of them quickening their pace now, until the trees opened up into a wide meadow filled with flowers, bright yellow celandine and dandelions and sweet-scented pale chamomile mingling with cornflowers and irises. On…
[Writing] Who Will Hear Me? by XirinOfArvada
A lonely elf finds a flute half buried beneath the sand and wonders if its owner will hear him when he calls.
[Writing] Loyal, Faithful by Himring
Late in the Second Age, one of the Faithful reflects critically on past developments. (Free verse.)
[Writing] East Away! by Flora-lass
Aldarion storms off towards Middle-earth. For the Title Track challenge.
Title Track
Create a fanwork using our collection of 125 titles from Tolkien's books, chapters, essays, poems, and fragments as inspiration. Read more ...
Inspiration
Your characters inspire you--but what inspires them? Consider what inspires your characters to act and create. Read more ...
Tolkien, Lunatic Physicists, and Abnegation by Cynthia (Cindy) Gates
This presentation for Mereth Aderthad 2025 discusses the parallels between the concept of abnegation in the scientific work surrounding the atomic bomb and in The Silmarillion. The relinquishment of self-interest in favor of the interests of others, abnegation was identified by Tolkien as a powerful act of spirit and reason. The legendarium has many examples of the complexities of abnegation, which parallel similar discussions held by physicists during and after World War II.
Twilight, Child Of: Comparisons Between Tinúviel, Lómion, and Undómiel by JazTheBard
This presentation for Mereth Aderthad 2025 discusses the many similarities between Tolkien's three "twilight children," Tinúviel, Lómion, and Undómiel (Luthien, Maeglin, and Arwen) in terms of appearance, plot, and cultural background. Yet these three characters play very different roles in the text.
The Aromantic in Tolkien by daughterofshadows
Presented at Mereth Aderthad 2025, this paper makes the case thata, although the term "aromantic" had not yet been coined in Tolkien's day, many of his characters can be read as aromantic. The paper takes a closer look at Aredhel, Bilbo, and Boromir as three examples of characters who can be read as aromantic.
[Writing] here you will dwell, bound to your grief by Elrond's Library
Arwen grieves, and loves.
[Writing] Faramir's Verse by losselen
“Come, Faramir. Let us not stand in ceremony. I think words are due between you and I, and not only those between a King and his Steward.”
Faramir has speech with Gandalf and his King.
[Writing] In a Hole in the Ground... by StarSpray
“There’s a goblin hiding in the taters, Dad!” Pippin hefted the pan, which was much too big for him to carry, let alone wield.
March Challenge - Tolkien Short Fanworks
Tolkien Short Fanworks is running a challenge for the month of March to create a Back to Middle-earth Month themed challenge.
Tolkien Fashion Week 2026
This two-week-long Tumblr event is dedicated to honoring the world of fashion and textiles Tolkien wrote about in his books.
Celegorm and Curufin Week 2026
Celegorm and Curufin Week is a Tumblr week celebrating the relationship between Celegorm and Curufin Feanorion
Back to Middle-earth Month 2026
Back to Middle-earth Month is returning for it's 20th year with many prompts and archival efforts.
I like this! Maedhros was certainly broken after the Fifth Battle, and you have Maglor explain why he went along with it so well. He will not forgive himself, I don't think. Interesting that he mentions Miriel, not Finwë, at the end. I can see how that fits.
Glad you enjoyed it! I always saw Maedhros as being broken by the Fifth Battle in a way he wasn't before and so he no longer kept himself or his brothers back from following the oath. In fact I tend to suspect he ahd a deathwish himself.
Maglor intrigues me because he is the only one to survive which to me makes him a bit harder and smarter than the others, not neccssarily altogether nice but fascinating ;)
This version of Maglor at least sets down the problems of the family in particular and noldor in general to Miriel's choice. After all had she chosen to live things would have been very, very different.
Thanks for the fb
*hugs*
Uli
I don’t know how I didn’t find this sooner, but I absolutely love it... It fits with my vision of post-Nirnaeth Maedhros perfectly, and your characterization of Maglor was excellent. This was a good explanation of why Maglor is the survivor – “I still missed you, I ached for you every day and night during the years that followed, I still do, but I was unable to break.” And the bit about Miriel at the end was interesting: it all comes back to her, doesn’t it? So overall, very nice work.
Thank you very much :)
I'd say there was certainly something broken about Maedhros after the Nirnaeth whatever the reason was, after that he seems to have stopped holding his brothers' back. Maglor I think, in one way, was the hardest of the brothers, He was the one that survived, the one that just kept going. I think there may have been a streak of cynism in him to be completely honest.
And yes, so much of the history of Beleriand was set off into motion with the death of Miriel...
What a dark, sad tale of Maglor's fate. The way you described Maedhros' and Maglor's emotional state towards the end was also gripping: "He had been broken so long and he was the only one I had in these shores." and "they crushed whatever life was still left in him and after that he merely existed." A sad, sad end to a once-proud and noble house. What I like the most about the Feanorians is that they are so tragic and so "human". Thanks for sharing.
Thank you very much for reading :)
I am glad you liked it. And yes I like the humanity in the Feanorians (or maybe that should be the Finweans) as well, makes them a lot more interesting to me than someone like Luthien who was just too perfect. And the tragedy of Feanors house is that all that promise and brilliance in the end came to nothing.
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Comments on Yet another winter
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