Lore Corner - Questions and Debates

[Walküre]

Omg I love that soundtrack! It always plays in the evil campaign map of bmfe1 ! Hearing Saruman speaking about the conquest of Middle-Earth and this soundtrack playing in the background while the camera moves across the Middle-Earth map is really one of the most thrilling experiences ever!

Exactly 

And, do we want to talk about the Good Campaign's soundtrack?
In the Italian version of BFME1, it's Galadriel the narrator of the events (not Gandalf), and there is the Grey Havens theme in the background, played in the end of ROTK, when Frodo, Bilbo and the Guardians of the Three sail to the West 
As if the track wanted to tell ''You are the last hope for Middle Earth'' 

Very heartwarming and comforting, I would say 

[Fredius]

Really? I don't know what the soundtrack is called in the English version, but it's the same as the one that plays at the beginning of the vanilla Rise of the Witch-King trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-6G4wj9_eM

[Walküre]

Correct.
Here it is 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZCQ53pWxDcE

It's arguably my favourite theme from LOTR.
It's both sad yet holy, as Tolkien describes the silent journey of Galadriel, Elrond, other High Elves and the Hobbits from the Shire to the Grey Havens (he literally writes Holy Sadness).

Yes, in the books it's the opposite.
Gandalf is in the Havens waiting for Galadriel, Elrond and the Hobbits to come.
And, Galadriel rides a white horse 

[Fredius]

Well since the Rise of the Witch-King I think about the beauty that Arnor once was everytime I hear that soundtrack (because of the damn trailer )! It is indeed a beautifull soundtrack.

Speaking of which I find BFME2 original ost very great. At moments I find them greater then many LOTR or Hobbit soundtracks; don't hate me for it !

[Adamin]

@ hoho & Val: I'm just using the game to think creatively about what we got from the books and how it correlates. The game is taking many liberties, I'm not denying that, but it's core ideas do have some substance to them. If you engage with it.

Sauron (the greatest craftsman in middle earth)

Is there a source for this? I know that this association seems fitting, with Sauron being a Maia of Aule, but are there any more examples to this except the One Ring?
Generally speaking the greatest craftsman to ever be in Middle-earth (no matter how short) would most definetly be Fëanor.

needing Celebrimbor's help to finish the ring

Maybe finishing was a bad choice of words on my part. Speaking in game lore: The Ring was definetly finished and completed in its function by Sauron. It enhanced Saurons Powers and could dominate the Will of other lesser Ringbearers. But in doing so the Ring revealed itself. Celebrimbor did not alter or enhanced any of the Rings power, he only hid/cloaked its influence in the minds of others. And it makes sense that he, as an Elf, would have a better understanding than Sauron of what Elves could perceive.
So Sauron did finish his ultimate weapon on his own. But he used Celebrimbor to give the Ring an elvish advantage.

It quite sili to think that the one who taught the Elves how to make the rings in the first place, would need assistance from an Elf

Weeeell... Wouldn't it also be silly to think that a theoretical physicist could build a flawless rocket on the first try? ^^
As far as I understand the Silmarillion Sauron taught the Elves many things in lore and magic. He (quote) guided their labours, but the real smithing of the Rings of Power was exclusively made by the Elves. So I'd say its not farfetched to think that the Elves, and Celebrimbor most of them, had a much more practical understanding of Ringmaking than Sauron. And hey, that's not really an accusation or something. Saurons Ring did work after all. I'm just saying that we don't have to think of the One Ring as flawless. And SoM plays with that.

Although it has different effects depending on people's own characteristics, the One Ring is totally complete in itself, and its inner essence could never be altered (diminish or augment) by anyone's actions.

Again, where exactly do you get that from? It sounds logical yes, but isn't that rather an extended association with the fact that the Ring could never be destroyed by anyone?
I mean, if we assume that Saurons Will is the essence of the One Ring, then just by the fact that someone (quote) sufficiently strong and heroic by nature can overthrow Saurons Will and control the One Ring the essence has been altered! The primary driver has been changed.

