Hail and Well Met Friends!
I’m back after what seems like ages of not writing since the last episode published and very excited to continue in this lore series!
When we left off last time, Melkor had returned to rebuild his fortress Angband and breed his mass armies of fell beasts. This week we pick up with Melkor in the first age and the Noldor rebelling to recover the stolen Silmarils. I hope you enjoy!
Melkor’s Evil In The First Age
Feanor followed Morgoth to Middle-earth with the greater part of the Noldor in rebellion, hoping to recover the Silmarils. This rebellion and last effort from Feanor to recover the Silmarils caused the massive War of the Great Jewels, in which the elves were completely defeated. Upon learning of the arrival of the Noldor in Middle-earth, Morgoth sent armies of Orcs against Feanor’s and his elves, hoping to destroy them before they could establish any strongholds and well organized defenses. Though the Noldor were outnumbered, they were very skilled in combat and swiftly destroyed the Orcs; though only a handful returned to Angband. But Feanor, in his pride and arrogance, came after Morgoth himself and pursued the Orcs. Soon, the vanguard and Feanor pressed ahead of the main host, and the Orcs and they came to battle at the gates of Angband. The battle was so close to Angband that it alerted a number of Balrogs that came to the aid of the Orcs that quickly defeated the Elves. Feanor fought on alone, but was eventually struck down by Gothmog, the Lord of the Balrogs. Though a relief force under the command of his sons saved him from being killed on the field of battle, Feanor’s wounds were mortal and he perished soon after.
Shortly after Feanor’s death, Morgoth sent an embassy to the Noldor offering terms of surrender, even promising a Silmaril. Maedhros agreed to the parley, but both sides, expecting treachery, came with greater force than was agreed. Unfortunately for the Elves, Morgoth’s force was the greater of the two, and was accompanied by Balrogs. The Elven company was quickly slain with the exception of Maedhros, who was captured and chained by his right hand to one of Thangorodrim’s cliffs. Morgoth sent word to the Noldor, promising to release Maedhros on the condition that the Elves would depart from the North and cease their war against him. However, the Elves knew that Morgoth would not honor his word, and sent no reply.
It was time that the host of Fingolfin, which had been betrayed and abandoned by Feanor’s group in Aman, came at last to Middle-earth. Tension between the two groups quickly developed and Morgoth, seeing that the Noldor were divided, made plans to destroy his very distracted enemy’s. To his dismay however, the Valar revealed the creation of the Sun and the Moon, which confounded Morgoth and his servants for a time. To counter these new lights, Morgoth sent up clouds of smoke from the Iron Mountains to darken Hithlum.
During the time of confusion and inaction caused among Morgoth’s forces by these new lights, Fingon traveled to Angband, aided by the very darkness Morgoth had set upon Hithlum, and rescued Maedhros. In doing so, he started a series of events that united the Noldor and allowed them to establish great and mighty kingdoms in Beleriand and Hithlum. When Morgoth initiated his next attack, the Noldor swiftly destroyed his forces and set a war upon Angband, hoping to forever contain the evil of Morgoth. After waiting many years, Morgoth tested his enemy’s, causing the Iron Mountains to erupt sending an army of Orcs down through the passes, but the Noldor easily defeated these Orcs. After this failure, Morgoth took to capturing what Elves he could, breaking them with the power of his will and chaining their lives to his. These Elves became his spies among the Noldor, keeping him aware of all there movements and plans.
Battle of Sudden Flame
One hundred years later, Morgoth sent an army into the north to approach Hithlum from the side, but an army under the command of Fingon destroyed them yet again. At this point, Morgoth came to realize that the Orcs unaided were no match for the Noldor, and began experimenting with ways to create more deadly creatures for his armies. Another century passed, and the creation of Glaurung, the first dragon, was the result of Morgoth’s long intense labor. Glaurung’s sudden appearance scattered the Elves around the areas of Angband, but a group of archers under Fingon’s command engaged him before he could attack and merely frightened the Elves. Glaurung was barely half-grown, and his hide wasn’t thick enough to take the Elven arrows so he had no choice but to flee. Morgoth was displeased with Glaurung for revealing himself to soon, but ultimately Glaurung’s sudden attack on the elves was of little consequence.
When Men first arrived in Beleriand, it was revealed that Morgoth left Angband and walked among the fathers of Men. Hoping to corrupt them to his service, he spread his lies among them, and found them to be much easier to sway than the Elves had been. However, the strengthening of the Elven kingdoms worried Morgoth, and he returned to Angband before his labors were complete. Nevertheless, most Men believed or half-believed his lies and either departed from the North or joined with Morgoth’s forces. A small group of Men that became known as the Edain were able to resist Morgoth. They provided the Elves with vital intelligence as to the doings of Morgoth in the North, as many of them chose to live within sight of Angband’s gates.
Until next weeks episode, I’m your host Iogro Merrybelly and I bid you a fine farewell!
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