Stories of Arda

The world of J.R.R. Tolkien is owned by Tolkien Enterprises and/or New Line Cinema. No money is made from these stories. The stories are the intellectual property of the author(s) and should not be reproduced without their permission.

"...Yet it seems that you desire now to have the good of both kindreds, to sail to Valinor when you will, and to return when you please to your homes. That cannot be. Nor can the Valar take away the gifts of Ilúvatar. The Eldar, you say, are unpunished, and even those who rebelled do not die. Yet that is to them neither reward nor punishment, but the fulfilment of their being. They cannot escape, and are bound to this world, never to leave it so long as it lasts, for its life is theirs. And you are punished for the rebellion of Men, you say, in which you had small part, and so it is that you die. But that was not at first appointed for a punishment. Thus you escape, and leave the world, and are not bound to it, in hope or in weariness. Which of us therefore should envy the others?"

Welcome to the updated site!  Email notifications have been restored, and the security has been massively upgraded. You will need to update your passwords the first time you login.  If the email address attached to your account isn't accessible, please contact an admin.  Come on in and stay awhile.

Stories

5,371 stories in the archive