With the rising of the sun and awakening of
men in the lands of Hildorien, the First Age dawned upon the Lands of Middle-Earth. Yet as human settlements began to spread throughout
the east, they eventually came to the attention of the Dark Lord Morgoth, who held fortressess
in the West and desired mastery over the entire continent. As his influence spread, many came to worship
the dark lord, while others who came to be known as the Atanatari, rejected the corruption
of their people and journeyed west, in search of a new homeland. Meanwhile, the Noldor Elves who travelled
from Valinor to Beleriand, seeking to wage war upon Morgoth, were in need of a new High
King to lead them after the death of Feanor in battle against Balrogs. Two possible candidate then emerged, in Maedhros
(my-thros) the deceased King’s first born son, and Fingolfin, Feanor’s younger brother,
who held the loyalty of his own faction of Noldor Elves. However Maedhros was soon captured by the
Dark Lord, when he attended peace talks which were revealed to be a trap. Though Morgoth intended on using him as hostage
to negotiate their surrender, the Elves refused to even reply to his demands, and so he imprisoned
and tortured Maedhros, hanging him from the top of the mountain Thangorodrim by his wrist. Though he suffered for years, eventually,
Fingon, son of Fingolfin, set out and successfully rescued his cousin, creating a deep bond of
respect and loyalty between them. Maedhros then voluntarily withdrew his claim
for the throne, submitting to Fingolfin as High King of their people, uniting the Noldor
of Middle-earth under a single ruler. However, the other sons of Feanor did not
agree with their elder brother’s decision, as it meant the throne would pass them all
by in favour of Fingolfin’s line. In addition, they were each bound by the Oath
of Feanor, having vowed to retrieve the Silmaril jewels at any cost, and so in the years of
peace that followed some tensions remained between their factions. Fingolfin established his kingdom in Hithlum,
while his second son Turgon ruled as Lord of Nevrast along the western coast. The leadership of Dorthonion was then granted
to Angrod and Aegnor, the brothers of Finrod, and nephews of Fingolfin. In order to avoid trouble between Noldor factions,
the sons of Feanor moved east, with Maedhros ruling over Himring, Maglor the Singer settling
in Maglor’s Gap, Celegorm and Curufin leading their people to Himlad, Caranthir becoming
Lord of Thargelion, and the Hunters Amrod and Amrast establishing themselves in Estolad. After Morgoth’s defeat in the battle under
the stars, he suffered yet another setback with the creation of the Sun and Moon, as
their light weakened his armies who were bred to fight beneath a darkened sky. Retreating into Angband, Morgoth created a
thick layer of smog over his lands to protect his warriors and give them time to acclimate
to these new conditions. However, by the year 60 of the First Age,
Morgoth’s Orc armies were once again ready for battle and so were sent forth in the Dagor
Aglareb, engaging the sons of Feanor in the east, while battling the armies of the Noldor
King Fingolfin and his Sindar Ally Cirdan in the West. Although the Sindar Elves of Doriath and Ossiriand
refused to involve themselves, their Elven kin succeeded in defeating the Dark Lord,
with Angrod and Aegnor holding back Morgoth’s armies in Dorthonion long enough for Maedhros
to counter-attack from the east, while Fingolfin did the same in the west. Pushing the invading forces back, the elves
quickly surrounded the area, and since they were not able to breach the walls of Angband,
they instead laid siege, establishing a long period of relative peace for the region. In the years that followed, the Noldor thrived,
with Finrod leading some of their people to the newly built city of Nargothrond, while
his cousin Turgon, having been granted a dream of the Valley of Tumladen by the Vala Ulmo,
led his followers from Nevrast to establish the Kingdom of Gondolin. Yet while the Elves prospered, continuing
to spread across Beleriand, the dark lord Morgoth worked in the shadows, rebuilding
his forces in Angband, as well as capturing wayward Elves and corrupting them to act as
his spies amongst the Noldor. Nearly a century after his defeat at Dagor
Aglareb, Morgoth sent an army of orcs to invade Hithlum from the Firth of Drengist in the
west, but they were swiftly defeated by the Elves under Fingon. Realizing his Orc based armies, were not enough
to defeat his hated enemies, Morgoth then worked to breed the race of Dragons, hoping
to use them as a weapon of mass devastation. In the year 260 of the First Age, the first
of these creations, Glaurung the Father of Dragons, left Angband without permission and
attacked the Elves of Ard-galen, yet because he was not fully matured, Fingon’s archers
were able to penetrate his skin, quickly driving him back. Though he was upset by the revelation of his
secret project, Morgoth continued to breed orcs, trolls and dragons, awaiting the day
