In the beginning, Eru Iluvatar, an all powerful god embarked upon a campaign of creation,
forming an area of empty space called the timeless void.
Within this void, he made the timeless halls as a celestial home for the Ainur, primordial
spirits of independent thought with varying levels of power.
When Eru attempted to lead the Ainur in singing the Ainulindale, a great theme of music, Melkor,
greatest of the Ainur went against the harmony to sing aggressive, loud, and repetitive notes,
engaging in a war of sound that brought other Ainur into his rebellion until the creator
ended the music and showed them a visual representation of they made.
This Vision of Arda depicted an incredible world with lands and seas, populated by creatures
experiencing joy and triumph, but also cruelty and suffering infused by the music of Melkor.
Fascinated, the Ainur asked for the vision be made real, and so Eru agreed, on the condition
those who entered could not return until the universe reached its natural conclusion.
As a result, some Ainur remained in the Timeless Halls, while others descended into the Universe
Ea, and onto the building blocks of the world Arda.
Understanding that it was their task to bring about what they saw in the vision, the 14
most powerful Ainur, called Valar, became the shapers and overseers of Arda, primarily
seeking to prepare this world as a home for Elves, Dwarves and Humans, also known as the
Children of Eru, creatures of independent thought who would one day populate the world.
Aiding the Valar in their mission were most of the less powerful but far more numerous
Maiar, though some chose to explore the world in their own way, while others still joined
Melkor, who was not considered one of the Valar, as he claimed Kingship over all of
Arda, wreaking havoc upon any who would not submit.
When the other Valar stood united in their opposition, Melkor realized ruling this world
was no longer possible and so instead sought to destroy all of creation, causing so much
damage the lands of Arda changed form several times.
Throughout the Valian Years, the Valar originally created a great symmetrical landmass surrounded
by ocean upon a flat world, but the First War of Melkor marred their work, leaving a
single continent surrounded by Ekkaia, a great outer sea, and beyond that Vaiya, an ocean
of dark waters at the very edges of the world where ships could not sail.
Though the Valar made their home in Almaren, an island within a central great lake, they
brought prosperity to the entire continent throughout the Spring of Arda, illuminating
the world and beginning the years of the lamps, by creating two great lamps, placing the silver
blue light of Illuin in the north while the golden light of ormal went south.
After recovering from the last war, Melkor built the fortress of Utumno in the North
and invaded the south, destroying the two lamps in great conflict that once again broke
the world.
What remained were now three distinct continent surrounded by several oceans, and so the Valar
made their home in western Aman, with the realm of Valinor becoming an enchanted paradise
for the immortal races, also called the Undying Lands.
As the lamps were gone, the Valar made two great trees, silver Telperion and golden Laurelin
to illuminate Valinor.
Early on throughout the years of the trees, the lands of Arda were once again surrounded
by the Outer Sea, with the western continent of Aman almost entirely removed from Middle
earth by the ocean Belegaer, while on the other side of Middle-earth, the East sea separated
the Eastland continent.
Taking a closer look at Aman, the realm of Valinor was found along the western side of
the Pelori, the tallest mountains in the world.
To the south were the desolate shadow covered lands of Avathar, while in the north were
the frozen lands of Araman, another largely forgotten region.
Beyond the Pelori Mountains to the east, the enchanted isles were a series of islands in
the sea of Belegaer that surround the main harbors and entry into Valinor, while continuing
on to middle-earth, Melkor made his home in the fortress of Utumno, within the iron mountains
near the northern coast.
Planning to make all of Middle-earth his domain, the Dark Lord’s chief Lieutenant Sauron
was placed in command of Angband, his westernmost fortress, to warn of attack from Valinor.
Moving south of the Iron Mountains while remaining in the Northland, there were the blue mountains
to the west, the red mountains in the east and the Sea of Helcar to the south between
them, a great lake created from the destruction of the lamp Illuin.
Within the mid-land there were the Mountains of the Wind, while the Southland had the red
mountains in the west, the yellow mountains in the east and the Sea of Ringol in the north
between them, a great lake created from the destruction of the lamp Ormal.
Though little is known about the continent of Eastland, it was home to a great mountain
wall much of which bordered the western coast.
Waking in the year 1050 YT, along the eastern shore of the Sea of Helcar, the Elves of Cuivienen
were the first and eldest Children of Eru, granted the gift of immortality, tying their
fate to the world of Arda, making it their eternal home.
