In the beginning, when Eru Iluvatar dwelt alone in the timeless halls, he formed the
Ainur, primordial spirits of independent thought who each inherited powers and skills from
a specific portion of the creator’s mind.
All save for Melkor, greatest of the Ainur who was granted insight into every area of
knowledge.
With so much potential, Melkor grew insatiably curious and yearned to break free from the
restrictions imposed by Eru, resulting in a rebellion during the Ainulindale, when he
disrupted the harmony to sing aggressive, loud, and repetitive notes.
Engaged in a war of sound, Eru eventually ended the music and showed them a vision of
what their conflict created.
Though the images depicted scenes of joy and triumph, the music of Melkor infused great
cruelty and suffering as well.
Fascinated by what they saw and wanting to be a part of it, 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.
With this in mind, some Ainur remained behind while others descended into the Universe Ea
dividing into two classes, as the 14 most powerful becoming the Valar, those who shaped
and oversaw the world of Arda, while many of the lesser and far more numerous maiar,
served them and aided however possible.
Seeking to rule this world as his own, Melkor descended upon Arda, wreaking havoc upon those
who would not submit, until eventually realizing domination was not possible, and so wanted
all of creation destroyed.
Holding back and eventually eliminating this threat, were the powerful Valar who not only
fought various wars against him, but also remade the world after each cataclysm, salvaging
as much as possible.
Originally dwelling on the Island of Almaren, the reshaping of the world caused the Valar
and Maiar to make a new home in the realm of Valinor, upon the Continent of Aman, also
known as the Undying Lands.
A home to all the immortal races, the Valar eventually invited the Elves to live in their
realm, where they were most faithfully served by the loyal Vanyar Clan.
Of the Valar who descended into Arda and dwelt in this enchanted land, there was:
Manwe, Lord of Winds and King of the Valar, one of the main architects of the world, served
faithfully by Eonwe, his herald and a chieftain of the Maiar.
The husband of Queen Varda, Manwe was a wise, just and benevolent leader who fought against
his brother Melkor when necessary but struggled to understand his evil.
After the Dark Lord’s defeat and captured in the War for Sake of the Elves, he eventually
feigned repentance, convincing Manwe to release him from prison, over the objections of the
other Valar.
Yet both Aman and Middle-earth paid the price for this error in judgement, when Melkor destroyed
the two trees of valinor, killed King Finwe of the Noldor, stole three silmaril jewels,
and fled to middle earth, starting a centuries long conflict that ended in the War of Wrath,
a battle so devastating it reshaped continents.
Living upon the mountain taniquetil, Manwe came to realize the Valar and Maiar were too
powerful to directly involve themselves in the lives of the humans, elves and dwarves
who populated Middle-earth, and so watched over them from afar, helping guide and protect
them through emissaries like the 5 wizards of the third age and scouts, like the Great
Eagles of the misty mountains.
Living with her husband Manwe upon the mountain Taniquetil, Varda, Queen of the Valar and
Lady of Light was responsible for the illumination of Arda, through the stars, the Two Lamps,
the two trees, the sun and the moon, and even contributed to the crafting of the Silmaril
jewels.
A Vala of great beauty and power, Varda was desired by Melkor but turned down his advances,
siding with Manwe in the First War to become one of the Dark Lord’s most hated enemies.
Not only was he enraged by her rejection, but he also feared her specialization above
all the others, as he could not understand the mastery of light.
Among her many servants, the best known were Ilmare, another chieftain of the Maiar, and
Olorin, who later became the Wizard Gandalf the Grey, sent to Middle-earth in the Third
Age, where he helped destroy the one ring of power and defeat the Second Dark Lord Sauron.
Of all the Valar, Varda was most beloved by the Elves, as they were born before the rising
of the sun, meaning the Stars she created were the first thing they saw when waking
in Cuivienen.
