Some Races of Middle Earth So I frequent a certain website and on this website I collected a lot of Tolkien lore. I figured hey, KaW is bound to have some nerds on it (shocker I know right?) so i figured I'd share it with you. So here we go... Races of Middle Earth The Races I will cover in this will be: The Istari The Valar The Dwarves The Ents The Race of Men The Hobbits *Note* The Elves are a long and complicated post. If you guys enjoy this I will piece together some of the Elvish facts and history, The Istari The Order of Wizards, or Istari, as they were callled, were sent in Middle Earth around 1000 Third Age, to aid the elves, men and dwarves against Sauron. They were comprised of five Maiar, Curumo (Saruman), Olorin (Gandalf), Aiwendil (Radagast), Alatar (Morinehtar) and Pallando (Romestamo). They arrived in Middle Earth via ship. Only a few elves knew their real identity, like Cirdan the shipwright. Gandalf Gandalf the Grey (later White) was the wisest of the Istari. He served Manwe and Varda. When he came to Middle Earth he received Narya, the ring of fire, from Cirdan. At first, Gandalf did not reveal himself to be an Istari. Instead, he wandered among the elves, teaching them and learning from them. When he revealed himself, he became known as the wisest and more powerful of his order. He joined the White Council, and Galadriel even wanted him to be its leader. After the War of the Ring, he went back to Valinor. Saruman Saruman the White Wizard (later Saruman of many colours) was the strongest of the wizards. He was a Maiar in the service of Aule (just like Sauron), the Valar who made the dwarves. He studied the arts of Sauron, and quicly became enamored of Sauron's devices, especially the One Ring. After some wandering, he came to live in Isengard, which belonged to Gondor. Before he was revealed as an ally of Sauron (who he quickly betrayed), he was the chief of the Istari, and the leader of the White Council. He was killed after the War of the Ring, by Grima Wormtongue. Radagast the Brown Radagast the Brown served Yavanna, the Valar of nature. He was the protector of the Forests. It is said that he forsook his mission to protect the peoples of Middle Earth, and instead became obsessed with the Flora and Fauna of Middle Earth. He had little contribution in the War of the Ring, except from unknowingly serving as bait to lure Gandalf to Isengard. It is not sure if he ever returned to Valinor. The Blue Wizards The two Blue Wizards, Morinehtar and Romestamo, served Orome, the hunter Valar. Little is known of what they did in Middle Earth. They went in Middle Earth twice, once in the Second Age, and once in the Third. In the Second Age, they stirred up rebellions against Sauron. In the Third Age, they went east along with Saruman, hundreds of years before the War of the Ring. From that journey, only Saruman came back. In Tolkien's words :"I think that they went as emissaries to distant regions, east and south, .... Missionaries to enemy occupied lands as it were. What success they had I do not know; but I fear that they failed, as Saruman did, though doubtless in different ways; and I suspect they were founders or beginners of secret cults and "magic" traditions that outlasted the fall of Sauron." The Valar Nienna Nienna, she who weeps, is the sister of Mandos. She is concerned with mourning and pities the suffering of others, even Melkor's. One of her pupils was Gandalf, who learnt pity and compassion by her. Manwe Manwe is the King of the Valar, husband of Varda Elentári, brother of Melkor and live in Mount Taniquetil in Valinor, the highest mountain of the world. The winds and airs are his servants. The Eagles are his servants and bring him the new of Middle Earth. Varda/Elbereth Varda is one of the mightiest of the Valar, the spouse of Manwë, with whom she lives in the summit of Taniquetil in Aman. She made the stars (which is why the elves love her and call her Elbereth, Star Queen), filled the Lamps of the Valar with light, collected the dews of the Two Trees in her Wells, hallowed the Silmarils, established the courses of the Moon and Sun, and set the Star of Elendil in the sky. Orome Oromë is also known asThe Huntsman of the Valar, the Great Rider, and Lord of Forests. He is the brother of Nessa and the husband of Vána. He was the one who roamed the landscape of Middle Earth the most, and he was the first Vala (except Melkor) who discovered the Elves. Mandos Mandos presides over the Halls of Mandos, where the elves go when they die. He is described as stern and dispassionate and never forgetting a thing. He was the Vala who cursed the Noldor leaving Valinor, and counselled against allowing them to return. The only time when he took pity in someone was when Luthien sang of the grief she and her lover Beren had experienced in Middle Earth. Then, with the Manwe's approval, he released them to Middle-earth to begin their second life there. Tulkas Tulkas is the most warlike of the Valar and the last of them to descend into Arda, coming to the aid of the others when he heard of their war with Melkor. He is the only Vala able to stand up to Melkor physically. He is the husband of Nessa. Vana Vana is the younger sister of Yavanna and wife of Oromë. "All flowers spring as she passes and open if she glances upon them; and all birds sing at her coming."