A series of original fan fiction novels set in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth.
Celebrating Nineteen Years
November 14, 2004 - November 14, 2023
***
IN MEMORY OF ANGMAR He may have passed beyond the Circles of the World,
but his memory lives on through his writings.
n an alternative universe set in the Third Age
of Arda, the West was defeated at the Battle of Pelennor Fields
and the war swept over Southern Gondor. To the dismay of all the
Free People of Middle-earth, the Dark Lord Sauron regained the
One Ring, His rising power threatening to plunge the world into
a Second Darkness.
In the midst of this, two young maidens,
twins Elfhild and Elffled, are captured by orcs in a preliminary
raid against Rohan. Their world destroyed, their fate uncertain,
they face the bleak prospects of slavery at the hands of cruel
masters.
The Witch-king of Angmar and his fellows
struggle and suffer to serve a mad God who both loves them and
seeks to destroy them. In truth, they are no more fortunate than
the lowly thralls of Mordor, for they, too, are in bondage, locked in
a silent war for the freedom to live and love as they see fit.
The Dark Lord Sauron, a victim of His own
lusts, wishes to possess Arda and encompass it in His twisted
love. Obsessively, He craves the worship and adoration of all
mankind, but His thirst for total dominion of mind and soul twists
and perverts all His designs. His spirit weighed down with the
frustrations of the ages, still He strives against the Valar to
possess the world that He loves.
A tale of peasants and Powers; of masters
and slaves; freedom and bondage; of adventure, mystery and intrigue;
of wars and bloodshed; of love and loss; of spirits and magic
and the unquiet dead.
Come journey
to the exotic lands of the East and South - Khand,
Harad, Nurn, Rhun and Umbar... and beyond.
April 21, 2024
Chapter 2, "The Lady's Chambers," has just been posted
to Book Nine! A bird in a gilded cage is still a bird in a cage –
and despite the beauty and luxury of Goldwyn's new home,
she still feels like a prisoner in a cell.
I have been thinking a lot about the course that the story
will take over the next few books. When Angmar's health
worsened in 2019, we had completed ten books, and were
working on finishing the eleventh book in the series. I am
considering that it might be prudent to work on the
last three books simultaneously, as opposed to finishing
the revisions on one book and then moving on to the next.
This way I can incorporate foreshadowing for future events,
and build up skills that will be used by characters in the future.
I am also considering having Book 11 as a stand-alone
spin-off that would take place during the last half of
Book 9. This particular book is told from the perspective of
Daungha, the Khandian calvaryman from Book 1, making
it somewhat different from the rest of the series as Elfhild
and Elffled are not featured in the story at all. This book
was one of the first ones written, and it's possible that
Angmar might have been considering having some of the books
feature different narrators. If he had been playing around
with this idea, he obviously shelved it at some point.
If Book 11 becomes a stand-alone spin-off, I'm not sure
how the posting schedule would work. I might end up
posting parts of two books at the same time, with the
spin-off being updated more sporadically. Since Angmar
and I never finished this book, it will be more difficult to
edit because I have to invent an ending, and possibly
change the locations and geography for easier/more logical
writing.
If you'd like to get in touch with the author of
"The Circles," write to Elfhild.
***
March 25, 2024
HAPPY RING DAY!!!
The first chapter of Book 9, "Beneath the Nurnian Sky," has been posted!
Chapter 1, "A New Home" - After months of marching, Elfhild and Elffled at
last arrive at their new home. What knowledge might the twins gain whilst
residing at a Mordorian academy?
While it is the ninth book in the series, "Beneath the Nurnian Sky" was actually
written between 2005-2006, with parts of the story being written simultaneously
with parts of Books 1 and 2. At that time, "Beneath the Nurnian Sky" was meant
to be the third book in the series, with the second book covering the twins'
journey to Mordor.
