Lord of the Rings: Complete History of the Third Age — Transcript

Complete history of the Third Age in Middle-earth, covering Sauron's fall, Dunedain lineage, and key events shaping Gondor, Arnor, and other realms.

Key Takeaways

  • Sauron's power persisted through the One Ring despite his physical defeat, influencing Middle-earth's fate for millennia.
  • The division and weakening of Arnor contrasted with Gondor's rise and territorial expansion.
  • Elves, Men, and Dwarves formed complex alliances and rivalries shaping the political landscape of the Third Age.
  • The threat from Easterlings, Haradrim, and internal conflicts kept the western kingdoms in a state of near-constant vigilance.
  • The Istari were sent to guide Middle-earth discreetly, emphasizing the subtlety of the struggle against Sauron.

Summary

  • After Sauron's defeat in the War of the Last Alliance, his spirit remained bound to the One Ring, lost for over two thousand years after Isildur's death.
  • The royal lines of Gondor and Arnor split, with Arnor fracturing into smaller kingdoms and Gondor expanding its power and territory.
  • Various human groups such as the Dunedain, Middle-Men, Northmen, and Dunlendings inhabited Middle-earth with differing alliances and conflicts.
  • The Easterlings and Haradrim, weakened but persistent, continued to threaten the western kingdoms, especially Gondor and Rohan.
  • Elven realms like Lindon, Lothlórien, Greenwood, and Rivendell flourished under leaders such as Círdan, Galadriel, Celeborn, and Elrond.
  • Dwarves of Durin's folk prospered in Khazad-dûm until awakening a Balrog led to great calamity.
  • Key events include invasions, civil wars in Arnor, and battles involving Gondor, Rohan, and their enemies.
  • The Valar restricted the Istari to prevent direct confrontation with Sauron, who began rebuilding his power from Dol Guldur.
  • The narrative covers the lineage and fate of important characters like Amroth, Nimrodel, and the heirs of Isildur.
  • The video culminates in the buildup to the War of the Ring, highlighting alliances and battles such as the Pelennor Fields.

Chapters

  1. 00:00Sauron's Defeat and the Fate of the One Ring
  2. 04:57The Tragic Story of Amroth and Nimrodel
  3. 09:23The Valar and the Istari's Role in Middle-earth
  4. 13:32Sauron's Return and the Rise of Dol Guldur
  5. 18:02Civil Wars and Migration in Arnor
  6. 22:21Easterling Invasions and Gondor's Defense
  7. 27:08Dwarves of Khazad-dûm and the Balrog Awakening
  8. 30:42Alliances and Battles Leading to the War of the Ring

