Part of what makes Tolkien's world so enduring and appealing (and ripe for fanworks-creating) is that it hints at unlimited stories beyond the perspectives we are given. Fanworks creators have used their work to foreground perspectives neglected in the original texts or to challenge the points of view of the narrators of the legendarium.

This month's challenge, Orctober, begins from this premise. To be clear, you don't have to take alternate perspectives, discuss Orcs or resistance or rebellion, or create a fanwork that is dark and spooky. For our challenges, you can always make any kind of Silmarillion fanwork that you want. However, the premise of the challenge originates from the idea that the Free People of Middle-earth observed the "servants of Melkor" and sometimes switched sides to serve Melkor themselves. Even though the texts don't document it, the opposite happened surely as well, and Orcs (and other "servants") observed Elves, Mortals, Dwarves, and others and decided that they also wanted a different, better life for themselves. Wherever there is oppression, there is resistance. Cuarthol's recent themed collection Orcs Are People includes fanworks and scholarship that engage with some of these ideas.

This month's challenge has two components. As a challenge, prompts come from an old parchment map made by Orcs that shows locations where an Orc seeking freedom can find protection, shelter, or objects useful to resistance. Each location has a spooky-themed prompt, an icon on the map (since Melkor, like most oppressors, likely did not encourage his "servants" to learn and read), a small storyline about the location's importance to Orcish freedom, and of course the location itself. You can use any of these elements to craft a fanwork.

The second part is an optional puzzle to solve. There is one place in Middle-earth where Orcs have established a home where they can be truly safe and free. Will you be able to find this place? For each prompt you complete, there is a clue that leads to its discovery. Once you complete prompts, request your clues here. (Note that collaboration is allowed and encourage!) If you think you've solved the puzzle, email the mods—you can reply to this email to reach us!

Complete guidelines for Orctober are here. And if you're new to our challenges (welcome!) and looking to get started, SWG challenge guidelines are here.