that he might renew his war of conquest. During the years of peace in Beleriand, the
Edain began to migrate into the west, made up three human tribes descended from the Atanatari
who rejected Morgoth’s teachings in the east. The first to pass over the Blue Mountain was
the House of Beor, who then made contact with the Noldor Elf Finrod, who helped them settle
in Estolad. Continuing to develop a friendship with the
Elves, the House of Beor soon moved further North to establish themselves in Ladros, which
was a part of Dorthonion, ruled over by the brothers of their ally Finrod. The second tribe of the Edain were known as
the Haladin, or the House of Haleth, who came to know the Sindar Elves of Doriath, and were
granted permission to settle the Forest of Brethil, where they largely kept to themselves. The third tribe, originally known as the House
of Marach and later as the House of Hador, were a tall and fair haired warrior people,
who settled in Estolad and Ered Wethrin, before moving to Dor-lomin and pledging their loyalty
to Fingolfin. Yet not all were interested in befriending
the Noldor, with even some of their fellow Elves resenting their presence in Middle-earth,
remembering what it was like before the wars with Morgoth and rising of the sun. One of these Elves was the great Sindar blacksmith
Eol who came to be known as the Dark Elf, moving from Doriath deep into the forests
of Nan Elmoth, where trees grew so large sunlight did not touch the ground. In Nan Elmoth he built his home and lived
in relative solitude, using his great skill to craft Anglachel and Anguirel, two black
bladed swords forged from the metal of a fallen meteorite. In order to claim the Lordship of his this
homeland he loved, Eol gifted Anglachel to King Thingol who accepted it as payment. Though he continued to hate their people,
the Dark Elf married Aredhel The White Lady of the noldor and daughter of Fingolfin, having
found her wandering through the area and casting an enchantment to ensure she could not find
her way out of the forest. Aredhel bore her husband a son he named Maeglin,
who grew to be a gifted smith like his father, often accompanying him on his travels to the
Dwarven Kingdoms where they were considered honoured guests. However Maeglin and his mother did not share
the love of darkness, and so eventually left Nan Elmoth without permission, travelling
to the hidden city Gondolin where Ardhel’s elder brother Turgon ruled as king. Chasing after his wife and son, Eol was brought
before Turgon who explained that the location of their city must remain a secret, and so
he was not permitted to leave. However he then invited Eol to live with his
wife and son in Gondolin as honored subjects of the realm. Eol refused to bow before the Elves who stole
his peoples lands, and proudly chose death for himself and his son, revealing a javelin
he had concealed, throwing it at Maeglin who stood nearby. Yet Aredhel threw herself before him, and
was struck by the projectile, eventually dying from the wound. In punishment, the King ordered Eol thrown
off the high cliff of Caragdûr, but defiant to the end, the Dark Elf used his final words
to curse his traitorous son, condemning him to suffer the same fate as his father. After nearly 400 years spent rebuilding his
armies, the Dark Lord felt ready to attack, and so began the Dagor Bragollach, causing
the Mountain of Thangorodrim to erupt in great river of fire that destroyed the elven army
besieging Angband. With the way forward cleared, Morgoth’s
Lieutenant Glaurung, the now fully matured father of dragons, led an army of Orcs, Trolls
and Balrogs to attack the lands of the Noldor. Although the Edain rallied to reinforce their
elven allies, their armies were overwhelmed by the ferocity and scale of the attack, with
Morgoth’s forces quickly killing Angrod and Aegnor to conquer Dorthonion, before scattering
the armies of the Sons of Feanor, at Lothlann and Maglor`s Gap driving Maglor into retreat. Fortunately, Maglor was able to lead the last
of his men to Himring, where he helped his brother Maedhros successfully defend his realm. The dark lord’s forces also attacked Thargelion
leaving Caranthir to flee to Amon Ereb, and breached the Pass of Aglon, prompting Celegorm
and Curufin to retreat to Nargothrond, though Maedhros eventually led his warriors to retake
the pass. Enraged by the slaughter of his people and
allies in the North, King Fingolfin personally rode to Angband and challenged Morgoth to
single combat. Though the Noldor King died in the fighting,
he was able to wound Morgoth several times, even stabbing him in the foot with his final
breath, wounding the Dark Lord so badly walked with a limp for the rest of his life. With Fingolfin dead, rule fell to his first
born son Fingon crowned the new high king of the Noldor from his seat in Hithlum. In the years that followed, Morgoth’s attacks
continued, with his lieutenant Sauron, leading an army to capture the island of Minas Tirith
in the pass of Sirion, trapping it’s ruler Orodreth and his uncle Finrod. However the Elves were able to escape slaughter
