In the beginning, there was Eru the creator, who in the world of Arda, was called Iluvatar,
bringing forth the Timeless Halls and great void, before forming living beings known as
the Ainur, kindled by the flame imperishable.
Melkor, greatest of the Ainur, was granted vast power and knowledge while also sharing
in all the gifts of his brethren.
Yet his unique abilities also made him stand apart from the others, becoming more impatient
and ambitious, desiring that other life forms be created to fill the emptiness of the Void.
His desires even led him to journey into the Void, searching for the Flame Imperishable,
so that he too could have the power to create new lifeforms.
Yet in spending so much time alone, he became more independent with his thoughts growing
further apart from the others.
Eru then taught the Ainur to sing and when they were ready, sat back and harkened as
they performed the Ainulindale, pleased that through them great beauty had been wakened
into song.
However the perfect harmony of the music was soon interrupted by Melkor, who began twisting
the notes to sing in his own manner that conflicted with the others.
Yet as his voice grew more prominent, some of the other Ainur abandoned the original
theme and joined in his harmony.
For a time Eru listened to this war of sound until his very throne was a raging storm and
so introduced a second theme, more powerful than the first.
But the war continued as Melkor's music rose in uproar, becoming so dominant many
of the ainur were dismayed and stopped their singing.
Eru then made a third theme, deep, wide and beautiful, but slow and blended with an immeasurable
sorrow, while Melkor's music was aggressive, loud, and endlessly repetitive.
However Melkor continued to challenge each new theme until Eru struck one final chord
as piercing as the light of the eye of Ilúvatar, to end the battle and leave the timeless halls
in silence.
When it was over, Melkor was scolded for bringing such discord into the notes, and was told
that all actions even those thought different and unique, had their foundation in the creator
and only served to contribute to his plans.
The greatest of the Ainur was filled with shame upon hearing the rebuke, but also felt
deep anger which he hid away.
Then Eru left them, travelling into the void, and so the Ainur followed until he revealed
what their music had created.
The Vision of Arda, seeing the lands of Middle Earth and Aman, as well as new life forms
known as the children of Iluvatar.
He showed them how each of the Ainur created elements of the vision, including the discord
of Melkor.
When the vision ended, the Ainur were astounded and wanted it to be made real and so Eru responded
to their pleas and formed Ea, inviting them to enter this new realm on the condition that
they could not return to the Timeless halls until all the events of this universe had
completed.
Many of them agreed and departed for Ea, where the strongest became the Valar, and the lesser
became the Maiar, working together to form Arda, a world of lands and seas, in order
to bring life to the vision they had seen.
These Ainur followed Manwe, king of the Valar, the most powerful of their kind save for his
brother Melkor who also entered Ea, desiring mastery of the world and Lordship over the
Children of Iluvatar.
The Valar created a flat world perfectly symmetrical, surrounded by ocean, however soon Melkor went
on a rampage, disrupting their work, and waging the First War.
Though the powerful Dark Lord was winning the struggle, he was ultimately defeated,
when Tulkas the Strong became the last Ainur to descend from the Timeless halls, joining
the Valar to crush their enemy.
Defeated, Melkor fled from world and hid in the void, allowing for a period of peace and
stability.
However the war had marred the original design of the Valar who chose to make their home
on the island of Almaren in the center of the continent.
To bring light to the world, the valar built two great lamps, placing Illuin in the north
and Ormal in the south, bringing about the Spring of Arda, when plant and animal life
flourished all over the world.
But eventually, Melkor returned to the world in secret, and travelled North where he built
the fortress of Utumno, the base from which he once again waged war against the Valar.
Some of the Maiar who had been attuned to Melkor's harmony during the Ainulindale,
then turned against the others and joined the Dark Lord, including Sauron and those
that came to be known as the Balrogs.
Sauron was originally known by the name Mairon, meaning the Admirable, and served under Aule
the Smith, becoming a greatly skilled craftsmen.
Yet his love or order and perfection soon consumed him, causing him to embrace Melkor,
becoming a spy for the Dark Lord before leaving the Valar and joining his new master.