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

00:09
Speaker A
After his defeat in the War of the Last Alliance, the Dark Lord Sauron was greatly diminished in power, yet his spirit lived on, bound to the One Ring of Power, which remained in the possession of the Dunedain Isildur, High King of Gondor and Arnor.
00:25
Speaker A
Unable to seek out the ring and take his vengeance, Sauron remained in the shadows for centuries, recovering his strength and planning for his inevitable return to power.
00:34
Speaker A
Though the Dark Lord was defeated, many of his orcs, trolls, and other servants survived and fled, scattering across the continent to create havoc wherever encountered.
00:45
Speaker A
After planting a Second White Tree in Minas Tirith, continuing the lineage of ancient Telperion which once illuminated the Undying Lands, Isildur and three of his sons travelled north to take up residence in Arnor but failed to arrive as they were attacked by orc raiders
01:00
Speaker A
near the Gladden Fields. Unwilling to allow the ring to fall into enemy hands, Isildur’s sons sacrificed themselves to hold the line while he escaped through the Anduin River.
01:11
Speaker A
Facing a powerful current, the king was separated from the ring before being spotted and shot with arrows by pursuing orcs.
01:19
Speaker A
With the Dunedain killed and the orcs unaware of its presence, the One Ring of Power fell to the bottom of the river, where it remained lost to the world for over two thousand years.
01:29
Speaker A
Meanwhile, the death of Isildur and his sons left Meneldil, nephew of the High King, as ruler of Gondor, while Valandil, his fourth son, reigned in Arnor.
01:40
Speaker A
Dividing the royal line into two dynasties, the descendants of Anarion and his son Meneldil led the people of Gondor for two millennia, while Isildur and his son Valandil left a bloodline that held power over a united Arnor for only a few centuries before fracturing
01:56
Speaker A
into smaller kingdoms. Elsewhere in the continent, the Middle-Men, those descended from humans who did not live in Numenor during the Second Age, were scattered throughout the westlands, with those living in what became Gondor and Arnor intermixing with the Dunedain, while those in and around
02:12
Speaker A
the Greenwood came to be known as Northmen. To the west and south of the Misty Mountains lived a population of tribal hill-men later called Dunlendings, who spoke a different language from the other Middle-Men of the continent, and so were denied friendship and aid because they were not recognized as kin to the Dunedain
02:28
Speaker A
of Numenor. Living as wild men for thousands of years, the Dunlendings expanded south and west towards the White Mountains, though some few left their more primitive homelands to make their way north, settling in Eregion where they founded the village of Bree.
02:43
Speaker A
Heading towards the Sea of Rhun and beyond, the many tribes and nations of the Easterlings were weakened by their defeat in the War of the Last Alliance but steadily rebuilt their strength, ever eager to fulfill their ambition of conquering the west.
02:57
Speaker A
The same could be said for the Haradrim to the south, who lived under the influence of the powerful city-state Umbar, where the Black Numenoreans loyal to Sauron remained in power.
03:08
Speaker A
Though the Dark Lord still had allies spread throughout the continent, Mordor was lost to him, as the Kingdom of Gondor used Minas Ithil, the Towers of the Teeth, and the Tower of Cirith Ungol to keep watch over the land.
03:21
Speaker A
Having spent much of the Second Age isolated within the Misty Mountains, the Dwarves of Durin’s folk thrived in Khazad-dûm, growing immensely wealthy from their mining operations.
03:31
Speaker A
Yet after the defeat of Sauron, loss of Mordor, and scattering of his armies, hordes of wandering orcs now populated the westlands, with some making their homes in the Grey and Misty Mountains.
03:43
Speaker A
Along the western shores, the Laiquendi, Noldor, and Sindar Elves of Lindon lived under the rule of Lord Círdan and spent their days building ships in the harbor of the Grey Havens, making them available to any of their people who sought passage to the Undying Lands of the
03:59
Speaker A
West. Other Noldor and Sindar made their homes alongside the Silvan in Lothlórien, originally ruled by King Amdir, until his death in the Battle of Dagorlad during the War of the Last Alliance at the end of the Second Age.
04:13
Speaker A
Rule was then inherited by his son Amroth, who fell in love with the beautiful maiden Nimrodel, a Silvan Elf who resented the Sindar and Noldor, blaming them for the wars that now plagued Middle-earth.
04:25
Speaker A
Despite Amroth being Sindar, Nimrodel returned his love but even so refused to marry him unless they left for a new land where they could truly live in peace.
04:37
Speaker A
Since this was no longer possible in Middle-earth, Amroth agreed to give up his kingship and travel to Edhellond in Gondor, where they could board a ship to the Undying Lands of the West.
04:48
Speaker A
Yet the journey proved difficult and they became separated, causing Amroth to arrive first at the shore where he awaited his beloved aboard a ship ready to depart.
04:57
Speaker A
Unfortunately for the couple, a storm forced the ship to suddenly set sail, leaving Amroth so horrified he threw himself into the sea, where he drowned trying to reach the shore.
05:09
Speaker A
As for the fate of Nimrodel, none can be certain, as she was lost to history after reaching Edhellond, to learn Amroth and the ship were gone.
05:19
Speaker A
With the king dead, leadership in Lothlórien fell to the Sinda Celeborn and Noldo Galadriel, while other Silvan or Wood Elves lived in the Greenwood Forest under the Sinda King Thranduil.
05:32
Speaker A
Founded as a refuge for the Noldor Elves of Eregion, Imladris, also known as Rivendell, continued to be ruled by Elrond Half-Elven, who in the year 109 of the Third Age married Celebrían, daughter to the Lord and Lady of Lothlórien.
05:46
Speaker A
Celebrían then gave birth to twin sons Elladan and Elrohir in 130 TA, while their younger sister Arwen came into the world a century later in 241 TA.
05:57
Speaker A
By the year 492, some of the Easterlings at last felt prepared to strike out against their enemies, resulting in two invasions of Gondor within a 60-year period.
06:07
Speaker A
Though the fighting went back and forth at times, the Dunedain proved too powerful and steadily pushed them back, with King Tarostar changing his name to Rómendacil, meaning east-victor, after a great triumph in 500 TA.
06:21
Speaker A
For four decades, the Easterlings appeared defeated until they launched yet another invasion in the year 541, scoring a great victory by killing King Rómendacil on the battlefield.
06:32
Speaker A
Yet his son Túramar continued the fight even more fiercely than his father, and by 550 TA pushed the Easterlings back beyond the Sea of Rhun to claim their lands for Gondor.
06:43
Speaker A
Having defeated the invaders and established the East-lands, the Kingdom of Gondor was reaching new heights of power, while their kinsmen in Arnor were headed towards civil unrest.
06:53
Speaker A
Following the death of King Eärendur in 861 TA, his three sons went to war over the inheritance, with the oldest claiming the realm of Arthedain, while his brothers founded the kingdoms of Cardolan and Rhudaur.
07:06
Speaker A
Coming to power in the year 913, King Earnil of Gondor spent his reign continuing a policy of expansion and so built a great fleet he used to conquer the city of Umbar in 933 TA.
07:18
Speaker A
Unfortunately, Earnil was lost at sea a few years later, leaving his son Ciryandil as king during a time of war, meaning he spent most of his reign defending their conquest of Umbar from the Black Numenoreans and their Haradrim supporters.
07:32
Speaker A
Ciryandil was ultimately killed during a siege of the city in 1015 TA, and so his son Hyarmendacil began his reign determined to end the southern threat.
07:41
Speaker A
As the Third Age continued, the Valar grew increasingly concerned Sauron might still pose a threat, as his life force was connected to the One Ring of Power, which was lost but never destroyed.
07:52
Speaker A
Although elves, men, and dwarves were able to unite and defeat the Dark Lord during the Second Age, most believed the threat was gone and so would be unprepared for his return.
08:02
Speaker A
When the Valar first descended from the timeless halls, they took mastery over the world, shaping it as they desired in preparation for the awakening of the Children.
08:15
Speaker A
When the First Dark Lord waged his wars, poisoning their labors and threatening the Children, the Valar felt compelled to offer their protection, marching their armies to war.
08:25
Speaker A
Yet they soon realised that direct interference resulted in drastic repercussions felt all across the world.
08:31
Speaker A
Though their strength was indeed sufficient to defeat and destroy the First Dark Lord Melkor, it also led to the reshaping of continents causing countless deaths and mass devastation.
08:42
Speaker A
Since Sauron was nowhere near as powerful as his master Melkor, and had already been defeated by the children on their own, the Valar felt it unwise to involve themselves directly, and instead created the Istari, a team of 5 Maiar in the form of elderly Wizards,
08:56
Speaker A
tasked with organizing and preparing Middle-earth for their war against the Second Dark Lord. Knowing that Sauron was once a faithful Maia, just like the Istari, the Valar understood the temptations awaiting them, as they would be surrounded by being incapable of magic,
09:11
Speaker A
and so could easily use their powers to make themselves kings. Making this threat even more dire, was the possibility that one of the Istari might come to possess the one ring and succumb to its corruption, becoming yet another Dark Lord
09:23
Speaker A
seeking the conquest of middle-earth. In order to minimize this threat, the Valar forbid the Istari from overt use of their powers or facing the Dark Lord directly, and had them take the form of elderly men, so they could speak to Elves, humans and dwarves as equals.
09:38
Speaker A
Arriving around the year 1000, the blue wizards Alatar and Pallando took charge over the east of Middle-earth, joined briefly by the White Wizard and leader of their order Saruman, who then returned to the West where he worked with the Gandalf the Grey to foster and maintain
09:52
Speaker A
alliances. Gandalf was the wisest of the Istari, but also the most humble and mild mannered, learning compassion from the Vala Nienna, lady of mercy.
10:01
Speaker A
In order to prepare for their mission Gandalf spent centuries wandering around middle-earth, getting to know it’s people, and doing so learned about their history and politics, making many friendships and contacts which later proved crucial for victory.
10:13
Speaker A
The final wizard Radagast the Brown, was sent on behalf of the Vala Yavanna, and so dedicated himself to the preservation of wildlife, only participating in the affairs of his colleagues when absolutely necessary.
10:25
Speaker A
As the decades went on and the Istari spread throughout Middle-earth, a strange evil took possession of Amon Lanc, forcing the wood elves to relocate further north where they built Elvenking’s Hall.* Renamed Dol Guldur, the former elven stronghold came to be ruled
10:39
Speaker A
by a being called the Necromancer, whose corruption spread throughout the Greenwood, hence forth renamed Mirkwood.
10:46
Speaker A
Though no one knew it at the time, the Necromancer was Sauron, who needed a base of operations to assemble his servants and send them on missions to weaken their enemies however possible.
10:56
Speaker A
Fearing the evil spreading throughout the forest, many of those living in the area migrated away, like the harfoot clan of the hobbit people, who left the valley of the Anduin to cross the mountains and settle in eriador.
11:07
Speaker A
As the centuries went on, they were joined by other hobbit clans like the Fallohides and Stoors, with most eventually settling in and around the Shire.
11:16
Speaker A
Meanwhile, in the lands of men, the Dunedain at last achieved a lasting victory against the Haradrim of the south, when King Ciryaher emerged from Umbar and led his forces to conquer their last great enemy, bringing Gondor to the height of its power and peak of their
11:30
Speaker A
Golden Age. Renamed Hyarmendacil, meaning south-victor, the last of the great ship kings ruled until his death in 1149, and was succeeded by his son Atanatar II.
11:41
Speaker A
A man who cared nothing for the administration of the realm, and spent his life delighting in the power and wealth he inherited.
11:49
Speaker A
Due to his neglect, the Golden Age of Gondor soon came to an end and their influence slowly began to diminish.
11:55
Speaker A
Much like Atanatar II, his son and heir Narmacil had no interest in ruling over the realm, however the realm was fortunate to have his nephew Minalcar, a promising administrator and military commander who was named Regent and given charge over the Kingdom.
12:10
Speaker A
Learning of a rebellion in the east, Minalcar worked with the northman tribes of Rhovanion living in and around the Greenwood forest.
12:18
Speaker A
After defeating the Easterlings, Minalcar changed his name to Romandacil and returned home, having made a number of new friendships and alliances with the men of the North.
12:27
Speaker A
Two years later in 1250 TA, the Regent sent his son Valacar as an ambassador to live under Vidugavia, the self titled King of Rhovanion, leader of their largest tribe.
12:37
Speaker A
When King Narmacil died childless decades later in 1294, his younger brother Calmacil inherited the throne, but he was too old for the position and so left his son Romandacil as regent, until he too passed away in 1304.
12:51
Speaker A
Though he had been ruling over Gondor for over 50 years, Romendacil at last inherited the title of King, which he held until his death in 1366.
12:59
Speaker A
Although the Dunedain of Gondor were emerging from a golden age of prosperity, their kin in Arnor were not fairing as well, having divided into three realms, constantly at war.
13:10
Speaker A
Taking advantage of this vulnerability, a being known as the Witch King of Angmar established himself in the fortress of Carn Dum, gathering an army of orcs and hill-men, all the while using spies and informants to keep Arnor divided.
13:22
Speaker A
Though many feared the threat he posed, none knew he was leader of the Nazgul and Lieutenant of Sauron, who disappeared for over a thousand years after the wars of the Second Age.
13:32
Speaker A
Now settled in Dol Guldur, Sauron began his longterm strategy of weakening the Dunedain in anticipation of his return to power.
13:40
Speaker A
The Witch King therefore established himself in the North with the goal of utterly destroying the realms of Arnor.