The result would be the same of course, the new Lord of the Ring would be just another Sauron. But I would argue that this result is not necessarily Saurons Influence, but rahter just an elemental trait of Evil.
Though I admit that this distinction is hard to pinpoint... It boils down to the question: Is the Ring evil because it is from Sauron, or is the Ring from Sauron because of Evil? 

[Walküre]

Sorry, Adamin, if I seemed to be too judgemental about the game.

But, as much as I love lore speculations, creativity and wandering in the vast spaces of the lore itself, I have to disagree with you 
We are not talking about speculations, this time, but about something that significantly diverts from the lore, so that, as I wrote, it wouldn't be acceptable at this extent.
It's true that Tolkien's production presents various and sometimes multifaceted surfaces that seem to contradict themselves, and, as you know, I like discussing about this type of matters.
Though, the interpretation of the game is not just a liberty, but rather a vision that disrupts that common law in Tolkien's lore; that common and shared basic structure upon which we often build our debates.

So, since I want to be generous, I will answer you point by point 

1. Sauron is the greatest Maia ever existed, not really due to his physical strength and power (Ungoliant and Gothmog are likely to surpass him in strength), but, as the author reminds us, for his abilities, knowledge and extremely dangerous deceiving plans and purposes.
As the greatest scholar of Aulë, he undoubtedly was the greatest craftsman in the specific period we are dealing with (the Second Age), no matter how Celebrimbor or Fëanor could have been skilled and renowned for their knowledge.
Sauron is the source of all the knowledge and 'input' that the Elves receive in the forging of the Rings of Power; it's Sauron the initial and ultimate pivotal actor of the whole process, especially because everything eventually turned out to his advantage (the One Ring and his Plan).

And, a bit off-topic consideration: Fëanor is indeed the greatest craftsman of all time (as we are constantly told in the Silmarillion), but I would rather see this title inside the dimension of the Noldor or the Eldar themselves.
I mean, this kind of titles often leaves me a bit puzzled when it comes to compare extremely powerful Elves to the Ainur (Maiar and Valar).
It's true that even the Valar could have never created something akin to the Silmarils, but it's also true that the Ainur's standards are absolutely on another level, having created Arda in the first place and other wonders like Valinor itself and the Two Trees.
And, as Tulkas (if I remember correctly) exactly reminds Fëanor, the Light that gives life to his Jewels is something that belongs primarily to the Valar, implying that they too could have 'claimed' some rights on the Silmarils if they had really wanted to.
Besides, I am manifestly a pro-Valar person, so it's definitely a very personal opinion of mine 

2. Honestly, I didn't exactly get what you want to say when you talk about Celebrimbor's role in the creation of the One Ring.
And, to answer also your following point, as I previously wrote, I always regarded the role of the Elves in the forging of the Rings as a role totally subjected to the directives given by Sauron.

What I understand and think, reading the Silmarillion, is that Sauron (according to his famous and well known attitude and nature) never needed the aid of the Elves as a concrete help in widening and perfecting his knowledge; he had already conceived his plan from the beginning, as his false promises as Annatar (about recreating Valinor in the World) suggest.
He knew that the Elves of Eregion were delighted and skilled in those arts, but he needed them to have puppets to use in order to make sure that enough Rings of Power would have been created and distributed to each race.
Sauron is smarter than he seems to, I think: even though he didn't know about the secret of the Three Rings, he knew that his founding secret formula would have affected every creation of that kind anyway, being him aware or not.
That's why he's always been a serious threat, because he always manages to drag everyone in his web, one way or the other 

3. Celebrimbor was never aware of the One Ring until Sauron himself revealed his true intentions, nor did he ever contribute in the conceiving of any of its magical characteristics.
Keep in mind, also, that it's true that only the Elves immediately unveiled Sauron's true purposes (and that they are generally more farsighted than the other races), but it's also due to the fact that the other Rings had not been distributed yet at that moment, and Sauron waged war to Eregion/Eriador exactly to reclaim them.

4. I think I don't need specific quotes to explain the One Ring's particular traits; a lot of references speak for themselves, I guess 

What I meant was that, once the One Ring has been created, its essence has always remained perfect in itself and utterly unaltered.
That means that the only things that can take place are the possibilities of the Master Ring surviving the flow of Time and keeping its integrity untouched, or it being destroyed and consequently having its essence annihilated completely.
I'm well aware of which effects it could have on different people, but everything depends exactly on those people's characteristics (as Galadriel reminds Frodo when he asks if he could have ever used the One Ring to dominate others); no one could do something in between, like altering its powers in any way.