Melkor and his minions then attacked, sending a blight to poison the works of the Valar
and shattered the 2 lamps, plunging the world into darkness.
The attack was so devastating it shattered the continent, making three distinct areas
with Aman to the west, Middle Earth at the center and the Land of the Sun in the east.
Almaren, the home of the Valar was destroyed, and so they went west, and founded Valinor,
where they planted the two trees, Teleperion and Laurelin bringing light to Aman allowing
for plant and animal life to flourish.
During these years Middle Earth remained in darkness, ruled over by Melkor, who based
himself in the Utumno, though he also built Angband as a second fortress in the west to
keep watch against invasion, choosing Sauron to hold the fortress and defend it in his
name.
Meanwhile, the Valar built up Valinor, with each of them working in accordance to their
gifts bestowed by Iluvatar.
There was Manwe, Lord of the Winds, and King of the Valar, who made his home at the summit
of Taniquetil, the highest mountain in the world and used the Eagles as scouts to watch
over Middle Earth.
His wife was Varda, the "Star Queen", who brought light to the world, first with
the 2 lamps, then the 2 trees and eventually the stars, sun and moon.
There was Ulmo, King of the Sea, one of the chief architects of Arda, who lived in the
underwater palace of Ulmonan.
Aule, The Smith, also called the Maker, was a powerful valar who delighted in the crafting
great material works.
In his impatient's for the coming of new life forms, he created the Dwarven race, but
was forced to put them to sleep by command of the creator, until the children of Iluvatar
had awoken.
Aule's wife was Yavanna, the Giver of Fruits, who created the world's plant and animal
life.
After her husband created the Dwarves, approached Manwe with her concerns that the Children
of Iluvatar might destroy her great works, and so it was decided that tall, tree-like
beings known as Ents would serve as Shepherds of the Forest, protecting Yavanna's creations.
There was Orome, the great Hunter and Lord of Forests, who had his own woodlands in Valinor
but also roamed the lands of Middle Earth.
His wife, Vana, the ever young, was the younger sister of Yavanna and a lover of all things
that grow.
Flowers bloomed in her presence and it was her love for the golden tree Laurelin, that
preserved some of its light, and aided in the creation of the sun.
Namo also known as Mandos was the Judge of the Dead, ruling over Halls of Mandos, where
the spirits of the deceased would dwell while they awaited their ultimate fate.
His wife Vaire was called the Weaver, and made the tapestry of life, weaving the story
of the world onto the walls of the halls of Mandos.
Irmo, also known as Lorien, Master of Dreams and Illusions, was the brother Mandos and
together were known as the Feanturi, the masters of spirits.
His wife was Este, the Valar of rest, healer of hurts and weariness who watched over the
wellness of all creatures.
Then there was Tulkas, Champion of the Valar, the most warlike of them all who forever remained
the bitterest of enemies to the Dark Lord.
His wife was Nessa, the Dancer, sister of Orome, who was known for her incredible speed,
and love of swift creatures such as deer.
Then lastly there was Nienna, the Lady of Mercy, sister of Mandos and Lorien, who felt
great sadness and pity for the tragedies of the world.
The greatest of her pupils would one day become the Wizard Gandalf, whose love and empathy
for the races of Middle earth, led him to lead the fight against the Sauron in the Third
Age.
With Valinor thriving and the Valar eager to meet the children of Iluvatar, Varda, the
wife of Manwe, brought about the Noontide of the Blessed, creating the stars in the
sky to bring light back the rest of the world, allowing for the first of the Children to
awaken and walk the lands of Middle Earth.
These free thinking creatures of beauty and wisdom came to be known as Elves, and were
unlike any other creature in the world as they came directly from the mind of Iluvatar,
and were granted the gift of immortality.
Waking in the land of Cuivienen, it was Melkor who first discovered them and started capturing
those who wandered alone in the forests, twisting their minds with darkness and corruption in
order to breed a new race known as the Orcs to serve the Dark Lord.
