Instadrabbling Sessions for April, May, and June
Instadrabbling continues on the first Saturday of each month on our Discord server.
Name Calling: Group Identity and the Other among First Age Elves by AngelicaExcellent essay.
As the names used by the early Elves to identify themselves and others evolved according the essay Quendi and Eldar (HoMe 11), relationships between the different cultures are revealed.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: | Warnings: No warnings apply |
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A System of Messages by AdmirableMonsterBrilliantly translated as a western, riveting!
A wandering storyteller meets with a group of cowboys and tells his family's history around a fire; the mysterious Center (of the system of messages, perhaps) features prominently.
For the "Western" prompt of the Also Appearing challenge with a slight admixture of something akin to "uranium mine" or perhaps "pyramids"
| Major Characters: Halbarad, Maglor |
| Major Relationships: Maglor/Halbarad |
| Genres: Alternate Universe | Challenges: Also Appearing |
| Rating: Creator Chooses Not to Rate | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings |
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| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
A Web of Stars by Idrils ScribeA thoroughly enjoyable read, well researched and beautifully written. Highly recommend!
Thranduil never forgave Elrond for Oropher's death at the Last Alliance, and a thousand years of diplomacy have failed to repair the rift between Rivendell and the Greenwood.
For his final, desperate attempt to seal the breach, Celeborn brings an unlikely ambassador: Arwen Undómiel.
Tauriel doesn't care for this foreign lady. Legolas begs to differ, and Arwen ... Arwen just wants an Adventure.
| Major Characters: Arwen, Legolas Greenleaf |
| Major Relationships: Arwen/Legolas |
| Genres: Adventure, Romance | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
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About words by AerlinnI really enjoyed Andreth giving Finrod a good honest talking to, and hearing Andreth's voice.
Your brother would have me believe it was your noble spirit that made you turn away from me. Yet I would not be so easily convinced, talk of the One be damned.
Andreth speaks her mind. About Finrod, about words. About Aegnor, about fear.
Song against ink, voice against fire.
| Major Characters: Aegnor, Andreth, Elves, Finrod Felagund |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Drama, General, Romance | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
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All Living Things by KeilissSo heartwarming! A brilliant read with an unusual character choice.
"I’m only lightly armed and it’s just the two of us.” He had barely thought to bring a sword, the valley felt safe even under siege.
Erestor turned to stare at him from the shadow of an ancient oak, his eyes a-glitter in the low light. “You’ve fought wargs and orcs and all sorts of humans,” he pointed out. “And a balrog. You’re an army all wrapped up in one package. Come on.”
Set in Imladris under siege early in the Third Age. More correctly called Eklach's Story, or An Orc's Tale, because that is what it is.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Original Female Character(s), Celebrían, Elrond, Erestor, Glorfindel |
| Major Relationships: Erestor/Glorfindel |
| Genres: Drama, Family | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: No warnings apply |
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Ash and Embers by IdleLeavesEvocative, one of those that really speaks to me and creates a wealth of visuals and feels.
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 |
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Beyond the Western Shore by StarSprayI really relate to the character, and love the imagery and mood.
In her wanderings through Aman, Minyelmë comes to the farthest shore.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Original Female Character(s) |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Ficlet, General | Challenges: Holiday Party |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
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| This fanwork is complete. |
Burning Bright: The Road by KeilissWell rounded characters, a unique perspective on a very popular time, and simply a delight to read.
The outbreak of war in Eregion and the hiding of the rings of power as experienced by a musician, a lord with an agenda set beyond the sea, an exiled Noldorin princess and an elf with an uneasy conscience.
Cameos by Durin the Deathless, Ereinion Gil-galad, Celebrimbor, and Annatar the Giver of not always welcome Gifts..
MEFA 2011: First Place: Adventure, General
my thanks to Elfscribe
| Major Characters: Celeborn, Celebrían, Celebrimbor, Círdan, Elrond, Erestor, Galadriel, Gil-galad, Glorfindel, Lindir |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Adventure, Drama | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Mature Themes |
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| This fanwork is complete. |
Chronology of the Silmarillion by clotho123Useful resource
A compilation of Tolkien's various timelines from the First Age and earlier that presents dates for important events from The Silmarillion.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: | Warnings: No warnings apply |
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Come Back to the Valley by StarSprayA little piece of vividly beautiful prose that evokes a sense of magic as well as emotion.