(Silmarillion) She dwelt in gardens filled with golden flowers and often came to the forests of Oromë. She also played a critical part in the Sun's creation. Ulmo A lover of water, Ulmo was one of the chief architects of Arda, always in close friendship with Manwë. Ulmo had always distrusted Melkor, and Melkor feared the Sea a because the Sea cannot be tamed. Ulmo has no dwelling in Valinor, he prefers the seas and rivers. He unrooted a whole island once, to transfer the Elves to Valinor. Ulmo also played an important role in the Fall of Melkor. Aule Aule is the creator of the Dwarves. He is also known for making the Two Lamps of Arda and the Sun and Moon. He also taught the Noldor Elves how to make jewels and other such crafts. His greatest pupil, Feanor, made the Silmarills. Vaire Vairë the Weaver is the wife of Mandos, and is responsible for weaving the story of the World. It is said that as the Ages pass, hew weavings will cover all of the walls of the Halls of Mandos. Irmo/Lorien His (Yeah he's male.) actual name is Irmo. He is named Lorien because of the place where he dwells. His domain is hope, inspiration, love, desire, dreams, sleep, and visions. He sent hope to the elves and men who fought Melkor in the First Age. Este Not much is known about her. She is wife to Irmo/Lorien and she can heal weariness and hurts. During the day, she sleeps on an island. Yavanna Yavanna is responsible for or flora in the world. Before the First Age, she planted flora all over Middle Earth. Then she put those plants to sleep. When the Sun first came up, they all blossomed. She also petitioned Illuvatar to make the Ents, when she got word of Aule's creation, the Dwarves. Nessa She is the least of the Valar Queens. She is married to Tulkas. She is lithe and quick, and loves dancing. The Dwarves The Creation of the Dwarves The Dwarves were made by the Vala Aule, who was tired of waiting for the coming of the elves, and longed for someone he could teach his crafts to. So, he made the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves. It was, however, not within Aule’s power to create life. After being reprimanded by Ilúvatar and realizing his error, Aulë offered his creations to him to do with as he wanted, even destroy them. Even as the offer was made, Ilúvatar accepted and gave the Dwarves a life of their own. The First Age When the Sun first came up, the ancestors of the races of men woke up for the first time. They then travelled west, to Beleriand, where most of the elves lived. They were split into three houses, the House of Haleth, the House of Beor and the House of Hador, and collectively referred to as the Edain. Some men of these houses, such as Tuor of the House of Hador married elves, and throught their children was born Earendil, who saved the elves and men by Melkor. Description of the Houses: The House of Bëor: they were dark-haired and stoutly built, and most resembled the Ñoldor of all Elves. They were first discovered by Finrod Felagund, Lord of Nargothrond, and under his guidance later made their way to the lands of the Ñoldorin lord Amrod, in a place later known as Estolad, the Encampment. They remained loyal to the House of Finarfin, and later settled in the lands of Dorthonion. The Second House, later known as the Haladin or the House of Haleth: They were a reclusive folk, dark-haired but smaller in stature than the Bëorians. They usually kept separate from the other Men, and were later granted permission to settle in the Forest of Brethil, part of Doriath. They mostly kept out of the wars. The House of Marach, later best known as the House of Hador: They were originally led by Marach but later took the name of Hador in honor of him. Tall and golden-haired, they most resembled the Vanyar of the elves. They were a very numerous and war-like tribe, and the Green Elves of Ossiriand feared them. They first settled in Estolad, then in the southern parts of Ered Wethrin (Mountains of Shadow), and then later in Dor-lómin. They were loyal