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Autor Thema: The Dagor Dagorath: Setting and Timeline.  (Gelesen 4780 mal)

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The Dagor Dagorath: Setting and Timeline.
« am: 27. Sep 2016, 09:15 »
Lord of the Rings RP Forum: The Dagor Dagorath.

This is my contribution to the Role-Playing forum. The scenario I have created here is an extremely broad one, that allows for the creation of many smaller scenarios for anybody who would like to compete. Think of this as a book with a detailed setting and no chapters, a place for you to create YOUR story. Also, obviously the Role Play team is there to help, but if anybody needs anything cleared up about a certain faction or character in the universe, I can happily answer questions. I will be doing my best to follow all games, but I'm sure I'll miss some things, so don't hesitate to send me a PM and I will do my best to resolve disputes. Finally, please post your replies and feedback to this setting in the DISCUSSION thread I am creating specifically for this purpose, I want to keep this main thread clean of replies so it is easy for newcomers to read, as there is a LOT to read.

So, what is this scenario? In Tolkien's own words, the Dagor Dagorath is: "When the world is old and the Powers grow weary, then Morgoth, seeing that the guard sleepeth, shall come back through the Door of the Night out of the Timeless Void; and he shall blacken the Sun and the Moon. But Eärendil shall descend upon him as a white and searing flame and drive him from the airs. Then shall the Last Battle be gathered on the fields of Valinor"
Now, obviously it is said that Melkor will be defeated, but this scenario follows something a bit radical where the prophecy of Mandos is proven wrong. This scenario, at its core, is 100% fan-fiction, it purposefully does not follow what tiny amounts of lore we do have, instead choosing the radical option of "What if Eru was actually wrong?" Now, obviously some of you may not agree with this somewhat lore-defying concept, but I implore you, take a leap of faith, give it a chance, and give it a read. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised :) I spent 2 weeks perfecting this before I felt sufficiently ready to post it, and I think its actually a decently polished concept, that takes a few liberties.

To start off, contained herein will be the timeline of what happens in my version of the Fourth Age, the factions and heroes present for the Dagor Dagorath, including troop counts, and the territory held by each faction. The Dagor Dagorath proper begins when Melkor breaks the doors of night on 4999 Fourth Age, so any scenarios should be dated at least 11 years after that in the Fifth Age when Melkor declares himself openly on Fifth Age 0010.

Timeline: Here is the timeline of the events in this scenario from the Fourth Age. NOTE: This includes all of the known written events of the Fourth Age, with a couple of things added in for earlier years to give us names of certain people, such as the son of Elfwine, and lore related events, like the settling of the Glittering Caves. This timeline also does not consider the events of "The New Shadow" canon, as it's pretty clear that Tolkien himself did not care for it, abandoning it after 13 pages.