The One Ring is Sauron objectified.
His final goal conceived from his imagination, come into existence and accomplished.
I don't honestly know how Celebrimbor could have ever had any role in this process; it's highly contradictory and wrong.

Adding to it, if that person you mentioned could really be able to overthrow Sauron, he would overthrow the 'physical Sauron'.
Sauron's Will will always remain bound to the One Ring until it exists.

Furthermore, I think we could start other debates about the One Ring's true nature (I read that some people believe it kind of developed a Will on its own, different from Sauron's), but I guess it would be a too much wide discussion.

5. I would also like to add another point.
Celebrimbor existing as a Spirit in the Unseen and wandering throughout Middle Earth is highly improbable and contradictory too.

All the Elves are inevitably bound to pass into the Halls of Mandos as they die.
If their spirits are too mournful and don't deserve to be admitted again in Valinor as blessed Elves, they remain in the Halls of Mandos, mourning forever for their sad fate, as it happens with Fëanor, his Sons and other Eldar.

Along with the previous points, this game's vision contradicts too that shared/common basic structure of the lore I referred to above.
That's why I can't accept it.
You know that I'm not at all a Tolkien purist, but I can't personally accept it anyway 

[Adamin]

What common basic structure are you talking about Val? If it's so basic, please describe it in just three sentences or fewer.
Right now I'm not really sure what you mean by that. And you commented on so much that I don't really know what it's supposed to refer to.

Also yeah, I guess it's kinda pointless to argue about a game that you haven't even played. So I'll try to keep my further arguments purely based on lore. I anyway only want to comment on some lore understanding points.

It's a bit surprising to me how highly you seem to value Sauron. For me a great craftsman has to primary create things, whereas Sauron created nothing by himself except the One Ring. But maybe I'm missing something, so please, show me the specific point in the Texts where Sauron is called Aules greatest scholar.
True, Fëanors creation can hardly compare to the creation of Arda itself (btw neither can Saurons), but at least Fëanor created more than one thing.

Besides, I am manifestly a pro-Valar person, so it's definitely a very personal opinion of mine 

Then I assume there is no point in discussing the Ainur and their various missteps and flaws, if you already made up your mind about them.

The Elves cannot be totally subjected to the directives given by Sauron for forging the Rings, because we know that Celebrimbor forged the Three Elven Rings without Sauron. So he definetly had some proficiency in Ring Forging on his own.
Also, Sauron originally wanted to use the lesser Rings purely to dominate the Elves, for his desire was to set a bond upon the Elves and to bring them under his vigilance. (quote: Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age)
Giving the Rings to the Dwarves and Men was just Saurons Plan B, after the Elves found out about the One Ring (and consequently stopped using their lesser rings). Therefor Sauron most definetly had not conceived everything from the beginning.

And that is my main point: Sauron didn't reveal the One Ring on purpose. All Elves with Rings knew of it and its powers the moment Sauron put it on his finger. This flaw of the Ring, that the Elves immediatly perceived it, is never exactly explained and never brought up again in the texts. SoM now only asks this question: What if Sauron would have, after the destruction of Eregion, tried to correct the mistake that he himself made, by using the next best Ringsmith, who also probably better understood how Elves perceived things.

Sauron's Will will always remain bound to the One Ring until it exists.

Of course, Sauron cannot die while the Ring exists. I only wanted to stress that another Ringwielder would not be posessed by Saurons Will through the Ring. Galadriel or Gandalf with the Ring could theoretically use the Rings Power to defeat Sauron (in Body and Will), but would finally turn evil on their own because the purpose of the One Ring inevitably leads to evil.

