Post by Hellswars on Nov 19, 2007 20:37:50 GMT
This begins thousands of years before the achievement in the book with the eponymous Lord of the Rings, the Dark Lord Sauron, who secretly designed a great ring of power, the One Ring, to enslave the wearers of the other Rings of Power. He launched a war during which he captured 16 of the Rings of Power and distributed these to seven and nine lords of Dwarves and Men respectively; the Men who possessed the Nine rings were corrupted over time and became the undead Nazgûl or Ringwraiths, Sauron's most feared servants. Sauron failed to capture the remaining Three, which remained in the ownership of the Elves. The Men of the great occupant of Númenor helped the besieged Elves in the war, and much later they sent a great force to overthrow Sauron, who surrendered, and was taken to Númenor as a prisoner. However, with the cunning Sauron who poisoned the minds of the Númenóreans against the Valar and deceived them into invading the Undying Lands, for which act Númenor was drowned. Sauron's spirit escaped to Middle-earth, as did some Númenóreans who had opposed the invasion, led by Elendil and his sons Isildur and Anárion.
Over 100 years later, Sauron based an attack against the Númenórean exiles. Elendil formed a Last Alliance of Elves and Men with the Elven-king Gil-galad, and they marched against Mordor, defeating Sauron's armies and besieging his stronghold Barad-dûr, at which time Anárion was slain. After seven years of siege, Sauron himself was forced to come forth and engage in single combat with the leaders. Gil-galad and Elendil were killed as they fought with Sauron, but Sauron's body was also overcome and slain., Isildur cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand with the hilt-shard of Elendil's broken sword Narsil, and when this happened Sauron's spirit fled. Isildur was advised to destroy the One Ring by casting it into the volcanic Mount Doom where it was forged but, attracted to its beauty, he refused and kept it as reminder for the deaths of his father and brother.
So began the Third Age of Middle-earth. Two years later, Isildur and his soldiers were ambushed by a band of Orcs at the Gladden Fields. Isildur escaped by putting on the Ring — which made mortal wearers invisible — but the Ring betrayed its wearer and slipped from his finger while he was swimming in the great River Anduin. Visible again, he was seen and shot by orcs, and the Ring was lost for two millennia.
It was then found by chance by a river hobbit named Déagol. His relative and friend, Sméagol killed him for the Ring and was banished from his home. Sméagol fled to the Misty Mountains where, corrupted by the power of the Ring, he became a loathsome, slimy creature called Gollum. Much later, as told in The Hobbit, another hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, seemingly accidentally found the ring in Gollum's cave, and took it to his home, Bag End, unaware that it was anything more than just a magic ring…..
Over 100 years later, Sauron based an attack against the Númenórean exiles. Elendil formed a Last Alliance of Elves and Men with the Elven-king Gil-galad, and they marched against Mordor, defeating Sauron's armies and besieging his stronghold Barad-dûr, at which time Anárion was slain. After seven years of siege, Sauron himself was forced to come forth and engage in single combat with the leaders. Gil-galad and Elendil were killed as they fought with Sauron, but Sauron's body was also overcome and slain., Isildur cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand with the hilt-shard of Elendil's broken sword Narsil, and when this happened Sauron's spirit fled. Isildur was advised to destroy the One Ring by casting it into the volcanic Mount Doom where it was forged but, attracted to its beauty, he refused and kept it as reminder for the deaths of his father and brother.
So began the Third Age of Middle-earth. Two years later, Isildur and his soldiers were ambushed by a band of Orcs at the Gladden Fields. Isildur escaped by putting on the Ring — which made mortal wearers invisible — but the Ring betrayed its wearer and slipped from his finger while he was swimming in the great River Anduin. Visible again, he was seen and shot by orcs, and the Ring was lost for two millennia.
It was then found by chance by a river hobbit named Déagol. His relative and friend, Sméagol killed him for the Ring and was banished from his home. Sméagol fled to the Misty Mountains where, corrupted by the power of the Ring, he became a loathsome, slimy creature called Gollum. Much later, as told in The Hobbit, another hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, seemingly accidentally found the ring in Gollum's cave, and took it to his home, Bag End, unaware that it was anything more than just a magic ring…..