New Challenge: Bollywood
This month's challenge offers songs, films, and tropes from Bollywood, the world's largest film industry based out of India, as prompts for fanworks.
SWG News
Cultus Dispatches: Fandom Chocolate … or Authors Love Comments
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data provides insight into how comments benefit authors and which authors are most impacted by a lack of comments, with a digression on authors' perspectives one-click feedback like kudos.
A Sense of History: Passing Ships
As Tolkien's characters in various texts gaze out to the sea, what do they see? What is brought by the ships coming out of the West?
Beta-Reader List Now Available
The beta-reader list and profiles have been moved into our new system and are available again.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] No Time Have I by Flora-lass
A Silmarillion acrostic.
[Writing] I called it Fate that I should fail by AdmirableMonster
Nimruzimir, a natural philosopher recently out of his apprenticeship, hardly considers himself very important to anyone, least of all his colleagues. When his strange, prophetic fits bring him to the attention of the High Priest, however, he may find that his existence is less superfluous than…
[Writing] All of you by chrissystriped
Elrond and Celebrían celebrate their anniversary with their family.
[Writing] Lament for the Singer by daughterofshadows
A short thing about Maglor, death and grieving.
[Writing] Cosmological Poems of Arda by AaronAzrael
I would like to share my revelations of Tolkien's Universe in the form of narrative and emotional poems.
[Writing] Eä's Redemption by AaronAzrael
This is my new poetical attempt to add my own interpretation to Tolkien's Cosmology as to Eru's Creation and the Valar's minds and behind-the-scene providence reasons and mechanisms.. I often review Eä as part of our own world, just in another dimension, this is why I have always seriously…
[Artwork] Map of Valinor by Aprilertuile
My newly drawn map of Aman, as complete as I could make it.
Current Challenge
Bollywood
Prompts this month are films, songs, and tropes from India's dazzling film industry, Bollywood. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Holiday Party
No matter if you're in the Northern or Southern hemisphere, it's a time of year to think about holidays. Whether you're bundling up in blankets or slipping a swimsuit into your suitcase, we invite you to an SWG holiday party! Read more ...
New in References
Fandom Chocolate … or Authors Love Comments by Dawn Walls-Thumma
[]Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data shows that authors view comments as driving their motivation to create fanfiction. However, perception of comments by authors is part of a larger shift in fandom around how and how often fans interact with each other.
Passing Ships by Simon J. Cook
[]The arrival and departure of ships across the Great Sea carries mythic significance for the peoples of Middle-earth. The image of ships crossing out of and back into a mysterious West appears as well in Beowulf and is alluded to in Tolkien's tower analogy in his lecture "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics," where the tower allows those who climb it to observe the passage of the ships.
Fanfiction and the Serious Business of Writer's Craft by Dawn Walls-Thumma
[]Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data shows that while most authors self-identify as taking their craft seriously, a growing subset of authors may be pushing that norm.
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Writing] Staging a Battle by StarSpray
[]He and Diamond were visiting, though Pippin had been disappearing every afternoon, and taking Frodo and Elanor and most other lads and lasses in the neighborhood with him—though why they couldn’t use Pippin’s own pony, Sam couldn’t imagine.
[Writing] From whose bourn no traveller returns by losselen
[]So gathered they were to Bree, what lieutenants who could be spared, from their scattered watches west and east, for their chieftain had returned from his long sojourn in lands godless and mountains strange.
Aragorn returns from the South to tells his tales. Halbarad listens.
[Writing] Sand Sorcery by StarSpray
[]It is well known that Psamathos does not leave his cove. He does not like to get his feet wet, and prefers to spend his days dozing under the sun.
Around the World and Web
Fellowship of the Fics: Summer Stories 2024
Fellowship of the Fics offers four weeks of summer-themed prompts during the month of July.
Elrond Week 2024
Elrond Week is a fandom event dedicated to Elrond Peredhel that will run from July 10th to July 16th on Tumblr.
July challenge at tolkienshortfanworks posted
The tolkienshortfanworks challenge for July has been posted to the Dreamwidth community. The thematic challenge is: original character or unnamed canon character; the formal challenge: fixed length of multiple of 50 words. New participants welcome.
July 2024 Call for Papers and Proposals
Conferences and publications that have open calls for papers and proposals in July 2024.
Teitho June/July Challenge: Mentor
The June/July prompt for the Teitho challenge is "mentor" and invites fanworks about this relationship in Tolkien's works.
Alliance by SurgicalSteel
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Chapter 1
References my story 'Far Side of the World,' found on this Archive.
There will be civil war again, Míriel thought, toying with the high collar of her mourning garb.
Her father’s death had not been unexpected, and the political wheels had begun turning long before he’d finally laid down his life. Míriel wondered if they’d ever really stopped turning after the last civil war, the one her father had started by taking a name in the old form when he ascended to the throne, by showing overt favor to the Elf-friends. How much simpler things might have been if only…
Tar-Palantír still lay in state, was not even in his grave yet. Civil war had followed his ascension to the throne, and it seemed it would follow Míriel as well.
She was distracted from her thoughts by a familiar voice expressing condolences to her, and looked down slightly to meet her cousin Pharazôn’s eyes. “My sorrow for your loss,” he said.
She felt one corner of her mouth twitch upward. “Sorrow? You and Father never cared for one another,” Míriel replied.
“My sorrow is for your loss, old cousin, not for his now-permanent absence,” Pharazôn said with a grin.