[Walküre]

Yes, it's the basic structure of the Tolkien's Legendarium.
If you want, you may also call it pillars of the lore or foundations of Arda, it doesn't matter; what it matters is the meaning 

Taking into consideration that it is something basic, this implies that it is something one could always guess from particular elements; the general law that stands behind everything and gives everything an ordered sense.
But, if you really need an example: once we know that all the Elves are inevitably bound to leave the World when they die and that their spirits reach the Halls of Mandos, we can't thus accept by logic a vision like the one the game proposes, with a spirit of a High Elf wandering around Middle Earth without rest nor relief.
Or, another example: if we are told via the Manwë's messenger's words that Fëanor or any Elf could have never defeated Morgoth even if Fëanor himself had been made three times bigger by Ilúvatar, then we can't logically accept any vision that consists of any Elf defeating Morgoth by its own hands.

Before you might misunderstand my words as something coming from a purist, with 'accepting something' I obviously intend considering something as canon and thus worthy of being discussed and being the object of the lore speculations that we like so much, regardless of which of the many and sometimes contradictory versions of Tolkien we choose to examine.
I know it could sound as something mechanical and governed by strict and cold logic, but I see it instead as something that 'protects' the lore and allows us to actually make debate about it with less confusion and with a general picture in mind of what the true spirit of these texts could have been.
Because, as Valinor teaches, great things must also be defended in order to exist 

I didn't play the game, but this doesn't mean that I don't know anything about it.
I was exactly interested in the lore points you made; I didn't intend to discredit the game just for the sake of doing it 
As I wrote above, the game can be about whatever the authors want to, but the very game's vision wounds so much the lore that it can't be acceptable (with that exact meaning of 'accepting' I referred to above).
Do you have in mind the image of Éowyn agonising on the ground, strengthless and harmless after the confrontation with the Witch-king?
That is how that game's vision turns the lore into, in my opinion 

Being a pro-Valar person doesn't mean that I forgive everything they did, or forget their flaws.
I think I left a couple of comments in an Imladris-related thread in the Edain Suggestions board and in the Annals of Aman about the Valar's sins, and how, in the end, they were kind of right; they will probably explain to you my position better, if you are interested into it.
Well, you know, they are angelic beings that existed before the beginning of Time and Space, after all.
They surely know two or three things that Fëanor didn't know, like the Destiny of the Universe and other stuff 

Sauron was the greatest and most dreadful servant of Morgoth, exactly for his diverse and variegated abilities; but, in my opinion, his real might gradually reveals itself through the Ages of Arda, via the fact that he managed against Time and many hostile situations to have a prominent role until the very end of the Third Age, no matter what, and that his webs are always intertwined with pretty much every significant event of Middle Earth.

What I wanted to say with my previous comment is that Sauron was indeed the main actor in all the process of the forging of the Rings of Power, willingly and unwillingly.
I don't want to undermine Celebrimbor's or the other smith Elves' abilities, but it's always important remembering that it was Sauron who taught them in the first place that secret formula (you can call it with other names, if you want) which is nothing more than the founding essence of every Ring, good and evil, being Sauron aware or not.
This is probably the saddest aspect, the fact that every Ring would have thus been inevitably bound to the One Ring, regardless of all the efforts that Celebrimbor poured into his creations; because even the Three Rings are inevitably bound to that formula (even though they were initially kept hidden).
Celebrimbor added his own personal contribution to the Rings of Power, it's true; but we shouldn't forget that it was Sauron who gave him and the others that basic and secret knowledge of the art of the Rings of Power.
I think our positions differ a bit regarding what type of role we apply to Sauron in the whole process; but I believe that Tolkien made clear that it was Sauron who made it everything possible and that his betrayal had always been present in his plan from the beginning.

So, taking into consideration the comparison I made about the Silmarils' Light and the original one of the Two Trees (speaking about claiming rights), we could say that Sauron could be as well seen as the legitimate owner of all the Rings of Power (included the Three) as his knowledge/formula flows in all of them regardless of their specific nature.
Sauron is the true and only Lord of the Rings.

Regarding the One Ring, I think that you are missing the point that, once Sauron created it, its Will in the artefact has become independent from Sauron himself; the same Sauron's Will but loosened by the very physical limits of Sauron.
This means that the Will of Sauron could never be defeated if the One Ring is not destroyed.
Galadriel could have defeated (not killed) Sauron with the Ring, but the very Sauron's Will would have slowly corrupted her and turned her into a tyrant, as she admits.
But, I don't really understand why you seem to separate the fact that the One Ring is evil and the Will of Sauron contained in it.
They are the same thing; it's that Will that makes the Ring evil and gives it its known and dreadful properties.

