At the end of the Third Age, after centuries of relative peace, the spirit of Sauron returned
from his time in the east, secretly taking residence in Dol Guldur where he would come
to be known as the necromancer. Over many years he would prepare his forces, breeding
orc armies, and recovering Mordor. Until he was finally discovered by Gandalf the Grey
and ousted from Dol Guldur by the White Council. But it proved to be only a minor setback,
as he relocated to Mordor and continued his preparations for war.
Fortunately for the Free People’s of Middle Earth, Sauron was still weakened from his
defeat thousands of years earlier when he lost the One Ring of Power, in which he had
imbued so much of his own power. And while the survival of the ring allowed Sauron to
survive his defeat, without the ring, he would never be at his full strength.
And so his first priority became the recovery of the One Ring, capturing and torturing the
creature Golum to discover the name of the Ring’s current bearer and his location.
His Second priority, would then be to defeat Gondor and capture Minas Tirith, thereby crippling
the strongest opponents they might face in their military campaign.
Opposing Sauron, Gandalf the White took the role of General and master strategist for
the peoples of the West. Determined to stop Sauron’s advances Gandalf gathered as many
allies as possible, chipping away at Sauron’s power wherever possible and above all keeping
the One Ring hidden. the War therefore broke down into down distinct
theatres of War, the Southern Theatre, where Sauron sought
to conquer Gondor by preventing their allies in Rohan to assist them. And so he allied
with Saruman at Isengard, allowing him to breed his own orc and Uruk-hai armies to raid
and plunder Northern Rohan, thereby keeping their armies busy and unable to join the defense
of Gondor. Sauron also sought to weaken Gondor’s own
defenses by sending his Corsairs of Umbar to raid Southern Gondor, forcing local lords
to keep their forces at home, sending only a fraction of their men north for the defence
of Minas Tirith. Sauron’s orc armies then took Osgiliath,
and prepared for the final assault against the White city. But Gandalf still stood in
opposition, rallying the people and nations of the West to fight. After journeying for
some time with Frodo Baggins, the small hobbit who bore the One Ring of power, now journeying
in secret to Mount Doom, where it must be destroyed.
Yet after their separation, Gandalf continued his war effort, by ridding the Rohan court
of corruption and restoring King Théoden to his power.
The King then saw to the defense of his people, organizing a last stand at Helm’s Deep,
while Gandalf gatherered the scattered Rohhirim army and charged against the forces of Isengard
at the Battle of Helm’s Deep, defeating them and driving them back into the forests,
where they were finished off by Trees of Fangorn Forest.
Isengard itself was defeated and captured by the ancient Ent race, who hated Saruman
and his minions for the destruction they caused to the forests.
The armies of Rohan were now ready to rally and rush to the defence of Gondor at the Battle
of Pelennor Fields. And while the battle was devastating, with the city defences breached
and thousands dead, Gondor and their allies emerged victorious.
Gathering whatever men they could organize, Aragorn, Gandalf and their warriors charged
against the gates of Mordor, hoping to distract the Dark Lord and their forces, allowing Frodo
and his companion Sam to enter Mount Doom and destroy the Ring.
And while Frodo ultimately chose to keep the One Ring of Power, the interference of Gollum
and struggle for its possession, did lead to it’s destruction, achieving victory for
the Free People’s of Middle Earth, and ridding them of Sauron, who’s spirit was so diminished
he could no long interact with the world. And while the events of the Southern Theatre
are well known too many, the victory of Gondor and Rohan against the forces of Sauron was
in part made possible because of the lesser known War in the North, also known as the
Northern Theatre of the War of the Ring. Even during the years of peace, Gandalf knew
Sauron was still a threat, and aware of his many servants and allies, Gandalf was vigilant,
spending many years preparing for the Dark Lord’s return.