to Fingolfin. Of these three houses, the house of Beor was nearly wiped out in the wars against Melkor, and those who remained married into the House of Hador. Of this Union came to be the men of Numenor. The house of Haleth was either wiped out or disappeared. Also, some men of these three houses didn't go to Beleriand. These men later became the Rohirrim, the Beornings, the Dalesmen and others. there was also a fourth House, the Drughu. These probably died off, but their distant kin became the men of the Druadan Forest, who helped Rohan in the War of the Ring. The Nauglamir The most famous smith of Nogrod, Telchar, crafted Nauglamir, a beautiful necklace. Thingol, the great elven king of Doriath, who at the time, possessed a Silmaril, wanted to merge these two items, and so brought some dwarves in his kingdom to make it The Beginning of the Elven-Dwarven conflict Those Dwarf-smiths were driven mad by gold-lust, however, and murdered Thingol and stole the necklace and the stone, igniting the rivarly between the two races. These dwarves were killed, but their kin from Nogrod attacked Doriath again, won, and took the Nauglamir and the Silmarill again. On the way home, they were assaulted by elves, led by Beren and Dior. Most Dwarves were killed, and the few that escaped were slain by the ents. The Second Age In the second Age, the dwarves of Moria developed good relations with the elven kingdom of Eregion. Sometimes the Kings of Moria looked so much like Durin, that it was said they were Durin reborn. Prophecy says that Durin VII will be the last great Dwarven King. While the Dwarves did receive seven rings by Sauron, they did not affect them much, they only increased their greed. Of these rings, two Sauron got back, four were taken by dragons, and Durin's Ring was passed on, until Sauron took that too. 50,000 of Durin's folk helped the Last Alliance, and alone of the Dwarf clans none of that folk served Sauron. The Third Age Durin VI was born in the 1731st year of the Third Age. In the year 1980 of the Third Age the Dwarves stumbled upon a Balrog of Morgoth. Durin VI was slain by the Balrog, and a year later so was his son Nain I. After that the Dwarves of Durin's line fled and abandoned Khazad-dûm — but the Balrog, now known as Durin's bane, remained. After that, most Dwarves went to the Grey Mountains and Erebor. For 200 years the wealth and fame of Lonely Mountain grew, until Smaug came. The War of Dwarves and Orcs, and the reclaimation of Moria and Erebor Some time later Thror (ex-king of Erebor) started wandering the world with his friend Nar. He ended up in Moria where he was murdered and mutilated by the Orc king Azog. This was the catalyst of a war that was called the War of Dwarves and Orcs. The war lasted seven years and ended in the Battle of Azanulbizar, in which Dáin Ironfoot slew Azog. In the years to come the Ring of Power slowly poisoned Thráin's heart with greed, and in 2845 he set out alone to reclaim Erebor. This resulted in his being captured by Sauron, and he died in the dungeons of Dol Guldur. In 2941 Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thráin II, along with a company of 12 other Dwarves and the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, reclaimed Erebor (with the help of three or four armies). Dain Ironfoot took up rule in the Lonely Mountain after that. In TA 2989, one of Thorin’s companions, Balin, took a host of Dwarves from Erebor in an attempt to reclaim Khazad-dûm. For five years they fought the Balrog and an army of Orcs. Balin was killed by an orc arrow in 2994 and the remainder of his host was killed soon afterwards. War of the Ring and after the Third Age Gimli's contribution to the Fellowship is known. What is not known is that about the same time as the siege of Minas Tirith a force of Dwarves and Men of Dale held the Lonely Mountain in a similar siege against 200,000 Men of Rhun who had taken all of Dale's lands. The Dwarves and Men of Dale stood for three days against the Easterlings, and once the news of Sauron's death spread to the Lonely Mountain the Easterlings retreated, having lost over 100,000 troops. Both kings, Dain and Brand, died. After the end of that age, Dwarves and Men re-forged their friendship. Dain was killed during the War of the Ring, and was succeeded by his son Thorin III Stonehelm who ruled well into the Fourth Age. During this time, dwarves from the Lonely Mountain helped rebuild cities in Gondor and the fortress of Helm's Deep, and some went to the newly established Dwarven realm of the Glittering Caves where Gimli was lord. The Ents The Ents are ancient creatures, even more ancient than the elves probably. They