thanks to the intervention of the human Barahir, Lord of the House of Beor, who engaged the
enemy in the Fen of Serech, giving their allies time to retreat further south to Nargothrond. In gratitude for their help, Finrod gifted
their leader the ring of Barahir, promising to aid the House of Beor should they ever
be in need. With Morgoth pressing his attack upon the
North of Beleriand, Barahir Chieftain of the House of Beor, refused to leave their homeland
of Ladros, sending his wife to lead the women and children away, while the warriors remained
to defend their realm. Though soundly defeated, Barahir survived
alongside 12 companions who went on to live as outlaws in the wilderness, attacking Morgoth’s
forces whenever possible. Unfortunately, they were soon betrayed by
one of their own men, Gorlim the unhappy, resulting in the death of all the companions
save for Barahir’s son Beren, who was off on an errand at the time of the massacre. With his father and friends gone, Beren made
his way south into Doriath where he encountered Luthien Tenuviel, daughter of King Thingol
and Queen Melian the Maia, believed to have been the most beautiful Elven maiden to ever
exist. Beren and Luthien fell madly in love, and
so the son of Barahir was eventually summoned before the royal court of Doriath, where he
introduced himself as Chieftain of the House of Beor, presenting the ring of Felagund to
demonstrate the friendship his father had earned from a
daughter would marry a mortal human and therefore devised an impossible task that he demanded
as bride. Before the entire court the King decreed that
Beren must retrieve a Silmaril jewel from the iron crown of Morgoth, and return it to
Doriath in order to be deemed worthy of marriage to Luthien. But Beren was not phased by the demand, replying
coolly “For little price do Elven-kings sell their daughters: for gems, and things
made by craft. But if this be your will, Thingol, I will
perform it.” Afterwards, Queen Melian warned her husband,
that becoming involved with the Silmarils would doom them, as the sons of Feanor had
long ago vowed to retrieve all 3 at any cost, and would never allow Thingol to have one
in his possession. Nevertheless, the challenge was issued, and
so Beren travelled west to Nargothrond, where he met with King Finrod Felagund, who recognized
him as an ally and did not need the ring for verification. Finrod, bound by the oath given to Barahir,
put his crown aside and agreed to help Beren in his mission. However as they travelled towards Angband,
Sauron became alerted to their presence and engaged in a wondersous battle with Finrod,
where they each used magic to sing songs of power, clashing in a piercing and treacherous
sway of lethal force.*** Unfortunately, Finrod was ultimately defeated,
leading to their imprisonment in a dark dungeon where the only thing they sometimes saw were
the yellow eyes of a werewolf coming to devour one of the prisoners. Sauron believed this would encourage them
to reveal their purpose for travelling into these lands, but none of the companions betrayed
their king. When only Finrod and Beren were left, the
werewolf again came, but this time then Elven King summoned the last of his strength and
burst forth, breaking his chains to slaying the beast with his bare hands. Yet he suffered fatal wounds in the struggle,
and so said a final goodbye to his friend and ally before passing away. Far from the shadow lands of Morgoth, Luthien
felt the terrible pain of her beloved Beren, and left Doriath to seek him out, though she
did not have to journey alone, as she encountered Huan the wolfhound of Valinor, who became
her companion. Travelling together to Tol-in-Gaurhoth, Huan
defeated Draugluin, Lord of werewolves before facing off against Sauron who took the form
of a werewolf and snake before realizing he was defeated and became a bat to fly away. Luthien then found beren in a dark prison,
and the two were at last reunited, burying Finrod before departing. Continuing together, on the quest for the
Silmaril, they overcame many hardships such as a hostile encounter with Celegorm and Curufin,
two of the sons of feanor, but eventually reached the fortress of Angband and snuck
into Morgoth’s lair. Entranced by Luthien’s magic, the Dark Lord
was put to sleep, allowing Beren to successfully cut a simaril from his iron crown. Elated by his success, he then attempted to
take a second simaril, but the blade broke causing a shard of steel to cut Morgoth’s
cheek and stir him awake. As they ran for their lives, they were confronted
by the werewolf Carcharoth, and so Beren pulled out the simaril, hoping it’s brilliant light
would scare it away, but instead the creature bit off his hand, swallowing the jewel and
going mad as it burned his insides. Carcharoth went on a rampage through the forest
while Beren and Luthien were then saved by the Eagles, who were learned of their situation
from Huan the Hound. Although Beren initially failed to recover
