Crossing into the lands of Middle-earth as the moon first rose into the sky, Fingolfin
led his Noldor followers south through the lands of Lammoth, where they were suddenly attacked by
an orc army from Angband. Fighting the Battle of Lammoth, the wary, unprepared elves managed to
claim victory when Fingolfin’s youngest son Argon led a mad charge through enemy ranks to kill the
Orc commander before he was surrounded and slain. Grieving the loss of a son, Fingolfin’s people
marched into the lands of Hithlum as the sun rose into the sky above, beginning the years of the
First Age. Fearing this newly arrived Noldor host, Morgoth retreated to Angband, and so Fingolfin set
up camp in Hithlum where he met with the sons of Feanor and their followers, uniting their strength
while remaining divided into enemy factions, as too much bad blood remained between them.
Yet in the midst of these hostilities, Fingon, eldest son of Fingolfin, had only one thing on
his mind, saving the life of his close friend and cousin Maedhros, eldest son of Feanor.
Shortly after the death of their father, the sons of Feanor were invited to meet with Morgoth and
discuss terms of peace. Realizing it was a trap, Maedhros arrived with an armed force, but the Dark
Lord’s retinue was larger, defeating the Elves while capturing the Noldor prince. As the other
son’s of Feanor were unwilling to negotiate for their brother’s life, knowing the enemy would
never keep his word, Morgoth tortured Maedhros by hanging him from the mountain Thangorodrim.
Risking his life, Fingon underwent a valiant quest and with the help of the great eagle Thorondor
found and reached his cousin. Unable to open the steel band around his wrist, Fingon cut off his
hand and brought him to safety. The Great Eagles did not often help the children of Eru, but did
sometimes intervene in moments of great peril, acting on behalf of Manwe, King of the Valar,
serving as his scouts and agents. Though Manwe was upset with the Noldor for leaving Valinor,
he still had pity for them, allowing his eagles to help them from time to time.
Grateful to his cousin for saving his life, and eager to make peace between their peoples,
Maedros, heir to Feanor, renounced his claim to leadership, allowing Fingolfin to become
the unified ruler of all Noldor in Middle-earth. Succeeding in making peace and strengthening the
bonds between their factions, Maedhros also inadvertently laid seeds of resentment and
future conflict, as his brothers were upset to be passed over in the line of succession.
Over the next sex decades, the Noldor contacted King Thingol of Doriath,
and with his permission established themselves across Beleriand, leaving Fingolfin and his
followers to settle in the West, while eastern lands were granted to the sons of Feanor.
Believing the Elves were sufficiently lulled into a false sense of security,
Morgoth launched the Dagor Aglareb, or Glorious Battle in 60 FA, sending his massive orc armies
flooding into the pass of sirion, Dorthonion and Maglor’s Gap. Yet the Noldor remained vigilant and
were ready for battle, with High King Fingolfin taking charge of their defences in the west,
while Maedhros organized their people in the east, driving back the enemy until once again
locked away in their impenetrable fortress. Setting up a large-scale, permanent siege of
Angband, a long period of relative peace followed, allowing the Noldor to expand their settlements,
creating great, wondrous cities in memory of what they remembered from the paradise
of the undying lands. Yet as they thrived, Morgoth recuperated, making new plans for war.
Though no large scale conflicts occured for the next 4 hundred years, some smaller battles were
fought, like the Assault on Hithlum in 155 FA. When an army of orcs tried to assail Hithlum from
the west, but were thoroughly defeated by the king’s son Fingon. Despite suffering a defeat,
this moment served as turning point for Morgoth, who now realized orcs alone were insufficient
to take on his Noldor enemies. Bringing the dragon race into existence, his first creation
was Glaurung, the father of dragons, a mighty being that breathed fire and could manipulate
a targets mind. Unable to contain his desire for battle, Glaurung disobeyed orders to remain hidden
and left Angband in 260 FA, breaking the siege and pushing the Elves from Ard-galen.
Yet Glaurung was still young, and his scales not yet fully formed, meaning that when the Elves
organized a counter attack, they shot many arrows into the father of dragons, who fled back into
Angband. A century later in 375 FA, an army of orcs assailed the Haladin in Thargelion, a faction
of humans migrating west into Beleriand. Defending themselves until the son of Feanor Caranthir could
arrive with Elven reinforcements, the humans realized this area was too dangerous to settle
and continued their search for a new homeland. In 402 FA, another group of orcs tried to make
their way through the Pass of Aglon but were repelled by the sons of Feanor Maedhros and
Maglor, as well as the House of Beor, another human faction migrating west. Grateful for
their assistance, the House of Beor were allowed to settle the lands of Ladros.
By 422 FA, High King Fingolgin suspected it was time to finish their war with Morgoth,
but the other Noldor were content with their prosperous lives, unwilling to risk open
warfare. Yet by ignoring their ruler, they left themselves vulnerable to the surprise attack
planned by the Dark Lord in 455 FA. Launching the Dagor Bragollach, or Battle of Sudden Flame,
rivers of flame burst forth from Thangorodrim, clearing Ard-galen which was renamed Anfauglith,
allowing the Dark Lord’s armies to descend upon the Northern Noldor realms.
In the east, the sons of Feanor Celegorm and Curufin were defeated in the Pass of Aglon, while
Maglor lost Lothlann and Maglor’s Gap. Glaurung meanwhile burned the lands near the river gelion
as Orcs defeated Caranthir to take Thargelion, Lake Helevorn and his fortress in mount Rerir.
Yet some good news at last came when Maedhros, with the help of Maglor’s reinforcements
successfully defended his fortress of Himring. Moving West, the lands of Dorthonion were lost
when the nephews of the high king, Aegnor and Aegnor were killed in the fighting,
as was their human ally Chieftain Bregolas from the House of Beor. Seeking to reinforce
Dorthonion, High King Fingolfin and his son Fingon led armies from Hithlum but were
immediately defeated as they tried to pass the mountains and forced into retreat, losing their
human ally Chieftain Hador of the House of Hador. Finally there were the reinforcements led by King
Finrod from Nargothrond, the elder brother of Angrod and Aegnor, but they too were defeated
before arriving, attacked in the Pass of Sirion. Finrod himself would have been killed, if not for
his human ally Barahir, the brother of Chieftain Bregolas from the House of Beor, who cut his way
to the king, ensuring his escape from harm. Having lost the battle, Morgoth’s forces now
held much of the north, with survivors forced to flee and take refuge in other realms.
Fortunately for the High King, they were able to keep the enemy from conquering Hithlum,
but Dorthonion, Ard-glaen and Ladros were entirely gone, save for a small resistance force
of humans led by Chieftain Barahir, fighting a guerrilla war in their homeland of Ladros.
Much of the north-east was also lost, save for Maedhros in Himring, meaning the years
of prosperity and respite from the War of the Great Jewels were over, leaving only a period
of terrible conflict in which the Noldor and their allies fought for their very survival.