[Adamin]

Ooh, now I get it. Well in that case there is no problem, because this law

once we know that all the Elves are inevitably bound to leave the World when they die and that their spirits reach the Halls of Mandos, we can't thus accept by logic a vision like the one the game proposes, with a spirit of a High Elf wandering around Middle Earth without rest nor relief.

is not violated. In SoM Celebrimbor did not die, at least in the same sense that Sauron does not die, because they both bound themselves to the One Ring.

Being a pro-Valar person doesn't mean that I forgive everything they did, or forget their flaws. I think I left a couple of comments in an Imladris-related thread in the Edain Suggestions board and in the Annals of Aman about the Valar's sins, and how, in the end, they were kind of right;

Right there, you immediatly forgave them everything!
You can't have your cake and eat it too Val. And I know that you would very much like to.  
The Valar made mistakes, and they ultimately lead to good things, but the mistakes were not good in themselves. The outcome does not justify wrong intentions.

So, taking into consideration the comparison I made about the Silmarils' Light and the original one of the Two Trees (speaking about claiming rights), we could say that Sauron could be as well seen as the legitimate owner of all the Rings of Power (included the Three) as his knowledge/formula flows in all of them regardless of their specific nature.
Sauron is the true and only Lord of the Rings.

Then you're disregarding another of Tolkiens basic structures: Creation and Subcreation. Everything in Arda is ultimately a Subcreation of Eru, but the Subcreator still came up with his/her creation themselves. There is no claiming rights, because the Silmarils would not have been without Fëanor. Tulkas may reminded him that their Light originally came from Yavanna (not that it belongs to the Valar), but Aule (being a Subcreator himself) is immediatly defending him.

Of course, Sauron himself definetly sees it that way, that he is the legitimate owner of all rings. Because claiming ownership, or in other words seeking dominion, is always an evil action in Tolkiens Legendarium.

But [Sauron], finding that he was betrayed and that the Elves were not deceived, was filled with wrath; and he came against them with open war, demanding that all the rings should be delivered to him, since the Elven-smiths could not have attained to their making without his lore and counsel.

I'm so adamant on differentiating Saurons Will and the Rings evil influence, because that is one of Tolkiens main structures:

For nothing is evil in the beginning. Even Sauron was not so.

There is no purely evil presence in Arda, no black and white characters. You become evil by disregarding others and focusing on yourself. Yes, in the Third Age Sauron and his Will have turned to evil, but they don't just make a wielder evil.
The Ring corrupting you is not just Saurons fault, and that makes it that much more meaningful! 

[The_Necromancer0]

I've read a lot about this question but I never got a truly satisfying answer, always little bits and pieces remained hidden in the mist. So here it is:

What would have been Sauron's course of action had he regained the ring? (let's say Gollum danced around a little bit more and Frodo tripped into the lava meaning the Nazguls made it back in time to Mount. Doom to cease the ring)

[Walküre]

I'm afraid it does contradict the lore though.
Celebrimbor was never aware of the One Ring until Sauron's revelation, nor did he ever contribute to its creation.
This vision is still contradictory, no matter which side we decide to look at it from 
Again, I don't want to persecute that game, but it's also true that it shouldn't theoretically be possible constructing solid lore considerations upon it.

Ok, maybe I didn't explain correctly what I intended with the fact that Sauron could claim the Rings' legitimate ownership, and that those Rings could belong to Sauron at an extent.
As you rightly wrote, I meant the act of claiming something's spiritual and symbolic ownership, related deeply to the same claiming person, even if the person itself didn't create that something in the first place.
To explain things far better, the Silmarils could serve us well as a great example.