the Simaril, Thingol saw his value, and deemed him worthy of marrying his daughter. Now accepted into the family, the King organized
a great hunt to slay the beast Carcharoth, only for the beast to target them in return,
attacking Thingol. However Beren saw the beast approaching and
threw himself between them, suffering a fatal wound before Huan the Hound charged forth
and killed the werewolf. Yet the Hound also suffered severe injuries,
using the last of his strength to walk over to Beren and lay by his side before dying. One of Thingol’s men then cut open the werewolf
and removed the simaril to place it in Beren’s hand as he died, so he might fulfil his vow
and present the jewel to the King. Arriving in the Halls of Mandos, Beren refused
to depart for the human afterlife without saying a final goodbye to woman he loved,
and similarly, without him in her life, Luthien gave into despair and soon followed him into
the grave. She too then arrived in the Halls of Mandos,
where she sang a beautiful song of such sorrow she caught the attention of the Valar, who
consulted with Eru the creator and decided to present her with a choice. Either Luthien could continue on like other
elves, with her fate tied to this world, or else she could be reborn alongside Beren in
middle earth, destined to live a mortal life, and share in the fate of men. Rejecting the gift of immortality, she spent
the rest of her life with Beren in Tol Galen of Ossiriand, where they had a son they named
Dior, who was named heir to his grandfather King Thingol. For thousands of years the tale of Beren and
Luthien inspired and enthralled the peoples of middle earth, as a shining example of a
love so strong none could stand between them. Further it was the first known marriage between
a human and elf, creating a bloodline that would endure until the end of the world. In the lands of Dor Lomin, where the House
of Hador lived in peace next to the Noldor Elves under High King Fingon, the brothers
Hurin and Huor were born to the tribe chieftain Galdor the Tall. In their youth they were sent to be fostered
with their mother’s people in the forest of Brethil, where they joined a warparty to
battle the Orcs encroaching on their lands. Yet they were soon cut off from their allies
and pushed back to the river Sirion, only able to survive because of the intervention
of the Vala Ulmo who sent a mist to cover their escape. The eagles then arrived and carried them to
Gondolin, where King Turgon welcomed them and after swearing oaths to keep the cities
location secret, were returned to Dor-Lomin. Sometime later, their homeland fell under
attack by the armies of Morgoth, leading to the death of Lord Galdor to leave Hurin as
the new Lord of the territory Marrying Morwen, Hurin fathered a son Turin
and daughter Urwin, though the girl died of a plague caused by the Evil Breath, a foul
wind sent by Morgoth, which was only the beginning of the misery the Dark One would inflict up
this family. Huor however was spared from many of his brother’s
hardship, fathering Tuor a great warrior who went on to marry an elf maiden and father
a line of Half Elven heroes which included such names of legend as Earendil the Mariner,
Elrond of Rivendell, and Elros of Numenor. Yet while Huor’s line would thrive for thousands
of years to come, the Children of Hurin were fated for tragedy. With Morgoth now in control of the North,
Maedhros, eldest son of Feanor set out to unify the remaining realms of elves, humans
and dwarves to defeat this threat and reclaim their lands. And so began the Nirnaeth Arnoediad in the
year 472 of the First Age, seeing the Union of Maedhros divided into two hosts, with the
sons of feanor in the east alongside the Green Elves of Ossiriand, the human tribes of Bor
and Ulfang called easterlings, and the Dwarves of Nogrond and Belegost. While High King Fingon led their western army,
comprised of Noldor Elves of Hithlum, the Sindar Elves of the Falas, the men of House
Hador from Dor-lomin, and the men of House Haladin from the Forest of Brethil. After Finrod’s death, his sibling Orodreth
became King of Nargothrond, yet he refused to join the Union due to his hatred for two
of the sons of Feanor, Celegorm and Curufin, who had conspired against his elder brother. Nevertheless a small company of elven warriors
disagreed with the decision and followed Prince Gwindor to join the western army. Doriath also refused to take part in the offensive
being planned, as Thingol was in possession of a silmaril jewel making him an enemy of
the sons of Feanor, and so only the adventurers Mablung and Beleg departed the realm to join
up with Fingon’s forces. The plan for battle called for those following
Maedhros in the east to march directly into Anfauglith, expecting the Dark Lord to release
his armies, so that the western host might crush them from the other side. However Morgoth’s spies informed him of
their intentions, allowing him to prepare his forces and concoct a plan of his own. First he sent a great army of Orcs, Trolls,