6 - Peregrin Took marries Diamond of Long Cleeve.
9 - Birth of Faramir Took son of Diamond of Long Cleeve and Peregrin Took.
(Date Uncertain) - Birth of Elboron son of Faramir and Eowyn.
(Date Uncertain) - Birth of Durin VII, son of Thorin III Stonehelm.
(Date Uncertain) - Birth Of Elfwine, son of Lothíriel and Eomer.
13 - Peregrin Took becomes 32nd Thain of the Shire.
15 - Death of Gloin, father of Gimli.
20 - Gimli brings a large group of dwarven settlers to the Glittering Caves of Aglarond and creates a dwarven settlement there, creating a situation akin to Erebor and Dale inside Helms Deep.
21 - Gimli marries Fimda of Erebor
22 - Gimli and Eomer create the Oath of Aglarond, which agrees that every 10 years the Dwarves shall renew their fealty to the people of Rohan and aid them in any times of need.
25 - Gamli, son of Gimli, is born and becomes heir to the throne of the Glittering Caves.
34 - Death of Prince Imrahil. Imrahil's son Elphir assumes the Principality.
41 - Birth of Holfast Gardner, son and heir of Frodo Gardner.
43 - Birth of Harding Gamgee grandson and heir of Samwise Gamgee.
50 - Birth of Faragorn, son of Elboron.
61 - Samwise Gamgee leaves Middle-earth via Mithlond.
63 - Meriadoc Brandybuck, aged 102, and Peregrin Took, aged 94; leave the Shire to live in Rohan and Gondor; death of Éomer, aged 93. His son Elfwine ascends the throne of Rohan.
67 - Death of Prince Elphir son of Imrahil, 23rd Prince of Dol Amroth. Elphir's son Alphros assumes the Principality.
70 - Birth of Goldwine, son of Elfwine and heir to the throne of Rohan.
73 - Death of Lothiriel, wife of Eomer and mother of Elfwine.
83 - Death of Faramir, aged 120. His son Elboron assumes the Principality, and Faragorn becomes the heir.
95 - Death of Prince Alphros of Dol Amroth, son of Elphir.
100 - Birth of Theowine, son of Goldwine and heir to the throne of Rohan, and Ulphros, son of Alphros and heir to the throne of Dol Amroth.
103 - Death of Elfwine, King of Rohan, son of Eomer. Goldwine, son of Elfwine, becomes the King of Rohan.
120 - Death of Aragorn, King of the Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor, after 210 years of life and 122 years of reign; Aragorn's son Eldarion ascends the throne. According to legend, on the death of Aragorn, Legolas builds a ship and sails into the west to the Undying Lands, taking Gimli (now a very old dwarf) with him. The remaining elves of Mirkwood who do not leave elect a new leader named Urundial, who is one of the Avari from the far east who journeyed west to map the land. Mirkwood becomes a protectorate of Lothlorien.
121 - Death of Arwen, aged 2901.
125 - Goldwine surrenders the kingship of Rohan to his son Theowine due to his old age.
130 - Birth of Gamdred, son of Theowine, heir to the throne of Rohan.
170 - Goldwine, son of Elfwine, finally dies at age 100, he is remembered as "Goldwine the Undying".
172 - A copy of the Red Book of Westmarch is made.
175 - Birth of Hroin, son of Gamli and heir to the throne of Aglarond.
185 - Death of Harding of the Hill, Sam Gamgee's heir. Birth of Eodred, son of Gamdred and heir to the throne of Rohan.
190 - Hardfoot, son of Harding of the Hill, becomes the Mayor of Michael Delving
200 - Theorl, son of Gamdred and heir to the throne of Rohan is born.
220 - Eldarion, son of Aragorn, dies. Theowine, age 120, finally dies, his son Gamdred succeeding him. It becomes clear that the blood of Dol Amroth has extended the lifespan of the royal family of Rohan greatly.
221 - Eldarion's son, Darnedil, succeeds him to the throne of the reunited Kingdom. Darnedil makes his first priority the complete destruction of the remaining forces of Khand and Rhun who still resist in the east.
225 - The first whispers of starting a new rebellion are heard in Dunland.
227 - Darnedil begins his military campaign to crush the remaining resistance of the East. He musters a force of 10000 Gondorian infantry, 2500 rangers of Ithilien, 500 Knights of Dol Amroth, 8000 Riders of Rohan led by their King Gamdred the Ancient and his son Theorl, who brings 1000 heavily armored Dwarves of Aglarond with him, who are led by their king Gamli. Finally 5000 Haradrian militia and 2500 Umbarim militia loyal to the crown of Gondor join the campaign.
229 - The wild men, who have been watching the kingdoms of Rohan and Gondor intently and mustering their own forces, attack while the armies of Darnedil and Gamdred are away and declare themselves openly as the Enedwaith-Dunland Alliance. Their army is seemingly endless, as every single resident of Dunland and Enedwaith have risen to attack Gondor and Rohan. They attack on two fronts, with the Dunlendings, led by Wulfroth, crossing the Fords of the Isen and taking Foldburg, Isengard, Helms Deep, and Edoras with very little resistance. The scouts guarding the Fords of the Isen are able to warn the people, and evacuate successfully, mustering an army of militia inside Aldburg to prevent the enemy getting any further. The 2nd front is the attack on Gondor from the lands of Enedwaith, which are under the control of the reunited Kingdom. Those loyal to Darnedil are slaughtered wholesale, and the people of Enedwaith declare themselves openly free forever from the men of the reunited Kingdom, and follow their new leader Harthor. They launch their attack into the heartlands of Gondor, slaughtering their way from Pinnath Gelin to Edhellond before they are finally stopped from an army raised by Alphros and Elboron, who stalemate them across the Edhellond river. Irreparable damage is done to the western lands of Gondor and Rohan, their people slaughtered mercilessly by the barbarians of Dunland and Enedwaith.
230 - The Battle Under the Stars takes place, in which a great force of Easterlings and Variags of Khand, in addition to rebels from Umbar and Harad, numbering at least 60000 total, meet the host of Darnedil the Saviour in open battle. The battle takes place outside of the Rhunnic capitol of Mistrand, and rages for a full week, resulting in a crushing defeat for the forces of the East. Casualties for Gondor are light, numbering 1500 Gondorian infantry, 500 rangers, and no Knights of Dol Amroth. Additionally, the Haradrian and Umbarim militia lose about half of their forces. For Rohan, their cavalry tactics are greatly effective against the cavalry of Rhun and Khand, who are used to fighting the infantry armies of Gondor, which combined with their dwarf-forged armor helps them greatly in battle. They receive Casualties totaling 1200 Riders and 20 dwarves of Aglarond. Darnedil receives the title "The Saviour" for rescuing the King of Rohan, his heir, and the King of Aglarond from a surprise attack by the Variags of Khand. King Gamdred the Ancient finally meets his end on the blade of a Rhunnic Chieftain while leading a charge against the gates of Mistrand, and his son Theorl succeeds him to the Throne of Rohan.
