After his defeat in the War of the Last Alliance, the Dark Lord Sauron was greatly diminished in power yet his spirit lived on, bound to
the One Ring of Power which remained in the possession of the Dunedain Isildur, High King
of Gondor and Arnor. Unable to seek out the ring and take his vengeance,
Sauron remained in the shadows for centuries recovering his strength and planning for his
inevitable return to power. Though the Dark Lord was defeated, many of
his orcs, trolls and other servants survived and fled, scattering across the continent
to create havoc wherever encountered. After planting a Second White Tree in Minas
Tirith, continuing the lineage of ancient Telperion which once illuminated the Undying
Lands, Isildur and 3 of his sons travelled North to take up residence in Arnor but failed
to arrive as they were attacked by orc raiders near the Gladden Fields. Unwilling to allow the ring to fall into enemy
hands, Isildur’s sons sacrificed themselves to hold the line while he escaped through
the Anduin River. Facing a powerful current, the King was separated
from the ring before being spotted and shot with arrows by pursuing orcs. With the Dunedain killed and the Orcs unaware
of its presence, the One Ring of power fell to the bottom of the river where it remained
lost to the world for over two thousand years. Meanwhile, the death of Isildur and his sons
left Meneldil, nephew of the High King as ruler of Gondor, while Valandil, his fourth
son reigned in Arnor. Dividing the Royal line into two dynasties,
the descendants of Anarion and his son Meneldil led the people of Gondor for two millenia,
while Isildur and his son Valandil left a bloodline that held power over a united Arnor
for only a few centuries before fracturing into smaller kingdoms. Elsewhere in the continent, the Middle-Men,
those descended from humans who did not live in Numenor during the Second Age, were scattered
throughout the westlands, with those living in what became Gondor and Arnor intermixing
with the Dunedain, while those in and around the Greenwood came to be known as Northmen. To the west and south of the Misty Mountains,
lived a population of tribal hill-men later called Dunlendings who spoke a different language
to the other Middle-Men of the continent, and so were denied friendship and aid because
they were not recognized as kin to the Dundeain of Numenor. Living as wild men for thousands of years,
the Dunlendings expanded south and west towards the White Mountains, though some few left
their more primitive homelands to make their way north, settling in Eregion where they
founded the village of Bree. Heading towards the Sea of Rhun and beyond,
the many tribes and nations of the Easterlings were weakened by their defeat in the War of
the Last Alliance, but steadily rebuilt their strength, ever eager to fulfill their ambition
of conquering the west. The same could be said for the Haradrim to
the south, who lived under the influence of the powerful city-state Umbar, where the Black
Numenoreans loyal to Sauron remained in power. Though the Dark Lord still had allies spread
throughout the continent, Mordor was lost to him, as the Kingdom of Gondor used Minas
Ithil, The Towers of the Teeth and the Tower of Cirith Ungol to keep watch over the land. Having spent much of the Second Age isolated
within the Misty Mountians, the Dwarves of Durin’s folk thrived in Khazad Dum, growing
immensely wealthy from their mining operations. Yet after the defeat of Sauron, loss of Mordor
and scattering of his armies, hordes of wandering orcs now populated the westlands, with some
making their homes in the Grey and Misty Mountains. Along the western shores, the Laiquendi, Noldor
and Sindar Elves of Lindon lived under the rule of Lord Cirdan and spent their days building
ships in the harbor of the Grey Havens, making them available to any of their people who
sought passage to the Undying Lands of the West. Other Noldor and Sindar made their homes alongside
the Silvan in Lothlorien, originally ruled by King Amdir, until his death in the Battle
of Dagorlad, during the War of the last alliance at the end of the Second Age. Rule was then inherited by his son Amroth,
who fell in love with the beautiful maiden Nimrodel, a Silvan Elf who resented the Sindar
and Noldor, blaming them for the wars that now plagued middle-earth. Despite Amroth being Sindar, Nimrodel returned
his love, but even so refused to marry him, unless they left for a new land where they
could truly live in peace. Since this was no longer possible in middle-earth,
Amroth agreed to give up his kingship and travel to Edhellond in Gondor, where they
could board a ship to the Undying Lands of the West. Yet the journey proved difficult and they
became separated, causing Amroth to arrive first at the shore where he awaited his beloved
aboard a ship ready to depart. Unfortunately for the couple, a storm forced
the ship to suddenly set sail, leaving Amroth so horrified he threw himself into the sea,
where he drowned trying to reach the shore. As for the fate of Nimrodel, none can be certain,
as she was lost to history after reaching Edhellond, to learn Amroth and the ship were
gone. With the King dead, leadership in Lothlorien
fell to the Sinda Celeborn and Noldo Galadriel, while other Silvan or Wood Elves, lived in
the Greenwood Forest under the Sinda King Thranduil. Founded as a refuge for the Noldor Elves of
Eregion, Imladris, also known as Rivendell, continued to be ruled by Elrond Half-Elven,
who in the year 109 of the Third Age, married Celebrian, daughter to the Lord and Lady of
Lothlorien. Celebrian then gave birth to twins sons Elladan
and Elrohir in 130 TA, while their younger sister Arwen came into the world a century
later in 241 TA. By the year 492, some of the Easterlings at
last felt prepared to strike out against their enemies, resulting in two invasions of Gondor
within a 60 year period. Though the fighting went back and forth at
times, the Dunedain proved too powerful and steadily pushed them back, with King Tarostar
changing his name to Rómendacil, meaning east-victor, after a great triumph in 500
TA. For 4 decades, the Easterlings appeared defeated,
until they launched yet another invasion in the year 541, scoring a great victory by killing
the King Romandacil on the battlefield. Yet his son Turambar continued the fight even
more fiercely than his father, and by 550 TA pushed the Easterlings back beyond the
Sea of Rhun to claim their lands for Gondor. Having defeated the invaders and established
the East-lands, the Kingdom of Gondor was reaching new height of power, while their
kinsmen in Arnor were headed towards civil unrest. Following the death of King Eärendur in 861
TA, his 3 sons went to war over the inheritance, with the oldest claiming the realm of Arthedain,
while his brothers founded the kingdoms of Cardolan and Rhudaur. Coming to power in the year 913, King Earnil
of Gondor spent his reign continuing a policy of expansion, and so built a great fleet he
used to conquer the city of Umbar in 933 TA. Unfortunately, Earnil was lost at sea a few
years later, leaving his son Ciryandil as King during a time of war, meaning he spent
most of his reign defending their conquest of Umbar from the Black Numenoreans and their
Haradrim supporters. Ciryandil was ultimately killed during a siege
of the city in 1015 TA, and so his son Hyarmendacil began his reign determined to end the southern
threat. As the third age continued the Valar grew
increasingly concerned Sauron might still pose a threat, as his lifeforce was connected
to the One Ring of Power, which was lost but never destroyed. Although elves, men and dwarves were able
to unite and defeat the Dark Lord during the Second Age, most believed the threat was gone
and so would be unprepared for his return. When the Valar first descended from the timeless
halls, they took mastery over the world, shaping it as they desired in preparation for the
awakening of the Children, unique and intelligent beings created by Eru Iluvatar. When the First Dark Lord waged his wars, poisoning
their labors and threatening the Children, the Valar felt compelled to offer their protection,
marching their armies to war. Yet they soon realised that direct interference
resulted in drastic repercussions felt all across the world. Though their strength was indeed sufficient
to defeat and destroy the First Dark Lord Melkor, it also led to the reshaping of continents
causing countless deaths and mass devastation. Since Sauron was nowhere near as powerful
as his master Melkor, and had already been defeated by the children on their own, the
Valar felt it unwise to involve themselves directly, and instead created the Istari,
a team of 5 Maiar in the form of elderly Wizards, tasked with organizing and preparing Middle-earth
for their war against the Second Dark Lord. Knowing that Sauron was once a faithful Maia,
just like the Istari, the Valar understood the temptations awaiting them, as they would
be surrounded by being incapable of magic, and so could easily use their powers to make
themselves kings. Making this threat even more dire, was the
possibility that one of the Istari might come to possess the one ring and succumb to its
corruption, becoming yet another Dark Lord seeking the conquest of middle-earth. In order to minimize this threat, the Valar
forbid the Istari from overt use of their powers or facing the Dark Lord directly, and
had them take the form of elderly men, so they could speak to Elves, humans and dwarves
as equals. Arriving around the year 1000, the blue wizards
Alatar and Pallando took charge over the east of Middle-earth, joined briefly by the White
Wizard and leader of their order Saruman, who then returned to the West where he worked
with the Gandalf the Grey to foster and maintain alliances. Gandalf was the wisest of the Istari, but
also the most humble and mild mannered, learning compassion from the Vala Nienna, lady of mercy. In order to prepare for their mission Gandalf
spent centuries wandering around middle-earth, getting to know it’s people, and doing so
learned about their history and politics, making many friendships and contacts which
later proved crucial for victory. The final wizard Radagast the Brown, was sent
on behalf of the Vala Yavanna, and so dedicated himself to the preservation of wildlife, only
participating in the affairs of his colleagues when absolutely necessary. As the decades went on and the Istari spread
throughout Middle-earth, a strange evil took possession of Amon Lanc, forcing the wood
elves to relocate further north where they built Elvenking’s Hall.* Renamed Dol Guldur,