dragons, balrogs and other dark creatures to waylay the eastern army, and prevent them
from arriving on time, while a smaller army of orcs was sent directly into Anfauglith
to challenge Fingon into abandoning his defensive position and charging forward. However the high King did not take the bait,
and was soon reinforced by the late arrival of 10,000 warriors under Turgon of Gondolin. Although the original plan was in shambles,
Fingon felt they could still achieve victory and so continued to keep their full strength
hidden. And so the Orcs brought out an old prisoner
they’d held since the Dagor Bragollach named Gelmir, who happened to be the brother of
Gwindor who led the men from Nargothrond. Gelmir was then slowly dismembered for all
to see, causing his brother to go mad with rage, breaking ranks and charging forward
alongside his men. Fingon, seeing their lines starting to break,
authorized a full attack, with Gwindor at the forefront, leading a slaughter so devastating,
the orc army was pushed back all the way into Angband. But this was precisely what the Dark Lord
wanted, and so finally unleashed his massive Orc army upon them. Meanwhile, the Union forces in the east were
defeated after the human tribe of Ulfang betrayed them partway through the battle, making a
separate deal with the Dark Lord to be given control of Hithlum. Though utterly vanquished, some were able
to escape slaughter due to the courage of their Dwarven allies who proved better able
to withstand dragonfire, holding the line while Elves and humans retreated. After their victory in the east, Morgoth’s
army joined the fighting at Angband, where Fingon’s forces were already in retreat. Overwhelmed by the onslaught of enemies, many
perished in the fighting, including High King Fingon, who fell to Gothmog, Lord of Balrogs. Upon seeing the death of the king, Hurin,
Huor and the men of Dor-lomin charged forward and sacrificed themselves to allow Turgon
and the elves of Gondolin to escape, resulting in the death of Huor and capture of Hurin. Following the defeat of the Noldor Elves in
the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Morgoth’s forces swept through Beleriand, capturing much of
the area including Hithlum which was given to the Easterlings who betrayed the Union
of Maedhros. However the Dark Lord had no intention of
rewarding them, instead turning these lands into a prison by cutting them off from the
rest of the continent. After the siege and fall the cities of Brithombar
and Eglarest in the Falas, Cirdan led the survivors to the Isle of Balar, hoping to
establish a refuge for their people, while in the east the Sons of Feanor lost their
lands as well, retreating to Amon Ereb. Of the great Elven Kingdoms that once existed,
Doriath was one of the few to remain, protected by the Girdle of Melian created by their Queen. Nargothrond, also remained unconquered, ruled
by King Orodreth, who, along with King Thingol, did not participate in the battle against
Angband, instead fighting a secret war from shadow in order to avoid attracting Morgoth’s
attention. As a result Morgoth did not consider these
realms as immediate threats to his power, instead focusing on Gondolin ruled by Turgon,
who after the death of his brother Fingon, became High King of the Noldor Elves. Yet the location of their city remained unknown
to the Dark Lord, and so he tortured and interogatted his captive Hurin who had travelled to Gondolin
in his youth. Despite the horrors inflicted upon him, Hurin
refused to betray King Turgon, and so Morgoth placed a powerful curse on the man and his
family and seated him immovably upon the mountain Thangorodrim, so he might watch helplessly
from afar, as his loved ones suffered their tragic fates. With the Easterlings given dominion over Hithlum,
including the lands of Dor-lomin, they plundered and enslaved the last remnant of the House
of Hador. In order to protect Hurin’s son Turinn he
was sent to Doriath, were he was raised by King Thingol, while his mother Morwin remained
in Dor-Lomin giving birth her 3rd child Nienor. Fortunately, Hurin’s wife and young daughter
were largely left in peace, due to a rumour that stated Morwin was a powerful witch, allied
with the Elves. In Doriath, the boy Turin grew to be a strong,
courageous and highly skilled fighter, and at the age of 17 asked King Thingol for a
place among his warriors. **
Throughout his years among the elves, Turin befriended Mablung the Heavy Hand and Beleg
Strongbow, but also made an enemy of Saeros, councillor to the king. Eventually Saeros tried to ambush his enemy
in the forest, but died in the resulting conflict. Believing he would be held responsible, Turin
left Doriath behind, taking over the leadership of a band of outlaws where he was soon joined
by his friend Beleg who brought him the sword Anglachel, as a gift from King Thingol. Unfortunately, leaving Doriath was but the
first step down a terrible path for the son of Hurin, who went on to bring pain and suffering
to nearly all of those he grew to love. First his band of outlaws were massacred in