231 - Many battles take place inside the heartlands of Gondor and Rohan, with many heroic deeds committed by the defenders. Both sides are merciless and many lives are lost. The Wild Men attempt again and again to break the gates of Aglarond, failing horribly and dying in their thousands, before they finally give up and keep a strong guard to prevent the Dwarves from escaping.  A Champion of Rohan arises and leads the people, and while he does not reveal his true name, the people believe him to be a reincarnation of Helm Hammerhand. Under his leadership many victories are won on the plains of Rohan surrounding Aldburg and the Eastfold, but at great cost in lives and goods. Most towns and villages west of Aldburg are destroyed and burned to the ground, with the Dunlendings looting all goods and taking them to their stronghold in occupied Edoras. On the southern front, Alphros and Elberon lead and army of militia as well as all remaining elite troops of Ithilien, Dol Amroth and Minas Tirith, and defend all fords of the Edhellond river against numberless attacks. The men of Enedwaith, their momentum broken, finally cease their attacks and setup defensive positions on the other side of the river. Meanwhile, the campaign in the east is just reaching its close, with the capture and sacking of both Mistrand and Ammu Khand, the final armies of the east are destroyed utterly. King Darnedil shows mercy to the many poor slaves of the brutal easterling leadership, and soon the people support him heartily, hoping for a new age of freedom. Riders sent from Minas Tirith to beg the King to return finally reach the host of Darnedil, and he begins a speedy march back to relieve the peoples of Rohan and Gondor, travelling through Mordor as the most direct route.
232 - Darnedil and Theorl finally return to Minas Tirith. After a week of rest and recovery, they execute their battle plan to reclaim their lands. Theorl would lead his host north and meet up with the Champion of Rohan, and Darnedil would retake the south, joining with Alphros and Elberon. They execute their strategy, and mercilessly slaughter all of the wild men who stand in their way. In the North, Theorl is extremely successful, riding down the hordes of Dunland with extreme prejudice. He meets up with the host of Helm the Champion, and now has an army totaling 6000 Riders of Rohan, 5000 infantry of Rohan, and 2500 elite dwarven heavy infantry to meet the enemy with. In the south, Darnedil is not nearly as successful, as the Enedwaithians have set up strong defensive positions. Every retaken town takes a heavy toll on his army, and by the time he finally retakes the lands of Cirith Iaur his army is a shadow of its former self. His host, now numbering only 8000 after the reinforcements of Alphros and Elberon join him, is positioned in the gap of the White Mountains considering their next move, when they are attacked by a final combined host of Enedwaith and Dunland. The battle was hopeless, and just as death seemed inevitable Theorl, like Eorl and Theoden before him, rode to the aid of King Darnedil and saved them from certain death. The hosts of Enedwaith and Dunland, seeing their situation as hopeless, begin a full retreat that soon becomes a rout. The Rohirrim ride this way and that, slaughtering and capturing as they wished. Both Wulfroth and Harthor are ridden down and killed, and the barbaric army is destroyed to the last man. Then there is great celebration, and the Oath of Eorl is again renewed between Gondor and Rohan. Darnedil, seeing that he cannot possibly try to hold the lands of Enedwaith and Dunland while also repopulating Eriador, therefore gives all of the lands of Enedwaith and Dunland to the people of Rohan. Theorl leads his host into Dunland and Enedwaith and destroys all remaining openly rebellious people there, and sacks the capitols of Enedwaith and Dunland. The new King of Arnor is the brother of Darnedil, Hurandui, who leads a portion of the population to Arnor to repopulate the lands there.
235-250 - Gondor and Rohan work hard to rebuild their nations and repair the damage caused by the barbaric horde. Dunland and Enedwaith are written off most maps, and Rohan's holdings officially extend to include all of the former lands of Dunland and Enedwaith. Only a small number of people in Enedwaith and Dunland secretly keep alive the old traditions and vows of vengeance that they will one day reap upon the Men of the West.
252 - Birth of Eorl II, son of Theorl and heir to the throne of Rohan. Widely regarded as a reincarnation of Eorl the Young, due to his extremely similar appearance and mannerisms.
255 - The Valar, thinking Middle Earth is now safe for ever, rest in bliss inside Valinor, ceasing to watch Middle Earth. They beckon for all elves to return to Valinor and let the Age of Men begin.
260 - All Elves who wish to leave have gathered at the Grey Havens, and the final ship leaves, guided by Cirdan himself. Middle Earth weeps for the complete loss of the Eldar. The only elves remaining are some Wood Elves who have no desire to ever leave Middle Earth, and many Avari who have begun migrating West now that the roads are safe. Melkor's influence inside Valinor takes root in the minds of several particularly ambitious Maia.
262 - Melkor discovers the spirit of Curunir inside the void. The spirit travelled to Valinor, seeking to bow to the Valar and regain his physical form, but the Valar denied him this, naming him a traitor to the cause which he was sent to support. He is thrown into the Void to join Melkor. They talk long together of the happenings in Middle Earth, and begin to form a plan to break the Doors of Night.
280 - The Spirit of Sauron, realizing it could never again recover enough strength to be a power, makes the same journey as Curunir to Valinor, seeking to make amends. He receives the same harsh judgment as Curunir, and is thrown into the void, where he fast meets with Melkor and Curunir.
300 - The last orcs of Mordor, the Misty Mountains and Gundabad are hunted down and destroyed. Mordor is reseeded and begins to grow new life, slowly repairing the horrible poisoning of the land by Sauron.
350 - Death of Theorl the Reclaimer, age 150. It is determined and accepted by all of the Free Peoples that a new age will begin every 5000 years, now that it is unlikely there will ever be another war.
1000: The Doors of Night, weakened slowly by the dimming of Valinorian influence and worship inside Middle Earth, finally break down enough to let the will and consciousness of Melkor into Valinor. He at once begins the extremely long and slow process of seeding doubt and betrayal amongst all Maia who are open to suggestion.
351-4000 - Peace reigns at last. The people of Gondor, Eriador and Rohan flourish. The blood of the people of Gondor and Rohan becomes intermingled, the average lifespan for the people becoming 100 years, and the Royalty an average of 150 years. Eriador becomes the purest remaining source of Numenorian blood in Middle Earth, with the people there living an average of 200 years, and royalty reaching an average 400 years of life. In the North, all remaining men living in the Anduin Vale migrate either to Rohan or Dale.

