War of the Elves and Sauron

The War of the Elves and Sauron was the first major armed conflict of the Second Age to involve the Noldor of Middle-earth directly against the Dark Lord, and it arose from the very act that defined the age: the forging of the Rings of Power. It was a war born of betrayal, in which Sauron, having seduced the Elven-smiths of Eregion under a fair guise, revealed his true purpose and attempted to subjugate them by force. The war reshaped the political geography of Eriador, destroyed the greatest centre of Elven craft west of the Misty Mountains, and forced Elrond to establish the hidden refuge of Imladris, which would endure as a bastion of wisdom and resistance for the remainder of the age.

Causes and Background

The war's roots lay in Sauron's long campaign to corrupt and dominate the Eldar. Around S.A. 1200, he approached Gil-galad, the High King of the Noldor in Lindon, offering his knowledge, but was rebuffed. He then turned to the smiths of Eregion, a realm of Noldor who had settled near the West-gate of Moria and who were eager for lore and craft. Under the guidance of Celebrimbor, the greatest of their craftsmen and a descendant of Fëanor, they accepted Sauron's instruction. By S.A. 1500, the Elven-smiths, taught by Sauron, had reached the height of their skill and began forging the Rings of Power. Celebrimbor himself completed the Three Rings, the mightiest of all save the One, around S.A. 1590, and he did so without Sauron's direct hand, though the Dark Lord's influence was upon the craft. Sauron, however, had been working in secret. In the fires of Orodruin, around S.A. 1600, he forged the One Ring, the Ruling Ring, designed to control all others. When he placed it upon his finger, Celebrimbor perceived his treachery and the true purpose of the Rings. The war began almost immediately.

What Happens

Sauron's first move was a swift and devastating assault upon Eregion. In S.A. 1693, his armies invaded Eriador. Gil-galad sent Elrond to aid the besieged smiths, but he arrived too late. By S.A. 1697, Eregion was laid waste, and Celebrimbor was slain. The gates of Moria, which had been a close ally of the Elves of Eregion, were shut, sealing the Dwarves within their halls and cutting off that avenue of escape. Elrond, with the remnant of the Noldor, retreated northward and founded the refuge of Imladris, Rivendell. Sauron's forces overran all of Eriador by S.A. 1699, threatening even Lindon. The war reached its turning point in S.A. 1700, when Tar-Minastir, the eleventh King of Númenor, sent a great navy to Lindon. The combined might of the Elves and the Númenóreans defeated Sauron, who was driven out of Eriador. The Westlands then enjoyed a long peace.

Consequences and Aftermath

The war had profound and lasting consequences. Eregion was utterly destroyed and never rebuilt; its knowledge and craft were lost, and the friendship between Elves and Dwarves, which had been closest in that realm, was never fully restored. Rivendell, founded in the crisis, became a permanent stronghold of Elven wisdom and a sanctuary for the heirs of the Noldor. The Three Rings were hidden, and their existence became a closely guarded secret. Sauron, though defeated, was not destroyed. He retreated to Mordor, where he rebuilt his strength and brooded on his revenge. The war also marked the beginning of the Númenóreans' deeper involvement in the affairs of Middle-earth, a relationship that would culminate in the Downfall of Númenor and the founding of the Realms in Exile. The Ring-verse, which speaks of the One Ring's power over the others, was first heard by Celebrimbor from afar when Sauron first put on the One, and its words revealed his evil purpose.