Although the light of the two trees could not reach them, the Valar placed stars in
the sky to provide light for the rest of the world.
Learning the first children awoke, Melkor started capturing wayward Elves, with some
stories claiming he twisted and corrupted his captives to become and breed the Orcs,
a violent slave race to faithfully follow his commands.
Once informed of Melkor’s actions, the Valar were outraged and gathered their armies to
travel east, engaging the Dark Lord in the War for Sake of the Elves, defeating and capturing
the enemy.
Yet this victory came at a heavy cost which saw the lands and seas of Arda once again
change form, leaving the continents Aman in the west, Middle-earth, Darkland in the south
and Eastland.
After the defeat and imprisonment of Melkor, the Elves were invited to live in Valinor,
causing a fracture where the Avari remained in the east while the Eldar went west, with
some abandoning the journey to settle other regions of Middle-earth, while most others
continued on to the Undying Lands.
In order to make the journey across the sea of Belegaer, the Vala Ulmo used an entire
island as a ferry to transport the Elves, after which he anchored it to the eastern
coast of Aman with the name Tol Eressea.
Other notable location within Aman included the Halls of Nienna, where the Vala Nienna
spent much of her time gazing into the waters of the west, the Halls of the Vala Mandos
where spirits travelled after death to be judged and sent on to their ultimate destiny,
the gardens of the Vala Lorien and tree shadowed lake Lorellin with a small island at it’s
center where the Vala Este slept during the day.
Then there was the city Valimar, home to many valar and maiar, Ezellohar, the hill where
the two trees were planted, the city Tirion, home to many Vanyar and Noldor Elves, Ilmarin,
the mansions of Manwe and Varda, king and queen of the Valar, located atop Taniquetil,
the tallest mountain in the world.
Along the eastern coast there was the Calacirya or cleft of light, which was the sole massage
through the Pelori Mountains into Valinor, and the city of Alqualonde, which along with
the Tol Eressea was home to Teleri Elf ship builders.
This region, consisting of the Calacirya, Tirion, Alqualonde and Tol Eressea, was collectively
called Eldamar, as it was home to most of the Elves in Aman.
Further North, there was the Fortress Formenos, built as a home for the family of Feanor,
eldest son and heir to High King Finwe of the Noldor Elves.
Further south there were the Plains of the Vala Yavanna, the Forest of the Vala Orome
as well as the secret Lair of the Ungoliant found in the desolate lands of Avathar south-east
of the Pelori mountains.
After several ages in captivity, the Dark Lord Melkor feigned repentance and was released
by his brother Manwe, only to once again launch a surprise attack, this time with the aid
of his ally the Ungoliant, and together destroyed the two trees, killed High King Finwe and
stole the silmaril jewels of Feanor before escaping through Araman in the north, to then
pass the great mists of Oiomure and travel across the icy wastes of Helcaraxe, the sole
land bridge connecting Aman to Middle earth, where the Ungoliant fled south while Melkor
made his home in the fortress of Angband in the western Iron Mountains which stretched
all the way across the continent into the far east.
Taking a wider view of middle-earth, there was Dor Daedelos, or the lands of Melkor around
and beyond Angband, the northwestern region of Beleriand bordered by the Blue Mountains,
beyond which were the ruins of Utumno, the Misty Mountians, the White Mountains, the
Greenwood Forest, the region of Palisor which included the Sea of Helcar, eastern lands
and Cuivienen.
Then there were the Red Mountains, the Great Gulf along the western coast, the straits
of the world, and grey mountains to the south.
Moving across the East Sea, there was the Dark Land continent, where the yellow mountains
were found, while Eastland remained home to a great mountain wall, including Kalorme,
the second highest peak in the world.
Returning to Middle-earth, the continent held diverse populations including the three child
races of the creator Eru, with the Elves having already awoken in Cuivienen, while the Dwarves,
who were adopted children with a unique origin and fate, awoke sometime later, seeing the
Ironfist, Stiffbeard, Blacklock and Stonefoot clans likely make their home in the Red Mountains,
while the Firebeards and Broadbeams settled in the Blue Mountains, and the Longbeards
in the Misty Mountains.
When the race of men, granted the gift of mortality and a second destiny after death,
awoke in the lands of Hildorien, it coincided with the rising of the Sun and Moon, created
by the Valar after the destruction of the Two trees, meant to bring light to the entire
world, thus beginning the First Age of Middle-earth.