One of the most powerful Valar and another chief architect of Arda, Aule the Smith, husband
of Yavanna, delighted in crafting and creation, forming the lands above and beneath the sea,
as well as all rocks, minerals and jewels.
Living in a beautifully designed mansion outside the city of Valmar, Aule helped in the construction
of the Two Lamps and built the vessels that became the sun and moon.
Of all the Valar, Aule was most similar to Melkor, in his passion for creation, independent
spirit and desire to expand beyond the limitations of his being, but unlike the Dark Lord, he
was fundamentally good hearted and loyal to Eru.
Becoming one of Melkor’s greatest enemies, Aule repaired the damage done by the Dark
Lord’s wars, and built the chain Angainor the Valar used for his capture and imprisonment.
Perhaps as a result of his independent spirit, Aule attracted like-minded followers, such
as the Maiar Mairon and Curumo, as well as the Noldor Elves who embraced his knowledge
of crafting, with Feanor, son of King Finwe, becoming his best and most talented student.
Yet while many of these beings learned much from Aule, they did not share his good-natured
loyalty, eventually betraying the Valar in some form or fashion, as Mairon became Sauron,
a defector and Lieutenant to Melkor who after his masters defeat became the Second Dark
Lord of later ages.
There was also Curumo, who remained loyal until the Third Age, when he was sent to Middle-earth
as the White Wizard Saruman, charged with helping the local peoples in their fight against
Sauron, but instead became corrupted, seeking to destroy all rivals so he could claim the
one ring of power and rule over the continent.
As for the Noldor, they went to war and abandoned Valinor, after Melkor killed their King Finwe
and stole the silmaril jewels of Feanor.
Following the Dark Lord to Middle-earth, the Noldor waged the centuries long war of great
jewels against Melkor, seeing him as the primary target, but their most extreme faction which
followed Feanor and his sons, slaughtered anyone, friend or foe, who stood between them
and the silmaril jewels, resulting in three Kinslayings, where they massacred their fellow
elves.
Despite all the betrayals from those who served the Smith, Aule was the staunchest of opponents
to the Dark Lord, never believing his lies about repentance and arguing vehemently against
pardon and release.
When the Maia Osse, who loved storms and destruction, was swayed to join with Melkor, it was Aule
who approached his wife Uinen and convinced her to calm his fury and bring him back to
Eru and the Valar.
As the ages went on before the waking of the Children, Aule grew impatient and decided
to experiment with his own living beings, creating the Fathers of the Dwarven race.
Unfortunately, he quickly realized they did not possess independent thought, as only Eru
could provide the flame imperishable which distinguished intelligent lifeforms.
Having violated the will of the creator, Aule was chastised for his actions, and so sincerely
apologized, offering to destroy what he made.
Yet Eru would not see them harmed and instead accepted the Dwarves as his adopted children,
putting them to sleep until the time was right for their awakening.
The Wife of Aule and sister of Vana, Yavanna the giver of fruits was the Vala dedicated
to the creation and prosperity of plant and animal life, known for singing the Two Trees
into existence and making the golden fruit and silver flower which became the light of
the sun and moon.
She also created Galathilion, the first White tree as a gift for the Elves of Tirion.
After a discussion with her husband, Yavanna feared the Children of Eru, Elves, Dwarves
and humans would destroy her great works, by cutting down forests and ripping apart
soil to build settlements for their survival.
And so approached Manwe with her concerns, resulting in the creation tall, tree-like
beings to serve as Shepherds of the Forest, charged with the protection of Yavanna’s
creations.
The males of the species, called Ents looked over the trees, while the females, called
Entwives, tended to smaller plants, and grasses.
During the Third Age, when the 4 Istari Wizards were being prepared for a mission to help
defeat Sauron in Middle-earth, it was Yavanna who insisted they add a 5th member to the
group, her Maia servant Aiwendil, aka Radagast the Brown, so he could act as her agent, looking
out for wildlife in the eastern continent.