13:46
Speaker A
When King Argeleb inherited the rule of Arthedain, there was a brief hope that peace might follow, as the royal lines of Cardolan and Rhudaur were no more, meaning he was the last descendant of Isildur with a claim the entire Kingdom.
13:59
Speaker A
Yet while Cardolan recognized this reality and accepted his rule, Rhudaur was ruled by servants of the Witch King, who refused and pledged themselves allies of Angmar.
14:09
Speaker A
Sending their combined forces to face the armies of Arthedain in the battle of weather hills, the Witch King achieved a great victory, killing King Argeleb.
14:18
Speaker A
However his son and heir Arveleg continued the struggle, gaining reinforcements from Cardolan and their Elven allies in Lindon, to push back the enemy and retake the Weather Hills.
14:28
Speaker A
Forming a defensive line in case of another attack, the Witch King momentarily halted his advance south and moved east, laying siege to Rivendell in the hopes of crushing this ally of his enemy before they could join in the war effort.
14:40
Speaker A
Although the Elves emerged victorious when Lord Elrond brought reinforcements from Lothlorien to help lift the siege, the Witch King’s larger strategy succeeded as he distracted the Elves and prevented them from sending aid to Arnor.
14:53
Speaker A
With the Eastern Elves busy fighting in Rivendell the Witch King next sought to eliminate Arthedain’s greatest ally, and so sent an army against the front line forces at Amon Sul in 1409, while another host attacked Cardolan directly.
15:06
Speaker A
Achieving another great victory, the forces of Angmar succeeded in killing both the Prince of Cardolan and King Arveleg of Arthedain, in addition to capturing Amon Sul, pushing towards Fornost, occupying Rhudaur and conquering all of Cardolan save for the capital city
15:21
Speaker A
of Tyrn Gorthad. Yet this was as far as the Witch King’s forces could extend and they soon faced the Elves of Lindon who joined young King Araphor of Arthedain in a counter offensive, pushing back the enemy at Fornost and liberating Amon Sul.
15:36
Speaker A
Lord Elrond then arranged for more reinforcements from Lothlorien, which combined with those from Lindon to attack Angmar and strike a blow so devastating it took centuries to recover.
15:46
Speaker A
Though they survived the invasion, Arnor was a shadow of their former selves, with Rhudaur gone and Cardolan on the verge of collapse.
15:54
Speaker A
While the realms of Arnor recovered from the Angmar war, Gondor entered its own period of struggle as they continued to fall from the heights of their golden age.
16:03
Speaker A
Living among the northmen of Rhovanion for years, Valacar, son and heir to King Romendacil II, married the chieftain’s daughter Vidumavi and had a son they named Eldacar.
16:15
Speaker A
Wishing to remain on good terms with the Kingdom of Rhovanion, Romendacil blessed their union, but trouble soon followed when Valacar returned to Gondor and was publicly seen with a foreign bride and household.
16:28
Speaker A
Outraged the blood of Dunedain kings was being diluted with that of common men, Castamir the Usurper, a captain of ships and cousin to the ruler, started gathering support for his own faction, finding great success in Umbar and southern gondor.
16:43
Speaker A
Though small scale rebellions arose during the reign of Romendacil, his death in 1432 led to a full on civil war when his half-blood son Eldacar inherited the throne.
16:55
Speaker A
Engaging in the kin-strife, Eldacar proved himself a valiant warrior every bit the equal to his full blooded father, yet by 1437, he was overwhelmed by enemies, resulting in the death of his son and burning of the capital Osgiliath.
17:11
Speaker A
Evading capture, Eldacar escaped to his mother’s people in Rhovanion where he spent the next 10 years gathering an army of northmen and loyalists from northern Gondor, while Castamir reigned as a cruel tyrant, increasingly loathed by the people, who then flocked to the exiled
17:26
Speaker A
king’s banner when he returned to take the throne. Engaging in the Battle of the Crossings of Erui, many of Gondor’s best men lost their lives, but in the end Eldacar emerged victorious, slaying his rival Castamir in single combat.
17:41
Speaker A
Defeated, the Usurper’s sons retreated with their navy to Pelargir and then Umbar further South where they found great support from the Black Numenorians and Haradrim of the region, allowing the sons of Castamir to establish an independent Lordship.
17:54
Speaker A
Becoming known as the corsairs of Umbar, their descendants never abandoned their hatred for Gondor, and continued to raid their settlements whenever possible.
18:02
Speaker A
Though Eldacar won the civil war, ruled until his death in 1490 and was succeeded by his son Aldamir, victory came at a heavy cost, losing so many Dunedain that migration from Rhovanion and other lands was encouraged to restore their population.
18:17
Speaker A
This is turn led to the diluting of their bloodlines, and the gradual lessening of the divine blessings bestowed upon those descended from the Numenoreans.
18:26
Speaker A
Struggling to keep his grasp on the furthest reaches of realm, Aldamir led his armies south in 1540 and lost his life in battle with the rebelling kings of harad and their Umbar allies.
18:38
Speaker A
Inheriting the throne of Gondor, Vinyarion set out with a great army to avenge his father and after winning a great victory took the tame Hyrmendacil.
18:46
Speaker A
After his death in 1621, the throne went to his son Minardil who just a few years later in 1643, decided to visit southern gondor.
18:55
Speaker A
Hearing about his journey, Angamaitë and Sangahyando, the grandsons of Castamir, set out from Umbar to launch a devastating raid against Pelargir, murdering the king and pillaging the city.
19:07
Speaker A
Though he ruled for only a few years, it was under King Minardil that the House of Hurin grew to prominence, when Húrin of Emyn Arnen was appointed Steward of Gondor.
19:16
Speaker A
A faithful servant of the crown, Hurin worked tirelessly for the realm, and made such a name for himself that the title Steward of Gondor became a hereditary position for the men of his house.
19:28
Speaker A
In response to the tragic death of Minardil, his son and successor Telemnar set to work building a fleet to attack Umbar, but the campaign was undone when a terrible plague arose in the east to spread across the lands of the west.
19:41
Speaker A
Likely sent by Sauron, the plague coincided with the shadow deepening over mirkwood and began by ravaging the sea of Rhun, before moving west to Rhovanion, Gondor, Eriador and beyond.
19:53
Speaker A
Though they all suffered greatly, Rhovanion was hardest hit, losing roughly half their population, while Gondor was next, losing the king, his children and the white tree.
20:03
Speaker A
Weakening the realm to such an extent they abandoned the towers guarding mordor and moved the capital from Osgiliath to Minas Anor.
20:11
Speaker A
Continuing its path of destruction north towards Arnor, Cardolan lost the last of their people to the plague, and Angmar prevented resettlement by sending undead barrow-wights to haunt the land.
20:21
Speaker A
One of the only realms of men in the west to be spared the full brunt of this terrible plague, were the hill-men called dunlendings, as they had little contact with outsiders.
20:31
Speaker A
After the death of Telemnar and his heirs, the throne of Gondor was inherited by the king’s nephew Tarondor who planted a second white tree in the new capital of Minas Anor.
20:42
Speaker A
Dedicating his reign to the recovery of Gondor, Tarondor was followed by his son Telumehtar, who felt their strength was sufficient to take vengeance against Umbar for the death of his great grandfather and their constant raids on the southern half of the realm.
20:55
Speaker A
Achieving a great victory in 1810 TA, Gondor captured Umbar, expelled the corsairs and slayed the last of Castamir’s descendants.
21:05
Speaker A
To commemorate his success, Telumehtar added Umbardacil to his name, meaning victor over Umbar. Following the death of the king in 1850 and succession of his son Narmacil II, Gondor once again found themselves at war, this time facing the Wainrider, a powerful easterling
21:23
Speaker A
tribe whose chieftain’s rode chariots into battle. Encouraged by the emissaries of Sauron, the Wainriders invaded eastern Gondor in 1851, and in response, Narmacil II gathered a great army, reinforced by their remaining allies in Rhovanion, to engage in the Battle of the Plains.
21:41
Speaker A
Unprepared for the might of the Wainriders, Gondor lost their king in the fighting and suffered a terrible defeat, retreating back to the Anduin river.
21:50
Speaker A
Not only did Gondor surrender their eastern territories, but their efforts in the east distracted them from the defense of Umbar which was eventually recaptured by the Haradrim.
21:58
Speaker A
Their defeat also meant they could no longer protect their Rhovanion allies, leaving them be enslaved by the victorious wainriders.
22:06
Speaker A
Outraged by the death of the king, his son and successor Calimehtar started gathering another army for battle when he received a message from the Northmen Marhwini, a descendant of the kings of Rhovanion, who now ruled over the Eotheod, survivors he led into western
22:21
Speaker A
mirkwood. Marhwini warned that Wainriders would be raiding Calendardhon, and that if Gondor was able to engage them in battle, the Eotheod would rise up to join them.
22:31
Speaker A
Seeking to take advantage of this offer, Calimehtar marched his army to Dagorlad where he engaged and defeated the Wainriders, with the aid of Marhwini and his northmen rebels.
22:41
Speaker A
Halting the advance of the Wainrider, Gondor and Rhovanion won a few decades of relative peace, as did Araval, King of Arthedain in Arnor, who upon seeing the power of Angmar once again on the rise, gathered an army of men reinforced by Elves from Lindon and Rivendell,
22:57
Speaker A
to attack and defeat the enemy in 1851. Although both Gondor and Arnor achieved important victories, their joy was short lived and soon enough the attacks continued, leading some to start questioning how it was they were facing so many enemies, wondering if perhaps there was a greater power coordinating the
23:15
Speaker A
downfall of their kingdoms. Over two thousand years after the destruction of their homeland, the Kingdoms founded by the surviving Dunedain of Numenor were severely weakened and surrounded by enemies.
23:27
Speaker A
Winning a few decades of peace between wars, King Ondoher of Gondor married his daughter Firiel to Prince Arvedui, son of the King of Arthedain in Arnor, hoping their renewed bond of friendship might increase their defensive capabilities.
23:42
Speaker A
Yet this alliance ultimately did little good, as the Dark Lord Sauron plotted in the shadows to undermine their efforts and destroy both kingdoms.
23:51
Speaker A
Still weak from his defeat at the end of the second age, Sauron recovered his strength in Dol Guldur, while his servants carried out his will, with some moving east to visit the Wainriders who failed in their most recent attempt to invade Gondor.
24:06
Speaker A
Encouraging them to build up their forces once more, the Wainriders travelled South of Mordor to befriend the men of Khand and Near Harad, other enemies of Gondor with their own scores to settle.
24:17
Speaker A
Coordinating their efforts, the Easterling and Southron alliance attacked the Kingdom of Gondor from both the North and South in 1944 TA.
24:26
Speaker A
Fortunately, the Lord of the Eotheod, an ally to Gondor, spotted the enemy approaching and sent a warning to King Ondoher, who around the same time also heard about an invasion in the south and so prepared to face the enemy on two fronts.
24:41
Speaker A
Splitting up his forces, General Earnil, a relative of the king led the smaller army south, while Ondoher and his eldest son Artamir took the larger host North.
24:51
Speaker A
Wishing to secure the succession in case they did not return, the King ordered his youngest son Faramir to stay behind as regent, while the rest marched to the Battle of Morannon, where Ondoher led the Center, his nephew Minohtar commanded the right wing, and the noble prince
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Speaker A
Ardrahil was in charge of the right. Yet the men of Gondor were not expecting the Wainriders to be so eager for vengeance, riding their chariots and horses with all haste to unexpectedly descend upon the King’s army, cutting them down in a savage attack.
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Speaker A
Destroying their center ranks, both King Ondoher and his son Artamir were killed, leaving Minohtar of the right flank in command of their forces.
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Speaker A
Despite being on the verge of defeat, the news somehow got worse, when the Lord of the Eotheod informed the General that Prince Faramir, youngest son of the King and Regent of Gondor, who was supposed to be safe in Minas Anor, was killed in the fighting.
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Speaker A
Unwilling to remain behind while his family went to war, Faramir disobeyed his father and wore a disguise to infiltrate the army, fighting with the Eotheod, and dying during an attack in the dead marshes.
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Speaker A
Finding little time to mourn, General Minohtar was then attacked and slain by the Wainriders, leaving the last of their forces under the command of Prince Ardrahil, though they too were defeated, allowing the Easterlings to proudly declare victory, and begin a raucous
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Speaker A
celebration. Losing the greater part of their forces in the north, Earnil and his host faced difficult odds in the south, as the men of Khand and near Harad swept in from the east to capture Umbar, thereby cutting off any possible support from their remaining allies in the region.
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Speaker A
The enemy then moved north to attack Ithilien and at last there advance was halted and forced into retreat by the army of Earnil.
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Speaker A
Hearing about the loss of their king in the Disaster of the Morannon, Earnil wasted no time after their victory and immediately marched to face the Wainriders in the north, only to find them drunk, merry and utterly distracted.
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Speaker A
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Earnil charged against them in the Battle of the Camp, vanquishing the enemy and ending the immediate threat.
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Speaker A
Despite their alliance, no aid came from Arthedain during the invasion of Gondor, as the last realm of Arnor was busy trying to keep the forces of Angmar in the North from overrunning their defenses.
