— Ch. 1 · Forging The Rings Of Power —
Rings of Power.
~6 min read · Ch. 1 of 7
In the Second Age, the Elven-smiths of Eregion worked with Dwarves from Khazad-dûm to create twenty Great Rings. Celebrimbor, grandson of Fëanor, led this effort alongside Narvi, a friend from the Dwarven kingdom. Sauron arrived disguised as Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, offering knowledge to transform Middle-earth. He persuaded the Noldorin Elves of Eregion to learn his craft. First they created many lesser rings as an essay of their skill. Then they forged the Seven and the Nine. Celebrimbor himself made the Three Great Rings alone in Eregion. In Mordor, Sauron invested much of his power into forging the One Ring within the fires of Mount Doom. This master ring was designed to control all others. When Sauron set the completed One Ring upon his finger, the Elves immediately became aware of his true motive. They quickly hid their rings to protect them from his dominion.
Fates Of The Nine And Seven
Sauron recovered the Seven Rings from information provided by Celebrimbor under torture. He gave these to leaders of seven kindreds of Dwarves: Durin's Folk, Firebeards, Broadbeams, Ironfists, Stiffbeards, Blacklocks, and Stonefoots. Over the years, Sauron managed to recover only three of the Seven rings from the Dwarves. The last of the three was seized from Thráin II during his captivity in Dol Guldur. Gandalf later recounted that the remaining four were consumed by dragons. Before the War of the Ring, an envoy from Sauron attempted to bribe Dain II Ironfoot with the three surviving rings and Moria for information about the One Ring. Dain refused this offer. Meanwhile, Sauron gave Nine Rings to leaders of Men who became mighty kings, sorcerers, and warriors. These men gained unending lifespans and the ability to see things invisible to mortal eyes. By the end of the Second Age, all nine had become invisible ring-wraiths known as the Nazgûl. They helped Sauron search for the One Ring, which powerfully attracted them.