Imladris becomes a great principality of Eriador. Lothlorien and Mirkwood repopulate to a certain extent, and form the Wood Elf Union, naming their new combined realm Lothorndian. The Wood Elves are still under the leadership of Urundial the Mapper. All elves remaining in Middle Earth migrate to this new realm, which spans the entirety of Greenwood the Great and the forest of Lorien. Trees are planted and expand naturally, until there is a direct border between the golden forest of Lothlorien and the dark boughs of Mirkwood.

Regarding Dwarves, the Kingdoms of Erebor, Moria and Aglarond all flourish. Durin VII lives for 500 years governing Moria, and upon his death the dwarves retreat and dig deeper and deeper into their mines. The Dwarves of Ered Luin mostly migrate to the 3 dwarf kingdoms, and the remainder tunnel so deep they are forever lost to the surface world. Their old territory becomes controlled by the men of Eriador. In Erebor, Khazad Dum and Aglarond, the dwarves remain fairly sociable with Men for some 3000 years, until they too seem to disappear deep into their mines. The Men of Dale and Rohan, out of respect and reverence for their old allies, do not ever pass the gates of Erebor or Aglarond. The only dwarf kingdom still openly trading with the rest of the world at this time is Khazad Dum, but the dwarves on the surface are becoming fewer and fewer.

Inside Eriador, the lands of the Shire become much more populous and prosperous. Everything is not perfect though, and after the events of the Scouring of the Shire, the Hobbits became extremely distrustful of the outside world. They closed their borders and became isolationist in nature, even going so far as to open a training program to have a standing army should there ever again be a threat to their lands. The Shire now has 4 leaders, the Mayor of Michael Delving, the Thain, the Master of Buckland, and finally Governer of Bag End. The Mayor of Michael Delving handles matters of trade and post, the Governer of Bad End manages history and recording events as they happen, the Master of Buckland handles all shirrif and military matters, and trains and maintains a small reserve army, and finally the Thain of the Shire answers only to the King of Arnor, and has overall authority should he need it for anything. The Shire keeps a small standing force of 500 hobbitry in arms, who have some training in arms and decent equipment, and a reserve force of 1500 hobbits ready to defend their land should anything happen. They are, however; still Hobbits, which means Good People who love peace. They now only openly trade with the Breelanders, and every year the Thain of the Shire and King of Eriador get together to discuss any matters that need discussing.

The Holdings of Gondor include all of the lands of Harad, Umbar, and Khand, and all of Rhun's former territory south of Mistrand. Rohan controls all of former Enedwaith and Dunland. Eriador controls everything north of the Tharbad crossing. Dale controls everything North of Mistrand and east of Mirkwood. The oath of Eorl is renewed every 100 years, the alliance between Rohan and Gondor remaining unbreakable throughout the years. However, the world is not perfect. In the heartlands of former Dunland and Enedwaith, the small number of people who still believe in the old ways and thirst for vengeance against the Rohirrim and Gondorians have grown numerous, and plot destruction and rebellion in secrecy. In the east, the peoples of Harad, Rhun, Khand and Umbar become weary of never ending peace and plenty, and their barbaric thirst for war begins growing.