A major priority for the old wizard became the elimination of the dragon Smaug, and the
restoration of a Dwarven kingdom in the Lonely Mountain. Smaug the Terrible if allowed to
survive would no doubt be a devastating tool for the Dark Lord, and would make his victory
all but assured. And so Gandalf united with the Dwarven exile Thorin Oakenshield and his
companions, guiding them back to their home of Erebor to retake the mountain and slay
the dragon. With the help of a hobbit named Bilbo they were victorious in their mission,
and restored the Kingdom of Erebor. The nearby kingdom of Dale was also restored under their
king Bard the First and while they nearly went to war with their dwarven neighbors after
the destruction wrought by Smaug during their quest to retake the mountain, the two peoples
eventually became staunch allies. Then Sauron re-emerged in the West, and while
he made his plans to capture Minas Tirith in the South, he prepared his Eastern armies
to move through the North and attack the armies of Gondor and Rohan on two sides.
And so the Dark Lord ordered that his Orcs armies in Dol Guldur attack the Elven Realms
of Lothlorien, and the Woodland Realm. A massive Easterling army would then sweep through Dwarven
lands and join in the destruction of the Woodland Realm, then sending the combined Orc and Easterling
army to finish of Lothlorien, then passing through Misty Mountain to take Rivendale and
march south. The defense of the North therefore came down
to stopping the Easterling armies from joining their allies in the West. Fortunately for
the Free People’s of Middle Earth, Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor and their allies destroyed
the Dragon Smaug, thereby eliminating a potential ally of the Dark Lord, and where the Dwarves
of the Iron Hills would have been the sole defensive army fighting against the Easterlings,
they now had the restored kingdoms of Erebor and Dale to join the fight.*
Knowing the Dwarfven-human alliance might be of concern to his future plans, Sauron
originally attempted diplomacy, sending a messenger to seek an alliance with King Dain
II Ironfoot of Erebor. Asking for his assistance in locating the One Ring, promising that if
they cooperated, they would be rewarded with the Dwarven Rings of power, taken from their
people centuries earlier. And swore that their ancient home of Moria would be restored and
would remain in their possession forever. But Dain would not be tempted and dismissed
the messenger without giving an answer, then sending the Dwarf Gloin as his representative
to Rivendale and the council of Elrond, so they might be informed of the situation while
the Dwarves of Erebor prepared for war. When at last the armies of Easterlings marched
into their territories, the combined armies of the Erebor and the Kingdom of Dale stood
against them in the Battle of Dale, holding them back for 3 days before being forced to
retreat back to the Lonely Mountain. Losing the city of Dale which was sacked and burned.
The battle continued at the gates of Erebor where King Brand of Dale fought bravely before
being killed by the Easterling horde. King Dain, upon seeing the death of his ally and
friend, rushed to his side, and died defending his body.
After suffering tremendous loses, the surviving humans and dwarves took refuge inside the
mountain. The Siege of Erebor lasted for several days, until word at last reached them, that
Sauron had been defeated in the South and his armies dispersed and destroyed. With this
news the Easterlings lost their ambition and many deserted their ranks. After 2 days, the
combined armies of men and dwarves, charged out of Erebor, led by the Sons of King Brand
and Dain, and together they beat back the Easterling invaders, forcing them into retreat.
Thanks to the efforts of these allied warriors, Sauron’s eastern reinforcements were held
off, allowing for the Woodland Realm under King Thranduil to succefully repel the armies
of Dol Guldur in the Battle under the Trees. While Lothlorien under celborn and Galadriel
also repel their Orc armies, then pursuing them, capturing and destroying Dol Guldur.
With the death of Dain II, his son King Thorin Stonehelm III became King of Erebor, while
King Brand’s son of the same name came to rule the rebuilt Kingdom of Dale.
The Woodland Realm continued under King Thranduil, with most of it’s people choosing to stay
in Middle Earth, while Lothlorien was largely abandoned, with some following Celeborn to
Aman Lanc, the capital of East Lorien, formerly known as Dol Guldur. While Others followed
Galadriel and travelled West to the Undying Lands.
All across the Northern theatre the line had been held, though at the cost of thousands
of lives, they played a crucial role in defeating the armies of Dark Lord and contributing to his ultimate destruction.