Sauron
Maia, Lord of the Rings. Once a Maia spirit of Aulë the
Smith, Sauron, meaning �the abhorred�, became the chief
lieutenant of Melkor, the Dark Lord. In the Ages of
Darkness, while Melkor ruled in Utumno, and in The Ages of
Stars while Melkor was chained by the Valar, Sauron ruled
the evil realm of Angband. During the Wars of Beleriand,
Sauron served his master until Melkor was cast into the Void,
at the end of the First Age of the Sun. Sauron reappeared on
Middle-earth during the fifth century of the Second Age as
Annatar, �giver of gifts�. In 1500 he seduced the
Elven-smiths of Eregion into forging the Rings of Power.
Then he made himself Lord of the Rings by forging the One
Ring. In the War of Sauron and the Elves, from 1693 to 1700,
Sauron laid waste to Eregion and was only stopped from
annihilating the Elves by the arrival of the Numenóreans. For
the next 1500 years, Sauron built up the power of Mordor and
brought the Men in the East and the South under his
dominion. Finally, the Numenóreans came to make war on
him in 3262, but so great was their power that Sauron
surrendered to them. Unable to beat them militarily, he
managed to corrupt them. In this he was so successful that he
brought about the total distinction of Numenor. In that
cataclysm, Sauron�s fair form was destroyed. Yet his spirit
fled to Mordor, and with the One Ring made himself into the
Dark Lord a fearsome warrior with black Armour on burnt
black skin, and terrible, raging eyes. However, even this form
was destroyed at the end of the Second Age, after war with
the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, when the One Ring was
cut from his hand. Yet, because the One Ring had not been
destroyed, Sauron�s spirit was able to rise again. In the year
1000 of the Third Age, he manifests himself in the form of
one great, lidless Eye. It was like the eye of a huge cat, but
filled with hate, wreathed with flame, and ringed in darkness.
For nearly two thousand years, Sauron hid himself in
Mirkwood and was known only as the Necromancer of Dol
Guldur, while he sent Ringwraiths, Ores and barbarian kings
against the Dunedain and their allies. In 2941, Sauron
re-entered Mordor and began to rebuild the Dark Tower.
Unfortunately for Sauron, this was the same year that the One
Ring came into the possession of the Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins.
Even less fortunately for Sauron, in the year 3018, just
months before he launched the War of the Ring, Frodo
Baggins undertook the Quest of the Ring, which resulted in
the destruction of the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom.
Once more, and finally, Sauron was swept into the shadows.
Never again did his spirit arise.