In Valinor, the influence of Melkor has secretly become very strong, and now has solid control over 3 Maia who will help him to break the Doors of Night. He has also travelled and mentally mapped the entirety of the Void, and has discovered that Eru Illuvatar keeps the Secret Fire inside of himself, not anywhere in the Void as he led the Ainur to believe. His plotting with Sauron and Curunir begins to ripen.

4500 - Discontent is rife throughout all the lands of the East, the people resorting to crime and killing local governors. In the old lands of Enedwaith and Dunland, because of the extreme weakening of the Influence of the Valar, the people are beginning to openly deny the worship of the Valar and return to the old ways.
4600 - War begins brewing throughout the land. Diplomats go into overdrive to attempt to de-escalate the situation and keep the peace that has prevailed so long throughout the land, but the influence of Melkor has become extreme at this point, and the lands are brimming with desire for war and bloodshed.
4900 - The 3 Maiar controlled by Melkor begin secretly investigating into methods of breaking the doors of night.
4950 - An explorer named Helegvil decides finally that the people of the world must know what lies beyond the gates of the Dwarves of Erebor and Aglarond. He ventures into Erebor, and discovers incredibly expansive mines and tunnels far beneath the earth. He then passes into Aglarond and discovers the same thing. Hiring a team, they break into 2 companies of 50 men and map the tunnels, and discover to their shock that the tunnels meet up and travel to Khazad Dum. The Dwarves of Erebor, Aglarond and Khazad Dum have worked together to create a vast tunnel network deep in the earth. The teams meet up and travel to the underbelly of Khazad Dum, where they are found and captured by deep guardian dwarves. When they explain that they were just curious and had no ill will to the dwarves, the current King of Khazad Dum, an ancient dwarf by the name of Throingar, out of respect for their curiosity and tenacity in exploring the tunnels, shows them the greatest secret of the Dwarves. They have worked over the centuries, with the guidance and blessing of their creator Aule, to tunnel underneath the great sea to Aman itself. After long labour, they were received by Aule just short of the lands of Valinor, beneath and in front of the island of Eressea, into a sacred underground sanctuary, called the Hall of Ancients. Slowly and surely, all dwarves have been walking the path under the sea to their creator, which is the reason for the decline of the dwarves. If any other should attempt to walk this path, they will surely perish, as the essence of the tunnel is only physical to the bodies of Dwarves, and any other physical being would swiftly drown. Helegvil is forbidden from revealing this to the other races of Middle Earth upon pain of death, but is allowed to reveal the tunnel network connecting Erebor, Aglarond and Khazad Dum to one another.

Inside Gondor, the current king Elenvar is dealing with a grave situation. Many of the peoples of Rhun, Harad, Khand and Umbar are discontent and have begun rebellions against Gondor, desiring to rule themselves, again returning to the worship of Melkor. Left with no choice, he musters a great army and prepares to go to war for the first time in over 4000 years.

To the north, in Dale, the news that the Dwarves have created a vast tunnel network worries the people, and they decide to block off the gates of Erebor, lest some ancient beast threaten them from the mountain. The current king of Dale, Born the Hunter, works with Elenvar to put down the threat of Rhun, but unbeknownst to him a new threat rises in the mountains north-east of his realm, where Utumno once stood.

In Rohan, the peoples of Dunland and Enedwaith have risen up, killing many and taking control of their old lands. Fortunately, most people loyal to the current King Heromer are able to escape and form into a great host, as they prepare to regain control of their land.

In Eriador, the people have become sleepy with the endless peace. Their watch on the old orc strongholds of Gundabad and Mount Gram has faltered. Their standing army is vast, but disbanded for the most part to live happily with their families. They are ripe for a surprise attack.

The Elves of Lothorndian have become a mighty force, but their leader Urundial is troubled. A shadow of fear and doubt lies on his heart, he knows that something is amiss.

The Dwarves of Khazad Dum have become incredibly few in number, but remain a major power in the world nonetheless. Their current King Throingar has a mighty standing army, but sees little threat to Durins Folk, and rests contentedly within Khazad Dum, unaware of the dangers brewing inside the great tunnels of the Dwarves.

4999 - Melkor puts his plan into action. With the help of his 3 Maiar, named Fraule, Geldorin and Horinth, he overcomes the guardians of the doors of night and breaks through with Sauron and Curunir. Then, using blasphemous knowledge he has gathered over centuries of watching and waiting, he transcends to the Timeless Halls. There, he uses the maiar under his control to cause a distraction, and when Eru comes to investigate he does the impossible. Ambushing Eru, he punches into the chest of the One, and pulling back his hand, to the horror and shock of everyone nearby, he holds a piece of the Secret Fire. Eru and Melkor lock eyes, and, with an evil smile, Melkor closes his fist about the piece of the sacred flame, absorbing it into himself, and then declares the following statement: "Now comes the time of the True Chosen Lord of Middle Earth. All this time, you plotted in surety, believing yourself above any threat, beyond the harm of those you lord over. Now, the time has come for me to receive my Inheritance and Birthright, and for you to fall for your pride and ignorance, False God".