The bluntness of his response made her laugh suddenly, which caused several nobles to turn their heads their direction – a state funeral was truly no place for laughter, but she couldn’t help herself. “I can always count on you to speak the truth as you see it, small cousin, and for that, I am grateful,” Míriel said with a somewhat quieter laugh. He was a year younger and a few inches shorter – and he and her father hadn’t liked one another at all, but Pharazôn had always treated Míriel kindly, and she was grateful for a friendly face.
“The vultures circle,” Pharazôn observed, inclining his head toward one group of nobles. “They want…” he began, and then visibly stopped himself from continuing at the approach of Lord Amandil of Andúnin5;. “Find me later, old cousin, we have much to discuss, and little time.”
She knew that. There was only one way that she could see that might keep her head attached and avert the worst bloodshed, and it would doubtless anger Lord Amandil and his kin. His brother…
Her father had wanted her to marry Amandil’s younger brother, and Míriel had resisted. She’d suspected that was less a matter of Tar-Palantír wanting what was best for his only child and more a desire to cement his alliance with the Elf-friends, and she’d managed to argue for delaying any sort of formal announcements for long enough that her father had died with no betrothal in place. Amandil, though, he would doubtless expect…
He expects me to look to them for protection, and he expects to be able to rule Númenor through me, she thought, desperately wishing for Pharazôn’s company.
The other lords – they’d made no overt moves yet, but Míriel understood them all too well. Three other Queens had ruled Númenor in its long history, and the most successful of them was a woman who’d been more interested in nursing old grievances and stirring up discontent than in actually governing. The more ambitious of them wanted her married to one of them or to one of their sons, and disposed of once she produced an heir. The less ambitious simply wanted her dead.
She was trapped between those who wanted her dead and those who wanted her made into a puppet, and she found herself hoping rather desperately that Pharazôn would see the same way out of the dilemma that she did.
More condolences, more carefully polite poisoned words from the nobles, and finally the day was over. Protocol dictated that she should retire to her quarters for the evening, and yet…
I may not have been crowned, and I may not remain so for long – but for now? I rule Númenor, and protocol be damned.
She fled from the stifling hall where her father’s body still lay in state, out into the gardens, out to where Nimloth bloomed, and there she found him.
“Small cousin,” she greeted him, and Pharazôn patted the ground next to where he sat, and she gratefully seated herself next to him.
“Old cousin,” he replied, slipping an arm around her shoulders and allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder. “Grass stains,” he added.
“Won’t show up on black,” she replied, and both laughed. It was so good to have someone who understood without the need for explanation!
“Black doesn’t suit you,” he said. “You’re far lovelier in other colors – dark blue brings out your eyes, and reds bring a blush to your cheeks…”
She knew that there was more he wanted to say, but he’d clearly stopped himself from continuing. “I know you didn’t like him,” Míriel said.
“I know you miss him,” Pharazôn replied. “Much as I miss my father.”
“Amandil and his brother would make me a puppet,” she said. “And the other nobles…”
“The other nobles would force themselves or their sons on you – or they’d see you dead…”
“And you on the throne,” Míriel said, and she felt Pharazôn nod. “And if they succeeded in that, Andúnië would resist.”
“And if you married Elentir as your father wanted, the rest of Númenor would resist,” Pharazôn added, his voice vibrating through his chest and against her cheek. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then added, “Whereas if you and I…”
“The law…” Míriel began, but then stopped as she felt him shrug. “Our law, I suppose, is not followed in the colonies in Middle Earth.”
“Umbar allows the marriage of first cousins,” Pharazôn agreed. “As I see it, we can make the choice of Quildelotë and flee…”
“Which would plunge Númenor into civil war,” Míriel said.
He nodded again. “Or you can marry Elentir,” he said.
“Which would also cause civil war.”
“Or we can ignore the law – Andúnië will be angry, doubtless so will some of the other lords.”
“But if we reign together,” Míriel said. “If we…”
“Amandil may not believe you do this willingly,” Pharazôn said quietly.
“Let him believe what he wishes to believe,” Míriel said. “And let us announce our intent to wed and to rule jointly…”
“We shall have you crowned Ar-Zimraphel,” he whispered, his breath warm against her hair.
“And you shall keep Amandil as part of your Council, so that he has no cause to complain,” she murmured back, her hand stroking his thigh.
“Old cousin, fair cousin,” he said, shifting slightly, and she sensed that he was about to kiss her cheek, and turned so that their lips met.
“Small cousin, strong cousin,” she answered, feeling the curve of his lips against hers. “Shall we protect each other, then?”
His hands burying themselves in her hair and their mouths tasting each other were all the answer she needed.
Chapter End Notes
Inspired in part by a passage in HOME XII: The Peoples of Middle Earth, Part V: The History of the Akallabêth:
Elentir the brother of Amandil loved her, but when first she saw Pharazôn her eyes and her heart were turned to him, for his beauty, and for his wealth also.
But he went away and she remained unwed. And now it came to pass that her father Tar-Palantír grew weary of grief and died, and as he had no son the sceptre came to her, in the name of Tar-Míriel, by right and the laws of the Númenóreans. But Pharazôn [?arose] and came to her, and she was glad, and forsook the allegiance of her father for the time, being enamoured of Pharazôn. And in this they broke the laws of Númenor that forbade marriage even in the royal house between those more nearly akin than cousins in the second degree. But they were too powerful for any to gainsay them. And when they were wedded she yielded the sceptre to Pharazôn, and he sat upon the throne of Elros in the name of Ar-Pharazôn the Golden, but she retained also her title as hers by right, and was called Ar-Zimrahil.
Ar-Pharazôn as a bit on the short side was inspired by a discussion on Pandemonium's LiveJournal in which Ian McShane was suggested as a fantastic candidate to play Ar-Pharazôn. Thanks to her for encouragement, as always.