the former elven stronghold came to be ruled by a being called the Necromancer, whose corruption
spread throughout the Greenwood, hence forth renamed Mirkwood. Though no one knew it at the time, the Necromancer
was Sauron, who needed a base of operations to assemble his servants and send them on
missions to weaken their enemies however possible. Fearing the evil spreading throughout the
forest, many of those living in the area migrated away, like the harfoot clan of the hobbit
people, who left the valley of the Anduin to cross the mountains and settle in eriador. As the centuries went on, they were joined
by other hobbit clans like the Fallohides and Stoors, with most eventually settling
in and around the Shire. Meanwhile, in the lands of men, the Dunedain
at last achieved a lasting victory against the Haradrim of the south, when King Ciryaher
emerged from Umbar and led his forces to conquer their last great enemy, bringing Gondor to
the height of its power and peak of their Golden Age. Renamed Hyarmendacil, meaning south-victor,
the last of the great ship kings ruled until his death in 1149, and was succeeded by his
son Atanatar II. A man who cared nothing for the administration
of the realm, and spent his life delighting in the power and wealth he inherited. Due to his neglect, the Golden Age of Gondor
soon came to an end and their influence slowly began to diminish. Much like Atanatar II, his son and heir Narmacil
had no interest in ruling over the realm, however the realm was fortunate to have his
nephew Minalcar, a promising administrator and military commander who was named Regent
and given charge over the Kingdom. Learning of a rebellion in the east, Minalcar
worked with the northman tribes of Rhovanion living in and around the Greenwood forest. After defeating the Easterlings, Minalcar
changed his name to Romandacil and returned home, having made a number of new friendships
and alliances with the men of the North. Two years later in 1250 TA, the Regent sent
his son Valacar as an ambassador to live under Vidugavia, the self titled King of Rhovanion,
leader of their largest tribe. When King Narmacil died childless decades
later in 1294, his younger brother Calmacil inherited the throne, but he was too old for
the position and so left his son Romandacil as regent, until he too passed away in 1304. Though he had been ruling over Gondor for
over 50 years, Romendacil at last inherited the title of King, which he held until his
death in 1366. Although the Dunedain of Gondor were emerging
from a golden age of prosperity, their kin in Arnor were not fairing as well, having
divided into three realms, constantly at war. Taking advantage of this vulnerability, a
being known as the Witch King of Angmar established himself in the fortress of Carn Dum, gathering
an army of orcs and hill-men, all the while using spies and informants to keep Arnor divided. Though many feared the threat he posed, none
knew he was leader of the Nazgul and Lieutenant of Sauron, who disappeared for over a thousand
years after the wars of the Second Age. Now settled in Dol Guldur, Sauron began his
longterm strategy of weakening the Dunedain in anticipation of his return to power. The Witch King therefore established himself
in the North with the goal of utterly destroying the realms of Arnor. When King Argeleb inherited the rule of Arthedain,
there was a brief hope that peace might follow, as the royal lines of Cardolan and Rhudaur
were no more, meaning he was the last descendant of Isildur with a claim the entire Kingdom. Yet while Cardolan recognized this reality
and accepted his rule, Rhudaur was ruled by servants of the Witch King, who refused and
pledged themselves allies of Angmar. Sending their combined forces to face the
armies of Arthedain in the battle of weather hills, the Witch King achieved a great victory,
killing King Argeleb. However his son and heir Arveleg continued
the struggle, gaining reinforcements from Cardolan and their Elven allies in Lindon,
to push back the enemy and retake the Weather Hills. Forming a defensive line in case of another
attack, the Witch King momentarily halted his advance south and moved east, laying siege
to Rivendell in the hopes of crushing this ally of his enemy before they could join in
the war effort. Although the Elves emerged victorious when
Lord Elrond brought reinforcements from Lothlorien to help lift the siege, the Witch King’s
larger strategy succeeded as he distracted the Elves and prevented them from sending
aid to Arnor. With the Eastern Elves busy fighting in Rivendell
the Witch King next sought to eliminate Arthedain’s greatest ally, and so sent an army against
the front line forces at Amon Sul in 1409, while another host attacked Cardolan directly. Achieving another great victory, the forces
of Angmar succeeded in killing both the Prince of Cardolan and King Arveleg of Arthedain,
in addition to capturing Amon Sul, pushing towards Fornost, occupying Rhudaur and conquering
all of Cardolan save for the capital city of Tyrn Gorthad. Yet this was as far as the Witch King’s
forces could extend and they soon faced the Elves of Lindon who joined young King Araphor
of Arthedain in a counter offensive, pushing back the enemy at Fornost and liberating Amon
Sul. Lord Elrond then arranged for more reinforcements
from Lothlorien, which combined with those from Lindon to attack Angmar and strike a
blow so devastating it took centuries to recover. Though they survived the invasion, Arnor was
a shadow of their former selves, with Rhudaur gone and Cardolan on the verge of collapse. While the realms of Arnor recovered from the
Angmar war, Gondor entered its own period of struggle as they continued to fall from
the heights of their golden age. Living among the northmen of Rhovanion for
years, Valacar, son and heir to King Romendacil II, married the chieftain’s daughter Vidumavi
and had a son they named Eldacar. Wishing to remain on good terms with the Kingdom
of Rhovanion, Romendacil blessed their union, but trouble soon followed when Valacar returned
to Gondor and was publicly seen with a foreign bride and household. Outraged the blood of Dunedain kings was being
diluted with that of common men, Castamir the Usurper, a captain of ships and cousin
to the ruler, started gathering support for his own faction, finding great success in
Umbar and southern gondor. Though small scale rebellions arose during
the reign of Romendacil, his death in 1432 led to a full on civil war when his half-blood
son Eldacar inherited the throne. Engaging in the kin-strife, Eldacar proved
himself a valiant warrior every bit the equal to his full blooded father, yet by 1437, he
was overwhelmed by enemies, resulting in the death of his son and burning of the capital
Osgiliath. Evading capture, Eldacar escaped to his mother’s
people in Rhovanion where he spent the next 10 years gathering an army of northmen and
loyalists from northern Gondor, while Castamir reigned as a cruel tyrant, increasingly loathed
by the people, who then flocked to the exiled king’s banner when he returned to take the
throne. Engaging in the Battle of the Crossings of
Erui, many of Gondor’s best men lost their lives, but in the end Eldacar emerged victorious,
slaying his rival Castamir in single combat. Defeated, the Usurper’s sons retreated with
their navy to Pelargir and then Umbar further South where they found great support from
the Black Numenorians and Haradrim of the region, allowing the sons of Castamir to establish
an independent Lordship. Becoming known as the corsairs of Umbar, their
descendants never abandoned their hatred for Gondor, and continued to raid their settlements
whenever possible. Though Eldacar won the civil war, ruled until
his death in 1490 and was succeeded by his son Aldamir, victory came at a heavy cost,
losing so many Dunedain that migration from Rhovanion and other lands was encouraged to
restore their population. This is turn led to the diluting of their
bloodlines, and the gradual lessening of the divine blessings bestowed upon those descended
from the Numenoreans. Struggling to keep his grasp on the furthest
reaches of realm, Aldamir led his armies south in 1540 and lost his life in battle with the
rebelling kings of harad and their Umbar allies. Inheriting the throne of Gondor, Vinyarion
set out with a great army to avenge his father and after winning a great victory took the
tame Hyrmendacil. After his death in 1621, the throne went to
his son Minardil who just a few years later in 1643, decided to visit southern gondor. Hearing about his journey, Angamaitë and
Sangahyando, the grandsons of Castamir, set out from Umbar to launch a devastating raid
against Pelargir, murdering the king and pillaging the city. Though he ruled for only a few years, it was
under King Minardil that the House of Hurin grew to prominence, when Húrin of Emyn Arnen
was appointed Steward of Gondor. A faithful servant of the crown, Hurin worked
tirelessly for the realm, and made such a name for himself that the title Steward of
Gondor became a hereditary position for the men of his house. In response to the tragic death of Minardil,
his son and successor Telemnar set to work building a fleet to attack Umbar, but the
campaign was undone when a terrible plague arose in the east to spread across the lands
of the west. Likely sent by Sauron, the plague coincided
with the shadow deepening over mirkwood and began by ravaging the sea of Rhun, before
moving west to Rhovanion, Gondor, Eriador and beyond. Though they all suffered greatly, Rhovanion
was hardest hit, losing roughly half their population, while Gondor was next, losing
the king, his children and the white tree. Weakening the realm to such an extent they
abandoned the towers guarding mordor and moved the capital from Osgiliath to Minas Anor. Continuing its path of destruction north towards
Arnor, Cardolan lost the last of their people to the plague, and Angmar prevented resettlement
by sending undead barrow-wights to haunt the land. One of the only realms of men in the west
to be spared the full brunt of this terrible plague, were the hill-men called dunlendings,
as they had little contact with outsiders. After the death of Telemnar and his heirs,
the throne of Gondor was inherited by the king’s nephew Tarondor who planted a second
white tree in the new capital of Minas Anor. Dedicating his reign to the recovery of Gondor,
Tarondor was followed by his son Telumehtar, who felt their strength was sufficient to
take vengeance against Umbar for the death of his great grandfather and their constant
raids on the southern half of the realm. Achieving a great victory in 1810 TA, Gondor
