TearsoftheWorld
Radical Dreamer
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2006
- Posts
- 16,002
Ok so I found myself reading The Silmarillion and listening to Blind Guardian, and I felt compelled to make a new thread. I'll post a little bit of history to help the story go on, and then open the thread to you guys =)
(I'm avoiding writing a paper so humor me)
The history of Middle Earth is far too involved and confusing to post in one thread, so I'll just cover some of the basics. Here goes:
Middle Earth was formed as the result of the Music of the Ainur, beings of power and majesty that helped shape Arda, that is the world in its entirety. Many of the Ainur took on physical forms while others worked behind the scenes. The greatest of the Ainur were known as the Valar, or Those with Power, and acted as its guardians. One Valar, however, had ambitions and desires in his heart to bring all of Arda under his dominion, and have its inhabitants call him King. His actions came into conflict with his brethren and they vied for control over the lands. Yet after a while the Valar dwelled in the homes while Melkor amassed his strength. During this time the Elves first awoke under the stars and began wandering around in awe of all they perceived.
In order to assure their safety, the Valar made war against Melkor and his armies, and after a long battle the Enemy was defeated and imprisoned. After a while the Valar decided that the Elves should dwell with them in their lands, under their guidance and protection, for the Valar were in utter amazement with the Elves. Many of the Elves went to Valinor, the land of the Valar, and yet many stayed behind in the lands of Middle Earth. The Elves were thus divided: The Eldar, or the Elves who made the journey west, and the Avari, the Elves that refused the summons of the Valar and stayed behind.
The Eldar were divided into several branches:
1)The Vanyar who went to Valinor and remained there
2) The Noldor who went to Valinor and would later return to Middle Earth
3) The Teleri who started towards Valinor but parts of whom would stay behind, becoming known as the Sindar and the Nandor.
The Elves that made the journey west were filled with the Light of the Trees of Valinor, giving them a much nobler look to them while at the same time filling them with a great and powerful spirit. They were and still are the fairest of the Children of Iluvatar, and who's wrath when awoken is deadly to behold.
As time would go on, the Elves created many wonderful works, items of renown and beauty. One Elf, a Noldo by the name of Feanor, would go on to create three beautiful jewels known as the Silmarils. These gems were filled with the light of the two trees, and were the most prized of possessions. They were so beautiful, in fact, that after his release Melkor would come to covet them, and desired them for his own. And so in time he stole them, murdered Feanor's father (the King of the Noldor), and fled once again from Valinor and went back to the darkened lands of Middle Earth.
Filled with rage, Feanor would lead many of the Noldor with him to Middle Earth, although the Valar had decreed that their chosen path was a doomed one and they would not succeed in their attempts to recover the Silmarils. Cursing the Valar, Feanor and many Elves went anyway, and the rest of The Silmarillion tells of their deeds, some of great renown and of the utmost sorrow, for many of the noblest of Elves and Men were lost during that time, going on to the Halls of Mandos and further. Feanor himself would be lost, his spirit swiftly moving on and leaving in his stead his friends and family to carry on his legacy.
*takes a quick breather*
The Elves were obviously not the only race to have been born, and so many years after their return to Middle Earth they would encounter Man, a strange race who looked much like them, save that they were indeed Mortal and more susceptible to the elements of the world. Yet Iluvatar, the creator of all, had given them death as a gift, a gift that they would curse and the Elves desire after spending ages upon the world that looked dark and grey. Men in that time were strong and valiant, and their strength was added to that of the Elves, and together they would struggle against the might of Melkor and his armies.
The Dwarves were an odd race from the beginning. Their maker was not Iluvatar, but rather on of the Valar, whom in his mind desired to create beings that would be to endure the elements of the world and be strong and hardy folk. And so after the Elves awoke the Dwarves too did awake, and these two races have often come into conflict with one another, yet the friendship of the Dwarves, if achieved, is strong indeed.
The Orcs were once noble Elves trapped by the Enemy, and twisted in form until they came to despise their lives and the freedom enjoyed by the free peoples. And while they served Melkor and their numbers were many, they hated and loathed him as well, yet feared him more.