Roughly a century after the awakening of the Elves, many of the early Dwarves also awoke
in the east, such as the Ironfists, Stiffbeards, Blacklocks and Stonefoots, who possibly settled
the Orocarni Mountains.
Others however awoke further west, with Duran the Deathless settling the Longbeard clan
in the fortress of Khazad Dum within the Misty Mountains, while the Broadbeams and Firebeards
built Nogrod and Belegost in the Blue Mountains.
The Ents also awoke in these early years, roaming the vast forests of middle earth,
and coming into contact with the Elves who taught them how to speak, imparting a desire
to learn new things and expand their knowledge.
According to Treebeard, possibly the Oldest living being in all of Middle Earth, the race
of Trolls later created by Melkor were made in mockery of the Ents, just as the Orcs were
a corrupted version of the Elves.
Eventually, the great hunter Orome discovered what Melkor was doing with the Elder Children
and returned to Valinor to reveal all he knew.
Outraged by his actions, the Valar and Maiar marched against the Dark Lord in the War for
Sake of the Elves, defeating his forces at Angband in the Battle of the Powers and sending
part of their army to protect the Elves from the rest of the conflict.
Melkor then retreated into Utumno where he was besieged for years until they breached
his defences, leaving Tulkas the Strong to cast him down, taking the Dark Lord to Valinor
in chains.
Yet despite their victory, the Valar did not discover the mighty vaults and hidden caverns
of Melkor's fortresses, where many evil things still lingered, and also failed to
capture many of his other servants including Sauron.
The devastation of the war caused yet another reshaping of the continents, yet with Melkor
sentenced to three ages of captivity in the Halls of Mandos, there came a time of peace,
where the Children of Iluvatar once again roamed the forests freely.
Desiring to bring the Elves to Aman under their protection, the Valar sent Orome to
meet with them, bringing back three ambassadors to see the light of the trees of Valinor.
The ambassadors then returned to middle Earth and convinced many of the Elves to join them
in a great journey west.
Yet not all would go, and so the Elves fractured into the Avari who remained in Cuivienen and
the Eldar who departed.
The Eldar were then further divided into three groups, with the Vanyar following their leader
Ingwe, the Noldor following Finwe, and the Teleri led by Elwe.
Yet as they travelled, Elwe heard the singing of Melian, a Maia who once tended the gardens
of Lorien, but left Valinor to explore the forests of Middle Earth.
Elwe was entranced by her beauty and voice, and when they touched hands a spell was cast
which froze them in place for many years.
The Teleri, alarmed by the disappearance of their leader, stayed behind to search for
him while the Vanyar and Noldor completed the journey west, farried across the sea of
belegaer upon an island sent by Ulmo.
When Elwe could not be found, the Teleri broke apart, with some continuing on to Valinor,
while others, having grown attached to these lands, settled in Middle Earth.
Many of those Teleri that continued west, came to settle on the island ferry, which
came to be known as Tol Eressea and which settled off the coast of Aman, where their
people became expert ship builders.
When at last Melian and Elwe awoke from the incantation, they were deeply in love and
went on to rule over the Sindarin elves of the kingdom of Doriath.
After 3 ages spent in captivity, Melkor was once again brought before the Valar to plead
his case.
The Dark Lord, eager for freedom and revenge, feigned regret for his past actions, claiming
that he wanted to return to the light of Iluvatar, and his brother Manwe, being so good hearted
believed the lie, allowing him to go free.
Yet many others remained wary of Melkor, watching him closely, and so he was patient, continuing
with his ruse by being helpful and acting reformed while in secret he plotted against
the Valar and the Elves who he despised.
Slowly, he began sowing discord among them, choosing to target the Elf Feanor, eldest
son of the noldor High King Finwe.
Feanor was a powerful elf of great skill and renown, responsible for the creation of the
Silmarils, three gems which contained light from the two trees and were so precious that
no one, not even their creator could ever reproduce their likeness again.
Although Feanor was among those who did not trust Melkor, the Dark Lord used trickery
to convince him his younger half brother Fingolfin was plotting to usurp his place as heir to
the throne.