A great part of the Secret Fire of creation now belongs to Melkor, and Eru is immediately greatly weakened. Seeing the horrible threat that Melkor now represents, he nonetheless attacks him in his weakened state, in what is known as "The Night the Sky was Torn in Half". The tremendous conflict of Melkor and Eru shatters stars and rocks existence itself, but Melkor, fresh from his escape and holding a great part of the secret fire, and burning with rage, pride, resent and hatred, overcomes the weakened Eru and throws him down. Laughing in victory, Melkor prepares to finish off Eru, but at this time all of the Ainur in the timeless halls accost and beset Melkor, while also taking Eru to safety. Melkor, seeing he cannot hope to overcome the army of the Ainur, takes his small group with him and returns to Middle Earth. Quickly setting to work inside the aether, he creates many horrible new races to make his great war upon Middle Earth, Valinor and the Timeless Halls.

He begins by creating many new Maiar and Ainur, to whom he did not give free will as Eru had, rather forcing them to serve him forever. The Ainur he created took forms of horrible dark lords, clothed all in black with scorched armor, and they were called the Mornauth by the free peoples. The Maiar he created followed the old example of the Balrogs, and were much more powerful than any of the Maiar created by Eru. This and their horrific image caused them to be disowned from the title of Maiar by the Free Peoples of Middle Earth, for they were dark twisted versions of what Eru had meant the Maiar to represent. Therefore, everyone gave them the title they deserved, Balrogs of Morgoth. His creation was limited, as he did not possess the entire flame, only a part of it, and he was unable to create any more than 10 Mornauth and 300 Balrogs. He did, however; have enough power left to revive old servants of his from the first and second ages. Gothmog, lord of Balrogs, lived again, as did Durins Bane and many other terrible monsters. Sauron the Faithless, freed from the need for his One Ring, again walked the world at full strength. Curunir, or Saruman of Many colours,  was granted physical form again and regained power double and triple to what he previously possessed. The 3 accursed Maiar who had helped Melkor to escape received unbelievable power, until they were so strong as to challenge the Ainur directly. Melkor valued them above all else, because while they still had free will, they were loyal beyond any shadow of a doubt, and feared him exceedingly, and he knew they would be his greatest generals. Ungoliant and her foul spawn Shelob were recalled from the holes they had delved for themselves, and Melkor thrust his hand into the belly of Ungoliant, retrieving all of the jewels she had forced him to feed her, gloating over her misery. Glaurung, father of Dragons, is revived with many other horrible worms, including Ancalagon the Black, Scatha the Worm, and Smaug the Terrible.

He also set about recreating and perfecting the race of Orcs that he had so hatefully brought into existence all those ages ago, now without any of their former weaknesses. All had the stature of the great Black Uruks, could withstand Sunlight, though they hated it, and did not need rest, food or drink. They are the perfect soldiers, totally subservient to Melkor's will, unwavering in their hatred of the Free Peoples. Fearsome as they were, at their heart, they were still mockeries of real life, and could not be depended upon to fight losing battles without routing or fleeing for their accursed lives, which is why Melkor revived many of the greatest orc leaders to have ever lived. Bolg, Azog, Golfimbul, the Great Goblin, Gothmog of Minas Morgul, and many others besides were all brought back into being to lead the armies of death forwards.

Then, with an army capable of challenging the hosts of the Valar and Eru, Melkor declared himself openly on Fifth Age 0010 as the ultimate ruler of Arda and Middle Earth, and let his army flood forth from hiding. First, he assaulted the Sun, but was opposed by the Will of Eru, and prevented from harming it. However, a secondary attack was led by Fraule, Geldorin and Horinth against the Moon, which proved successful, regarding in the destruction of Middle Earth's only natural night time light source. Nights in Middle Earth become a time of terror and hiding for the Free Peoples, with many of the stars dimmed by gasping reeks and fumes driven into the sky by Melkor.

Then, taking a more direct approach, Melkor, Gothmog of the Balrogs, Fraule, Geldorin and Horinth assault Valinor, and capture a foothold in the south of it to make a new fortress there. Their primary forces consist of Mornauth and Balrogs, as well as Werewolves, giant Spiders, Drakes and other monsters, in addition to an enormous army of orcs. After sweeping away initial resistance, Melkor builds a new fortress inside Valinor itself in only 2 days, using his powers of alteration before Eru is fully recovered from his assault. He raises the impossible fortress of Angdur, named in honor of previous strongholds of Evil. Immesurably strong, huge, and and vast, the fortress of Angdur is a fortress city spanning over 200 miles in radius, dwarfing the great city of Minas Tirith, with over 15 lines of defense to fall back to, and innumerable secret exits and tunnels. From this fortress, he directs all of his forces in their assault against all life.