were made by the Vala Yavanna, before the First Age, as a creature to counter the woodcutting of the dwarves. Ents vary in size, height and colouring. There's also the Huorns, which are pretty much less smart and speechless ents, yet quite a bit more angry. Also, trolls were apparently made by Morgoth/Melkor as imitations of ents, although less smart and powerful, as Treebeard says. The Early Days Not much is known about the history of the Ents. The first record of their appearance is in the late First Age, where they fight a band of Dwarves, to help Beren and Luthien retrieve a Silmarill. Treebeard says that Eriador was once a great forest, part of his domain. That forest was probably cut down by the Numenoreans, or in the War of the ELes in the Second Age. Also, it is known that elves and ents were once close, as the elves taught them how to speak. The Entwives It is said that, once, Ents had Entwives, but they wandered far from them, because they loved to control and plant things. They settled east of the river Anduin, in the Brown Lands. That area was destroyed by Sauron during the War of the Last Alliance. The Ents searched for their wives, but never found them. At one point, Sam says his cousin Hal saw a tree move in the Shire, and Treebeard remarks that the Entwives would have liked that area. However, Tolkien later said that the Entwives probably perished durin the War of the Last Alliance. The Last March of the Ents, and Treebeard Treebeard is considered to be the oldest being in existence (except Tom Bombadill perhaps. Celeborn himself adresses him as the eldest. He is the leader of the Ents, and his domain is Fangorn. During the War of the Ring, the Ents marched on Isengard and defeated Saruman. Also, Gandalf took some of them south, to Helm's Deep, where they killed all the retreating orcs. Later, when orcs crossed the Anduin en masse, whilst Rohan was rushing to Gondor's aid, the Ents defeated them again. Hobbits *Note* This upcoming part is long History and Origin Just as Hobbits often call Men the "Big Folk", Men familiar with Hobbits (especially those living in Bree) often call them the "Little Folk". Another word for Hobbits in the Common Speech is "Halflings", a name translated from the Sindarin word, Periannath (Perian for singular) and used by the Dúnedain. However, at least one politely requests being called a hobbit instead, implying the word may be inadvertently offensive to them. The exact origins of the Hobbits are unknown and it is also unknown what Age the Hobbits first appeared in. Hobbits are known to have originated somewhere in the Valley of the Anduin River. During their early history, there were three subspecies of Hobbit. By the time they were discovered by the other peoples of Middle-earth, they had already been around for many generations. The earliest known group of hobbits lived in the Valley of Anduin, between Mirkwood and the Misty Mountains . According to The Lord of the Rings, they have lost the genealogical details of how they are related to the Big People. At this time, there were three breeds, or tribes, of Hobbits, with different physical characteristics and temperaments: Harfoots, Stoors and Fallohides. While situated in the valley of the Anduin River, the Hobbits lived close by the Éothéod, the ancestors of the Rohirrim, and this led to some contact between the two. As a result, many old words and names in "Hobbitish" are derivatives of words in Rohirric. About the year TA 1050, they undertook the arduous task of crossing the Misty Mountains. Reasons for this trek are unknown, but they possibly had to do with Sauron's growing power in nearby Greenwood, which was later named Mirkwood because of the shadow that fell on it as Sauron searched the area for the One Ring . The Hobbits took different routes in their journey westward, but as they began to settle together in Bree-land, Dunland, and the Angle formed by the rivers Mitheithel (Hoarwell) and Bruinen (Loudwater); the divisions between the Hobbit-kinds began to blur. In the year 1601 of the Third Age, two Fallohide brothers named Marcho and Blanco gained permission from the King of Arnor at Fornost to cross the River Baranduin and settle on the other side. Many Hobbits followed them, and most of the territory they had settled in the Third Age was abandoned. Only Bree and a few surrounding villages lasted to the end of the Third Age. The new land that they founded on the west bank of the Brandywine was called the Shire. The crossing of the Brandywine, as the hobbits called it, was the event that led to the settlement of the Shire, thus the Shire Reckoning began. Originally, the Hobbits of the Shire swore