During this period, Angmar and I were transitioning from writing for the Second
Darkness RPG to writing Tolkien inspired fanfiction. After Second Darkness ended,
Angmar still had hopes of starting up a new RPG, and at one point had considered
making The Circles a multi-author writing project. However, by 2006, he had
abandoned this idea, and began to revise the first drafts of Book 2. One of the
new storylines which he created during this revision was Goldwyn urging the
Rohirric captives to make one last desperate escape attempt before the slave
caravan crossed the River Anduin.
From that point onward, the story became more about the journey to Nurn rather
than life in Nurn. In the original drafts from 2005-2006, the journey was a
relatively brief and uneventful affair, with the only major stopping point and
side story being the cruel shenanigans of General Favarti at the Fortress of the
Setting Sun. However, revisions to the story introduced new characters, new
plotlines, and new books. Angmar and I tried to splice the old material in with
the new as best as we could, sometimes with grace, sometimes with clumsiness.
Work on the section of the story set in Nurn ceased, and was not picked up again
until some time later. By the time that Angmar and I got around to revising the
material which would ultimately become Book 9, it was 2013. Angmar felt
self-conscious about his earlier work, and decided to make some major changes.
In the original version of "Beneath the Nurnian Sky," Esarhaddon occasionally
selected promising slaves to be trained at his villa, where they would receive
an education from the same tutors that taught his sons. The plot of the book
revolved around Elfhild and Elffled living in Esarhaddon's household and
interacting with various characters who also dwelt there. In the 2013 revision,
Angmar expanded upon this idea by creating the School of Industry, an elite
training academy for female servants. Instead of the focus being solely upon
Esarhaddon's household, attention was divided between the slaver's family
and the school. In the most recent revisions to the story, I have continued to
emphasize this division. Instead of having the school located in a wing of
Esarhaddon's sprawling manor house, the school now has its own complex
which is separated from the manor by a large garden. While Angmar and I
created some floor plans for Esarhaddon's villa, we kept the details purposefully
vague so that we would have more leeway while writing. However, now that
the story is approaching its final form, I felt that it was time to set the
architectural details in stone (pun intended).
One of the most difficult parts of editing the beginning of Book 9 has been
with the timeline. In the original 2005-2006 draft, Elfhild and Elffled arrive at
Esarhaddon's villa by late afternoon. However, in the 2013 rewrite, Angmar
changed this and had them arriving shortly after midnight. In retrospect, I felt
that the original scenario was better, for a number of reasons too complicated
to discuss here. So I decided to do some major chapter juggling and rearrange the
order of events that transpire during the twins' first two days at the School of
Industry. This was a monumental undertaking at times, but I feel that these
changes have helped establish the setting and characters in a more dynamic
and efficient manner.
There is a lot of worldbuilding in the first few chapters of "Beneath the Nurnian
Sky," and I am still working on smoothing out the rough edges.
It boggles my mind sometimes when I consider how much progress I have
made with the story since Angmar's passing in 2020. When Angmar's health
began to deteriorate, he withdrew from interacting with the fandom and
posting chapters online. We continued to write in private, however, and
Angmar expressed a desire to create a large backlog of chapters which
could be posted after his death. Among the last words that he told me
was the request to finish The Circles, and I have been striving for the
last four years to complete this goal. The story might not be exactly
what Angmar imagined, but he was always rewriting his own stories
because he was never satisfied with his original work. If he were still
alive today, he might even take the story in an entirely different direction.
I would like to thank the readers who have kept up with The Circles
over the years. The journey is far from being over, and there are
more adventures to come.
If you'd like to get in touch with the author of
"The Circles," write to Elfhild.
BOOK ONE OF THE CIRCLES
The Triumph of The Shadow
The West loses the War of the Ring
and the proud city of Minas Tirith falls to the forces of the
Dark Lord. In these days of darkness and fear, two young maidens,
twins Elfhild and Elffled, are captured by orcs in a preliminary
raid against Rohan. Herded off with other captives, the sisters
know little of their destination, only that they are being driven
ever East towards Mordor, the dreadful land of horror and shadows.