Ungoliant and Shelob lead great armies of spiders and other forest monsters to assail the elves of Lothorndian. Sauron rebuilds his fortress of Barad-Dur inside Mordor, and corrupts the land there once again, breeding millions of Black Uruks and rallying many of the evil men of the east under his banners. Glaurung leads the armies of Dragons against the various mountain ranges of Middle Earth, including the Misty Mountains, the Blue Mountains, the Grey Mountains, Red Mountains and even the White Mountains of Gondor. The Dragons also take complete control over the icy northern mountains of Forodwaith, allying themselves with the many troll tribes living there. In the tunnels of the Dwarves, an enormous force of orcs and goblins is released under the leadership of Azog, Bolg, the Great Goblin and Golfimbul, who lead their numberless tides of Orcs from various cavernous strongholds in the dwarf tunnels, Mount Gram, and their chief stronghold in the Ruins of Utumno.

Sauron, wishing to have his greatest servants returned to him, requests for Melkor to revive the Nazgul. Melkor accepts his request and brings the Nine back into being, but to the dismay of both Sauron and Melkor, they soon learn that they had no hold over their mind anymore. The Nazgul were only tied to Sauron because of the enslavement of the One Ring, and now that they were freed from its influence, they fled as soon as Sauron gave them a task outside of Mordors Black Gate, following the Witch King. Sauron immediately sends large numbers of Warg Riders after them, but through either luck of divine intervention the Witch King's party was able to either outrun or defeat all pursuers, finally reaching the safety of Gondors border. They attempted to sue for pardon and forgiveness with Gondor, making the case that they did not have control over their minds and wished to help fight against Melkor, but were turned away with hatred and ordered to leave Gondor's lands at once. So, hating the world, hating themselves, and most of all hating Sauron and Melkor, the Witch King leads his companions in stealth to his old kingdom of Angmar, gathering such folk as would go with him along the way, bandits, rebels and malcontents from all kingdoms. With these men he has rebuilt his old fortress of Carn Dum and refounded the icy kingdom of Angmar once again, desiring to conquer and destroy all those who ruined his life. To this end, many downcasts have come to him, men of Rhudaur and other wild folk, men from Gondor, Rohan, Eriador and Dale who are dissatisfied with the leadership of these nations, and many others. Khamul uses his great influence with the Men of Rhun and Khand to continually recruit a great portion of their number who are loyal to him, his Black Easterling allies, under the banner of the Witch King.  Additionally, the Witch King has learned to breed his own race of orcs, and has taken control of Gundabad with these creatures. He is a powerful force in Middle Earth, and while lacking Maiar and Ainur, he still wields considerable influence and control over the fate of Middle Earth.

Saruman, waiting and plotting patiently for all this time, saw his opportunity and took it. As soon as he had his power returned to him, and had the distraction of the Witch King deserting Melkor's forces, he himself also fled, along with 5 Maiar he persuaded to come with him who are themselves ambitious and desire more control. With these, he desires to raise his own legion and rule Middle Earth himself. Melkor, seeing this, disregarded him as small threat, and put him from his mind, not reckoning with the great powers of speech Saruman possessed, indeed even potentially being himself swayed by the words of Saruman. Going amongst the Wildmen of Dunland and Enedwaith he swayed them all to his command with words of hatred against the Men of Rohan and Gondor, and promises of revenge. With the people now loyal to him, he began construction of a great citadel in the center of his domain, Newgard, the Iron Circle. There, he has begun breeding his fighting Uruk-Hai once again, raising a mighty army to wash away any who would resist him. He has formed league with the Witch King in the North, and he seeks to crush Eriador and Rohan to have a direct joining of their land. Saruman's ultimate plan is to do to Melkor what Melkor did to Eru, and steal a piece of the secret fire to be able to create true life.