captured Umbar, expelled the corsairs and slayed the last of Castamir’s descendants. To commemorate his success, Telumehtar added
Umbardacil to his name, meaning victor over Umbar. Following the death of the king in 1850 and
succession of his son Narmacil II, Gondor once again found themselves at war, this time
facing the Wainrider, a powerful easterling tribe whose chieftain’s rode chariots into
battle. Encouraged by the emissaries of Sauron, the
Wainriders invaded eastern Gondor in 1851, and in response, Narmacil II gathered a great
army, reinforced by their remaining allies in Rhovanion, to engage in the Battle of the
Plains. Unprepared for the might of the Wainriders,
Gondor lost their king in the fighting and suffered a terrible defeat, retreating back
to the Anduin river. Not only did Gondor surrender their eastern
territories, but their efforts in the east distracted them from the defense of Umbar
which was eventually recaptured by the Haradrim. Their defeat also meant they could no longer
protect their Rhovanion allies, leaving them be enslaved by the victorious wainriders. Outraged by the death of the king, his son
and successor Calimehtar started gathering another army for battle when he received a
message from the Northmen Marhwini, a descendant of the kings of Rhovanion, who now ruled over
the Eotheod, survivors he led into western mirkwood. Marhwini warned that Wainriders would be raiding
Calendardhon, and that if Gondor was able to engage them in battle, the Eotheod would
rise up to join them. Seeking to take advantage of this offer, Calimehtar
marched his army to Dagorlad where he engaged and defeated the Wainriders, with the aid
of Marhwini and his northmen rebels. Halting the advance of the Wainrider, Gondor
and Rhovanion won a few decades of relative peace, as did Araval, King of Arthedain in
Arnor, who upon seeing the power of Angmar once again on the rise, gathered an army of
men reinforced by Elves from Lindon and Rivendell, to attack and defeat the enemy in 1851. Although both Gondor and Arnor achieved important
victories, their joy was short lived and soon enough the attacks continued, leading some
to start questioning how it was they were facing so many enemies, wondering if perhaps
there was a greater power coordinating the downfall of their kingdoms. Over two thousand years after the destruction
of their homeland, the Kingdoms founded by the surviving Dunedain of Numenor were severely
weakened and surrounded by enemies. Winning a few decades of peace between wars,
King Ondoher of Gondor married his daughter Firiel to Prince Arvedui, son of the King
of Arthedain in Arnor, hoping their renewed bond of friendship might increase their defensive
capabilities. Yet this alliance ultimately did little good,
as the Dark Lord Sauron plotted in the shadows to undermine their efforts and destroy both
kingdoms. Still weak from his defeat at the end of the
second age, Sauron recovered his strength in Dol Guldur, while his servants carried
out his will, with some moving east to visit the Wainriders who failed in their most recent
attempt to invade Gondor. Encouraging them to build up their forces
once more, the Wainriders travelled South of Mordor to befriend the men of Khand and
Near Harad, other enemies of Gondor with their own scores to settle. Coordinating their efforts, the Easterling
and Southron alliance attacked the Kingdom of Gondor from both the North and South in
1944 TA. Fortunately, the Lord of the Eotheod, an ally
to Gondor, spotted the enemy approaching and sent a warning to King Ondoher, who around
the same time also heard about an invasion in the south and so prepared to face the enemy
on two fronts. Splitting up his forces, General Earnil, a
relative of the king led the smaller army south, while Ondoher and his eldest son Artamir
took the larger host North. Wishing to secure the succession in case they
did not return, the King ordered his youngest son Faramir to stay behind as regent, while
the rest marched to the Battle of Morannon, where Ondoher led the Center, his nephew Minohtar
commanded the right wing, and the noble prince Ardrahil was in charge of the right. Yet the men of Gondor were not expecting the
Wainriders to be so eager for vengeance, riding their chariots and horses with all haste to
unexpectedly descend upon the King’s army, cutting them down in a savage attack. Destroying their center ranks, both King Ondoher
and his son Artamir were killed, leaving Minohtar of the right flank in command of their forces. Despite being on the verge of defeat, the
news somehow got worse, when the Lord of the Eotheod informed the General that Prince Faramir,
youngest son of the King and Regent of Gondor, who was supposed to be safe in Minas Anor,
was killed in the fighting. Unwilling to remain behind while his family
went to war, Faramir disobeyed his father and wore a disguise to infiltrate the army,
fighting with the Eotheod, and dying during an attack in the dead marshes. Finding little time to mourn, General Minohtar
was then attacked and slain by the Wainriders, leaving the last of their forces under the
command of Prince Ardrahil, though they too were defeated, allowing the Easterlings to
proudly declare victory, and begin a raucous celebration. Losing the greater part of their forces in
the north, Earnil and his host faced difficult odds in the south, as the men of Khand and
near Harad swept in from the east to capture Umbar, thereby cutting off any possible support
from their remaining allies in the region. The enemy then moved north to attack Ithilien
and at last there advance was halted and forced into retreat by the army of Earnil. Hearing about the loss of their king in the
Disaster of the Morannon, Earnil wasted no time after their victory and immediately marched
to face the Wainriders in the north, only to find them drunk, merry and utterly distracted. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Earnil
charged against them in the Battle of the Camp, vanquishing the enemy and ending the
immediate threat. Despite their alliance, no aid came from Arthedain
during the invasion of Gondor, as the last realm of Arnor was busy trying to keep the
forces of Angmar in the North from overrunning their defenses. Though the Kingdom of Arnor was once a large
and powerful realm, centuries of division and war left them a shell of their former
selves, relying on military aid from the Elves of Lindon and Rivendell to survive. Yet their monarch Araphant, was not only the
ruler of Arnor, but as a direct descendant of Isildur, was also High King of all Dunedain,
and so had some sway over all their people. Therefore when the question of succession
arose in Gondor, following the death of the king and his sons, Araphant’s heir Arvedui,
who was married to Firiel, last surviving child of Ondoher, submitted himself as a candidate
to rule Gondor and one day unify the kingdoms. But the people of Gondor rejected his offer
as they recognized the weakness of Arnor and no longer considering them an equal power,
instead choosing the war hero Earnil as their new King. Ruling with wisdom and humility, Earnil sent
a letter to Arvedui upon his ascension thanking Arnor for their friendship and promising to
send aid when possible. As the soldiers of Arnor continued to struggle
in holding back the Witch King of Angmar, events finally came to a breaking point in
1974, when the enemy army overran Arthedain’s defenses, and conquered the capital of Fornost. Bringing whatever heirlooms he could, King
Arvedui, who inherited the throne upon the death of his father, gathered his people and
fled to create defensive position in the North Downs. Yet once again the armies of Angmar were upon
them, and so the monarch led his people to take refuge in the blue mountains, while his
son Aranarth, having been cut off from his father during the fall of Fornost, went west
to seek assistance from Lord Cirdan of Lindon, who immediately sent a ship to search for
his ally. Running out of supplies, Arvedui had no choice
but to leave the Blue Mountains and find the Lossoth, also known as the snowmen of Forochel,
an ancient tribe of humans descended from the Forodwaith of the First Age, who adapted
to living in the cold. When the threat of Angmar arose in the third
age, the Lossoth migrated to the cape of Forochel, where the enemy could not follow. Desperate for food and shelter, King Arvedui
approached the primitive people and offered jewels of great value for their aid. But the Lossoth had no interest in such things,
and instead helped them out of pity and fear for their weapons. When the Elves of Lindon at last arrived on
a great ship to rescue the King, the Lossoth were astounded, as they knew nothing of sailing
technology. Hoping to convince Arvedui to stay until the
Witch King was defeated, the Chieftain warned that boarding this sea monster would bring
about calamity, but the ruler was determined to return south and continue the struggle. To thank the Lossoth for their assistance,
the King gifted them the Ring of Barahir, a priceless heirloom from the First Age, passed
down through the noble houses of the Edain. Unfortunately, the Lossoth were correct in
their prediction, and the Elves were struck by a terrible ice stormh on the return journey,
resulting in the destruction of the ship, death of the king, and loss of great Numenorean
heirlooms like two of the Palantiri. Learning that his father was lost, Aranarth
inherited the rule of Arnor, only to realize his kingdom no longer existed. Therefore, he did not take the title of King,
and instead, as a descendant of Isildur through his father, and Anarion through his mother,
declared himself Chieftain of the Dunedain, gathering whatever soldiers of Arnor remained
to create the Rangers of the North, a band of elite warriors dedicated to waging a long
term war against the dark armies throughout their former lands and beyond. The children and families of these Rangers,
along with the heirlooms they still possessed, went to Rivendell, where they lived under
the protection of Lord Elrond, who shared kinship with the royal house of the Dunedain. Hearing about Angmar’s invasion, King Earnil
of Gondor started gathering a great host under the command of his son Earnur to march north
and help his allies, but they arrived too late, finding Arnor destroyed and their King
dead. Making contact with the Elves of Lindon and
Rangers of Aranarth, Gondor formed a coalition army that even included a company of hobbit
archers from the shire, and marched upon Angmar, hoping to claim vengeance for the loss of
Arnor and finally end the northern threat. Meeting at the Battle of Fornost, the Witch
King was confident in victory, and initiated the attack, only to be overwhelmed by the