Celebrían sees Elrond off when he departs for Mordor, and she is there to greet him when he returns.
| Major Characters: Celebrían, Elrond |
| Major Relationships: Celebrían/Elrond |
| Genres: Het | Challenges: Opposites Attract |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
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Crossing Forest River by Dawn FelagundA charming, smile-inducing, nonsense verse...
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.
| Major Characters: Beorn, Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Adventure, Humor, Poetry | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
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Fire and Death by chrissystripedThe feels!
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 |
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| This fanwork is complete. |
Hastaina by Dawn Felagund** Still on my Must Read list!
While embarking upon an Arctic expedition in hopes of discovering secret knowledge that might relieve the marring of Arda, a loremaster of Tirion makes a much darker discovery that undermines the very foundation of his belief. Inspired by the style and mythology of H.P. Lovecraft.
| Major Characters: Original Character(s), Fëanor, Valar |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Crossover | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Mature Themes, Violence (Moderate) |
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| This fanwork is complete. |
Hearken Still Unsated by polutroposMusic and Magic described in Colour, overlying a love story through the Ages.
When the Noldor return to Middle-earth to make war on Morgoth, only rumours reach Menegroth of their reasons for coming, but Doriath's minstrel experiences their loss and longing through his connection to Music and the gift of his Queen. Years later, he is sent to the Feast of Reuniting and meets the Elf whose grief he felt.
A story about the Eldar returning home, their connection to the land and to each other, and their relationship to Music and fate, love and free will.
| Major Characters: Daeron, Maglor, Melian |
| Major Relationships: Daeron/Maglor, Daeron & Melian |
| Genres: General, Romance, Slash | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Sexual Content (Moderate) |
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Home from War by HimringCírdan being so poignantly human.
Cirdan and his people return from the War of the Last Alliance to Mithlond.
It is not an easy home-coming, after what they have been through.
| Major Characters: Círdan, Elves |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: Block Party |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
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In Dreams Revealed by daughterofshadowsSimply beautiful. 399 words of magic.
Across the ages, Elrond dreams.
| Major Characters: Elrond |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: Manwë's Mailbag |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
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In Service, Love by sallysavesthedayA fantastic look at the life and love of Ohtar, the soldier who brought the shards of Narsil to Rivendell.
From the ruin of the Gladden Fields, where Isildur perished, three men only came ever back over the mountains after long wandering. One of these was Ohtar, the esquire of Isildur, who bore the shards of the sword of Elendil; and he brought them to Valandil, the heir of Isildur, who being but a child had remained in Rivendell. The Fellowship of the Ring, Ch 2, The Council of Elrond.
Ohtar is faithful.
| Major Characters: Isildur, Ohtar |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: Cheesy Corn Chips |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
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Kortirion by HimringMaglor in Warwick.
| Major Characters: Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
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| This fanwork is complete. |
Labadal and Túrin by DreamflowerA series of drabbles about the child Túrin, and his friend the lame woodwright, Sador Labadal. I have long been fascinated by their friendship. Why would a noble child's best friend be a crippled servant?
| Major Characters: Sador Labadal, Túrin |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
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| This fanwork is complete. |
Of Finrod and Bëor by losselenPoetry reminiscent of the Lays.
Finrod's meeting with Bëor.
Just lovely!
Here is a song called Of Finrod and Bëor as was sung in Rivendell in the Third Age of the world. It is but a fragment from the Lay of Felagund, which told the story of Finrod Felagund in full. It was first cast into Sindarin in Imladris by some of the High Elves who dwelt there for a time, and later into Westron.
I: Of Finrod tarrying in Ossiriand
III. Of Finrod spying Men in the woods
III: Of Finrod's song of Valinor
IV: Of the waking of Men and the conversation of Finrod and Bëor
V: Of the disquiet of the Green-elves and the passing of Men into Beleriand
VI: Of the death of Finrod Felagund and the deeds of the House of Bëor
Coda
| Major Characters: Bëor, Finrod Felagund |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Poetry | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
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Of Morgoth and Men by Chilled in HithlumA novel twist on Men's whole "mortality is Morgoth's fault" idea.