Amon Rudh, after making an enemy of Mim the petty dwarf, who revealed their location to
the Orcs. Next Turin killed his friend Beleg Strongbow,
when he awoke confused and disoriented after being rescued from captivity. Realizing what he had done, the son of Hurin
nearly went mad with grief, but his new friend Gwindor, a former captive of Morgoth, took
him to Nargothrond, where he reforged Anglachel into a black bladed sword he named Gurthang. In time Turin became an important advisor
to Orodreth, but again the curse struck, as he convinced the king to build a great bridge
across the river Narog, and fight openly against the Dark Lord Morgoth at the battle of Tumhalad. Unfortunately they were devastated by the
fires of Glaurung father of Dragons, resulting in victory for the forces of Morgoth, who
killed King Orodreth, sacked the city, slaughtered their warriors and enslaved the population. During the battle Glaurung used his magic
to place Turin into a hypnotic daze, and twisted his mind, convincing him that his mother Morwen
and younger sister Nienor needed him in Dor- Lomin. And so when he awoke from his stupor, he did
not try and rescue the Elves, instead needlessly departing for his people’s homeland, where
he learned his mother and sister were not even present, having travelled to Doriath
long ago searching for Turin. Realizing the trick that had been played on
him, the son of Hurin grew so enraged he killed the Easterling Lord Brodda before turning
back to track down Glaurung and his prisoners. Unfortunately, Turin’s reckless behaviour
in Dor-Lomin proved devastating for the remnants of the House of Hador, who suffered further
abuse and oppression at the hands of their Easterlings Masters. Although he failed to protect his people,
Turin hoped he could rescue Finduilas, the betrothed of his friend Gwindor who died in
the battle of Tumhalad. But he arrived too late and collapsed in grief
upon her burial mound. Racked by pain and guilt, Turin returned to
the forests of Brethil where he came across a beautiful woman, crying with sadness and
no memory of her past. She took the name Niniel, and soon they were
married, allowing Turin to know happiness once again. But soon enough it was all taken away, as
he faced Glaurung in battle, mortally wounding the creature before collapsing unconscious
from a magical spell. While he slept and Glaurung lay dying, the
dragon used his final moments to lift the veil of amnesia set upon Niniel to reveal
that her name was actually Nienor sister of Turin Turambar. Realizing that she married her own brother,
and was pregnant with his child, Nienor took her own life by leaping into a ravine. When Turin awoke, he was told what occurred
by Brandir the Lame, Lord of the Haladin, but grew so enraged he refused to believe
it, killing the man before many witnesses. Yet soon his friend Mablung of Doriath arrived,
confirming the truth of the tale, and Turin became so distraught he could no longer abide
the misery of his life, and fell upon his sword. With his children all dead, the Dark Lord
Morgoth feigned mercy and freed Hurin from captivity, knowing that the man was now broken
and might inflict his misery and doom upon others. Finally free, Hurin returned home to Dor-Lomin
only to find it occupied by Easterlings, with the last of his people enslaved. He then set out to take refuge in Gondolin
with his friend King Turgon, but when he arrived he received no response, as the king feared
this might be a trap by the Dark Lord. Feeling betrayed by the king for whom he’d
sacrificed so much, Hurin yelled out in anger and by doing so revealed to Morgoth the general
location of Gondolin, which would ultimately contribute to the cities downfall. Turned away, Hurin continued on to the Forest
of Brethil, where he was at last was reunited with his wife Morwen, encountering her at
the graves of their children. Yet he found her in rags, so wary from heart-ache
and despair that she soon spoke her final words and died, buried alongside her children. *
Hurin, now poisoned with bitterness and hatred in his heart, killed the petty dwarf Mim,
and travelled to Doriath where he confronted King Thingol for failing to protect his son. But sensing the corruption within him, Melian
the Maia the used her magic to clear his mind, leaving Hurin to realize all the harm he’d
done and how his actions only served to help the Dark Lord. No longer able to cope with the curse that
destroyed his family, Hurin Thalion, hero of the House of Hador and rightful Lord of
Dor-lomin, ended his own life, throwing himself into the sea. Yet Hurin’s influence lived on, as before
his death he had recovered a precious necklace called Nauglamir, and gave it to King Thingol
before departing Doriath. The King then took the necklace along with
the silmaril given to him by Beren, and hired the Dwarves of Nogrod to combine them into
one magnificent piece of jewellery. However the beauty and allure of this creation
was too powerful, and when the work was complete, the dwarves demanded the necklace itself as