Another force which has come back into being are Ar-Pharazon the Golden and his forgotten army, who were punished for attempting to invade Valinor by being cursed with unending life and imprisoned in a lightless cavern. Sauron and Melkor, sure that Ar-Pharazon would be loyal to them after this punishment, released him and his enormous army and raised Numenor from the depths of the sea before Eru was fully recovered. However, Melkor did not reckon with the incredible pride of Ar-Pharazon. As soon as Ar-Pharazon had regained control of Numenor, after about a weeks time being freed from his prison, he immediately declared himself independant from either Melkor or Eru. Melkor, seeing this, immediately attempted to re-sink Numenor and destroy the threat, but found himself finally opposed by the Will of Eru, and unable to make a move against the foundations of Numenor. To this end, the very large force of Ar-Pharazon remains unopposed in their control of Numenor and therefore, much of the Great Sea. The army have become a horrible sight after their long imprisonment and unnatural long lives, walking corpses who are unable to feel pain or emotion, and desire nothing but complete control of Valinor and destruction of those who would stop them. They take to wearing rusted golden chainmail armor with rotting cloth and leathers, using poisonous rusted blades to slay their foes, or indeed even their bare hands and teeth. Ar-Pharazon, being the wise ruler that he is, sees that he cannot oppose both Eru and Melkor by himself, and therefore he creates an alliance with the Witch King and Saruman, forming the "League of the Unaffiliated" in opposition of both Eru and Melkor. Ar-Pharazons force consists entirely of the Undead, including his original Armada which he gathered from Numenor, in addition to many Barrow Wights and other horrors who resonate with his undead leadership. He also controls the most powerful Navy in Middle Earth, surpassing even the Teleri Elves in his mastery of the Sea. To make matters worse, the sailors are Undead, and nearly impossible to kill by normal means available to ordinary sailors of ships. Many of the Corsairs of Umbar ally themselves with Ar-Pharazon as well, at the cost of becoming undead, as Ar-Pharazon will not accept living beings into his ranks. With this force, even though it is very small compared to the standing armies of other nations and leaders, he has become an incredible threat on the seas, in Valinor, and in Western Middle Earth.

Eru and the Valar, realizing the terrible threat to everything they have ever worked for, have not been idle. Eru, during his weakened state, could not create any more Ainur or Maiar, but he rallied those in the Timeless Halls who were willing to go down to Middle Earth to assist the Valar, leading them himself to Valinor as soon as he recovered. Therefore, Manwe has received reinforcements totaling some 15 Ainur and 500 Maiar, in addition to Eru himself. These beings, while not as great as any of the Valar or Maiar currently in Middle Earth, are very powerful nonetheless. Eru is locked in a constant mental battle with Melkor, playing a game of chess which has extremely destructive consequences. If he fails to prevent Melkor's conciousness from its goals, it could result in entire continents sinking or deforming. Therefore, both Melkor and Eru are constantly attempting to stop the destruction of their own holdings, while simultaneously attempting to destroy their enemies holdings, and ultimately end up cancelling eachother out. Due to the mental strain of these activities, both Melkor and Eru do not take much active part in battles, instead staying inside their capitols and waging mental war with one another. 

Resultingly, the Valar have sent representatives to actively lead those kingdoms currently existing in Middle Earth. To Rohan, Orome and Vana are sent to lead the armies of the Rohirrim. To Gondor, Mandos and Vaire are sent to lead the armies of Minas Tirith. To Dol Amroth go Ulmo and Nienna, to prepare the great fleets that will be necessary to counter the Umbarim and Ar-Pharazon. To Lothorndian go Irmo and Este to prepare the wood elves for the coming strife. Aule leads a great host of dwarves through their tunnels to repopulate their homes in Middle Earth, including Erebor, the Iron Hills, Aglarond, Ered Luin, and Khazad Dum. Yavanna goes to spur the Ents to wake from their tree-like state and prepare to help the free peoples. Finally, the host of high elves coming from Valinor itself against Melkor in southern Valinor is led by Manwe and Varda.

Additionally, many great heroes of the first, second and third age are brought back to stop Melkor from finally gaining complete dominion over Middle Earth. Elendil, Isildur, Aragorn Elessar, Turin, Hurin, all are returned to life. Gandalf the White again returns to Middle Earth to strive against Sauron, with power sevenfold to what he previously possesed. The Ringbearers Frodo and Samwise Gamgee return to lead the Hobbits of the Shire in the coming strife. Eorl the Young, Theoden the Glorious, and Helm Hammerhand ride with Orome once again. Elrond, Cirdan, Gil-Galad, Feanor, and many other High Elven champions march with the host of Valinor. Legolas, Thranduil, and other great silvan elf leaders walk the forests again. Durin I returns to lead the Dwarves in this time of Darkness, as does Thorin Oakenshield, and Dain Ironfoot, and Gimli, the only dwarf to walk in Valinor. With the leadership of these great kings, champions and heroes, Eru hopes to stop Melkor in his tracks.

The Board is Set. The Pieces Are Moving. The Final Battle Approaches.

Again, please do NOT post and feedback here, post it in the discussion topic!
« Letzte Änderung: 1. Okt 2016, 23:48 von DieWalküre »
Arise! Arise, Riders of Theoden! Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter! Spear shall be shaken! Shield shall be splintered! A sword day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now! Ride now! Ride, ride to ruin, and the worlds ending! FORTH EORLINGAS!

Walküre

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Re: The Dagor Dagorath: Setting and Timeline.
« Antwort #1 am: 27. Sep 2016, 13:09 »
This topic serves for presentation purposes. It is consequently closed at the author's request.

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« Letzte Änderung: 27. Sep 2016, 17:58 von DieWalküre »