*there are many other races, including Dragons, Trolls, Balrogs, etc but I figured that as the thread progressed they would be revealed*
(I'm avoiding writing a paper so humor me)
The history of Middle Earth is far too involved and confusing to post in one thread, so I'll just cover some of the basics. Here goes:
Middle Earth was formed as the result of the Music of the Ainur, beings of power and majesty that helped shape Arda, that is the world in its entirety. Many of the Ainur took on physical forms while others worked behind the scenes. The greatest of the Ainur were known as the Valar, or Those with Power, and acted as its guardians. One Valar, however, had ambitions and desires in his heart to bring all of Arda under his dominion, and have its inhabitants call him King. His actions came into conflict with his brethren and they vied for control over the lands. Yet after a while the Valar dwelled in the homes while Melkor amassed his strength. During this time the Elves first awoke under the stars and began wandering around in awe of all they perceived.
In order to assure their safety, the Valar made war against Melkor and his armies, and after a long battle the Enemy was defeated and imprisoned. After a while the Valar decided that the Elves should dwell with them in their lands, under their guidance and protection, for the Valar were in utter amazement with the Elves. Many of the Elves went to Valinor, the land of the Valar, and yet many stayed behind in the lands of Middle Earth. The Elves were thus divided: The Eldar, or the Elves who made the journey west, and the Avari, the Elves that refused the summons of the Valar and stayed behind.
The Eldar were divided into several branches:
1)The Vanyar who went to Valinor and remained there
2) The Noldor who went to Valinor and would later return to Middle Earth
3) The Teleri who started towards Valinor but parts of whom would stay behind, becoming known as the Sindar and the Nandor.
The Elves that made the journey west were filled with the Light of the Trees of Valinor, giving them a much nobler look to them while at the same time filling them with a great and powerful spirit. They were and still are the fairest of the Children of Iluvatar, and who's wrath when awoken is deadly to behold.
As time would go on, the Elves created many wonderful works, items of renown and beauty. One Elf, a Noldo by the name of Feanor, would go on to create three beautiful jewels known as the Silmarils. These gems were filled with the light of the two trees, and were the most prized of possessions. They were so beautiful, in fact, that after his release Melkor would come to covet them, and desired them for his own. And so in time he stole them, murdered Feanor's father (the King of the Noldor), and fled once again from Valinor and went back to the darkened lands of Middle Earth.
Filled with rage, Feanor would lead many of the Noldor with him to Middle Earth, although the Valar had decreed that their chosen path was a doomed one and they would not succeed in their attempts to recover the Silmarils. Cursing the Valar, Feanor and many Elves went anyway, and the rest of The Silmarillion tells of their deeds, some of great renown and of the utmost sorrow, for many of the noblest of Elves and Men were lost during that time, going on to the Halls of Mandos and further. Feanor himself would be lost, his spirit swiftly moving on and leaving in his stead his friends and family to carry on his legacy.
*takes a quick breather*
The Elves were obviously not the only race to have been born, and so many years after their return to Middle Earth they would encounter Man, a strange race who looked much like them, save that they were indeed Mortal and more susceptible to the elements of the world. Yet Iluvatar, the creator of all, had given them death as a gift, a gift that they would curse and the Elves desire after spending ages upon the world that looked dark and grey. Men in that time were strong and valiant, and their strength was added to that of the Elves, and together they would struggle against the might of Melkor and his armies.
The Dwarves were an odd race from the beginning. Their maker was not Iluvatar, but rather on of the Valar, whom in his mind desired to create beings that would be to endure the elements of the world and be strong and hardy folk. And so after the Elves awoke the Dwarves too did awake, and these two races have often come into conflict with one another, yet the friendship of the Dwarves, if achieved, is strong indeed.
The Orcs were once noble Elves trapped by the Enemy, and twisted in form until they came to despise their lives and the freedom enjoyed by the free peoples. And while they served Melkor and their numbers were many, they hated and loathed him as well, yet feared him more.
*there are many other races, including Dragons, Trolls, Balrogs, etc but I figured that as the thread progressed they would be revealed*