payment. When Thingol refused to pay their price violence
erupted, resulting in the death of the King. Heartbroken by the loss of her husband, Queen
Melian left middle-earth and returned to her homeland of Valinor, leaving her kingdom vulnerable
to attack, no longer protected by the magical barrier she had maintained. As for the Elves of Doriath, they were so
enraged by the death of their King, they tracked down the escaping dwarves and slaughtered
all but two who managed to return to Nogrod. Once arrived in their homeland, the survivors
lied about what had occurred, claiming Thingol had refused to pay them for their work and
had attacked them. Enraged by this apparent betrayal, the Dwarves
gathered an army and marched on Menegroth, sacking the city in a terrible battle with
heavy losses on both sides, including the death of Mablung who guarded the silmaril
necklace, which was then taken by the invaders. Yet the victory of the dwarves was short lived,
as Tol Galen soon heard about the death of Thingol and attack on Doriath, prompting Beren
to leave their sanctuary with an army of Green Elves to slaughter the Dwarves returning to
their mountain and recover the precious necklace, which was then worn by Luthien until her death,
when it was passed to her son Dior, the new King of Doriath. With the Silmaril stolen from Morgoth in possession
of Dior Eluchîl ruler of the restored kingdom of Doriath, the Sons of Feanor gathered demanded
the surrender of the jewel, still bound by the Oath of Feanor spoken centuries earlier. Hearing no reply from the King, Celegorm rallied
his brothers and together they marched an Army into Doriath, slaughtering their fellow
Elves in the Second Kinslaying Among those who perished, were King Dior and
his wife Nimloth, while their Twin Sons Elurin and Elured were captured and left in the woods
to die. Though the sons of Feanor were victorious,
they suffered heavy losses, with the death Curufin and Caranthir as well as Celegorm
who was slain by the King. They also failed to complete their objective,
as Elwing, daughter of Dior and Nimloth, managed to escape with the SIlmaril, leading a party
of survivors to seek refuge in the Mouths of Sirion. With Doriath fallen, Gondolin became the last
great Elven Kingdom in Beleriand, though the Dark Lord Morgoth was already scheming to
bring about their downfall. Within the walls of the secret city, two influential
factions were at odds, as Meaglin of the House of the Mole grew increasingly jealous and
angry towards Tuor of the House of the Wing, over his marriage to the beautiful Idril,
daughter of the king. Meaglin was the son the King Turgon’s sister,
who found her way to the forest of nan elmoth, where she married Eol the Dark Elf, and raised
their child. Tuor meanwhile was a mortal man but descended
from the Chieftains of the House of Hador, and was the son of the mighty hero Huor and
Grandson of Galdor the Tall. Despite being born in other lands, both came
to live in Gondolin, and were made Lords by the King, forming 2 of the 12 Great Houses
of the Kingdom. Yet Maeglin fell madly in love with his cousin
Idril and was outraged to learn she would marry Tuor, growing increasingly jealous of
the human. With discontent clouding his judgement, Maeglin
unwisely decided to break the law and left the city to scavenge for metals only to be
captured by orcs and brought before Morgoth. Under threat of torture, Maeglin revealed
the location of the secret city and offered details about their defenses, pleasing the
Dark Lord who then promised him the Kingship of Gondolin with Idril as his bride, in exchange
for betraying Turgon, and killing Tuor. Agreeing to his term, Maeglin soon returned
to Gondolin, where he feigned a new positive attitude in order to avoid suspicion, laughing
and joking with his fellow elves. Having learned much from his Elven servant,
Morgoth knew that the armies of Gondolin were prepared for invasion, and so cleverly withdrew
his spies and scouts from the area, tricking king Turgon into believing the Dark Lord had
cancelled his plans to attack. And so it would be on a night of celebration,
with defenses reduced, that Morgoth gathered his mighty host, and marched upon the city. Though the Elves were ultimately defeated,
they fought to the bitter end, performing deeds of great valor like when Ecthelion of
the House of the Fountain fought Gothmog the Lord of Balrogs, driving the beast into a
fountain, where they both drowned. There were also the action of the human, Tuor
who led the House of the Wing against Maeglin and the House of Mole, killing the traitor
and tossing his body over the walls of the city. Tuor then rescued his wife Idril and son Earendil,
before leading a retreat out of Gondolin, under orders from the king who remained behind
with his soldiers to hold off the enemy. As Tuor and Glorfindel of the House of the
Golden Flower, led their people through a secret escape, they were confronted by a Balrog. Glorfindel then sacrificed himself, using
