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Splitting the Worm

Summary

StW is a fan-written short novel, detailing the adventures of one Gunnar Robertson, blacksmith and peasant, hailing from a small nameless hamlet, and his quest to find and destroy the Vile Worm after said hamlet was destroyed by the beast's perverted Life powers. It was written in 2003 by a group known as the Rat Catchers.

What makes StW stand from other fan-fiction is the sheer un-Epicness of it: unlike other fan-fic protagonists, Gunnar Robertson is truly nothing but a simple blacksmith that knows how to use his sword, instead of, say, the lost descendant of Baren Lothrin and The One That Shall Restore Yore To Its Former Greatness or something equally grand. The story is lacking in brave battles and other acts of derring-do, too: most of it is actually a description of the lands scourged by the Worm as Gunnar travels through them. Ghost towns, wicked jungles, pathetic slithering mutants, insane cults worshipping the Worm as some sort of twisted Life God and more are vividly depicted by the Rat Catchers. This is not to say that StW is devoid of action, though: one of the novel's highlights is Gunnar's combat against three brigands in a dark alley. What is but a trifle to normal ELotH:TES characters becomes a great struggle for the blacksmith, who barely beats the thugs and ends with a grievous leg wound and an arm broken in four parts.

StW is also noted by its tragic ending: Gunnar finally finds the Worm and, being fully aware that he has no chance against it, he charges in. Surprisingly, the Worm does nothing to defend itself and the blacksmith slashes the creature's evil heart with his sword, only to find that it contained the seeds for the creation of a new Vile Worm. The seeds force their way into Gunnar's body, and before he can do anything they corrupt his body, turning him into a new Worm and killing him in the process.

Timeline

StW is set some time after the Hierarch Wars, though the exact date is unknown.

Controversy

Though literary critics have always looked on ELotH:TES with suspicion (if not outright hatred), many of them have lauded StW as a great piece of writing, even going so far as to suggest that it should be published as a standalone book. Certain fans, however, despise it because of its writing style and plot, alien to ELotH:TES canon and fan-fiction alike. Most notable of all is an Internet user known as Reyerateb_4_LF, who sparked the '04 Great Worm Flame War in Elemenstormers Dot Com.