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Speaker A
Though the Kingdom of Arnor was once a large and powerful realm, centuries of division and war left them a shell of their former selves, relying on military aid from the Elves of Lindon and Rivendell to survive.
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Speaker A
Yet their monarch Araphant, was not only the ruler of Arnor, but as a direct descendant of Isildur, was also High King of all Dunedain, and so had some sway over all their people.
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Speaker A
Therefore when the question of succession arose in Gondor, following the death of the king and his sons, Araphant’s heir Arvedui, who was married to Firiel, last surviving child of Ondoher, submitted himself as a candidate to rule Gondor and one day unify the kingdoms.
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Speaker A
But the people of Gondor rejected his offer as they recognized the weakness of Arnor and no longer considering them an equal power, instead choosing the war hero Earnil as their new King.
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Speaker A
Ruling with wisdom and humility, Earnil sent a letter to Arvedui upon his ascension thanking Arnor for their friendship and promising to send aid when possible.
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Speaker A
As the soldiers of Arnor continued to struggle in holding back the Witch King of Angmar, events finally came to a breaking point in 1974, when the enemy army overran Arthedain’s defenses, and conquered the capital of Fornost.
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Speaker A
Bringing whatever heirlooms he could, King Arvedui, who inherited the throne upon the death of his father, gathered his people and fled to create defensive position in the North Downs.
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Speaker A
Yet once again the armies of Angmar were upon them, and so the monarch led his people to take refuge in the blue mountains, while his son Aranarth, having been cut off from his father during the fall of Fornost, went west to seek assistance from Lord Cirdan of Lindon,
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Speaker A
who immediately sent a ship to search for his ally. Running out of supplies, Arvedui had no choice but to leave the Blue Mountains and find the Lossoth, also known as the snowmen of Forochel, an ancient tribe of humans descended from
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Speaker A
the Forodwaith of the First Age, who adapted to living in the cold. When the threat of Angmar arose in the third age, the Lossoth migrated to the cape of Forochel, where the enemy could not follow.
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Speaker A
Desperate for food and shelter, King Arvedui approached the primitive people and offered jewels of great value for their aid.
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Speaker A
But the Lossoth had no interest in such things, and instead helped them out of pity and fear for their weapons.
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Speaker A
When the Elves of Lindon at last arrived on a great ship to rescue the King, the Lossoth were astounded, as they knew nothing of sailing technology.
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Speaker A
Hoping to convince Arvedui to stay until the Witch King was defeated, the Chieftain warned that boarding this sea monster would bring about calamity, but the ruler was determined to return south and continue the struggle.
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Speaker A
To thank the Lossoth for their assistance, the King gifted them the Ring of Barahir, a priceless heirloom from the First Age, passed down through the noble houses of the Edain.
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Speaker A
Unfortunately, the Lossoth were correct in their prediction, and the Elves were struck by a terrible ice stormh on the return journey, resulting in the destruction of the ship, death of the king, and loss of great Numenorean heirlooms like two of the Palantiri.
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Speaker A
Learning that his father was lost, Aranarth inherited the rule of Arnor, only to realize his kingdom no longer existed.
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Speaker A
Therefore, he did not take the title of King, and instead, as a descendant of Isildur through his father, and Anarion through his mother, declared himself Chieftain of the Dunedain, gathering whatever soldiers of Arnor remained to create the Rangers of the North, a band
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Speaker A
of elite warriors dedicated to waging a long term war against the dark armies throughout their former lands and beyond.
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Speaker A
The children and families of these Rangers, along with the heirlooms they still possessed, went to Rivendell, where they lived under the protection of Lord Elrond, who shared kinship with the royal house of the Dunedain.
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Speaker A
Hearing about Angmar’s invasion, King Earnil of Gondor started gathering a great host under the command of his son Earnur to march north and help his allies, but they arrived too late, finding Arnor destroyed and their King dead.
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Speaker A
Making contact with the Elves of Lindon and Rangers of Aranarth, Gondor formed a coalition army that even included a company of hobbit archers from the shire, and marched upon Angmar, hoping to claim vengeance for the loss of Arnor and finally end the northern threat.
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Speaker A
Meeting at the Battle of Fornost, the Witch King was confident in victory, and initiated the attack, only to be overwhelmed by the enemy and forced into retreat.
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Speaker A
Falling back to Angmar, the Witch King was further troubled when an army from Rivendell arrived, led by the powerful Glorfindel, to aid the alliance.
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Speaker A
With his forces destroyed and his realm beset by enemies, the Witch King stepped forth to personally do battle with Earnur of Gondor.
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Speaker A
But his look and presence was so terrifying, Earnur’s horse frightened and fled with the Prince on his back.
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Speaker A
Laughing and mocking the flight of his adversary, the Witch King was soon silenced by Glorfindel who charged and attacked with such fury, he too fled the battle, disappearing into the shadows.
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Speaker A
Though Earnur wished to pursue him, Glorfindel claimed it was useless as his death lay elsewhere, saying “He will not return to this land.
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Speaker A
Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man shall he fall.” Though he suffered a defeat and was unable to permanently establish the realm of Angmar, the Wtich King succeeded in his primary mission of destroying Arnor, thereby leaving a weakened
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Speaker A
Gondor as the last Kingdom of the Dunedain. Now ready to focus his attention on the south, the Witch King journeyed to Mordor where he reunited with the other Nazgul and formed a new army which they used to besiege Minas
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Speaker A
Ithil in 2000 TA. Within two years they captured the city and its great treasures, including another of the Palantiri.
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Speaker A
Changing the name to Minal Morgul, it became the home of the Witch King, while Gondor’s capital of Minas Anor was renamed Minas Tirith, meaning Tower of the Guard.
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Speaker A
After the death of Earnil in 2043, his son Earnur inherited the throne, and while he was known as a warrior of great renown, this also meant he felt deeply embarrassed that his horse made him flee from combat against the Witch King.
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Speaker A
Taking advantage of his warrior’s pride, the Nazgul leader sent out a message following his capture of Minas Morgul, challenging Earnur to single combat.
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Speaker A
Realizing this was a terrible idea, the Steward of Gondor convinced the king to refuse.
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Speaker A
But when the Witch King issued the challenge again 7 years later, Earnur could not be restrained, riding with a small party of companions into Minas Morgul, never to be seen again.
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Speaker A
Before his departure, he visited the Hallows where Nobility was buried, and left the crown of Gondor upon the lap of a statue of his father, and there it remained, as no new king was chosen, with power instead given to Mardil Voronwë of the House of Hurin, who was named
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Speaker A
ruling Steward, meaning he and his descendants were to rule over Gondor until the return of the king.
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Speaker A
Following the devastating conclusion of the centuries long Angmar War, the Dunedain realm of Arnor was gone, while Gondor, still united but greatly diminished in power, became the new target of the Witch King who began another centuries long campaign in the south.
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Speaker A
Yet for some at least, the defeat of Angmar, continued protection of the Rangers and withdrawal of the Nazgul leader, meant a respite from the years of terror which gripped their region of the continent.
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Speaker A
Two years after the Witch King’s retreat south, the Eotheod living between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood at last felt they could safely move their people, establishing Framsberg in the Grey Mountains, while in 1979 the Hobbits of the Shire, formerly subjects of Arnor,
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Speaker A
elected Bucca of the Marsh to rule their lands as an independent realm. Bucca brought them years of peace and prosperity, with the Shire becoming such an idyllic place for their people, they became deeply isolationist and largely neutral to all outside conflicts.
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Speaker A
Those who descended from Bucca of the Marsh, were of the Oldbuck clan, which later became the Brandybucks, producing heroes like Meriadoc Brandybuck, one of the Nine Companions in the Fellowship of the Ring.
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Speaker A
Yet while the hobbits thrived in this new world, the Dwarves of Durin’s Folk faced their greatest loss to date.
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Speaker A
Waking during the years of the trees in Mount Gundabad between the Grey and Misty Mountains, Durin the Deathless, eldest of the 7 fathers to the Dwarven race, journeyed south and founded the realm of Khazad-dum, where his people and descendants thrived for thousands of years.
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Speaker A
The adopted children of Iluvatar, the Dwarves were originally created by the Vala Aule the Smith, and so possessed an innate love of precious jewels, working as miners to extract wealth from their mountain home.
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Speaker A
Discovering Mithril, a substance stronger than steel but lighter and more beautiful, they continued to delve deeper into the misty mountains throughout the first and second ages until the year 1980 of the Third Age, when they awoke a Balrog of Morgoth.
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Speaker A
Maiar fire spirits born before the creation of the world, the Balrogs chose to follow the First Dark Lord Morgoth, serving as his loyal warriors and protectors throughout the years of his rule.
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Speaker A
When Morgoth was defeated and expelled from the world, the Balrogs who survived went to sleep deep underground, where no more was heard from them, until the awakening of Durin’s Bane in the Misty Mountains, who wrought terror upon the Longbeard Clan of Khazad dum.
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Speaker A
Waging war on the beast, the dwarves lost many including their King Durin VI and his successor King Nain I, forcing them to abandon their ancestral homeland and seek refuge in the Grey Mountains of the North.
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Speaker A
Renamed Moria, meaning the Black pit, Khazad Dum was left entirely to the Balrog, where he remained for centuries as a nameless terror inspiring fear in neighbouring lands.
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Speaker A
Since Sauron was only a Maia like Durin’s Bane, and nowhere near as powerful as their former master Morgoth, none can say whether the second dark Lord might have convinced the Balrog to join him, but it is possible they at least had some sort of contact or
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Speaker A
alliance, as only the Orcs and other servants of Sauron were permitted to populate his realm.
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Speaker A
Unfortunately, while both the Eotheod and Longbeards migrated to the Grey Mountains seeking peace, they were plagued by further conflict and death.
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Speaker A
No strangers to these lands, Durin’s Folk settled the Grey Mountains thousands of years earlier and held colonies in Erebor and the iron hills.
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Speaker A
But as was so often the case, the extraordinary wealth they mined from the mountains brought about their downfall, when it attracted the attention of Scatha the Worm, a dragon which resided in the furthest reaches of the North.
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Speaker A
Attacking the Dwarves, Scatha took their home and treasure, forcing them into flight, and many years later in the Third Age still resided in the mountains, an ever present threat to the Eotheod and Longbeards in the area.
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Speaker A
Rising to the challenge, the hero Fram, son to the Lord of the Eotheod made his way into the beast’s lair and slayed the mighty dragon, before removing its teeth as a war prize.
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Speaker A
Claiming the treasure for the Eotheod, Fram was hailed as a hero by his people, but was soon vilified by the Dwarves, when they demanded he return the wealth stolen by the dragon long ago.