the weight of his body to drag the creature over a cliff, allowing Tuor to lead the remnants
of their people west, taking refuge in the Mouths of Sirion, alongside the survivors
from Doriath. As the years went on and Tuor grew older,
he longed to explore the western sea, eventually sailing away from Middle Earth alongside his
wife Idril, with their ultimate fate unknown. Back in the Mouths of Sirion, Tuor’s son
Earendil remained behind, ruling over those who settled in Arvernien, alongside his wife
Elwing daughter of King Dior, who still possessed the Silmaril of Doriath. Together they had 2 sons naming them Elrond
and Elros. Unfortunately, it was not only the forces
of Morgoth who sought to do them harm, as the remaining sons of Feanor continued to
search for the jewel of their father, still bound to the Oath they swore. Marching their army to the Mouths of Sirion,
they launched the Third Kinslaying, once again slaughtering their fellow elves. Though the Sons of Feanor won the battle,
and even apprehended the princes Elrond and Elros, Amrod and Amras were killed in the
fighting and they once again failed to capture the Silmaril. With their settlement destroyed, Elwing threw
herself into the sea, where she was saved by the Vala Ulmo who transformed her into
a great white bird. Flying through the air, she then found her
husband Earendil escaped aboard the ship Vingilot and together they sailed west, using the Silmaril
to light there way, hoping to find the Valar and beg for their assistance. When they arrived in Aman, Manwe was moved
by their plea and assembled a great army of Valar, Maiar, Vanyar Elves and those Noldor
who remained behind when Feanor and Fingolfin journeyed to Middle Earth. The Teleri Elves also contributed to the mission
by providing ship to take them east, however they refused to participate in the fighting,
as they still resented the Noldor of Feanor who slaughtered their people in the First
Kinslaying. Arriving in Middle Earth, they were joined
by the surviving Elves of Beleriand as well as the remaining Men of the West, while many
Easterlings fought for the Dark Lord whose armies had grown vast after conquering nearly
all of Beleriand and included Orcs, Trolls, Balrogs, Dragons, and other wicked creatures. They then engaged in the War of Wrath, a long
and bloody struggle that went on for 40 years as the Host of the Valar carved their way
through enemy, to at last reach the bulk of their forces in the north. Desperate to turn the tide battle, Morgoth
unleashed his deadliest weapon, releasing his Winged Dragons for the first time, quickly
devastating the armies of Light and threatening to defeat their forces. Yet as the fighting intensified, Earenedil
the Mariner flew into battle aboard a sky ship, accompanied by a mighty host of eagles
under Thorondor, destroying many of the dragons including Ancalagon the Black, largest and
greatest among them. When at last the forces of the Dark Lord were
defeated, Morgoth was captured and taken to Aman where he was beheaded and his spirit
sent through the Door of Night into the Timeless Void, unable to return to Arda until the final
battle of Dagor Dagorath at the end of the world. With Morgoth was captured, the final 2 silmarils
were recovered by the Maia Eonwe, however when the last 2 surviving sons of Feanor,
learned of their location, they snuck into their camp and killed the guards to take possession
of the jewels and at last fulfilling their oath. Surrounded by enemies, Maedhros and Maglor
were prepared for a fight to the death, but Eonwe, instead allowed to leave unharmed so
no more blood would be shed. Though they finally held the jewels of their
Father, the Sons of Feanor found no joy or peace in their victory, as they’s commited
so many evil deeds the Silmarils burned in their hands as they held it, bringing them
only pain and misery. Unable to live with all that they’d done,
Maedhros threw himself and the jewel into a fiery chasm, while Maglor tossed his Silmaril
into the ocean, and lived out his days wandering alone through Middle Earth, singing songs
of lament. With the War of Wrath at an end, the lands
of Beleriand collapsed into the sea, and so the Valar issued a pardon to the remaining
Noldor who had left Valinor, allowing many of the Elves to return to the Undying Lands. Yet not all were willing to abandon Middle,
with leaders like Gil-Galad, Galadriel, Celeborn, Elrond and Oropher choosing to remain behind
and found new homelands further east. As for the Edain who fought with the Valar,
they were rewarded with the island of Numenor in the middle of Sea of Belegaer, founding
a new glorious kingdom under the rule of Elros, who was born half elven but chose to live
the mortal life of a human, as opposed to his brother Elrond who chose to live as an
immortal Elf. Though Morgoth was at last defeated and could
no longer directly influence the world, many of his followers continued on, with Orcs,
Trolls, Dragons and Balrogs fleeing into the east, as well as his Lieutenant Sauron, who
rose to become the new Dark Lord of the Second and Third Ages.