A short essay for the fun of it.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
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On Behalf of the Band by lonelyvisitorLight hearted and quirky, yet absolutely characteristic
There’s an Elf climbing through the garage window.
Worse than an Elf: a Mod.
(a Maglor-in-History)
| Major Characters: Historical Character(s), Maglor |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Crackfic, General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
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| This fanwork is complete. |
Ossë by Dawn FelagundOne of the longest-enduring characters in the legendarium, Ossë evolved over the decades from a perilous character adjacent to Melkor himself to a figure both dangerous and benevolent.
| Major Characters: Ossë |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: | Warnings: No warnings apply |
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Spring by GrundySimply beautiful, in many respects.
Celeborn visits the Greenwood in spring, and recalls a prior visit.
| Major Characters: Arwen, Celeborn, Celebrían |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: Queens of the Quill |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
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| This fanwork is complete. |
The Afterlives of Orcs (Drabble) by lovelytimesShort drabble written for the 2019 Solstice instadrabbling challenge.
| Major Characters: Orcs |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
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| This fanwork is complete. |
The Follower by IvannethThe story of Fingon
| Major Characters: Caranthir, Celegorm, Fingon, Maedhros, Maglor, Nerdanel |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
The Tempered Steel by LyraThe first Silm fic I read, and still absolutely one of my faves. Her detailed worldbuilding around the period the Finweans resided in Mithrim became my headcanon, and I fell in love with her version of the characters so much. Highly recommend!
The story of Maedhros' captivity in Angband, his rescue and his recovery is in the Silmarillion treated in a few paragraphs. This is a fleshed-out account of the events that may have befallen between Maedhros' imprisonment and his return to his old life... as far as that is possible.
Occasionally drifting into AU territory, depending on how closely you follow the source (WHICH source? :P).
The usual warnings apply - particularly to chapters marked with an asterisk.
Part One completed.
Part Two completed.
Part Three, Chapter 10 added: In which the reconciled Noldor make plans for the future. End of the trilogy.
| Major Characters: Aegnor, Amras, Angrod, Aredhel, Celebrimbor, Celegorm, Curufin, Fingolfin, Fingon, Finrod Felagund, Galadriel, Írimë, Lalwen, Maedhros, Maglor, Melkor, Original Character(s), Thorondor |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Drama | Challenges: Turning Point |
| Rating: Adult | Warnings: Torture, Character Death, Mature Themes, Violence (Graphic) |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
This is just to say… by HimringSuch a heartening analogy for the creation of fan-works.
A letter to the author, by a writer of fan fiction.
That is, to Tolkien.
Written for a prompt of the "Dear Irmo" challenge.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Experimental, Nonfiction/Meta | Challenges: Dear Irmo |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
Where the Ocean Meets the Sky and the Land by StarSprayOnly read Ch 16 so far - such vivid and beautiful descriptions, this gave me a sense of lightness while still conveying a gentle undercurrent of deep emotion in hinted references... definitely inspired to read the rest too!
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 characters listed |
| Genres: Drama, General | Challenges: Holiday Party |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
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| This fanwork is complete. |
Who will pity the candle and the moth? by HimringJust really touches me, and gives hope as well as a sense of acceptance.
A very brief encounter between Andreth and Aegnor after death.
Maybe Nienna had her hand in it, allowing Andreth to linger for a short while among dead Elves. Or maybe not?
| Major Characters: Aegnor, Andreth |
| Major Relationships: Aegnor/Andreth |
| Genres: Romance | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
Why Steel Points North by Anne WolfeI just love the idea and the way it's described.
Long ago, before any of the elves awoke, there were two great lamps: one silver, named Illuin, and one gold, named Ormal.
The story of how magnets came to be.
| Major Characters: Aulë |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: General | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: No warnings apply |
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| This fanwork is complete. |
[podfic] Three times, the forge by Chestnut_podBeautiful, fluffy, very happy making.
Celebrimbor kisses Narvi. Narvi kisses Celebrimbor. Somehow, Celebrimbor is still perplexed.
| Major Characters: Celebrimbor, Narvi |
| Major Relationships: Celebrimbor/Narvi |
| Genres: Podfic | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Teens | Warnings: Sexual Content (Mild) |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |