SilliMarilli

(written by thepastisaroadmap )

Summary: This is a couple different Russian stage productions of the part of the Lay of Lethian focusing on Finrod, which covers the time between Beren and Luthien’s meeting to escape from Tol-in-Gaurhoth. It is a rock opera, which means it’s a sung-through musical.

Why should I check out this canon? Musicals are a good form to adapt the legendarium into! It works particularly well for the battles between Finrod/Luthien and Sauron, where the song bends between their leitmotifs. Truth (Finrod's final song), the meeting of Beren and Luthien, and the quarrel with the sons of Feanor are also really good songs.

There are also some intriguing implications of canon divergence, including Celegorm and Curufin being the only remaining sons of Feanor, Sauron being an amalgamation of himself and Melkor, and the implication of Sauron rehabilitation/orc healing in recent performances (during Galadriel’s final song, Thingol and Melian heal the orcs while Finrod goes to a defeated Sauron and leads him into the cast as a whole). The loyalty between Finrod and Beren is showcased quite strongly; they have a couple of duets together. The 2001 Temple version also includes Caranthir in Nargothrond! (All of the sons of Feanor are still alive in this version, and they’re wearing the burning of the swan ships on their costumes.)

Where can I get this?

Many of the productions exist on YouTube in full! As far as I’m aware, the only English-subtitled versions are this video of the 2014 production and the 2001 Temple production. (These can be machine translated into other languages as well.) However, asterisq on ao3 has created an excellent line-by-line English translation of the lyrics for both the 2014 production and 2021-2023 ones, available here . This YouTube playlist includes full versions of many other productions.

What fanworks exist already?

There are not very many fanworks for this, but one I particularly like is this really lovely piece of fan art . There is also a small fandom for this show on tumblr!

Summary: Adventures in Middle Earth is a tabletop roleplaying game set in Middle-Earth between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The system is based on Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition, but can also be played in its own system, The One Ring RPG, and it has a sister game: The Lord of the Rings for 5e and The One Ring 2e. The game has premade adventures, such as political intrigue in Dale, a particularly persistent undead creature trying to do Sauron's bidding, and venturing -- carefully -- into Angmar, but there's no need to stop at the published plotlines!

Why should I check out this canon? AiME is a lore-knowledgeable game designed specifically around Arda, both thematically (misdeeds and influence of the Shadow cause player characters to slowly become corrupted) and practically (journeys from one place to another are fleshed out and feel like real adventure, as do audiences with powerful figures). Characters from the books make appearances, and have in-depth guides on how they should act, and if you've ever wondered what Legolas's stats are, there's an answer! And the original characters are just as good, from the ones the adventurers befriend to the ones they desperately want to deck every time they talk. The worldbuilding is top-notch, too, and gives more detail to places that get glossed over in the books!

Where can I get this? AiME and TOR 1e are out of print, but some sourcebooks are available on the Internet Archive, or from people willing to share their copies. LotR 5e and TOR 2e are available to buy online or at some game stores.

What fanworks exist already? In a way, every game of AiME is a live fanwork! But there are some fics on Ao3, and some art that can be found on Tumblr. Most of these feature player heroes in central roles, and let readers glimpse between the pages and see the other heroes Middle-Earth might have.