enemy and forced into retreat. Falling back to Angmar, the Witch King was
further troubled when an army from Rivendell arrived, led by the powerful Glorfindel, to
aid the alliance. With his forces destroyed and his realm beset
by enemies, the Witch King stepped forth to personally do battle with Earnur of Gondor. But his look and presence was so terrifying,
Earnur’s horse frightened and fled with the Prince on his back. Laughing and mocking the flight of his adversary,
the Witch King was soon silenced by Glorfindel who charged and attacked with such fury, he
too fled the battle, disappearing into the shadows. Though Earnur wished to pursue him, Glorfindel
claimed it was useless as his death lay elsewhere, saying “He will not return to this land. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand
of man shall he fall.” Though he suffered a defeat and was unable
to permanently establish the realm of Angmar, the Wtich King succeeded in his primary mission
of destroying Arnor, thereby leaving a weakened Gondor as the last Kingdom of the Dunedain. Now ready to focus his attention on the south,
the Witch King journeyed to Mordor where he reunited with the other Nazgul and formed
a new army which they used to besiege Minas Ithil in 2000 TA. Within two years they captured the city and
its great treasures, including another of the Palantiri. Changing the name to Minal Morgul, it became
the home of the Witch King, while Gondor’s capital of Minas Anor was renamed Minas Tirith,
meaning Tower of the Guard. After the death of Earnil in 2043, his son
Earnur inherited the throne, and while he was known as a warrior of great renown, this
also meant he felt deeply embarrassed that his horse made him flee from combat against
the Witch King. Taking advantage of his warrior’s pride,
the Nazgul leader sent out a message following his capture of Minas Morgul, challenging Earnur
to single combat. Realizing this was a terrible idea, the Steward
of Gondor convinced the king to refuse. But when the Witch King issued the challenge
again 7 years later, Earnur could not be restrained, riding with a small party of companions into
Minas Morgul, never to be seen again. Before his departure, he visited the Hallows
where Nobility was buried, and left the crown of Gondor upon the lap of a statue of his
father, and there it remained, as no new king was chosen, with power instead given to Mardil
Voronwë of the House of Hurin, who was named ruling Steward, meaning he and his descendants
were to rule over Gondor until the return of the king. Following the devastating conclusion of the
centuries long Angmar War, the Dunedain realm of Arnor was gone, while Gondor, still united
but greatly diminished in power, became the new target of the Witch King who began another
centuries long campaign in the south. Yet for some at least, the defeat of Angmar,
continued protection of the Rangers and withdrawal of the Nazgul leader, meant a respite from
the years of terror which gripped their region of the continent. Two years after the Witch King’s retreat
south, the Eotheod living between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood at last felt they could
safely move their people, establishing Framsberg in the Grey Mountains, while in 1979 the Hobbits
of the Shire, formerly subjects of Arnor, elected Bucca of the Marsh to rule their lands
as an independent realm. Bucca brought them years of peace and prosperity,
with the Shire becoming such an idyllic place for their people, they became deeply isolationist
and largely neutral to all outside conflicts. Those who descended from Bucca of the Marsh,
were of the Oldbuck clan, which later became the Brandybucks, producing heroes like Meriadoc
Brandybuck, one of the Nine Companions in the Fellowship of the Ring. Yet while the hobbits thrived in this new
world, the Dwarves of Durin’s Folk faced their greatest loss to date. Waking during the years of the trees in Mount
Gundabad between the Grey and Misty Mountains, Durin the Deathless, eldest of the 7 fathers
to the Dwarven race, journeyed south and founded the realm of Khazad-dum, where his people
and descendants thrived for thousands of years. The adopted children of Iluvatar, the Dwarves
were originally created by the Vala Aule the Smith, and so possessed an innate love of
precious jewels, working as miners to extract wealth from their mountain home. Discovering Mithril, a substance stronger
than steel but lighter and more beautiful, they continued to delve deeper into the misty
mountains throughout the first and second ages until the year 1980 of the Third Age,
when they awoke a Balrog of Morgoth. Maiar fire spirits born before the creation
of the world, the Balrogs chose to follow the First Dark Lord Morgoth, serving as his
loyal warriors and protectors throughout the years of his rule. When Morgoth was defeated and expelled from
the world, the Balrogs who survived went to sleep deep underground, where no more was
heard from them, until the awakening of Durin’s Bane in the Misty Mountains, who wrought terror
upon the Longbeard Clan of Khazad dum. Waging war on the beast, the dwarves lost
many including their King Durin VI and his successor King Nain I, forcing them to abandon
their ancestral homeland and seek refuge in the Grey Mountains of the North. Renamed Moria, meaning the Black pit, Khazad
Dum was left entirely to the Balrog, where he remained for centuries as a nameless terror
inspiring fear in neighbouring lands. Since Sauron was only a Maia like Durin’s
Bane, and nowhere near as powerful as their former master Morgoth, none can say whether
the second dark Lord might have convinced the Balrog to join him, but it is possible
they at least had some sort of contact or alliance, as only the Orcs and other servants
of Sauron were permitted to populate his realm. Unfortunately, while both the Eotheod and
Longbeards migrated to the Grey Mountains seeking peace, they were plagued by further
conflict and death. No strangers to these lands, Durin’s Folk
settled the Grey Mountains thousands of years earlier and held colonies in Erebor and the
iron hills. But as was so often the case, the extraordinary
wealth they mined from the mountains brought about their downfall, when it attracted the
attention of Scatha the Worm, a dragon which resided in the furthest reaches of the North. Attacking the Dwarves, Scatha took their home
and treasure, forcing them into flight, and many years later in the Third Age still resided
in the mountains, an ever present threat to the Eotheod and Longbeards in the area. Rising to the challenge, the hero Fram, son
to the Lord of the Eotheod made his way into the beast’s lair and slayed the mighty dragon,
before removing its teeth as a war prize. Claiming the treasure for the Eotheod, Fram
was hailed as a hero by his people, but was soon vilified by the Dwarves, when they demanded
he return the wealth stolen by the dragon long ago. Refusing to give them what he earned, he instead
sent them the teeth of the dragon along with a note that read “Jewels such as these you
will not match in your treasuries, for they are hard to come by." Outraged by what they saw as an insult and
mockery, the Dwarves responded with violence, killing the hero Fram, and may have taken
back a share of the treasure, though the Eotheod retained some as well. In the year 1999, King Thrain of Durin’s
Folk brought their people to Erebor and established the Kingdom Under the Mountain as their new
homeland. Once again they went to work extracting the
wealth of Mountain, becoming so prosperous, the nearby town of Dale was established by
northmen seeking trade with the dwarves. The most precious of all the jewels they found
was the Arkenstone, a shimmering gemstone unlike any other which became a symbol and
heirloom for the royal family. Some have theorized this precious jewel was
in fact one of the three Silmarils crafted by Feanor in the Years of the Trees, later
stolen by Morgoth and through a series of extraordinary events and tragedies, left in
the hands of Maedhros, eldest son of Feanor. Sickened by all the acts of great evil he’d
committed for his prize, and plagued by a constant pain from the jewel burning in his
hand, he finally ended his misery by throwing himself and Silmaril into a fiery chasm. With so much war and chaos in the lands of
Middle-earth, and great darkness overtaking Mirkwood, Gandalf the Grey, an Istari wizard
from Valinor sent to help defeat Sauron, suspected the Necromancer of Dol Guldur may in fact
be the Second Dark Lord and so went to investigate in 2063, only to find it empty, as Sauron
fled East to escape notice. Thanks to this event, the people of the West
were given a respite from his schemes leading to a period of roughly 4 centuries, called
the Watchful Peace, where many of the hostilities fuelled by the Dark Lord were halted. Yet this was only a façade, as Sauron was
increasing his strength by rallying the men of the East, while the Nazgul continued on
in the West, working in the shadows to breed more orcs, trolls and other monsters, with
the With King reigning in Minas Morgul, while Khamul the Easterling was given charge over
Dol Guldur. Finished with his work in the East, Sauron
secretely returned to Dol Guldur in 2460, and just a few years later in 2463, Lady Galadriel
called for the forming of a White Council, consisting of the available Istari and great
Elven Lords, who selected Gandalf the Grey as their leader. But Gandalf, ever the humble and independent
spirit declined the offer, allowing for Saruman the White to be given the honour. Saruman, a wise and powerful wizard, was also
prideful and forever resented Gandalf for being the council’s first choice. As fate would have it, in this same year,
the One Ring of power and ultimate prize so coveted by Sauron, missing for nearly 2 and
half thousand years, was finally found, by the Stoor hobbit Deagol as he fished the anduin
river. Fishing alongside his friend Smeagol who was
celebrating a birthday, the two quickly got into an argument as each tried to claim the
ring. As both men were relatively greedy and selfish
hobbits, the ring corrupted them almost immediately and led a frenzied fight ending with Smeagol
killing Deagol before fleeing into the mountains with the ring. Completely unknown to the outside world, Smeagol
lived alone for centuries, seeing his life extended by the power of the ring, but was
twisted in both mind and body by its corruption, transforming into a split personality monster
called Gollom, willing to go to any lengths to keep his precious prize. Settling north west of mirkwood, by 2501 TA
the Eotheod were led by Leod, a great horse trained who died after being thrown from the