When Fëanor died, the Silmarils were yet to be gained back, and the Sons of Fëanor themselves always believed to rightly claim as theirs the ownership of those Jewels.
But, we also know that Varda had personally hallowed the very Silmarils not to make them be touched by evil hands; hands that would have thus not deserved their ownership regardless of anyone's genealogical ties with the initial creator.
And, if you permit me, I would even push myself further: regardless of the creator itself.
I think that it might be reasonable imagining that Fëanor himself must have lost his legitimate ownership of the Silmarils after the crimes he committed in Aman – parallel to what exactly happened to his Sons in Beleriand – and he therefore would have probably got his hands burnt as well if he had ever rescued his Jewels from Morgoth's hands.
The Valar exactly reminded Fëanor of this before his departure from the Immortal Lands, and we thus can see why Tulkas also remembered him where the Silmarils' Light originally came from and why Yavanna suggested him hand his creation to the Lords of Valinor, who would have made a definitely better usage out of them.
And, Aulë doesn't technically defend Fëanor during the Valar's Council and the summoning of Fëanor at their behest; he 'just' sympathetically acknowledges what difficulty might have been the departing of the creation from its creator (he never really speaks openly against the other Valar).

So, yes, I was referring to this important theme in the structure: the legitimate and 'spiritual' ownership of something and the very loss of the same due to evil deeds.
Just like Beren and Lúthien, who had never had any type of personal references to the Silmarils, were rightly worthy of holding one of them in their hands, because they truly deserved its ownership, as their following kin would have done until Eärendil; that Silmaril still belongs to the Mariner, and I really believe that Eärendil entirely and rightly deserves it, more than Fëanor could have ever done.
Therefore, what I did was basically applying this theme to Sauron in a totally evil perspective.
That's why I wrote that he could have had some reasons in claiming all the Rings as his, even if he wasn't the actual creator of all of them.
I don't really justify his actions, I'm just trying to understand what his reasons could have consisted of 

I certainly disagree with you about your vision of the One Ring, and I don't really think how that quote about the evil/corruption theme could ever prove me right or wrong in any way 
The One Ring was not something that was originally corrupted; it was created from the beginning with the exact purpose of making a master evil artefact.
What I really disagree with the most is the fact that your vision might imply the existence of another evil 'something' that coexists beside the already existing evil Will of Sauron; so that it could seem that the One Ring (perfect and complete in itself) could be altered positively or negatively in its nature by external forces that are not the One Ring's very destruction (the only alteration of its status that could be accepted).
Yes, the secret mystery of the One Ring gets darker and darker... 

Regarding the Valar, if you read closely my statements you will notice that I never forgive them and always acknowledge the Archangels' faults.
But, if 'forgiving' means attributing the just merit in the final outcome and display of events, I totally forgive them 
I will do some fair considerations.

• Was Fëanor eventually right when he thought that the Valar wanted to keep the Eldar in a 'Golden Cage' under their authority, as authoritarian and jealous leaders? No.
• Was Fëanor right when he thought that the Eldar would have been really free and almighty in the wild lands of Middle Earth, being even able to recreate the Bliss of Valinor in the mortal shores of the World? No.
• Was Fëanor right when he thought that he could have challenged and defeated Morgoth alone with his kin, by choosing the exile from Aman? No.
• Was Fëanor right when he thought that he could have really claimed the ownership of the Silmarils via hideous actions? No.
• Were the Valar wrong in reminding Fëanor and the Noldor of all these aspects as wiser and superior beings given their angelic nature? No.

No, no, no 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=lP1Xk2UcQpY

Nevertheless, I hope we could develop the I hate Fëanor/the Valar are wrong debate even further, if you want, Ada 

What would have been Sauron's course of action had he regained the ring? (let's say Gollum danced around a little bit more and Frodo tripped into the lava meaning the Nazguls made it back in time to Mount. Doom to cease the ring)

I think that the answer is rather simple, and that we can refer to Galadriel's line in her foreseeing in TTT, whe she telepathically talks to Elrond 

For Sauron will have dominion of all life on this Earth, even unto the ending of the World (the End of Time).

[VectorMaximus]

Hello Edain Community!

Due to comments in the Imladris siege thread about the 'lesser' rings of power (AKA the Magic Rings), I thought it would be prudent to make a lore page about them and compile what I know.

Note, however, that even less is known about the lesser rings then the 3, 7, or 9, so a fair portion of this will be speculation and majority views I've seen about them in discussion I've had. Now, on to the lore!