Their world destroyed, their fate uncertain, they face the bleak
prospects of slavery at the hands of their enemies.
The armies of Mordor, driven ceaselessly
by their masters, march ever onward towards the West. The Dark
Lord Sauron sits upon his black throne, eagerly anticipating the
final victory as he watches history unfold through the palantír.
With Gondor fallen, will Rohan
be conquered at last... and then the rest of Middle-earth?
Some chapters may have violent and/or sexual themes. For mature readers only.
After arriving at the ruins of Minas Tirith, the captives are handed over to a group of Haradric slavers, led by Esarhaddon uHuzziya, one of the owners of a slave trading business in Nurn. A man of might and mastery, this handsome, rakish Southron symbolizes everything that the Rohirric women dread.
Orphaned, their land destroyed, Elfhild and Elffled struggle to remain defiant against their foes, even when faced with ghastly reminders of the enemy's might. Goldwyn, stern and proud, refuses to surrender to despair like so many others have done.
Each step on this journey of sorrow takes the Rohirric captives closer to Mordor, the Land of Shadows from which there is no return. Is there any hope of escape, or is slavery to be their doom?
Some chapters may have violent and/or sexual themes. For mature readers only.
BOOK THREE OF THE CIRCLES
To Escape a Dark Destiny
Driven by her pursuers into an old crypt in Osgiliath, Goldwyn finds herself trapped in a nightmare from which there is no awakening. But are the horrors real, or only figments of her guilt-tormented mind?
Having successfully evaded the orcs, Frodwine, Frumgar and Fritha, the three sons of Goldwyn, embark on a quest to return to Rohan. However, this is not some childish adventure - it is a matter of life and death.
Journeying through the wasteland of Anorien, Elfhild and Elffled desperately try to keep one step ahead of the slavers. But perhaps there are others who are far more intimidating than the Haradrim...
Can any of them escape the evil destiny which the enemy has planned for them, or is to attempt to do so utterly useless?
Some chapters may have violent and/or sexual themes. For mature readers only.
As the last wain in the slaver's caravan crosses the Anduin, the fate of the captives is sealed. At the mercy of her enemies and the delusions of her own mind, Goldwyn resolves to kindle her hatred into a burning passion, even if it means spurning those who might truly care for her.
Meanwhile, twins Elfhild and Elffled and the three sons of Goldwyn - Frodwine, Frumgar and Fritha - journey through Anorien, though the courses which they take vary greatly. Danger lies everywhere, but what about friends unlooked-for?
Some chapters may have violent and/or sexual themes. For mature readers only.
BOOK FIVE OF THE CIRCLES
Through the Valley of Death
Recaptured by the Haradric slave traders, Elfhild and Elffled once again find themselves
forced to resume their journey to the Dark Land of Mordor. Once they pass over the Anduin,
all hope of escape is lost, and each mile that passes brings them ever closer to the
culmination of their fears. Home is behind them; slavery lies ahead. Torn between loyalties
and tormented by grief and guilt, the twin sisters struggle to accept the fate which seems
to await them at the journey's end.
Before the twins and their captors ever reach Mordor, however, they must pass through the
ethereal mists of the Morgul Vale, a place so terrifying that even the minds of brave men
succumb to madness. In this realm of mists and shadows, nothing is as it seems, and the
boundaries between reality and illusion are blurred to obscurity. What strange sights and
experiences await them in the treacherous Morgul Pass?
Some chapters may have violent and/or sexual themes. For mature readers only.
After being freed from the dungeons of Cirith Ungol, twin sisters Elfhild and Elffled come at last
to the Plateau of Gorgoroth, where they are reunited with the rest of the Rohirric captives. The
tumultuous heart of Sauron's realm, the desolate, rolling hamada is a land of feral beauty, where
the ground trembles with the Dark Lord's might, and mountains spew forth fire.