back of a particularly wilful and powerful white horse, whose ancestors were said to
come from the Undying Lands of the West, brought by the Vala Orome who travelled throughout
middle-earth. Succeeded by his son Eorl, the 16 year old
Lord tracked down the horse demanding that it give up its freedom as payment for his
father’s death. The extraordinary horse, who some say could
understand human speech, agreed and became Eorl’s faithful companion for the rest of
his life. Named Felaróf, meaning very strong, he became
the father of the Mearas, the greatest horses of the Northmen, reserved exclusively for
their rulers. Among Felarof’s descendants, were Snowmane
the steed of King Theoden who fought in the war of the ring, and shadowfax, a grey mare
chosen by the wizard Gandalf, the only known Mearas given to someone outside the royal
line. Further south in 2509, Celebrian, wife of
Elrond took a trip to visit her parents Galadriel and Celeborn in Lothlorien, when she was attacked
by orcs, taken captive, poisoned and cruelly tortured. Learning what occurred, her sons Elladan and
Elrohir charged to her rescue, slayed the enemy and returned her to Rivendell where
she was physically healed, but the emotional and psychological damage proved too much,
and so she said goodbye to her family and set sail for the Undying Lands of the West. A year later in 2510 TA, Gondor faced yet
another invasion from the easterlings, this time facing the Balcoth faction, possible
descendants of the Wainriders, who waged their own war of conquest centuries earlier. Serving the interests of Sauron in Dol Guldur,
the Balcoth were supported by the Orcs of the Misty Mountains, resulting in the invasion
of Calenardhon from two sides. Fallen far from the strength they once held,
Gondor’s population in this region was low, and their garrisons minimal, allowing the
Balcoth and Orcs to quickly defeat and surround the northern army, while positioning themselves
to hold back their southern reinforcements. Yet just as all hope seemed lost, their old
allies the Eotheod arrived, responding to the red arrow, a symbol carried by messenger
of Gondor which meant they were asking for military aid. After defeating enemy forces in the Battle
of the Field of Celebrant, the Eotheod joined the Northern and Southern armies of Gondor
in expelling the orcs and easterlings from the province. With the war won, Cirion, Steward of Gondor,
rewarded the Eotheod for their service by gifting them Calenardhon, the lands they fought
for, allowing Eorl to move their people south and found the Kingdom of Rohan. As part of this arrangement, both leaders
swore a sacred oath, binding Gondor and Rohan as eternal allies, who would come to each-others
aid whenever needed. Using the beacons of Gondor as an initial
warning of danger between the realms, the official call for military aid would continue
to be a messenger carrying a red arrow. A few decades later in 2545 the Easterlings
renewed their invasion of Rohan, leading to the death of King Eorl and his horse Felarof
in the Battle of the Wold. Succeeding his father, King Brego continued
the war, eventually driving the easterlings from his lands in addition to defending against
Dunlending and orc advances in the north and west. Bringing some measure of peace to their lands,
he built the famed royal hall Meduseld in the capital of Edoras and held a celebration
upon its completion. Yet this joy soon turned to tragedy, as the
king’s son Baldor took the opportunity to announce he would prove his valor by venturing
into the paths of dead. Thousands of years earlier when Gondor first
established their rule, the King of the Mountain realm pledged his loyalty, yet when the final
battle with Sauron came, refused to fight and fled with his men into the mountains surrounding
what became the paths of the dead. Furious at their cowardice Isildur cursed
them, keeping their spirits bound to the region until their oaths were fulfilled. Many years later in the third age, their ghosts
continued to haunt these mountains, and so when Baldor marched forth onto the path, he
was lost, never to reemerge. Heartbroken at the death of his son, King
Brego died of grief, leaving his second son Aldor as their ruler. A few decades later in 2570, the dwarves of
Durin’s folk faced yet another war to defend their homeland, when the dragons of the far
north descended upon the Grey Mountains, slaughtering their people and stealing their treasures. Known to target Dwarves due to their wealth, the Dragon race was originally created by the Dark Lord Morgoth in the First Age, and
after his defeat, retreated north where they bred new generations of their species. Attracted to treasure, these dragons would
occasionally leave their lands to prey upon the peoples of the south, specifically targeting
the 7 dwarven clans, as they lived in mountains and excelled as miners, collecting vast quantities
of gold, mithril and precious gems. Yet even so, regular dragon attacks did not
become a serious problem until Sauron gave 7 magic rings to the 7 Kings of the dwarves,
a gift designed to enslave their people to the Second Dark Lord’s will, but ultimately
failed as they were resistant to such influence. Yet in one aspect the rings did cause harm,
as they enhanced both the natural abilities and desires of their wearers. Since the Dwarven kings already loved mining
for treasure, the rings brought about obsession, gathering vast hordes of treasure unlike anything
they’d ever seen before. This greed and never ending pursuit of wealth
then attracted the dragons who laid waste to many of their homelands, destroying or
consuming 4 of the 7 rings of power. Sauron in turn was able to recover 2 more,
leaving the last one with the King of the Longbeard clan. Suffering their own hardships over the years,
Durin’s folk lost their homeland to the Balrog of Moria, and thus were split up, eventually
settling in the Grey Mountains, Erebor and Iron Hills. In the year 2210, King Thorin I called for
their people to be reunited, choosing the grey mountains as their permanent home. Yet the concentration of wealth in one area
and proximity to the far north, made them too tempting a target, and so in 2570 the
war began with dragons sweeping in to reign down destruction. Although the Dwarves fiercely resisted, possessing
a natural resistance to heat which aided them in battle with some forms of dragon, in 2589
their King Dain I and his sons Fror were killed by a cold-drake, leaving Thror to inherit
leadership and lead the retreat. Breaking up once more, some of Durin’s folk
followed the King to settle once more in Erebor, while others went with his brother Gror to
the Iron Hills. Ruled by Gondor for thousands of years, Isengard
was home to the Tower of Orthanc, a 500 foot tall, impenetrable tower built by the Dunedain,
where they stored many of the treasures brought from the kingdom of Numenor. As their power declined and the northern population
dwindled, most significantly after the great plague of 1636, Gondor withdrew resources
from the region, closing Orthanc and sending its keys to the capital Minas Tirith. Despite the difficult circumstances, they
attempted to retain control by creating the hereditary title Lord of Isengard and charging
this noble line to maintain a permanent garrison outside the tower. For many years this worked well, but as Gondor’s
influence continued to lessen, the people of Isengard developed friendships with the
Dunlendings of the west, relatively primitive hill-men considered enemies of the Dunedain. When Gondor withdrew their people from Calenardhon,
it was the Dunlendings who moved in to settle the land, mixing with whoever remained. Yet they acted without Gondor’s permission
and so when the land was later given to the Northmen, they founded the Kingdom of Rohan,
uprooting and driving the Dunelendings back into the west. While Rohan went on to enjoy a golden Age
of Prosperity, the Dunlendings now considered them the enemies, further strengthening their
relations with the men of Isengard who shared a disdain for the northmen. Yet even so, Isengard remained loyal to Gondor
for many more years, until a combination of events led to their downfall. Not only did the Lord of Isengard’s bloodline
die out with no more heirs, but the Stewards of Gondor lost all interest in this far away
colony, no longer checking up on them at all. Now ruled by a council of the highest ranking
Dunedain warriors, the population of Isengard further intermixed with the Dunlendings, allowing
to settles outside the walls. Events then culminated in 2710, when the Dunlendings
seized control of Isengard, and killed any remaining loyalists who refused to surrender. As Gondor was unable to spare any of their
forces, Isengard became a Dunlending realm, openly hostile to the horselords of Rohan,
who were on the decline from their golden age and so lacked the strength to take them
head on, instead merely sending riders to defend their western holdings. In the coming decades, conflict escalated
not only in Rohan, but also Eriador further north, where in 2740 they faced an Orc invasion. Fortunately, the warriors called Rangers,
descended from the Dunedain of Arnor, continued to patrol and defend their ancient homelands,
beating back enemy forces. Yet even so, their victory was incomplete,
as a band of orcs led by King Golfimbul of Mount Gram slipped passed them to find the
prosperous realm of the shire, ripe for conquest. Sounding the alarm, Bandobras Took, the legendary
hobbit hero rallied their defences, resulting in the Battle of the Greenfields in 2747. Despite many centuries of peace in the shire,
and little to no combat experience, the hobbits fought valiantly and defeated the orcs, with
Bandobras striking off the head of their king. By the following year in 2748, Eriador was
largely free of Orc influence once more. Returning south, the Kingdom of Rohan continued
to struggle with Dunlending raids in the west, while also facing domestic troubles at home. Born of mixed northmen and dunlending blood,
the noble lord Freca made his lands in Adorn rich and prosperous to the point where he
felt no need to attend councils or obey commands from King Helm in Edoras. Claiming descent from King Freawine who ruled
a century earlier, Freca was proud and ambitious, travelling to the capital in 2754 with a retinue
of men hoping to pressure them into arranging a marriage between Helm’s daughter and his
son Wulf. Yet Helm was a mighty warrior in no way intimidated,
instead rejecting the proposal with insults and disrespect. Enraged, Freca spoke harshly in return prompting