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Speaker A
Refusing to give them what he earned, he instead sent them the teeth of the dragon along with a note that read “Jewels such as these you will not match in your treasuries, for they are hard to come by."
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Speaker A
Outraged by what they saw as an insult and mockery, the Dwarves responded with violence, killing the hero Fram, and may have taken back a share of the treasure, though the Eotheod retained some as well.
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Speaker A
In the year 1999, King Thrain of Durin’s Folk brought their people to Erebor and established the Kingdom Under the Mountain as their new homeland.
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Speaker A
Once again they went to work extracting the wealth of Mountain, becoming so prosperous, the nearby town of Dale was established by northmen seeking trade with the dwarves.
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Speaker A
The most precious of all the jewels they found was the Arkenstone, a shimmering gemstone unlike any other which became a symbol and heirloom for the royal family.
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Speaker A
Some have theorized this precious jewel was in fact one of the three Silmarils crafted by Feanor in the Years of the Trees, later stolen by Morgoth and through a series of extraordinary events and tragedies, left in the hands of Maedhros, eldest son of Feanor.
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Speaker A
Sickened by all the acts of great evil he’d committed for his prize, and plagued by a constant pain from the jewel burning in his hand, he finally ended his misery by throwing himself and Silmaril into a fiery chasm.
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Speaker A
With so much war and chaos in the lands of Middle-earth, and great darkness overtaking Mirkwood, Gandalf the Grey, an Istari wizard from Valinor sent to help defeat Sauron, suspected the Necromancer of Dol Guldur may in fact be the Second Dark Lord and so went to investigate
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Speaker A
in 2063, only to find it empty, as Sauron fled East to escape notice. Thanks to this event, the people of the West were given a respite from his schemes leading to a period of roughly 4 centuries, called the Watchful Peace, where many of the hostilities
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Speaker A
fuelled by the Dark Lord were halted. Yet this was only a façade, as Sauron was increasing his strength by rallying the men of the East, while the Nazgul continued on in the West, working in the shadows to breed
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Speaker A
more orcs, trolls and other monsters, with the With King reigning in Minas Morgul, while Khamul the Easterling was given charge over Dol Guldur.
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Speaker A
Finished with his work in the East, Sauron secretely returned to Dol Guldur in 2460, and just a few years later in 2463, Lady Galadriel called for the forming of a White Council, consisting of the available Istari and great Elven Lords, who selected Gandalf the Grey
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Speaker A
as their leader. But Gandalf, ever the humble and independent spirit declined the offer, allowing for Saruman the White to be given the honour.
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Speaker A
Saruman, a wise and powerful wizard, was also prideful and forever resented Gandalf for being the council’s first choice.
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Speaker A
As fate would have it, in this same year, the One Ring of power and ultimate prize so coveted by Sauron, missing for nearly 2 and half thousand years, was finally found, by the Stoor hobbit Deagol as he fished the anduin river.
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Speaker A
Fishing alongside his friend Smeagol who was celebrating a birthday, the two quickly got into an argument as each tried to claim the ring.
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Speaker A
As both men were relatively greedy and selfish hobbits, the ring corrupted them almost immediately and led a frenzied fight ending with Smeagol killing Deagol before fleeing into the mountains with the ring.
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Speaker A
Completely unknown to the outside world, Smeagol lived alone for centuries, seeing his life extended by the power of the ring, but was twisted in both mind and body by its corruption, transforming into a split personality monster called Gollom, willing to go to any lengths
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Speaker A
to keep his precious prize. Settling north west of mirkwood, by 2501 TA the Eotheod were led by Leod, a great horse trained who died after being thrown from the back of a particularly wilful and powerful white horse, whose ancestors were said to come from the Undying Lands of the West, brought
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Speaker A
by the Vala Orome who travelled throughout middle-earth. Succeeded by his son Eorl, the 16 year old Lord tracked down the horse demanding that it give up its freedom as payment for his father’s death.
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Speaker A
The extraordinary horse, who some say could understand human speech, agreed and became Eorl’s faithful companion for the rest of his life.
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Speaker A
Named Felaróf, meaning very strong, he became the father of the Mearas, the greatest horses of the Northmen, reserved exclusively for their rulers.
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Speaker A
Among Felarof’s descendants, were Snowmane the steed of King Theoden who fought in the war of the ring, and shadowfax, a grey mare chosen by the wizard Gandalf, the only known Mearas given to someone outside the royal line.
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Speaker A
Further south in 2509, Celebrian, wife of Elrond took a trip to visit her parents Galadriel and Celeborn in Lothlorien, when she was attacked by orcs, taken captive, poisoned and cruelly tortured.
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Speaker A
Learning what occurred, her sons Elladan and Elrohir charged to her rescue, slayed the enemy and returned her to Rivendell where she was physically healed, but the emotional and psychological damage proved too much, and so she said goodbye to her family and
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Speaker A
set sail for the Undying Lands of the West. A year later in 2510 TA, Gondor faced yet another invasion from the easterlings, this time facing the Balcoth faction, possible descendants of the Wainriders, who waged their own war of conquest centuries earlier.
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Speaker A
Serving the interests of Sauron in Dol Guldur, the Balcoth were supported by the Orcs of the Misty Mountains, resulting in the invasion of Calenardhon from two sides.
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Fallen far from the strength they once held, Gondor’s population in this region was low, and their garrisons minimal, allowing the Balcoth and Orcs to quickly defeat and surround the northern army, while positioning themselves to hold back their southern reinforcements.
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Speaker A
Yet just as all hope seemed lost, their old allies the Eotheod arrived, responding to the red arrow, a symbol carried by messenger of Gondor which meant they were asking for military aid.
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Speaker A
After defeating enemy forces in the Battle of the Field of Celebrant, the Eotheod joined the Northern and Southern armies of Gondor in expelling the orcs and easterlings from the province.
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Speaker A
With the war won, Cirion, Steward of Gondor, rewarded the Eotheod for their service by gifting them Calenardhon, the lands they fought for, allowing Eorl to move their people south and found the Kingdom of Rohan.
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Speaker A
As part of this arrangement, both leaders swore a sacred oath, binding Gondor and Rohan as eternal allies, who would come to each-others aid whenever needed.
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Speaker A
Using the beacons of Gondor as an initial warning of danger between the realms, the official call for military aid would continue to be a messenger carrying a red arrow.
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Speaker A
A few decades later in 2545 the Easterlings renewed their invasion of Rohan, leading to the death of King Eorl and his horse Felarof in the Battle of the Wold.
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Speaker A
Succeeding his father, King Brego continued the war, eventually driving the easterlings from his lands in addition to defending against Dunlending and orc advances in the north and west.
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Speaker A
Bringing some measure of peace to their lands, he built the famed royal hall Meduseld in the capital of Edoras and held a celebration upon its completion.
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Speaker A
Yet this joy soon turned to tragedy, as the king’s son Baldor took the opportunity to announce he would prove his valor by venturing into the paths of dead.
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Speaker A
Thousands of years earlier when Gondor first established their rule, the King of the Mountain realm pledged his loyalty, yet when the final battle with Sauron came, refused to fight and fled with his men into the mountains surrounding what became the paths of the dead.
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Speaker A
Furious at their cowardice Isildur cursed them, keeping their spirits bound to the region until their oaths were fulfilled.
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Speaker A
Many years later in the third age, their ghosts continued to haunt these mountains, and so when Baldor marched forth onto the path, he was lost, never to reemerge.
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Speaker A
Heartbroken at the death of his son, King Brego died of grief, leaving his second son Aldor as their ruler.
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Speaker A
A few decades later in 2570, the dwarves of Durin’s folk faced yet another war to defend their homeland, when the dragons of the far north descended upon the Grey Mountains, slaughtering their people and stealing their treasures.
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Speaker A
Known to target Dwarves due to their wealth, the Dragon race was originally created by the Dark Lord Morgoth in the First Age, and after his defeat, retreated north where they bred new generations of their species.
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Speaker A
Attracted to treasure, these dragons would occasionally leave their lands to prey upon the peoples of the south, specifically targeting the 7 dwarven clans, as they lived in mountains and excelled as miners, collecting vast quantities of gold, mithril and precious gems.
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Speaker A
Yet even so, regular dragon attacks did not become a serious problem until Sauron gave 7 magic rings to the 7 Kings of the dwarves, a gift designed to enslave their people to the Second Dark Lord’s will, but ultimately failed as they were resistant to such influence.
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Speaker A
Yet in one aspect the rings did cause harm, as they enhanced both the natural abilities and desires of their wearers.
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Speaker A
Since the Dwarven kings already loved mining for treasure, the rings brought about obsession, gathering vast hordes of treasure unlike anything they’d ever seen before.
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Speaker A
This greed and never ending pursuit of wealth then attracted the dragons who laid waste to many of their homelands, destroying or consuming 4 of the 7 rings of power.
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Speaker A
Sauron in turn was able to recover 2 more, leaving the last one with the King of the Longbeard clan.
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Speaker A
Suffering their own hardships over the years, Durin’s folk lost their homeland to the Balrog of Moria, and thus were split up, eventually settling in the Grey Mountains, Erebor and Iron Hills.
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Speaker A
In the year 2210, King Thorin I called for their people to be reunited, choosing the grey mountains as their permanent home.
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Speaker A
Yet the concentration of wealth in one area and proximity to the far north, made them too tempting a target, and so in 2570 the war began with dragons sweeping in to reign down destruction.
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Speaker A
Although the Dwarves fiercely resisted, possessing a natural resistance to heat which aided them in battle with some forms of dragon, in 2589 their King Dain I and his sons Fror were killed by a cold-drake, leaving Thror to inherit leadership and lead the retreat.
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Speaker A
Breaking up once more, some of Durin’s folk followed the King to settle once more in Erebor, while others went with his brother Gror to the Iron Hills.
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Ruled by Gondor for thousands of years, Isengard was home to the Tower of Orthanc, a 500 foot tall, impenetrable tower built by the Dunedain, where they stored many of the treasures brought from the kingdom of Numenor.
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Speaker A
As their power declined and the northern population dwindled, most significantly after the great plague of 1636, Gondor withdrew resources from the region, closing Orthanc and sending its keys to the capital Minas Tirith.
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Speaker A
Despite the difficult circumstances, they attempted to retain control by creating the hereditary title Lord of Isengard and charging this noble line to maintain a permanent garrison outside the tower.
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Speaker A
For many years this worked well, but as Gondor’s influence continued to lessen, the people of Isengard developed friendships with the Dunlendings of the west, relatively primitive hill-men considered enemies of the Dunedain.
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Speaker A
