New Challenge: Crossroads of the Fallen King
Cross "The Silmarillion" with a second text or fandom in this month's crossover challenge.
SWG News
A Sense of History: Thálatta! Thálatta!
While he never climbs the stairs of this Elf-tower, in Lothlórien Frodo Baggins descends a flight of steps to look into Galadriel’s Mirror, wherein he first sees the sea. This post examines the view.
Choose a Name for Our New Column!
Our temporarily titled "location bio" will focus on the landscapes and locations of Middle-earth. We need your help naming it!
New Challenge: Tengwar
Each day for thirty-six days, we feature a randomly chosen letter from the Tengwar as a prompt.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] Tengwar: To The Letter by cuarthol
For the Tengwar prompt challenge. To be updated as new prompts are completed.
Current up through '…
[Writing] A blip on the radar by daughterofshadows
Humanity took to the skies. Eärendil and Ilmarë adjust.
[Writing] History abandons us by AdmirableMonster
During his incarceration in Roderick Burgess' basement, Dream receives a strange, ancient visitor.
[Writing] Tengwar Acrostics by Himring
Responses to the Tengwar Challenge in which first letters spell out the name of a tengwa.
1) Early Encounter (Nerdanel, Indis)
2) Numenorean Lullaby (Almarian, Aldarion)
[Writing] Tengwar Drabbles by cílil
A collection of Silmarillion-centric drabbles written for the Tengwar Challenge. Short and sweet!
[Writing] If i get home before daylight by BloodwingBlackbird
a traveler meets a stranger at a crossroads.
Current Challenge
Crossroads of the Fallen King
Create a fanwork that crosses with a second text or fandom. Read more ...
Tengwar
A daily prompt of a Tengwar letter per day. Read more ...
Random Challenge
New in References
Thálatta! Thálatta! by Simon J. Cook
[]While he never climbs the stairs of this Elf-tower, in Lothlórien Frodo Baggins descends a flight of steps to look into Galadriel’s Mirror, wherein he first sees the sea. This post examines the view.
[]
With Gildor Inglorion we finally climb the stairs of Elostirion and look on the view, and what we see appears to reveal a hidden thread in the story of Frodo Baggins. This post reads two annotated translations of two Elvish songs to step through a crossroads in the narrative to arrive at the tower on the margin of the story, wherein is a stone that is a window onto Valinor.
Grief, Grieving, and Permission to Mourn in the "Quenta Silmarillion" by Dawn Walls-Thumma
[]In a book as full of death as the Quenta Silmarillion, grief and mourning are surprisingly absent. The characters who receive grief and mourning—and those who don't—appear to do so due to narrative bias. Grief and mourning (or a lack of them) serve to draw attention toward and away from objectionable actions committed by characters.
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Writing] Waybread (The Waybredlik) by Himring
[]Lembas speaks out.
[Series] Apr 1st Stories by Uvatha the Horseman
[]Once a year on April 1st, a canon character from LOTR or the Silmarillion gets pranked.
[Writing] Crossing Forest River by Dawn Felagund
[]Bilbo recounts, in verse, the attempt of Gandalf, Beorn, and him to cross the Forest River after the Battle of Five Armies. Written for the Hungarian Tolkien Society's 2024 Mailing Competition.
Around the World and Web
Mythcon 53: Fantasies of the Middle Lands
Mythcon 53 will be held 2-5 August 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with the theme "Fantasies of the Middle Lands."
Teitho May/June Challenge: Joker
For the May/June Teitho challenge, you can pick ANY of our past challenges that stir your imagination and write a story or create art for it.
Monstrous May 2024
Monstrous May is a Tumblr event where, for each day of the month of May, there is a prompt involving and invoking the monstrous.
Fellowship of the Fics: Modern AU May
During May, Fellowship of the Fics offers modern AU prompt lists for setting, character occupation, and dialogue on Tumblr.
May challenge at tolkienshortfanworks
The May challenge has been posted to the tolkienshortfanworks community on Dreamwidth. Thematic challenge: name; formal challenge: acrostic. As usual, these can be filled independently and freely combined with other prompts such as the SWG challenges. New participants welcome!
Red Crow by Lferion
| | |
Lawful Neutral (Refusal)
Nearing the Dagor Dagorath. Oaths have consequences. A quadruple drabble.
---
Prompts - Lit:I2 Ghost story, Art:N5 Illumination, Poetry:I5 Verse Epic, Fanwork:G1 Tolkienian Prose
*** *** ***
They came to him in panoply, in blithe expectation of success. Under the louring sky armor and banners stood out like illuminations in a manuscript. A trumpet rang out as the foremost knight, dressed in blue and grey and silver, white plumes to his helmet, dismounted and strode to his door. As if he were not a ghost, a figment of their imagination. They had obviously not consulted Fingon. Or Elwing. Or for that matter the words to be found in any reference to public law and conduct: Elwing Dioriel’s Judgement on the Fëanorians, as Laid Upon Maedhros Nelyafinwe Feanorion and Witnessed by Manwë Sulimo in Year 12 of the Fourth Age. (This was what, the Ninth?)
“Never set foot in Tirion again. Never make another speech. Never take on another follower. No warriors, no scholars, no smiths. Not even a servant. If any [young] fool make pilgrimage to your door, sic your hounds on them. For the lifetime of Arda.” From Wings of White and Silver-Grey by Idrils_Scribe
“Take up your sword!” they cried, lines straight out of some verse epic, “Lead us against the forces of darkness that gather!”
He frowned at them, glittering on the flagstone courtyard he and Fingon had laid several Ages ago one autumn. He did not have a sword. Had not, since stumbling off Vingilot, jetsam out of the Void. He had an axe, an adze, a hunting bow and knife. Tools, not weapons. (Though well he knew a tool could be a weapon. That was not what these painted knights meant.)
Fingon was not with him this season. Elrond he would not see for even longer. No sending these bright warriors away with explanations or anything else, as Fingon was skilled at doing. Moved by the sheer weight of authority behind the clear and simple words Elrond would employ. He kept no hounds, and would not so use them an he did. The world not yet ended, weary though it be.
He had only his red crow’s harsh caw, “No.”
*** *** ***
“He will not, Lady. The only word he spoke was ‘No,’ whereupon he shut the door and answered no entreaty. When we returned the following day, he was not there, and this was pinned to the door,” the white-plumed warrior placed the single sheet of paper before her. Distinctive, painfully precise Tengwar gave her own words of judgement back to her, followed by a single line:
Arda not yet ended.
*** *** ***
