Founding of the Realms in Exile

The Founding of the Realms in Exile was the direct consequence of the cataclysmic Downfall of Númenor, the island kingdom of the Dúnedain. Elendil the Tall, along with his sons Isildur and Anárion, escaped the destruction with nine ships, carrying with them a seedling of the White Tree Nimloth, the Seven Seeing-stones (palantíri), and the shards of Narsil, the sword of Elendil. They were cast upon the shores of Middle-earth by a great storm, and there they established the Númenórean realms in exile: Arnor in the North and Gondor in the South. Elendil became the High King, dwelling at Annúminas beside Lake Evendim, while the rule in the South was committed to his sons. Isildur founded Minas Ithil, the Tower of the Rising Moon, and Anárion built Minas Anor, the Tower of the Setting Sun, with the chief city of Osgiliath lying between them, not far from the borders of Mordor. This act of foundation set the stage for the long war against Sauron, culminating in the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, the overthrow of the Dark Lord, and the loss of the One Ring, which would define the history of the Third Age.

The Catastrophe and the Escape

The Downfall of Númenor was the result of the pride and folly of its last king, Ar-Pharazôn the Golden. Seduced by Sauron, who had been brought as a prisoner to the island, the king broke the Ban of the Valar and sailed with a great armament to assail the Undying Lands. In response, the Valar laid down their Guardianship and called upon the One, and the world was changed. Númenor was thrown down and swallowed by the Sea, and the Undying Lands were removed forever from the circles of the world. Elendil and his sons, leaders of the Faithful who had remained loyal to the Eldar and the Valar, foresaw the disaster and prepared ships. They were borne on the wind of a great storm and cast upon the shores of Middle-earth, the sole survivors of the wreck of a glorious civilization.

The Establishment of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms

Upon their arrival, Elendil and his sons divided the rule of the new lands. Elendil, as High King, established the North-kingdom of Arnor, with his seat at Annúminas. Isildur and Anárion founded the South-kingdom of Gondor, building Osgiliath as their shared capital. They also constructed Minas Ithil and Minas Anor as twin fortresses on either side of the Anduin, guarding the passes into Mordor. The seedling of the White Tree, brought from Númenor, was planted in Minas Anor, a symbol of the enduring line of the Kings of Men. The palantíri, gifts of the Eldar, were distributed among the realms to allow for communication and watchfulness. This division of power, while creating two strong kingdoms, also sowed the seeds of future estrangement and the eventual decline of the Northern line.

The War of the Last Alliance and the Loss of the Ring

Sauron, though his bodily form perished in the Downfall, returned to Mordor as a spirit of hatred. He made war upon the Exiles, but Elendil and Gil-galad, the High King of the Elves, formed the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. Their great host marched to Mordor and defeated Sauron in the Battle of Dagorlad. The siege of Barad-dûr followed, lasting seven years. In the final combat on the slopes of Orodruin, Gil-galad and Elendil were slain, and Narsil, the Sword of Elendil, broke beneath him. Isildur, Elendil's son, cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand with the hilt-shard of his father's sword. Against the counsel of Elrond and Círdan, Isildur took the Ring as a weregild for his father and brother, rather than casting it into the fire of Orodruin. This act of pride and folly led to his own death by orc-arrows in the Gladden Fields, and the Ring was lost for millennia, setting the stage for the great conflict of the Third Age.