When Gondor withdrew their people from Calenardhon, it was the Dunlendings who moved in to settle the land, mixing with whoever remained.
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Yet they acted without Gondor’s permission and so when the land was later given to the Northmen, they founded the Kingdom of Rohan, uprooting and driving the Dunelendings back into the west.
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Speaker A
While Rohan went on to enjoy a golden Age of Prosperity, the Dunlendings now considered them the enemies, further strengthening their relations with the men of Isengard who shared a disdain for the northmen.
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Speaker A
Yet even so, Isengard remained loyal to Gondor for many more years, until a combination of events led to their downfall.
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Speaker A
Not only did the Lord of Isengard’s bloodline die out with no more heirs, but the Stewards of Gondor lost all interest in this far away colony, no longer checking up on them at all.
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Speaker A
Now ruled by a council of the highest ranking Dunedain warriors, the population of Isengard further intermixed with the Dunlendings, allowing to settles outside the walls.
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Speaker A
Events then culminated in 2710, when the Dunlendings seized control of Isengard, and killed any remaining loyalists who refused to surrender.
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Speaker A
As Gondor was unable to spare any of their forces, Isengard became a Dunlending realm, openly hostile to the horselords of Rohan, who were on the decline from their golden age and so lacked the strength to take them head on, instead merely sending riders to
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Speaker A
defend their western holdings. In the coming decades, conflict escalated not only in Rohan, but also Eriador further north, where in 2740 they faced an Orc invasion.
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Speaker A
Fortunately, the warriors called Rangers, descended from the Dunedain of Arnor, continued to patrol and defend their ancient homelands, beating back enemy forces.
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Speaker A
Yet even so, their victory was incomplete, as a band of orcs led by King Golfimbul of Mount Gram slipped passed them to find the prosperous realm of the shire, ripe for conquest.
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Speaker A
Sounding the alarm, Bandobras Took, the legendary hobbit hero rallied their defences, resulting in the Battle of the Greenfields in 2747.
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Speaker A
Despite many centuries of peace in the shire, and little to no combat experience, the hobbits fought valiantly and defeated the orcs, with Bandobras striking off the head of their king.
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Speaker A
By the following year in 2748, Eriador was largely free of Orc influence once more.
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Speaker A
Returning south, the Kingdom of Rohan continued to struggle with Dunlending raids in the west, while also facing domestic troubles at home.
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Speaker A
Born of mixed northmen and dunlending blood, the noble lord Freca made his lands in Adorn rich and prosperous to the point where he felt no need to attend councils or obey commands from King Helm in Edoras.
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Speaker A
Claiming descent from King Freawine who ruled a century earlier, Freca was proud and ambitious, travelling to the capital in 2754 with a retinue of men hoping to pressure them into arranging a marriage between Helm’s daughter and his son Wulf.
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Yet Helm was a mighty warrior in no way intimidated, instead rejecting the proposal with insults and disrespect.
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Enraged, Freca spoke harshly in return prompting the king to strike him dead with a blow so fierce he earned the nickname hammerhand.
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Speaker A
Upon the death of their leader, Wulf and the men of Adorn were declared enemies of rohan, leading them to take refuge with the Dunlendings who accepted them warmly.
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Four years later in 2758, Wulf son of Freca, was in command of Isengard and ready to take his revenge.
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Allying with other enemies of Gondor and Rohan, the Corsairs of Umbar and their Haradrim supporters invaded from the south, while Wulf led the Dunlending of Isengard to war in the north.
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With Gondor distracted and unable to send reinforcements, Wulf led his people to great victories, winning the battle of the Fords of Isen, before capturing the capital of Edoras, slaying Helm’s eldest son Prince Haleth, and taking the Golden Hall of Medusled where
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he declared himself King. Driven into exile, Helm Hammerhand retreated to the fortress of the Hornburg where they were besieged.
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To make matters worse, the region then suffered through 5 months of extreme cold called the Long Winter, devastating both sides of the conflict.
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Facing starvation in the Hornburg, Helm’s last remaining son Hama led a group of men outside the walls in search of food but never returned.
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Devastated by the loss of his kingdom and both his sons, Helm Hammerhand dedicated wherever remained of his life to causing as much damage to their enemy as possible, beginning with the psychological damage of blowing a great warhorn every night to announce his coming.
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He then crept out of the hornburg alone, dressed in white to stalk and silently kill as many as possible.
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Night after night, Helm blew the horn and terrorized the enemy camp, until at last he succumbed to famine and cold, freezing to death in a fighting stance.
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With the southern invasion defeated and Long Winter at an end, Gondor at last sent reinforcements North, where they combined with what remained of Rohan’s army hiding in Dunharrow to drive out Dunlending forces.
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With the king and his sons dead, leadership fell to Helm’s nephew Frealaf, born to his younger sister Hild, another mighty warrior who personally led a raid into Edoras where he killed King Wulf and liberated the capital.
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Clearing the land of enemies, the combined armies of Rohan and Gondor laid siege to Isengard and starved out the last remaining Dunlendings, after which the land was given to the wizard Saruman, along with the keys to the Tower Orthanc, in the hopes this powerful ally might
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help keep Rohan safe in the future. While Saruman concerned himself with the great realms of the south, the wizard Gandalf was more concerned with the fate of his Hobbit friends in the Shire, and so spent the Long Winter helping them survive.
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Thriving under King Thror, the Dwarves of Erebor prospered greatly from their mining operations and friendly trade relations with neighbouring powers.
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Yet as was often the case for their people, excessive wealth brought about their doom, attracting the attention of the northern Dragon Smaug the terrible, who attacked the Lonely Mountain in 2770 TA, claiming their treasure as his own.
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Fleeing for their lives some of Durin’s folk joined their kin in the Iron Hills, while others followed King Thror to the Dunland Hills, where they lived in poverty and struggled to survive.
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By 2790, King Thror grew disheartened by the state of his people and so gifted his son Thrain the last of the Seven Dwarven Rings of Power and a map of the Lonely Mountain, before departing on a quest to their ancestral homeland of Khazad-dum, now called Moria.
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Despite the danger from orcs and durin’s bane, Thror proudly marched through the eastern gate alone, while his friend Nar waited for his return.
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A few days later, Nar learned Thror was captured by the orcs, tortured and beheaded, with the name Azog carved into his forehead.
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Naming himself the new King of Moria, Azog the Defiler furthered this insult by giving Nar a small bag of coins to serve as a messenger, warning of death for any who ventured onto his lands.
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As he departed, Nar saw Thror’s body hacked into pieces and fed to the crows.
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Informing Thrain of all that occurred, the new King sat in silence for 7 days before rising furiously to proclaim "This cannot be borne!" Not only did Thrain send for the armies of Durin’s folk, but he also called upon the
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other Dwarven Clans scattered across middle-earth, each of whome responded by sending armies to avenge the fallen king.
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A proud and determined people, they spent the next 3 years gathering their forces before finally invading the Misty Mountains through Mount Gundabad in the North, purging the Northern half of the mountains down to the Gladden river.
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Excelling in underground combat, the Dwarves inflicted massive casualties upon the Orcs of the misty mountains, but paid a heavy price for their victories, losing over half their army in the fighting.
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The six year campaign ultimately culminated in the Battle of Azanulbizar in 2799, when Lord Nain and his son Dain secured victory for the dwarves by bringing reinforcements from the Iron Hills.
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Among the many casualties, the king’s second son Frerin and kinsmen Fundin were killed, while Thrain lost an eye and his first son Thorin was wounded.
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In the midst of battle Thorin lost his shield and so used an oaken tree branch to defend himself, earning the nickname Oakenshield.
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In their final push against enemy forces, Azog the Defiler fought and killed the Lord of the Iron hills, only to then be confronted and beheaded by Nain’s son Dain Ironfoot.
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The battle won, the dwarves completed their victory by stuffing the same bag of coins they received from Azog directly into his mouth before fixing his head on a stake.
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King Thrain, seeing the orc armies destroyed, wanted to continue the war by marching into Moria to reclaim the ancient homeland of Durin’s Folk.
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But the Dwarves of other clans refused, stating their mission to avenge King Thror was complete, and would not risk more men for a homeland that was not their own.
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Even Durin’s Folk refused to continue, after Dain Ironfoot reported that he’d seen the Balrog of Moria, waiting for them in the Mountain.
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The war concluded, the grand dwarven Army disbanded, and the other clans returned to their own lands, while many of Durin’s folk followed Lord Dain Ironfoot to the Ironhills.
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The rest settled in the Blue Mountains under King Thrain and his son Thorin Oakenshield.
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In the aftermath of the war, the surviving orcs of the misty mountains fled and took refuge in the White mountains of the south, where they survived by raiding settlements in the nearby realm of Rohan.
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Oppositely, the defeat of the orcs in the north, gave the lands of Eriador many years of peace, though it also led to Azog the Defiler’s son Bolg taking the leadership of Gundabad, where he spent years rebuilding their forces.
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For 40 years, King Thrain II reigned in the Blue Mountians, growing increasingly desperate to reclaim the riches left behind in their former kingdom.
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In 2841, Thrain left his son Thorin as leader of their people to embark upon a quest with a small company, including his friends Dwalin and Balin, to explore the lonely mountain and see if the danger was still present.
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Learning of their mission, the Dark Lord Sauron laid a trap, sending beasts and bad weather to eventually force them to take shelter in the forest of Mirkwood, where he sent his agents to capture Thrain in the night.
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Bringing him to Dol Guldur, they took his ring of power, inflicted torture and left him to die.
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Meanwhile, the wizard Gandalf the Grey embarked on a quest to find the vanished king, making his way in secret through moria to no avail.
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Eventually, his investigations brought him once again to Dol Guldur, where he found Thrain in a sorry state, half mad and unable to remember his own name.
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Nevertheless, Gandalf gathered useful information, learning that Sauron was back and seeking the remaining rings of power while posing as the Necromancer of Dol Guldur.
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Summoning the last of his strength, Thrain gave Gandalf the key and map to Erebor before passing away.
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Gathering the White Council to report his finding, Gandalf urged an immediate attack to destroy Sauron and his forces while still relatively weak.
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But Saruman disagreed, claiming the dark lord posed no threat without the One Ring of Power, which long ago was carried into the sea.