Enraged, Feanor publically threatened Fingolfin with death and so was exiled in punishment,
making his home in the fortress of Formenos.
Finwe his father, joined him in exile until Feanor finally realized he had been deceived
and returned to make peace.
However with Feanor away from Formenos, Melkor and his new ally the Ungoliant, a primordial
evil in the form of a giant spider, revealed their master plan, plunging Aman into darkness
by destroying the two trees.
Melkor then moved against Formenos, killing Feanor's father Finwe and stealing the Silmarils
before departing for Middle Earth.
When Feanor learned what occurred, he was consumed with rage and renamed Melkor to Morgoth,
the Black Enemy, swearing an oath to recapture the silmarils by any means necessary, then
leading an army of Noldor towards the coast where they demanded ships from the Teleri
to cross the sea.
When they refused, Feanor and those most loyal to him slew the Teleri, in what came to be
known as the First Kinslaying, afterwhich they were cursed by Mandos and forbidden from
returning to Valinor.
After the theft of the Silmarils and journey to Middle Earth, Melkor and the Ungoliant
turned against each other, fighting for possession of the jewels.
After consuming the light of the 2 trees, Ungoliant proved so powerful she nearly overcame
the Dark Lord, but his screams alerted the nearby Balrogs, sleeping underneath the ruined
fortress of Angband, who responded to their masters call and chased her away into the
south, where she became mother to the great spiders.
With Melkor returned to his seat of power, he gathered together his armies, intent on
ruling over the continent.
However he faced resistance from the Elves who remained behind during the great journey
west resulting in the First Battle of Beleriand, the initial conflict in the War of Great Jewels.
This battle saw Morgoth and his lieutenants Sauron and Gothmog leading their forces against
an alliance of Sindarin and Laiquendi elves, fighting alongside the Dwarves of Nogrod and
Belegost.
Although the alliance was successfully able to repel the invasion in the east, the cost
was heavy, and victory remained incomplete, as the sindarin elves who dwelt in the Havens
of the Falas under Lord Cirdan, remaining under siege.
However King Thingol had seen enough of war, and so did not march to help his kin in the
west, instead summoning all who wished to live in peace, bringing them to Doriath, where
Queen Melian used her powers to place a spell upon the land, creating the Girdle of Melian,
an invisible fence that hid their city from outsiders.
In addition no help came from the Dwarves who retreated into their mountains, nor from
the Green Elves, who saw their king Denethor slain in battle, and afterwards returned to
the forests of Ossiriand, pledging to live in secrecy and refusing to participate in
future battles.
However relief finally came for the Elves of the western coast, when the Noldor following
Feanor arrived in the lands of Lammoth, and immediately went to war against the Dark Lord,
forcing his armies to abandon the siege and march north.
Engaging in the Dagor-nuin-Giliath, the Noldor swiftly defeated the enemy, but Feanor became
so enraptured in a battle fever, he led a charge to follow after those in retreat, leading
him to be surrounded by Blarogs as he approached the fortress of Angband.
Though his sons soon arrived and drove the enemy back, they were too late to save their
father who with his final breaths cursed Angband 3 times over before he died, his fiery spirit
so powerful it burned his body to ash.
And so it now fell to his sons led Maedhros, the eldest, to fulfil the oath of Feanor and
recover the Silmarils from their eternal enemy.
Meanwhile, Fingolfin and his followers had been abandoned by Feanor after the kinslaying,
in which they participated only because they arrived late and were not aware the Noldor
initiated the conflict.
Although Feanor promised to send back the ships they took, he instead burned them upon
arriving in middle earth, forcing Fingolfin to lead his people across the treacherous
mountain of Helcaraxe, the Northern bridge to the east.
The journey was long and many Elves died along the way, but eventually they arrived and reunited
with the remaining Noldor who had been scattered after the death of Feanor.
With the 2 trees gone, the Valar used there last flower and fruit to create the Sun and
Moon in the sky, and so the race of Men awoke in the lands of Hildorian.
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