While the captives are lost to all hope, far away in their war-torn homeland, the forces of the West
steadily drive the hordes of Mordor back towards the Mering Stream. In the Throne Room of the Eye,
the Dark Lord stares into the Palantír and witnesses one defeat after another, and the Mountain of
Doom churns with the fury of His wrath...
Some chapters may have violent and/or sexual themes.
For mature readers only.
Southern Gorgoroth can be a harsh and unforgiving land, yet both Men and Orcs call this region their home.
The greed of King Thaguzgoth, chieftain of the Kafakudraûg Clan of the Sand Orcs, knows no bounds, and not even
Sauron's caravans are safe from his goblin raiders. However, the King would be wise to look to his own household,
for there are those who would plot his downfall. When a band of Uruk-hai mercenaries arrive at Kafakudraûg Cavern,
this simmering cauldron of intrigue comes to a roiling boil.
One day, Prince Zarkfir will become the chieftain of the Dolrujâtar, a tribe of nomadic sheep and goat herders
who dwell upon the plains of Lithlad. Pressured by his family to take a wife, the prince struggles to abide by
tradition and follow the desires of his heart. Will he find happiness after a chance meeting with a stranger in the desert?
A tale of adventure set in dungeons deep and sweltering deserts beneath the Sun... in the Land of Treachery.
Some chapters may have violent and/or sexual themes.
For mature readers only.
A collection of tales set in Mordor, many of which feature various creatures that dwell within that dreadful land.
Forced to flee Mordor so they can be together, young lovers Inbir and Aeffe take sanctuary in the Mountains of Shadow,
where they find a mysterious valley inhabited by giant cats and fell beasts.
The commander of the Fortress of the Setting Sun is an eccentric man with a streak of cruelty, a twisted sense
of humor, and a deep and abiding love for ferrets.
Imprisoned in the Houses of Lamentation, the Witch-king of Angmar befriends a lowly rat named Murg, inspiring him
to lead a revolution against the cats of Barad-dûr.
Descended from the Mearas, the black horses of Mordor are famous for many things - intelligence, loyalty, an intuitive
knowledge of what their riders expect of them, and speed which surpasses that of most other horses in Middle-earth. They
can also speak, although there are few who understand what they say.
Some chapters may have violent and/or sexual themes.
For mature readers only.
Nurn: A land of pastoral beauty, of lush vineyards, fields of plenty, and a majestic sea of deepest azure.
However, despite its fair climate and idyllic countryside, a sense of dark evil permeates the realm, sometimes
barely noticeable, other times palpably oppressive.
Elfhild and Elffled are new students at the School of Industry, an elite academy dedicated to training female
servants of Mordor. The school seems an unexpected boon to them, for they have been given an opportunity to receive
an education, something which they never would have had in Rohan. Few things are free in the Land of Gifts, however,
and this education comes at a price.
When Goldwyn finds herself the concubine of a wealthy slave trader whom she loathes, she laments her miserable
existence. Her disdain for her unwanted husband carries over to every member of his household, from his other two
wives to the lowliest servant of the house. However, could she find allies where she least expects them?
Some chapters may have violent and/or sexual themes.
For mature readers only.
Delve into the history of the Nazgul...
Learn to speak Black Speech...
Peruse yellowed pages of dusty tomes penned in ages past...
Who knows what you will find in the Library?
All original characters
and their names copyright their creators and may not be used in
other stories. All Tolkien characters copyright J.R.R. Tolkien.
This fan fiction series by Angmar and Elfhild was inspired in part
by Tolkien's collective writings: The Lord of the Rings,
The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales
and the History of Middle-earth series. We derive no profit
from this venture, and write these stories out of our love for Middle-earth.
n an alternative universe set in the Third Age
of Arda, the West was defeated at the Battle of Pelennor Fields
and the war swept over Southern Gondor. To the dismay of all the
Free People of Middle-earth, the Dark Lord Sauron regained the
One Ring, His rising power threatening to plunge the world into
a Second Darkness.