the king to strike him dead with a blow so fierce he earned the nickname hammerhand. Upon the death of their leader, Wulf and the
men of Adorn were declared enemies of rohan, leading them to take refuge with the Dunlendings
who accepted them warmly. Four years later in 2758, Wulf son of Freca,
was in command of Isengard and ready to take his revenge. Allying with other enemies of Gondor and Rohan,
the Corsairs of Umbar and their Haradrim supporters invaded from the south, while Wulf led the
Dunlending of Isengard to war in the north. With Gondor distracted and unable to send
reinforcements, Wulf led his people to great victories, winning the battle of the Fords
of Isen, before capturing the capital of Edoras, slaying Helm’s eldest son Prince Haleth,
and taking the Golden Hall of Medusled where he declared himself King. Driven into exile, Helm Hammerhand retreated
to the fortress of the Hornburg where they were besieged. To make matters worse, the region then suffered
through 5 months of extreme cold called the Long Winter, devastating both sides of the
conflict. Facing starvation in the Hornburg, Helm’s
last remaining son Hama led a group of men outside the walls in search of food but never
returned. Devastated by the loss of his kingdom and
both his sons, Helm Hammerhand dedicated wherever remained of his life to causing as much damage
to their enemy as possible, beginning with the psychological damage of blowing a great
warhorn every night to announce his coming. He then crept out of the hornburg alone, dressed
in white to stalk and silently kill as many as possible. Night after night, Helm blew the horn and
terrorized the enemy camp, until at last he succumbed to famine and cold, freezing to
death in a fighting stance. With the southern invasion defeated and Long
Winter at an end, Gondor at last sent reinforcements North, where they combined with what remained
of Rohan’s army hiding in Dunharrow to drive out Dunlending forces. With the king and his sons dead, leadership
fell to Helm’s nephew Frealaf, born to his younger sister Hild, another mighty warrior
who personally led a raid into Edoras where he killed King Wulf and liberated the capital. Clearing the land of enemies, the combined
armies of Rohan and Gondor laid siege to Isengard and starved out the last remaining Dunlendings,
after which the land was given to the wizard Saruman, along with the keys to the Tower
Orthanc, in the hopes this powerful ally might help keep Rohan safe in the future. While Saruman concerned himself with the great
realms of the south, the wizard Gandalf was more concerned with the fate of his Hobbit
friends in the Shire, and so spent the Long Winter helping them survive. Thriving under King Thror, the Dwarves of
Erebor prospered greatly from their mining operations and friendly trade relations with
neighbouring powers. Yet as was often the case for their people,
excessive wealth brought about their doom, attracting the attention of the northern Dragon
Smaug the terrible, who attacked the Lonely Mountain in 2770 TA, claiming their treasure
as his own. Fleeing for their lives some of Durin’s
folk joined their kin in the Iron Hills, while others followed King Thror to the Dunland
Hills, where they lived in poverty and struggled to survive. By 2790, King Thror grew disheartened by the
state of his people and so gifted his son Thrain the last of the Seven Dwarven Rings
of Power and a map of the Lonely Mountain, before departing on a quest to their ancestral
homeland of Khazad-dum, now called Moria. Despite the danger from orcs and durin’s
bane, Thror proudly marched through the eastern gate alone, while his friend Nar waited for
his return. A few days later, Nar learned Thror was captured
by the orcs, tortured and beheaded, with the name Azog carved into his forehead. Naming himself the new King of Moria, Azog
the Defiler furthered this insult by giving Nar a small bag of coins to serve as a messenger,
warning of death for any who ventured onto his lands. As he departed, Nar saw Thror’s body hacked
into pieces and fed to the crows. Informing Thrain of all that occurred, the
new King sat in silence for 7 days before rising furiously to proclaim "This cannot
be borne!" Not only did Thrain send for the armies of
Durin’s folk, but he also called upon the other Dwarven Clans scattered across middle-earth,
each of whome responded by sending armies to avenge the fallen king. A proud and determined people, they spent
the next 3 years gathering their forces before finally invading the Misty Mountains through
Mount Gundabad in the North, purging the Northern half of the mountains down to the Gladden
river. Excelling in underground combat, the Dwarves
inflicted massive casualties upon the Orcs of the misty mountains, but paid a heavy price
for their victories, losing over half their army in the fighting. The six year campaign ultimately culminated
in the Battle of Azanulbizar in 2799, when Lord Nain and his son Dain secured victory
for the dwarves by bringing reinforcements from the Iron Hills. Among the many casualties, the king’s second
son Frerin and kinsmen Fundin were killed, while Thrain lost an eye and his first son
Thorin was wounded. In the midst of battle Thorin lost his shield
and so used an oaken tree branch to defend himself, earning the nickname Oakenshield. In their final push against enemy forces,
Azog the Defiler fought and killed the Lord of the Iron hills, only to then be confronted
and beheaded by Nain’s son Dain Ironfoot. The battle won, the dwarves completed their
victory by stuffing the same bag of coins they received from Azog directly into his
mouth before fixing his head on a stake. King Thrain, seeing the orc armies destroyed,
wanted to continue the war by marching into Moria to reclaim the ancient homeland of Durin’s
Folk. But the Dwarves of other clans refused, stating
their mission to avenge King Thror was complete, and would not risk more men for a homeland
that was not their own. Even Durin’s Folk refused to continue, after
Dain Ironfoot reported that he’d seen the Balrog of Moria, waiting for them in the Mountain. The war concluded, the grand dwarven Army
disbanded, and the other clans returned to their own lands, while many of Durin’s folk
followed Lord Dain Ironfoot to the Ironhills. The rest settled in the Blue Mountains under
King Thrain and his son Thorin Oakenshield. In the aftermath of the war, the surviving
orcs of the misty mountains fled and took refuge in the White mountains of the south,
where they survived by raiding settlements in the nearby realm of Rohan. Oppositely, the defeat of the orcs in the
north, gave the lands of Eriador many years of peace, though it also led to Azog the Defiler’s
son Bolg taking the leadership of Gundabad, where he spent years rebuilding their forces. For 40 years, King Thrain II reigned in the
Blue Mountians, growing increasingly desperate to reclaim the riches left behind in their
former kingdom. In 2841, Thrain left his son Thorin as leader
of their people to embark upon a quest with a small company, including his friends Dwalin
and Balin, to explore the lonely mountain and see if the danger was still present. Learning of their mission, the Dark Lord Sauron
laid a trap, sending beasts and bad weather to eventually force them to take shelter in
the forest of Mirkwood, where he sent his agents to capture Thrain in the night. Bringing him to Dol Guldur, they took his
ring of power, inflicted torture and left him to die. Meanwhile, the wizard Gandalf the Grey embarked
on a quest to find the vanished king, making his way in secret through moria to no avail. Eventually, his investigations brought him
once again to Dol Guldur, where he found Thrain in a sorry state, half mad and unable to remember
his own name. Nevertheless, Gandalf gathered useful information,
learning that Sauron was back and seeking the remaining rings of power while posing
as the Necromancer of Dol Guldur. Summoning the last of his strength, Thrain
gave Gandalf the key and map to Erebor before passing away. Gathering the White Council to report his
finding, Gandalf urged an immediate attack to destroy Sauron and his forces while still
relatively weak. But Saruman disagreed, claiming the dark lord
posed no threat without the One Ring of Power, which long ago was carried into the sea. Swaying the Council, they chose to take no
action, trusting Saruman to watch over the situation and prevent it from escalating further. Despite this decision, both Gandalf and Elrond
of Rivendell continued to believe Sauron and the one ring posed a significant threat. Yet what none of them realized, was that corrupt
ambition already took the heart of Saruman, who’d grown jealous of Sauron, and wanted
to replace him as ruler of Middle-earth. To this end, he used his position to keep
the White Council from interfering, while he sent his agents to search for the One Ring
in the Anduin river, hoping to claim it for himself. Having fled from the war in the Misty Mountains,
a new Orc faction emerged in the White Mountains of the south, causing trouble for the lands
of Rohan. Taking up the fight, King Brytta led his forces
to battle and inflicted a punishing defeat, before returning to the capital in the mistaken
belief the threat was eliminated. Yet by 2851, the Orcs once again began their
raids, killing Brytta’s son King Walda of Rohan. Inheriting the throne and war, Walda’s son
Folca gathered his armies and at last eliminated the Orc presence in the White Mountains. Folca then died during a boar hunt in 2864,
leaving his son Folcwine as king. Two decades later in 2885, King Folcwine sent
his sons Folcred and Fastred with an army to help support their allies in Gondor. Suffering an invasion by the Haradrim, Southern
Gondor was under occupation, with intense fighting along the poros river. Though the allied forces won the critical
Battle at the Crossings of Poros, it was a bitter victory for Rohan, as both Folcred
and Fastred were killed. Following their victory in southern Gondor
against the Haradrim invaders, the lands of Ithilien suffered increasing Orc and Uruk-hai
attacks, prompting the Steward Turin II to withdraw his people from the region in 2901
TA, leaving only scouts and warriors to keep watch over Mordor from the outpost of Henneth
Annun. Further north in the lands of Eriador, tragedy
once against struck in 2911, when a harsh Fell Winter wrought havoc upon the Hobbits
of the shire. Though not as bad as the Long Winter nearly
2 centuries prior, it nonetheless threatened mass devastation, when an army of White Wolves
invaded by crossing over the frozen Brandywine River, forcing the hobbits to sound the Horn