nominal allegiance to the last Kings of Arnor, being required only to acknowledge their lordship, speed their messengers, and keep the bridges and roads in repair. During the final fight against Angmar at the Battle of Fornost, the Hobbits maintain that they sent a company of archers to help, but this is recorded nowhere else. After the battle, the kingdom of Arnor was destroyed, and in absence of the king, the Hobbits elected a Thain of the Shire from among their own chieftains. The first Thain of the Shire was Bucca of the Marish, who founded the Oldbuck family. However, the Oldbuck family later crossed the Brandywine River to create the separate land of Buckland and the family name changed to the familiar "Brandybuck". Their patriarch then became Master of Buckland. With the departure of the Oldbucks/Brandybucks, a new family was selected to have its chieftains be Thain: the Took family (Indeed, Pippin Took was son of the Thain and would later become Thain himself). The Thain was in charge of Shire Moot and Muster and the Hobbitry-in-arms, but as the Hobbits of the Shire led entirely peaceful, uneventful lives, the office of Thain was seen as something more of a formality. The major political power in the Shire was actually held by the Mayor of Michel Delving (the Shire's chief township). His duties included overseeing the post and the "police" force (Shirriffs); he was also obliged to preside at banquets. The Hobbits' numbers dwindled, and their stature became progressively smaller after the Fourth Age. However, they are sometimes spoken of in the present tense, and the prologue "Concerning Hobbits" in The Lord of the Rings states that they have survived into Tolkien's day Culture and Lifestyle Most Hobbits enjoyed farming, food, ales, parties and the giving and receiving of presents. They were usually friendly and happy-go-lucky, although they were often shy of Men. Hobbits prefer a quiet, normal, and peaceful life, which is why Gandalf was frowned upon sometimes, because he brought adventure to Bilbo. Many of them had seen him returning from his long journey to the Lonely Mountain (the journey told of in The Hobbit) with his steed laden with great chests of gold. They also have developed a keen taste in the smoking of Pipe-weed and blowing smoke rings. This was first started by Tobold Hornblower of Longbottom in the Southfarthing. They were very ignorant and knew little of the happenings of the world. They dwell in Hobbit-holes (known as Smials). Hobbits, particularly those of the Shire are very insular and are suspicious of other people from other places and anything that disturbs the peace. Hobbits refer to people outside the Shire as Outsiders, being a very broad term, were simply those foreign to any region. Just as hobbits consider themselves to be right and proper when compared to the outsiders, others consider the hobbits to be the strange, little folk. Hobbits are fond of an unadventurous bucolic life of farming, eating, and socializing. According to Jackson's trilogy, they enjoy seven meals a day, when they can get them: breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner, and, later in the evening, supper. In the book, however, supper is simply an alternative name for dinner; Bilbo only served three official meals at his Birthday Party: lunch, tea, and dinner (or supper). They like simple food such as bread, meat, potatoes, and cheese, and also like to drink ale, often in inns — not unlike the English country folk, who were Tolkien's inspiration. They have also been known to have a particular fondness for cake. The name Tolkien chose for one part of Middle-earth where the Hobbits live, "The Shire", is clearly reminiscent of the English Shires. Hobbits also enjoy smoking herbs, which they refer to as "pipe-weed", out of long wooden pipes. This can be attributed to their love of gardening and herb-lore (as exemplified by Sam Gamgee). Another interesting fact is that hobbits have an inordinate liking of mushrooms, prizing them above many other foods. A common pursuit for younger hobbits is mushroom-hunting, and Frodo Baggins said he had stolen Farmer Maggot's mushrooms on at least one occasion. Some Hobbits live in hobbit-holes, known as "smials" which resembled the characteristics of the original places where they dwelt underground. They were found in hillsides, downs, and banks. By the late Third Age, only rich and poor hobbits continued to live in smials; the middle-class hobbits usually lived in large, low buildings, like Brandy Hall. Almost every building in the Shire has round doors and windows, a feature more practical to tunnel-dwelling that the Hobbits retained in their