The lesser rings of power were forged in Eregion as the great rings were, and were 'test runs' of the actual rings of power, mere 'essays in the craft' as Gandalf puts it. It is said they made 'many' of these rings, which could be anywhere from 20-100 reasonably, because there are 20 great rings of power. They had no jewel and it is unknown if they were inscribed with anything.



After Sauron forged the One, he began drawing these lesser rings to him, gathering them into his hands and his vaults. They would remain there till the War of the Last Alliance, where it is believed and speculated he gave them to his captains, so that they may stand and fight against the mighty Kings and Lords of the West in their noon hour. After Barad-Dur was thrown down, these rings were dispersed, some taken by the Free Peoples, others carried away by Sauron's servants, and others still were lost in the chaos.

Sauron would be able to recover a decent portion of the rings by the War of the Ring, but instead of dispersing them so readily to his captains, he kept them to himself to amplify his power in lieu of the One. However, it would not be impossible that some select leaders, such as the Mouth of Sauron, may posess one such lesser ring. Their fates are unknown after the War of the Ring, but it seems likely that they faded and were destroyed in Sauron's ruin.

Power wise, there are conflicted opinions about the specifics.They were, to an extent, like the One Ring when it came to temptation, enticing people to protect them and use them. They would give a being strength, long life, magical ability, and the power to dominate other wills, though to a far lesser extent then the Great Rings.

Many also believe that individual rings had a particular area in which they were strongest or unique, in addition to all the other abilities listed above. Some would grant invisibility (hence why Gandalf thought Bilbo had just an ordinary Magic Ring), others greater strength and speed, and still others would allow command of a single elemental force (one would control ice, another earth, etc.). However, this must be stated that this is just widely thought speculation, and it is neither affirmed nor denied in the books.

I hope you all enjoyed, and if there is anything I missed, please fill in the blanks!

VectorMaximus

[Adrigabbro]

Thanks for the topic, it was nice!
I didn't know there were that many lesser rings, but now that you said it it could totally be the reason behind the Lightbringers. After all, who cares if it is definitely canon or not, I believe what matters is not whether Tolkien mentioned it but rather one's interpretation of Tolkien's world.

[CragLord]

Nice topic.
I always like those misteries in Tolkien world, one of them was about lesser rings.
I totally agree that lesser rings were able to boost its user with some magical powers, but again I am not in favour that lightbringer (with or without these lesser rings) be able to do bending of elements. Simply as you noted it is just speculation and mainly individual opinion that those lesser ring were able to grant power over elements. To be honest to me that idea sounds absurd. Greater rings had that power and their users were in position to use some control over elements (mainly in preserving way, supportive way), but lesser rings, let's try to be objective. I think if lesser rings were able to grant their users some power over elements, that power certanly won't be so great (so lightbringers could do that kind of elemental bending) as it is from great rings of power.
I am more in favor that idea about lesser rings could be used in case of lightbringers, but mainly in supporing purposes, some healing enchantment etc.

PS. Adrigabbro, I think that lot of dedicated users here care is it canon or not. Lore precise facts are guidelines, and they should be followed. I am totaly aware that we can't do that always, but again, this lightbringer case is something where we should be precise, I would like to play with cool elven benders, but no matter how much it is cool and epic, I now it is not canon and it is something which kills my gameplay experience and global picture of Tolkien world. Again this is my opinion.

Best regards,
CragLord 

[Walküre]

As you can see, I merged the previous thread about the Lesser Rings with our beloved and monumental Lore Corner 
I hope we will be able to create a broader debate about Magic as well; there already are valid contributions, here.

Regarding the Lesser Rings, I simply agree with Crag.
It's highly unlikely that they could grant such an impressive knowledge in bending the elements; I would rather think about minor magical features.
Not even Galadriel or Elrond could do it without 'certain conditions' (for example, being within their own millennial realm/environment to display extensive and destructive types of Magic).
Not all the Ainur as well could precisely do it.

We are talking about Earth, Fire, Air and Water, the founding components of Arda itself 
I would say that the only Rings that were proven capable of maximising so much their bearer's power/control over Nature/World are the Three Rings and the One Ring.