of Buckland, calling their people to take up arms and defend their homeland. Further damage was then inflicted upon Eriador
when the Fell Winter ended in 2912, as the melting ice and snow led local rivers to flood,
leaving the city of Thrabad in ruins while its human population fled. Originally founded by the men of Numenor in
the Second Age, the Dunedain population gradually diminished until replaced by the Dunlendings
who migrated from the south for settlements like Tharbad and Bree. Though he continued to operate in the shadows,
almost 3000 years after his defeat in the War of the Last Alliance, the Dark Lord Sauron
was nearly ready to launch a second, large-scale invasion, for the conquest of middle-earth. Despite numerous setbacks like the defeat
of the Orcs in the Misty Mountains, his armies were vast and growing stronger by the day,
with thousands of orcs bred in Mordor in addition to his servants and allies from the east and
south. Yet in order to secure his stranglehold over
the continent, Sauron still had two major objectives he needed to accomplish. The first was to restore his personal strength
by finding the One Ring of Power, and the second, was to destroy the Dunedain Kingdom
of Gondor, thereby eliminating the most significant military threat to his forces. Standing in opposition to the Dark Lord, was
the wizard Gandalf the Grey, who, in the absence of Saruman’s leadership, took on the role
of General and master strategist for the free peoples of middle-earth. Where Sauron had the loyalty of Mordor, Dol
Guldur, the remaining Orcs of the Misty Mountains, the Easterlings, the Haradrim of the south,
the corsairs of Umbar, and the Variags of Khand; the peoples of the west, could primarily
rely on support from the human Kingdoms of Gondor and Rohan, The Elves of the Woodland
Realm, Lothlorien, and Rivendell, The Dwarves of the Iron Hills and Erebor, and the Humans
of Dale, who were allied with the Dwarves. Unfortunately, a large portion of their northern
defenses were eliminated in 2770, when the dragon Smaug the terrible destroyed the city
of Dale, and occupied the Kingdom of Under the Mountain. Realizing Smaug, who descended from a species
which served the First Dark Lord Morgoth, had the potential to become a devastating
ally to the Second Dark Lord, Gandalf convinced the Dwarven exile Thorin Oakenshield and his
12 companions to reclaim Erebor and eliminate the dragon, in 2941. With the help of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins,
the company of dwarves entered the lonely mountain but were unable to subdue the dragon,
causing him to depart and unleash his fury on the nearby human settlement of Lake-town. Learning about an unprotected bare patch on
the dragon’s chest, Bard the Bowman, a descendent of the last Lord of Dale, shot a powerful
black arrow directly into this weak spot, and killed the dragon Smaug, instantly becoming
a hero and leader to his people. Having lost their town, and suffered greatly
from the beast unleashed by the Dwarves, Bard, planned to lead the townsfolk to the Lonely
Mountain, where they might seek recompense through a portion of Erebor’s treasure hoard. The humans were then joined by King Thranduil
and an army of Elves from Mirkwood, who thought the Dwarves were dead and so wanted to claim
the treasure for themselves. Upon seeing the plight of Bard and his people,
the Elves aided them with supplies and temporary shelters, before descending upon the Lonely
Mountain together, in search of its treasure. Finding the entrance blocked and Dwarven Company
still alive, Bard attempted to negotiate but Thorin refused after seeing they arrived armed
and with Elves who had no rightful claim to their wealth. Unwilling to leave empty handed, Thranduil
and Bard laid siege to the Mountain Kingdom, until the hobbit Bilbo Baggins arrived with
the Arkenstone, the most precious jewel of the Dwarves and an heirloom of their royal
line. Seeking to avoid bloodshed, Bilbo left his
Dwarven companions and made off with the Arkenstone, giving it to the opposing army so they might
trade it for a share of the treasure. Though Thorin was furious, he ultimately agreed
to hand over 1/14th of their wealth, in exchange for the jewel. Yet before the deal was completed, Thorin’s
cousin Dain Ironfoot arrived in response to a message sent by raven, leading an army of
500 battle-hardened Dwarves from the Iron Hills,
Seeing their kinsmen under siege, Dain Ironfoot and his forces would have engaged the humans
and elves in a bloody struggle, if not for Gandalf who came between them and revealed
that a greater enemy was marching upon them. Seeking to capitalize on the death of Smaug
and claim the dwarven treasure, Bolg son of Azog the Defiler, led an army of Orcs, wolves,
wargs and bats to destroy anyone who stood in their way. Agreeing to cease hostilities and focus on
the larger threat, the Battle of Five Armies erupted, with Humans, Elves and Dwarves on
one side, while Orcs and Wicked Beasts fought in opposition. Though Bolg’s forces soon had the advantage,
they were ultimately defeated when the great eagles of the misty mountains, along with
the skin changer Beorn, arrived to reinforce the free peoples. Suffering a devastating defeat, Bolg was killed
by Beorn, While his orc armies lost roughly 3 parts of their total forces. Despite their victory, the elves, humans and
dwarves suffered many casualties, including the deaths of King Thorin as well as his nephews
Fili and Kili. In the aftermath of battle, the Arkenstone
was returned to the Dwarves, now under the rule of King Dain Ironfoot, while Biblo Baggins
forfeited his share of the treasure, giving it to Bard the Bowman, who in turn divided
it amongst his own people and the Elves. With Lake-town destroyed, the humans used
their newly acquired funds to rebuild the city of Dale, completing construction in 2944. As for Biblo Baggins, Dain Ironfoot insisted
he leave with a rich reward, but he declined such largess, instead departing with only
two chests of gold and silver. Yet this was not the only prize the hobbit
carried home, as he discovered a magic ring in the lair of the creature Gollum, while
separated from the company of Thorin Oakenshield in the misty mountains. Although Gandalf was aware, his small friend
possessed this treasure, neither one truly understood its significance, as this was the
One Ring of Power, forged by Sauron in Mount Doom. In addition to Bilbo’s discovery of the
one ring, the death of smaug, restoration of Erebor and Battle of the Five armies, the
year 2941 also saw another important event unfold, when the White council finally moved
against Dol Guldur to confront Sauron, who then retreated to Mordor. Yet the Dark Lord was unwilling to give up
this strategic location, and so sent three of his Nazgul a decade later, to reclaim Dol
Guldur. Uncovering the Necromancer’s true identity
as the Dark Lord Sauron, the White Council gathered for a final meeting in 2953 TA, where
Saruman once again attempted to dispel their fears, by claiming the One Ring of Power was
lost forever, carried from the Anduin river into the Sea of Belegaer. Believing his lies, many in the White Council
failed to adequately prepare for the coming conflict, unlike Saruman, who fortified Isengard
and began his own preparations for war. Though he already fell to corruption, the
White Wizard’s thirst for conquest grew more pronounced in the following decades,
breeding his own orc army in 2990 and communicating directly with Sauron through a palantir in
the year 3000, thereby solidifying their alliance. Though he forged and wore his own lesser ring
of power, Saruman considered his loyalty to Sauron, merely a temporary measure, as his
true goal was to take the One Ring for himself, and reign as master over the entire continent. Further north, nearly 50 years after the Dwarves
of Durin’s Folk re-established the Kingdom Under the Mountain, Balin son of Fundin, undertook
a journey to reclaim their ancestral homeland of Khazad Dum, lost centuries earlier to Durin’s
Bane, the last known Balrog of Morgoth. Becoming a refuge for Orcs and wicked creatures
loyal to Sauron, the realm now called Moria was teeming with dangers, but even so, Balin
was determined to make the journey, and so was joined by many of his loyal friends, including
Óin, Ori, Náli, Frár, Lóni, and Flói. Fighting their way into the misty mountains
in 2989, the Dwarven company slew many Orcs and settled their colony in the Twenty First
Hall, where Balin was declared Lord of Moria. Surviving for 5 years, they recovered many
of the ancient treasures of their people, before falling to the continued onslaught
of their enemies. Though they fought valiantly, the Dwarves
were slain and the colony lost. Unaware that his old friend Balin met a tragic
fate, Bilbo Baggins continued to live a life of prosperity in the Shire, celebrating his
111th birthday in 3001 TA. Joining in the celebration, Gandalf the Grey
attended and showed off his fireworks, only for his happiness to fade after speaking privately
with Bilbo concerning the fate of his magic ring. Over the decades since finding this precious
prize on their journey to Erebor, Gandalf noticed Bilbo continued to possess a relatively
youthful appearance despite his advancing age. This worry then grew more serious, when Bilbo
discussed his plan to take a permanent holiday, leaving all his possessions to his nephew
Frodo Baggins. Though he originally planned to leave the
ring to Frodo, Bilbo grew increasingly agitated and aggressive when discussing it with Gandalf. Believing he should keep the ring for himself,
the Grey Wizard attempted to council his friend against it, eliciting a hostile response from
Bilbo, who accused him of wanting to take his property and even started to reach for
his sword. Shocked by the severity of this unhobbit like
behaviour, Gandalf enhanced his size and voice, snapping Bilbo out of his anger, at last convincing
him to leave the ring behind. Departing on his long awaited journey into
retirement, Bilbo left the Shire, while Gandalf remained to speak with Frodo, warning him
to keep the ring safe and out of sight. Startled by what he observed in Bilbo, the
Grey Wizard started to suspect this magic ring was more than previously imagined, and
might even be the One ring forged by Sauron. Yet suspicion was not certainty, and so sought
to uncover the truth by embarking on a journey of his own. Over the next 17 years, Gandalf became aware
both the creature Gollum and the Dark Lord were searching for the One Ring and studied
ancient texts learning all he could about this terrible weapon. After discovering that Gollum was captured
by agents of Sauron and therefore must have revealed the names Hobbit and Shire, Gandalf