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Swaying the Council, they chose to take no action, trusting Saruman to watch over the situation and prevent it from escalating further.
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Despite this decision, both Gandalf and Elrond of Rivendell continued to believe Sauron and the one ring posed a significant threat.
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Yet what none of them realized, was that corrupt ambition already took the heart of Saruman, who’d grown jealous of Sauron, and wanted to replace him as ruler of Middle-earth.
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To this end, he used his position to keep the White Council from interfering, while he sent his agents to search for the One Ring in the Anduin river, hoping to claim it for himself.
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Having fled from the war in the Misty Mountains, a new Orc faction emerged in the White Mountains of the south, causing trouble for the lands of Rohan.
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Taking up the fight, King Brytta led his forces to battle and inflicted a punishing defeat, before returning to the capital in the mistaken belief the threat was eliminated.
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Yet by 2851, the Orcs once again began their raids, killing Brytta’s son King Walda of Rohan.
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Inheriting the throne and war, Walda’s son Folca gathered his armies and at last eliminated the Orc presence in the White Mountains.
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Folca then died during a boar hunt in 2864, leaving his son Folcwine as king.
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Two decades later in 2885, King Folcwine sent his sons Folcred and Fastred with an army to help support their allies in Gondor.
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Suffering an invasion by the Haradrim, Southern Gondor was under occupation, with intense fighting along the poros river.
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Though the allied forces won the critical Battle at the Crossings of Poros, it was a bitter victory for Rohan, as both Folcred and Fastred were killed.
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Following their victory in southern Gondor against the Haradrim invaders, the lands of Ithilien suffered increasing Orc and Uruk-hai attacks, prompting the Steward Turin II to withdraw his people from the region in 2901 TA, leaving only scouts and warriors to keep
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watch over Mordor from the outpost of Henneth Annun. Further north in the lands of Eriador, tragedy once against struck in 2911, when a harsh Fell Winter wrought havoc upon the Hobbits of the shire.
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Though not as bad as the Long Winter nearly 2 centuries prior, it nonetheless threatened mass devastation, when an army of White Wolves invaded by crossing over the frozen Brandywine River, forcing the hobbits to sound the Horn of Buckland, calling their people to take
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up arms and defend their homeland. Further damage was then inflicted upon Eriador when the Fell Winter ended in 2912, as the melting ice and snow led local rivers to flood, leaving the city of Thrabad in ruins while its human population fled.
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Originally founded by the men of Numenor in the Second Age, the Dunedain population gradually diminished until replaced by the Dunlendings who migrated from the south for settlements like Tharbad and Bree.
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Though he continued to operate in the shadows, almost 3000 years after his defeat in the War of the Last Alliance, the Dark Lord Sauron was nearly ready to launch a second, large-scale invasion, for the conquest of middle-earth.
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Despite numerous setbacks like the defeat of the Orcs in the Misty Mountains, his armies were vast and growing stronger by the day, with thousands of orcs bred in Mordor in addition to his servants and allies from the east and south.
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Yet in order to secure his stranglehold over the continent, Sauron still had two major objectives he needed to accomplish.
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The first was to restore his personal strength by finding the One Ring of Power, and the second, was to destroy the Dunedain Kingdom of Gondor, thereby eliminating the most significant military threat to his forces.
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Standing in opposition to the Dark Lord, was the wizard Gandalf the Grey, who, in the absence of Saruman’s leadership, took on the role of General and master strategist for the free peoples of middle-earth.
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Where Sauron had the loyalty of Mordor, Dol Guldur, the remaining Orcs of the Misty Mountains, the Easterlings, the Haradrim of the south, the corsairs of Umbar, and the Variags of Khand; the peoples of the west, could primarily rely on support from the human Kingdoms of
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Gondor and Rohan, The Elves of the Woodland Realm, Lothlorien, and Rivendell, The Dwarves of the Iron Hills and Erebor, and the Humans of Dale, who were allied with the Dwarves.
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Unfortunately, a large portion of their northern defenses were eliminated in 2770, when the dragon Smaug the terrible destroyed the city of Dale, and occupied the Kingdom of Under the Mountain.
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Realizing Smaug, who descended from a species which served the First Dark Lord Morgoth, had the potential to become a devastating ally to the Second Dark Lord, Gandalf convinced the Dwarven exile Thorin Oakenshield and his 12 companions to reclaim Erebor and eliminate
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the dragon, in 2941. With the help of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the company of dwarves entered the lonely mountain but were unable to subdue the dragon, causing him to depart and unleash his fury on the nearby human settlement of Lake-town.
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Learning about an unprotected bare patch on the dragon’s chest, Bard the Bowman, a descendent of the last Lord of Dale, shot a powerful black arrow directly into this weak spot, and killed the dragon Smaug, instantly becoming a hero and leader to his people.
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Having lost their town, and suffered greatly from the beast unleashed by the Dwarves, Bard, planned to lead the townsfolk to the Lonely Mountain, where they might seek recompense through a portion of Erebor’s treasure hoard.
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The humans were then joined by King Thranduil and an army of Elves from Mirkwood, who thought the Dwarves were dead and so wanted to claim the treasure for themselves.
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Upon seeing the plight of Bard and his people, the Elves aided them with supplies and temporary shelters, before descending upon the Lonely Mountain together, in search of its treasure.
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Finding the entrance blocked and Dwarven Company still alive, Bard attempted to negotiate but Thorin refused after seeing they arrived armed and with Elves who had no rightful claim to their wealth.
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Unwilling to leave empty handed, Thranduil and Bard laid siege to the Mountain Kingdom, until the hobbit Bilbo Baggins arrived with the Arkenstone, the most precious jewel of the Dwarves and an heirloom of their royal line.
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Seeking to avoid bloodshed, Bilbo left his Dwarven companions and made off with the Arkenstone, giving it to the opposing army so they might trade it for a share of the treasure.
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Though Thorin was furious, he ultimately agreed to hand over 1/14th of their wealth, in exchange for the jewel.
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Yet before the deal was completed, Thorin’s cousin Dain Ironfoot arrived in response to a message sent by raven, leading an army of 500 battle-hardened Dwarves from the Iron Hills, Seeing their kinsmen under siege, Dain Ironfoot and his forces would have engaged the humans and elves in a bloody struggle, if not for
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Gandalf who came between them and revealed that a greater enemy was marching upon them.
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Seeking to capitalize on the death of Smaug and claim the dwarven treasure, Bolg son of Azog the Defiler, led an army of Orcs, wolves, wargs and bats to destroy anyone who stood in their way.
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Agreeing to cease hostilities and focus on the larger threat, the Battle of Five Armies erupted, with Humans, Elves and Dwarves on one side, while Orcs and Wicked Beasts fought in opposition.
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Though Bolg’s forces soon had the advantage, they were ultimately defeated when the great eagles of the misty mountains, along with the skin changer Beorn, arrived to reinforce the free peoples.
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Suffering a devastating defeat, Bolg was killed by Beorn, While his orc armies lost roughly 3 parts of their total forces.
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Despite their victory, the elves, humans and dwarves suffered many casualties, including the deaths of King Thorin as well as his nephews Fili and Kili.
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In the aftermath of battle, the Arkenstone was returned to the Dwarves, now under the rule of King Dain Ironfoot, while Biblo Baggins forfeited his share of the treasure, giving it to Bard the Bowman, who in turn divided it amongst his own people and the Elves.
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With Lake-town destroyed, the humans used their newly acquired funds to rebuild the city of Dale, completing construction in 2944.
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As for Biblo Baggins, Dain Ironfoot insisted he leave with a rich reward, but he declined such largess, instead departing with only two chests of gold and silver.
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Yet this was not the only prize the hobbit carried home, as he discovered a magic ring in the lair of the creature Gollum, while separated from the company of Thorin Oakenshield in the misty mountains.
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Although Gandalf was aware, his small friend possessed this treasure, neither one truly understood its significance, as this was the One Ring of Power, forged by Sauron in Mount Doom.
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In addition to Bilbo’s discovery of the one ring, the death of smaug, restoration of Erebor and Battle of the Five armies, the year 2941 also saw another important event unfold, when the White council finally moved against Dol Guldur to confront Sauron, who
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then retreated to Mordor. Yet the Dark Lord was unwilling to give up this strategic location, and so sent three of his Nazgul a decade later, to reclaim Dol Guldur.
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Uncovering the Necromancer’s true identity as the Dark Lord Sauron, the White Council gathered for a final meeting in 2953 TA, where Saruman once again attempted to dispel their fears, by claiming the One Ring of Power was lost forever, carried from the Anduin river
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into the Sea of Belegaer. Believing his lies, many in the White Council failed to adequately prepare for the coming conflict, unlike Saruman, who fortified Isengard and began his own preparations for war.
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Though he already fell to corruption, the White Wizard’s thirst for conquest grew more pronounced in the following decades, breeding his own orc army in 2990 and communicating directly with Sauron through a palantir in the year 3000, thereby solidifying their alliance.
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Though he forged and wore his own lesser ring of power, Saruman considered his loyalty to Sauron, merely a temporary measure, as his true goal was to take the One Ring for himself, and reign as master over the entire continent.
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Further north, nearly 50 years after the Dwarves of Durin’s Folk re-established the Kingdom Under the Mountain, Balin son of Fundin, undertook a journey to reclaim their ancestral homeland of Khazad Dum, lost centuries earlier to Durin’s Bane, the last known Balrog of Morgoth.
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Becoming a refuge for Orcs and wicked creatures loyal to Sauron, the realm now called Moria was teeming with dangers, but even so, Balin was determined to make the journey, and so was joined by many of his loyal friends, including Óin, Ori, Náli, Frár, Lóni, and Flói.
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Fighting their way into the misty mountains in 2989, the Dwarven company slew many Orcs and settled their colony in the Twenty First Hall, where Balin was declared Lord of Moria.
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Surviving for 5 years, they recovered many of the ancient treasures of their people, before falling to the continued onslaught of their enemies.
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Though they fought valiantly, the Dwarves were slain and the colony lost. Unaware that his old friend Balin met a tragic fate, Bilbo Baggins continued to live a life of prosperity in the Shire, celebrating his 111th birthday in 3001 TA.
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Joining in the celebration, Gandalf the Grey attended and showed off his fireworks, only for his happiness to fade after speaking privately with Bilbo concerning the fate of his magic ring.
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Over the decades since finding this precious prize on their journey to Erebor, Gandalf noticed Bilbo continued to possess a relatively youthful appearance despite his advancing age.
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This worry then grew more serious, when Bilbo discussed his plan to take a permanent holiday, leaving all his possessions to his nephew Frodo Baggins.
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Though he originally planned to leave the ring to Frodo, Bilbo grew increasingly agitated and aggressive when discussing it with Gandalf.