later structures Appearance and Age In the prologue to The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien said that Hobbits are between two and four feet (0.6m-1.2m) tall, the average height being three feet six inches. They are not quite as stocky as the similarly-sized dwarves, but still tend to be stout, with slightly pointed ears. Tolkien describes Hobbits as the following: "I picture a fairly human figure, not a kind of fairy rabbit as some of my British reviewers seem to fancy: fattish in the stomach, shortish in the leg. A round, jovial face; ears only slightly pointed and 'elvish'; hair short and curling (brown). The feet from the ankles down, covered with brown hairy fur that are extremely small. Clothing: green velvet breeches; red or yellow waistcoat; brown or green jacket; gold (or brass) buttons; a dark green hood and cloak (belonging to a dwarf)." In the Prologue to The Lord of the Rings, he wrote that they dress in bright colours, favouring yellow and green. Nowadays (according to Tolkien's fiction), they are very shy creatures, but they are and have been capable of amazing things. They are adept with slings and throwing stones. Their feet are covered with curly hair (usually brown, as is the hair on their heads) and have leathery soles, so most Hobbits hardly ever wear shoes. Hobbits (Halflings) are often depicted with large feet for their size, perhaps to visually emphasize their unusual nature. This is especially prominent in the influential illustrations by the Brothers Hildebrandt and the large prosthetic feet used in the films by Peter Jackson. Tolkien does not specifically give size as a generic hobbit trait, but does makes it the distinctive trait of Proudfoot hobbit clan. Hobbits can sometimes live for up to one hundred and thirty years, although their average life expectancy is one hundred years. The time at which a young Hobbit "comes of age" is thirty-three. Thus, a fifty-year-old Hobbit would only look 26–30 years by human standards. The Hobbits had a distinct calendar, every year started on a Saturday and ended on a Friday, with each of the twelve months consisting of thirty days. Some special days did not belong to any month - Yule 1 and 2 (New Year's Eve and New Years Day) and three Lithedays in mid summer. Every fourth year there was an extra Litheday. Most Hobbits lived longer than Men, a race of which they were an off-shoot. The average lifespan of a Hobbit was about 100 years, though it was not unusal for a Hobbit to live as many as three decades beyond that. The time at which a young Hobbit matured and was accepted as an adult was 33, compared to a Man's 18 years. Thus, a 50-year-old Hobbit would only be middle-aged. The most distinguishing feature of Hobbits was their short stature. They were smaller than Dwarves and were usually between two and four feet in height. With the gradual passing of time, Hobbits became even shorter. By the Third Age, they were usually less than three feet tall. Hobbits' ears were slightly pointed and their large furry feet had leathery soles, so they generally didn't need (and rarely wore) shoes or boots. Tolkien wrote that a typical Hobbit had a "round, jovial face; ears only slightly pointed and 'elvish'." Hobbits were skilled listeners and had good eyesight. Although they were inclined to be fat and did not hurry unnecessarily, they were also nimble and deft in their movements. In The Hobbit, Bilbo manages to sneak up on the Trolls without their hearing him because he, like all Hobbits, could walk around very quietly. The Hobbits who lived in the Shire dressed in bright colors and were fond of yellow and green. Their hair usually ranges from a light or dark brown to blonde to a golden red and is almost always curly. The Race of Men The Beginning The race of Men is the second race of beings created by the supreme God, Ilúvatar. Because they awoke at the start of the First Age, at the first rising of the Sun (FA 1), while the elves awoke three Ages before them, they are called the Afterborn (Quenya Atani, Sindarin: Edain) by the Elves. Men bear the Gift of Men, which is mortality, and therefore they age and die when their time comes, and are susceptible to illness and disease. Elves are immortal, in the sense that are not susceptible to aging and disease, and even if their bodies are slain, their spirits will remain bound to the world for as long as it lasts, and pass to the Halls of Mandos to wait until they are released or the world ends. Three main groups in the First Age. The most important group in the tales of the First Age were the Edain. Although the word Edain refers to all Men, the Elves use it to distinguish those Men