returned to find Frodo, sending him and the ring on a journey to Rivendell. Seeking to help Frodo throughout his travels,
the ring bearer was joined by Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck, Perigrin Took, and later
the ranger Strider, aka Aragorn, a friend of Gandalf who met the party in Bree, leading
them to their destination. Surviving this harrowing journey in which
they were pursued by Nazgul, the hobbits eventually arrived in Rivendell where Frodo attended
the council of Elrond, alongside representatives from the free peoples of the west. Though they differed over how to proceed,
it was ultimately decided that Frodo Baggins must go to Mordor and destroy the one ring
of power, as he stood the best chance of resisting its corruption. Joined on this mission by the hobbits Samwise
Gamgee, Peregrin Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck, as well as the Wizard Gandalf the Grey, the
human ranger Aragorn, heir of Isildur and rightful king of Gondor, the human Boromir,
son to the Steward of Gondor, the Sindar Elf Legolas son to King Thranduil of the Woodland
Realm, and the Dwarf Gimli son to Gloin of Durin’s Folk, these nine companions formed
the Fellowship of the Ring. In the meantime, the free peoples were tasked
with resisting the armies of Sauron for as long as possible, thereby giving the fellowship
time to complete the quest. Despite their best efforts, the fellowship
eventually broke apart, as Gandalf died protecting them from the balrog of Moria, while Boromir
fell in his defense of Merry and Pippin, shortly after succumbing to temptation by trying to
take the ring. Believing this dark corruption would take
his other companions as well, Frodo decided to continue the mission on his own, though
he was forcibly joined by Samwise Gamgee, who refused to be left behind. Meanwhile, Sauron’s armies marched west,
beginning the war of the ring with two large scale campaigns, ultimately seeking the capture
of Minas Tirith, by weakening the alliance between Rohan and Gondor as well as destroying
any potential reinforcements from the Elves and Dwarves. In the North, the Dark Lord’s Orcs armies
in Dol Guldur attacked the Elves of Lothlorien, and the Woodland Realm, while a massive Easterling
host was sent to sweep through Dwarven lands and join the fighting in Mirkwood. The combined Easterling and Orc forces would
then finish off the Woodland Realm, Lothlorien and Rivendell, before finally marching south
towards Rohan and Gondor. Yet their plan did not succeed, as the Dwarves
of Erebor and humans of Dale resisted conquest with unexpected fervour. Although King Brand, King Dain Ironfoot and
the city of Dale were lost, the dwarves and humans held back the Easterlings for three
days before barricading themselves inside the mountain to endure the Siege of Erebor,
lasting long enough to prevent the enemy host from reinforcing their dark allies in Mirkwood. As a result, the Woodland Realm under King
Thranduil repelled the Orc army sent against them in the Battle under the Trees, while
Lothlorien under Celeborn and Galadriel both defended their home and pressed the attack
forward, destroying Dol Guldur. Though it cost thousands of lives, the line
held across the entire Northern theatre of war, a victory that may have been aided by
the mysterious Blue Wizards, Alatar and Pallando, as some stories say they spent centuries in
the east and south, limiting the influence of Sauron wherever possible, thereby reducing
the size of the army he marched west. While all this occurred in the north, the
Southern Theater faced its own hardships, as Saruman sent his forces against Rohan,
consisting of Orcs, Uruk-hai and the wildmen of Dunland who he convinced to join their
campaign. Despite the death of his son Prince Theodred
in the Battle of the Fords of Isen, King Theoden of Rohan was unable to respond properly to
the situation, as he fell into decline under the spells of Saruman, allowing his traitorous
advisor Grima Wormtongue to take control over the royal court. Fortunately, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli soon
arrived, accompanied by the reborn wizard Gandalf the White, who was returned to physical
form by the creator Eru Iluvatar so he might complete his mission to help defeat Sauron. After being healed by Gandalf, Theoden led
his armies to war, but soon learned their borders were overrun, and so instead retreated
to Helm’s Deep, where they made their last stand in the battle of the Hornburg, emerging
victorious when Gandalf and a host of footmen arrived as reinforcements. The free peoples then saw more victories when
the Ents and Huorns of Fangorn forest joined the war effort, leading to the defeat of Isengard
and death of those retreating from the battle of the Hornberg. Meanwhile, Sauron had the Corsairs of Umbar
raid Southern Gondor, thereby forcing local lords to keep their armies at home, allowing
only a fraction of their men to head north for the defence of the capital. With Gondor’s allies weakened and defenses
reduced, the Dark Lord sent his forces to capture Osgiliath, before preparing a final
assault against Minas Tirith. The War then culminated in the Battle of the
Pelennor Fields, where Sauron’s forces were led by the Witch King of Angmar and might
have achieved victory if not for the riders of Rohan and Grey Company of Dunedain Rangers,
who arrived as reinforcements. Though the free peoples were victorious, the
Witch King grievously injured Theoden by shooting his horse with a black dart, causing the creature
to collapse upon the king. Seeking to defend her dying uncle, Eowyn courageously
stood before the witch king, creating a distraction which allowed the hobbit Merry to stab him
in the back of the knee with the enchanted blade, thereby breaking the spell protecting
his body. Eowyn then drove her sword through his head,
killing the lord of the Nazgul. This was only possible, because the barrow-blade
held by Merry was a gift from Tom Bombadil, crafted many years earlier by a weaponsmith
of Arthedain for the specific purpose of defeating the Witch King. In this way the prophecy of Glorfindel was
fulfilled, for the Witch King did not die at the hands of a man but by those of a woman
and hobbit. As for Southern Gondor, they too beat back
the enemy with the aid of an undead army which long ago betrayed their word to the king of
Gondor, and thus agreed to fight with Aragorn in exchange for the release of their spirits
into the afterlife. Yet even after all these victories, the threat
was not over so long as the one ring of power continued to exist, and so the men of Gondor
and Rohan mounted a final assault directly against Sauron in Mordor, thereby giving Frodo
and Sam the necessary time and opportunity to reach Mount Doom. Nearing the end of their journey, tragedy
struck when Frodo was captured and nearly killed by Orcs, leaving Samwise Gamgee to
take the ring, determined to complete the quest on his own. Yet it did not prove necessary, as Sam was
able to save his friend and possessed sufficient will power to voluntarily give back the ring. With both now marked as Ring bearers, they
at last reached the crack of Mount Doom, only for Frodo to fail in the final moments, having
grown so attached to his precious prize, he refused to see it destroyed. Yet as fate would have it, the creature Gollum
soon arrived, engaging in a violent struggle. Obsessed with reclaiming the one ring, Gollum
followed the hobbits for much of their journey and even helped guide them to Mordor, before
betraying them to the Great Spider Shelob. Though the Hobbits escaped this peril, Gollum
returned when they reached Mount Doom, and at last met his end after biting off Frodo’s
finger, when both he and the ring accidently fell into the fiery chasm. With the one ring destroyed, Sauron was utterly
vanquished, leaving his immortal spirit diminished to such an extent he could no long interact
with the world. In the North, upon learning of the Dark Lord’s
defeat, many of the Easterlings abandoned their siege of Erebor, allowing for the combined
armies of men and dwarves to charge from the Lonely mountain and beat back the remaining
invaders. With the war over, King Thorin III became
King of Erebor, while King Bard II rebuilt and ruled over the Kingdom of Dale. As for the Elves, most chose to leave Middle-earth
for the Undying lands of Aman, though this was not the case for many of those in the
Woodland Realm, who elected to remain under the rule of King Thranduil. Lothlorien however was largely abandoned,
with some following Celeborn to resettle in East Lorien, formerly known as Dol Guldur,
while others sailed with Galadriel and Elrond to Aman in the West. In the south, Faramir became heir to the ruling
stewards of Gondor after his father Denethor was driven to madness, ending his own life
during the battle of the Pelennor Fields. Yet Faramir recognized a new age was upon
them, and so surrendered leadership to Aragorn, renamed King Elessar of the reunited kingdoms
of Gondor and Arnor. Though he did not rule like his ancestors,
Faramir was content as he retained the title of Steward, was named Prince of Ithilien and
married the beautiful shield maiden Eowyn. King Elessar also found happiness by finally
marrying Arwen, daughter of Elrond, the elf maiden, who like Luthien in the first age,
gave up her immortality to live a mortal life with her human husband. Despite Aragorn descending from the Kings
of Arnor, who long ago were rejected as rulers of Gondor, his actions during the War of the
Ring won the hearts of his people, allowing Elessar and Arwen to usher in an era of peace
and prosperity alongside his allies in Rohan, now led by King Eomer, nephew of Theoden. Despite his defeat at Isengard, Saruman the
White survived the war but was brought so low he ended his days as a small time crime
boss in the Shire, where his army of ruffians was defeated by Hobbit forces under the command
of Merry, Pippin and Samwise, who by this point were battle-hardened veterans. In the end, Saruman was killed by his minion
Grima Wormtongue on the front steps of Bag End, and even in death could not find peace,
as his spirit was blown away by a strong wind, forbidden from returning to Valinor. Yet where Saruman was rejected, Frodo and
Bilbo Baggins were granted a rare exception as ring bearers, and in 3021, the final year
of the Third Age, joined Gandalf, Galadriel and Elrond on a ship sailing west to the Undying
Lands of Aman. Samwise Gamgee meanwhile, the last ring bearer in middle-earth, inherited Bag End as well as the red book of westmarch, where both Frodo and Bilbo wrote about their adventures.