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Believing he should keep the ring for himself, the Grey Wizard attempted to council his friend against it, eliciting a hostile response from Bilbo, who accused him of wanting to take his property and even started to reach for his sword.
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Shocked by the severity of this unhobbit like behaviour, Gandalf enhanced his size and voice, snapping Bilbo out of his anger, at last convincing him to leave the ring behind.
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Departing on his long awaited journey into retirement, Bilbo left the Shire, while Gandalf remained to speak with Frodo, warning him to keep the ring safe and out of sight.
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Startled by what he observed in Bilbo, the Grey Wizard started to suspect this magic ring was more than previously imagined, and might even be the One ring forged by Sauron.
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Yet suspicion was not certainty, and so sought to uncover the truth by embarking on a journey of his own.
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Over the next 17 years, Gandalf became aware both the creature Gollum and the Dark Lord were searching for the One Ring and studied ancient texts learning all he could about this terrible weapon.
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After discovering that Gollum was captured by agents of Sauron and therefore must have revealed the names Hobbit and Shire, Gandalf returned to find Frodo, sending him and the ring on a journey to Rivendell.
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Seeking to help Frodo throughout his travels, the ring bearer was joined by Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck, Perigrin Took, and later the ranger Strider, aka Aragorn, a friend of Gandalf who met the party in Bree, leading them to their destination.
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Surviving this harrowing journey in which they were pursued by Nazgul, the hobbits eventually arrived in Rivendell where Frodo attended the council of Elrond, alongside representatives from the free peoples of the west.
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Though they differed over how to proceed, it was ultimately decided that Frodo Baggins must go to Mordor and destroy the one ring of power, as he stood the best chance of resisting its corruption.
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Joined on this mission by the hobbits Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck, as well as the Wizard Gandalf the Grey, the human ranger Aragorn, heir of Isildur and rightful king of Gondor, the human Boromir, son to the Steward of Gondor, the Sindar Elf
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Legolas son to King Thranduil of the Woodland Realm, and the Dwarf Gimli son to Gloin of Durin’s Folk, these nine companions formed the Fellowship of the Ring.
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In the meantime, the free peoples were tasked with resisting the armies of Sauron for as long as possible, thereby giving the fellowship time to complete the quest.
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Despite their best efforts, the fellowship eventually broke apart, as Gandalf died protecting them from the balrog of Moria, while Boromir fell in his defense of Merry and Pippin, shortly after succumbing to temptation by trying to take the ring.
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Believing this dark corruption would take his other companions as well, Frodo decided to continue the mission on his own, though he was forcibly joined by Samwise Gamgee, who refused to be left behind.
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Meanwhile, Sauron’s armies marched west, beginning the war of the ring with two large scale campaigns, ultimately seeking the capture of Minas Tirith, by weakening the alliance between Rohan and Gondor as well as destroying any potential reinforcements from the Elves
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and Dwarves. In the North, the Dark Lord’s Orcs armies in Dol Guldur attacked the Elves of Lothlorien, and the Woodland Realm, while a massive Easterling host was sent to sweep through Dwarven lands and join the fighting in Mirkwood.
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The combined Easterling and Orc forces would then finish off the Woodland Realm, Lothlorien and Rivendell, before finally marching south towards Rohan and Gondor.
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Yet their plan did not succeed, as the Dwarves of Erebor and humans of Dale resisted conquest with unexpected fervour.
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Although King Brand, King Dain Ironfoot and the city of Dale were lost, the dwarves and humans held back the Easterlings for three days before barricading themselves inside the mountain to endure the Siege of Erebor, lasting long enough to prevent the enemy host
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from reinforcing their dark allies in Mirkwood. As a result, the Woodland Realm under King Thranduil repelled the Orc army sent against them in the Battle under the Trees, while Lothlorien under Celeborn and Galadriel both defended their home and pressed the attack forward, destroying Dol Guldur.
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Though it cost thousands of lives, the line held across the entire Northern theatre of war, a victory that may have been aided by the mysterious Blue Wizards, Alatar and Pallando, as some stories say they spent centuries in the east and south, limiting the influence
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of Sauron wherever possible, thereby reducing the size of the army he marched west. While all this occurred in the north, the Southern Theater faced its own hardships, as Saruman sent his forces against Rohan, consisting of Orcs, Uruk-hai and the wildmen
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of Dunland who he convinced to join their campaign. Despite the death of his son Prince Theodred in the Battle of the Fords of Isen, King Theoden of Rohan was unable to respond properly to the situation, as he fell into decline under
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the spells of Saruman, allowing his traitorous advisor Grima Wormtongue to take control over the royal court.
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Fortunately, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli soon arrived, accompanied by the reborn wizard Gandalf the White, who was returned to physical form by the creator Eru Iluvatar so he might complete his mission to help defeat Sauron.
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After being healed by Gandalf, Theoden led his armies to war, but soon learned their borders were overrun, and so instead retreated to Helm’s Deep, where they made their last stand in the battle of the Hornburg, emerging victorious when Gandalf and a host of footmen
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arrived as reinforcements. The free peoples then saw more victories when the Ents and Huorns of Fangorn forest joined the war effort, leading to the defeat of Isengard and death of those retreating from the battle of the Hornberg.
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Meanwhile, Sauron had the Corsairs of Umbar raid Southern Gondor, thereby forcing local lords to keep their armies at home, allowing only a fraction of their men to head north for the defence of the capital.
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With Gondor’s allies weakened and defenses reduced, the Dark Lord sent his forces to capture Osgiliath, before preparing a final assault against Minas Tirith.
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The War then culminated in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, where Sauron’s forces were led by the Witch King of Angmar and might have achieved victory if not for the riders of Rohan and Grey Company of Dunedain Rangers, who arrived as reinforcements.
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Though the free peoples were victorious, the Witch King grievously injured Theoden by shooting his horse with a black dart, causing the creature to collapse upon the king.
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Seeking to defend her dying uncle, Eowyn courageously stood before the witch king, creating a distraction which allowed the hobbit Merry to stab him in the back of the knee with the enchanted blade, thereby breaking the spell protecting his body.
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Eowyn then drove her sword through his head, killing the lord of the Nazgul. This was only possible, because the barrow-blade held by Merry was a gift from Tom Bombadil, crafted many years earlier by a weaponsmith of Arthedain for the specific purpose of defeating
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the Witch King. In this way the prophecy of Glorfindel was fulfilled, for the Witch King did not die at the hands of a man but by those of a woman and hobbit.
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As for Southern Gondor, they too beat back the enemy with the aid of an undead army which long ago betrayed their word to the king of Gondor, and thus agreed to fight with Aragorn in exchange for the release of their spirits into the afterlife.
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Yet even after all these victories, the threat was not over so long as the one ring of power continued to exist, and so the men of Gondor and Rohan mounted a final assault directly against Sauron in Mordor, thereby giving Frodo and Sam the necessary time and opportunity
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Speaker A
to reach Mount Doom. Nearing the end of their journey, tragedy struck when Frodo was captured and nearly killed by Orcs, leaving Samwise Gamgee to take the ring, determined to complete the quest on his own.
83:47
Speaker A
Yet it did not prove necessary, as Sam was able to save his friend and possessed sufficient will power to voluntarily give back the ring.
83:57
Speaker A
With both now marked as Ring bearers, they at last reached the crack of Mount Doom, only for Frodo to fail in the final moments, having grown so attached to his precious prize, he refused to see it destroyed.
84:11
Speaker A
Yet as fate would have it, the creature Gollum soon arrived, engaging in a violent struggle.
84:17
Speaker A
Obsessed with reclaiming the one ring, Gollum followed the hobbits for much of their journey and even helped guide them to Mordor, before betraying them to the Great Spider Shelob.
84:28
Speaker A
Though the Hobbits escaped this peril, Gollum returned when they reached Mount Doom, and at last met his end after biting off Frodo’s finger, when both he and the ring accidently fell into the fiery chasm.
84:42
Speaker A
With the one ring destroyed, Sauron was utterly vanquished, leaving his immortal spirit diminished to such an extent he could no long interact with the world.
84:53
Speaker A
In the North, upon learning of the Dark Lord’s defeat, many of the Easterlings abandoned their siege of Erebor, allowing for the combined armies of men and dwarves to charge from the Lonely mountain and beat back the remaining invaders.
85:09
Speaker A
With the war over, King Thorin III became King of Erebor, while King Bard II rebuilt and ruled over the Kingdom of Dale.
85:19
Speaker A
As for the Elves, most chose to leave Middle-earth for the Undying lands of Aman, though this was not the case for many of those in the Woodland Realm, who elected to remain under the rule of King Thranduil.
85:31
Speaker A
Lothlorien however was largely abandoned, with some following Celeborn to resettle in East Lorien, formerly known as Dol Guldur, while others sailed with Galadriel and Elrond to Aman in the West.
85:45
Speaker A
In the south, Faramir became heir to the ruling stewards of Gondor after his father Denethor was driven to madness, ending his own life during the battle of the Pelennor Fields.
85:57
Speaker A
Yet Faramir recognized a new age was upon them, and so surrendered leadership to Aragorn, renamed King Elessar of the reunited kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor.
86:09
Speaker A
Though he did not rule like his ancestors, Faramir was content as he retained the title of Steward, was named Prince of Ithilien and married the beautiful shield maiden Eowyn.
86:22
Speaker A
King Elessar also found happiness by finally marrying Arwen, daughter of Elrond, the elf maiden, who like Luthien in the first age, gave up her immortality to live a mortal life with her human husband.
86:36
Speaker A
Despite Aragorn descending from the Kings of Arnor, who long ago were rejected as rulers of Gondor, his actions during the War of the Ring won the hearts of his people, allowing Elessar and Arwen to usher in an era of peace and prosperity alongside his allies in Rohan,
86:55
Speaker A
now led by King Eomer, nephew of Theoden. Despite his defeat at Isengard, Saruman the White survived the war but was brought so low he ended his days as a small time crime boss in the Shire, where his army of ruffians
87:11
Speaker A
was defeated by Hobbit forces under the command of Merry, Pippin and Samwise, who by this point were battle-hardened veterans.
87:20
Speaker A
In the end, Saruman was killed by his minion Grima Wormtongue on the front steps of Bag End, and even in death could not find peace, as his spirit was blown away by a strong wind, forbidden from returning to Valinor.
87:36
Speaker A
Yet where Saruman was rejected, Frodo and Bilbo Baggins were granted a rare exception as ring bearers, and in 3021, the final year of the Third Age, joined Gandalf, Galadriel and Elrond on a ship sailing west to the Undying Lands of Aman.
87:55
Speaker A
Samwise Gamgee meanwhile, the last ring bearer in middle-earth, inherited Bag End as well as the red book of westmarch, where both Frodo and Bilbo wrote about their adventures.
Topics:Lord of the RingsThird AgeSauronOne RingIsildurGondorArnorMiddle-earth historyElvesDwarves

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened to the One Ring after Isildur's death?

After Isildur was killed by orcs near the Gladden Fields, the One Ring fell into the Anduin River and remained lost for over two thousand years.

How did the kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor evolve after the War of the Last Alliance?

Gondor's royal line continued for two millennia, expanding its power, while Arnor fractured into smaller kingdoms after civil war and internal strife.

What role did the Istari play during the Third Age?

The Istari were sent by the Valar to guide Elves, Men, and Dwarves against Sauron, taking the form of elderly men and avoiding direct use of their powers.

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