February 9, 2004

The One Ring, Glamdring
Tuor

The One Ring was not created to give Sauron immortality, as stated before he has no need for that power due to his being a Maiar and, therefore, already immortal. The reason for the Ring is in the ring-verse (One ring to rule them all...). The prologue in FOTR pretty much sums this up, but it leaves out the fact the One was only entirely effective on the Nine rings given to Men (the Nazgul). The elves perceived their rings were a trick, and Sauron never directly made them, so I believe they were never used until the Ring was lost before the War of the Ring. The dwarves' seven rings only made them more driven to find gold and the like, if I'm not mistaken, which isn't much use to Sauron. By the time of the WR, the free peoples were diminished in strength enough Sauron could have conquered Middle Earth without the Ring, but he probably would have had trouble subduing places like Rivendell and Lothlorien without it. In other words, his victory would be complete, and all of Middle Earth would be like one huge Mordor.

To Lem: I had not noticed that passage regarding goblins' relation to orcs. I was always under the impression that they were one and the same, but if the passing sentence you speak of exists (I still can't find it) then that would definitely be an excuse for not glowing, and kudos due to PJ.

Tuor