who fought with them in the First Age against Morgoth in Beleriand from others. Those Men who fought with them against Morgoth in the First Age were divided into three Houses. The First House of the Edain was the House of Bëor, and entered Beleriand in FA 305 and were granted the fief of Ladros in Dorthonion by Finrod Felagund. The Second House of the Edain, the Haladin was led by Haldad, and later by his daughter, Haleth, and settled in the Forest of Brethil. The Third House, which became the greatest, was led by Marach, and later his descendant, Hador, and they settled in Dor-lómin. This house was known both as the House of Marach and the House of Hador. Other Men didn't cross the Misty Mountains or fight against Morgoth. Some, such as the Easterlings, fought openly on his side. Later on, the Haradrim would fight on Sauron's side against the descendants of the Edain. Below follow short descriptions of the most important groups of Men in the First, Second, and Third ages. Edain and Dúnedain For their services and assistance rendered to the Elves and the Valar in the War of Wrath at the end of the First Age, the Edain were rewarded with a new land of their own between Middle-earth and the Undying Lands. This was the island of Númenor, an island far away from the evil of Middle-earth. The Edain were led to this island by Elros with the help of his father Eärendil, who sailed the heavens as the bright star of the same name. Once there Elros became the first king of Númenor as Tar-Minyatur and the Edain became known as the Dúnedain (Sindarin for Men of the West). The kingdom of Númenor grew steadily in power and the Dúnedain became the noblest and highest of all Men on Arda. Allied to the Elves, Númenor fought against Morgoth's lieutenant Sauron. Now that the Men of the West had become powerful they came to resent the Gift of Men, Death. They wanted to become immortal like the Elves, and enjoy their accumulated power for all time. The Númenóreans turned away from the Valar, began to call the Gift of Men the Doom of Men and cursed the Ban of the Valar which forbade them to sail west beyond sight of Númenor or to enter Valinor. In SA 2899 Ar-Adûnakhôr became the first king of Númenor who took his royal name in Adûnaic, the language of Men instead of Quenya, the language of the Elves. This led to civil war in Númenor. The people of Númenor were divided into two factions: the King's Men, who enjoyed the support of the King and the majority of the people. They favoured Adûnaic as language. The minority faction, the Faithful, were led by the lord of Andúnië, the westernmost province of Númenor, and favoured Quenya. Sauron who by the second millennium of the Second Age was nearly defeated by the Elves and Numenoreans, took advantage of the division. He surrendered to the last Númenórean King, Ar-Pharazôn and worked his way into the King's counsels. Ultimately, Sauron advised him to attack Valinor and claim immortality. This he foolishly did, and as a punishment Númenor, the island of the Men of the West fell and only the Faithful escaped and founded the twin kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor. Easterlings Most of the Men who fought in the armies of Morgoth and Sauron were Easterlings, who came from the region around the Sea of Rhûn. Some Easterlings offered their services to the elvish kingdoms in Beleriand, among them were Bor and his sons and Ulfang the Black and his sons. This proved to be disastrous for the Elves in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad when Ulfang and his clan switched sides and defected to Morgoth, while Bor and his sons died bravely fighting on the side of the Eldar. After Morgoth's defeat Sauron extended his influence over the Easterlings and although Sauron was defeated by the Last Alliance of Elves and Men at the end of the Second Age, the Easterlings were the first enemies to attack Gondor again in TA 492. They were soundly defeated by King Rómendacil I, but invaded again in TA 541 and took revenge by slaying King Rómendacil. Rómendacil's son Turambar took large portions of land from them. In the next centuries Gondor held sway over the Easterlings. When Gondor's power began to decrease in the twelfth century Third Age, the Easterlings took the complete eastern bank of the Anduin except Ithilien crushing Gondor's allies, the Northmen. The Easterlings of the Third Age were divided in different tribes, such as the Wainriders and the Balchoth. The Wainriders were a confederation of Easterlings which were very active between TA 1856 and TA 1944. They were a serious threat to Gondor for many years, but were utterly defeated by Eärnil IIin1944. When Gondor lost its royal dynasty in TA 2050 the Easterlings started to reorganize themselves and a fierce tribe called the Balchoth became the most important tribe. In TA 2510 they invaded Gondor again and conquered much of Calenardhon, until they were defeated by the Éothéod, coming to Gondor's aid. Until the War of the Ring, the Easterlings didn't launch any further invasion. During the War of the Ring, they were amongst the fiercest warriors deployed at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields by Sauron himself. Northmen The Northmen were composed of two principal groups. First, not all the Men who remained east of the Blue Mountains and Misty Mountains were tempted by Morgoth or Sauron. They were joined after the War of Wrath by those of the Edain who did not wish to travel to Númenór (similar to how, at the end of the first age, various eldar remained and went east, becoming lords of the silvan elves). The Northmen who dwelt in Greenwood the Great and other parts of Rhovanion were friendly to the Dúnedain, being for the most part their kin, and many of them became Gondorian subjects. The Men of Dale and Esgaroth were Northmen, as were the Woodmen of Mirkwood, and the Éothéod, who became the Rohirrim. Dunlendings When Elendil founded the Kingdom of Arnor its borders were quickly extended towards the river Greyflood, and Gondor likewise extended up through Enedwaith. In Enedwaith (Middle-land) and Minhiriath (Sindarin for Land between the Rivers) lived a group of Men related to those Men that became the House of Haleth, and they were known as the Dunlendings. They had lived in the great woods that covered most of Eriador, and when the Númenóreans started to chop these woods down to build their ships in the Second Age, the Dúnedain of Númenor earned the hostility of the Dunlendings. The Dunlendings later became bitter enemies of Rohan. The Dunlendings served Saruman in the War of the Ring and participated in the Battle of the Hornburg. Black Númenóreans and Haradrim Before the fall of Númenor, however, as it was growing in naval power, many Númenóreans sailed east and founded colonies in Middle-earth. In the second millennium of the Second Age there was an exodus of Men from overcrowded Númenor. The King's Men migrated because they wanted to conquer more lands, and the Faithful because they were persecuted by the Kings. The Faithful settled in Pelargir and the King's Men settled in Umbar. When Númenor was destroyed the King's Men became known as the Black Númenóreans and remained hostile against the Faithful of Gondor. From their ranks Sauron recruited the kings who would become the nine Ringwraiths in the second millennium of the Second Age. Umbar was conquered by Gondor in TA 933. Among the Black Númenórean race was the wicked Queen Berúthiel, wife of Tarannon Falastur, King of Gondor. Further east of Umbar another group of Men lived, the Haradrim. They were dark skinned Men and waged war on great Oliphaunts or Mûmakil. Hostile to Gondor, they were subdued in TA 1050 by Hyarmendacil I. Both Umbar and the Harad were left unchecked by Gondor's waning power by the time of the War of the Ring, and presented grave threats from the south. Many Haradrim fought with Sauron's forces in Gondor in that War. THE END *For Now*
Holy craps that's a lot of text! Btw the magic in Harry potter is clearly superior to that in the lotr series.
Yeah aha, it's quite the wall of text but well worth the read. Also, I almost have to agree with you on the magic bit.
I don't agree with this, harry potter is entirely based around magic where LotR is a mash of all different things but the magic in it is primarily used by angels like the Valar or the Wizards who are nearly as powerful as the Valar, we just don't see the magic as often. Also the magic rings are super strong! The one ring literally controls all the others and provides eternal life for the bearer!
Too me Harry Potter is more childish and LOTR is more adult like. For that very "magical" use reason. I might be biased on this though.
How powerful the magic is dosnt matter, its how u fit it in to the story. Anyone could write about a mage who engulfs his enemies in flame just by looking at them. But that would be boring as mage battles would just be who saw who first. Lotr implements its magic much better Than harry twatter
FULL SUPPORT. Always nice to see my people's lore highlighted. Don't know where Radagast ended up? He went to the forests of KAW of course. Here I am attacking a huge spy off the battle list: Here I am considering whether to let some understat applicant into the clan: Me trying to warn someone before upgrading into the Osmen Rai lands: