Sauron

Character and Fall
Sauron did not participate in Melkor's dissonance during the Music of the Ainur. His original intentions were benevolent: he wanted to arrange everything according to his own understanding, taking into account the (economic) well-being of the other inhabitants of the Earth.

Sauron's greatest virtue was his quest for order and harmony, free from confusion and senseless squabbles. This became the primary cause of his downfall. Admiring Melkor, Sauron hoped to use his power and great will to realize his own ideas. Sauron, like Melkor, also hated Eru and was infected with a passion for destruction. In the Elder Days and earlier, when Melkor was far away, Sauron stooped to imitating his master, desiring to become Lord of Middle-earth himself. But while Morgoth held firm, Sauron did not seek power for himself, but worked for Melkor's triumph. Thus, he was often able to accomplish what Melkor had conceived but had failed to do or failed to do in his furious impatience. Sauron, however, was cool and calculating. He never reached the complete nihilism of Melkor, never aiming to destroy the world. Vestiges of the good intentions with which Sauron began remained within him even at the very end. Although initially significantly weaker than his Lord, he remained less corrupt, though in his pride and lust for power he went further than any human tyrant.[4] Sauron desired to be the ruler of Arda, evident in his ability to seduce souls and force them into his service. He would be content with slaves (unlike Melkor) who called him God and Lord. Achieving this goal ultimately became Sauron's end in itself, upon which his mind became fixated.

After Morgoth's defeat, Sauron truly repented and renounced evil. Manwë knew of him and ordered him to appear before the court for punishment (if he persisted) or full forgiveness (if he repented). However, Sauron disobeyed, fearing being disgraced and humiliated to the position of a servant, whereas under Melkor he had been powerful. At the very beginning of the Second Age, Sauron had not fully surrendered to evil, unless one considers all "reformers" who wish to hasten "reconstruction" and "transformation" to be wholly surrendered to evil—even before they are consumed by pride and the thirst for asserting their will.[5] When he discovered how much other intelligent beings admired his knowledge and how easily they could be influenced, his pride grew boundless, and he returned fully to the path of evil.

During the Second Age, Sauron was more active than Melkor at the end of the First Age, for although initially weaker, he had not fallen so low. He preached atheism among Men to allay their fear of Eru, yet he himself remembered his Creator. In Númenor, Sauron claimed Melkor as his master, but he no longer worked for his former master's triumph, exploiting his former master's image for his own ends. After the Downfall of Númenor, Sauron believed that Eru had forgotten Eä, or at least Arda, the Valar (and the Elves) had been removed from true rule, and Men were under divine wrath and damned. Sauron explained the appearance of the Istari as the Valar seeking to restore their former power and dominion over Middle-earth without Eru's knowledge or blessing. Sauron found confirmation of this conjecture in the mind of Saruman. An example of the Mordor language that appears in his dialogues: Shre nazg golugranu kilmi-nudu,
Ombi kuzd-durbagu gundum-ishi,
Nugu gurunkilu bard gurutu,
Ash burz-durbagu burzum-ishi,
Daghburz-ishi makha gulshu darulu.
Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,
Ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul
Daghburz-ishi makha gulshu darulu.
I am the hand that crushes kings, the iron will that brings darkness, empires crack under my commands, everything is bound in my hand.
I hold the ring - the world is in chains, no one will leave, hope will be sucked out, discord will become the root, their courage will die, no one stands where my shadow falls,
I am the dark lord, master of all, king of men, who holds their strings. Lord of the lands where kingdoms fall, with one ring I rule them all. Alignment: lawful evil.

War of the Ring
Sauron had prepared a vast army, intending to drive his enemies into the sea. The Nazgûl were to seek the Ring, but this was to remain secret. On June 20, 3018, Sauron decided to test Gondor's strength and, at the same time, justify the Nazgûl's appearance. He launched an army of Haradrim and Easterlings against Osgiliath, led by five Nazgûl and the Witch-king. The eastern bank was captured, but the Gondorians destroyed the bridge across the river, and Sauron halted his advance. He was unconcerned that Gondor was stronger than he had expected, as only a small portion of his army had participated in the battle. The attack on Gondor coincided with an attack on the elven kingdom of Mirkwood, resulting in the release of Gollum.

Around July 22, the Nazgûl from Dol Guldur reunited with the others. It became known that Gollum had escaped the Orcs, and there was no Halfling land in the Anduin valleys (as Gollum had lied to Sauron). They continued their search in the north, but in September they turned back empty-handed and met Sauron's ambassador in the Wold. By this time, the Dark Lord knew of the prophecy in Gondor, of Boromir's departure north, of Saruman's deeds, and of Gandalf's capture. Based on this, Sauron concluded that while neither Saruman nor any of the Wise had yet seized the Ring, Saruman at least knew where it might be hidden. Now, only speed could save Sauron, and he unleashed such great wrath upon the Nazgûl that they were terrified. No longer hiding, the Witch-king arrived in Isengard, but Saruman told him nothing, and the Nazgûl left empty-handed. Only by luck did they discover the location of the Shire, by capturing Saruman's servant, Gríma.

At the same time, a group of hobbits, led by Frodo Baggins, set out for Rivendell with the Ring. The Nazgûl failed to stop them and were disembodied. At the Council of Elrond, it was decided to destroy the Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. The Fellowship of the Ring was assembled and set out on December 25, 3018.

On February 25, 3019, Frodo placed the Ring on Amon Hen, and Sauron tried to find it, but was unable to due to Gandalf's intervention.

On March 6, 3019, Sauron saw in the palantir Aragorn, Isildur's heir and heir to the throne of Gondor, wielding Narsil. This prompted his hastened attack on Gondor. On March 10, Sauron raised dark clouds from Orodruin so that the orcs could march without fear of the sun's light. On March 12, his army, led by the Witch-king, attacked Gondor, crossing the Anduin and laying siege to Minas Tirith. Sauron, through the palantir, demonstrated the might of his armies to Denethor, which, coupled with his son's mortal wound, plunged the viceroy into despair. However, this did not bring Sauron victory over Gondor, as the armies of Rohan came to his aid, and the coastal regions captured by the Umbar pirates were liberated by Aragorn, who led their armies to Minas Tirith. On the other hand, Sauron's forces in the north besieged Erebor but were defeated by the Elves of Mirkwood. The forces of Dol Guldur unsuccessfully attempted to take Lórien, guarded by Galadriel; only with Sauron's help was this possible. However, Sauron focused all his attention on Gondor. Skills
Sauron was the greatest of the Maiar who served Melkor[2]: the most powerful and terrible of his servants, only slightly inferior to his master in evil.[8] Having become a great craftsman in the retinue of Aulë, Sauron acquired extensive knowledge of the physical substance of the world, as well as forging and all other forms of craftsmanship. He forever retained the scientific knowledge he received from Aulë. Sauron may have known more about the Music of the Ainur than Melkor, whose mind was always occupied with his own plans. Sauron used gold for his magical works (including the creation of the One Ring), as it was Morgoth's element in the matter of Arda, where his spiritual power was most strongly dispersed. The creation of the One Ring was similar to what Melkor did during the war with the Valar, dispersing his power into the matter of all of Arda, thus making it his "ring." Sauron acted wiser in this, since he, as a weaker Ainu, did not have to expend himself on such a scale, and his power was directed only to control the Rings. Nevertheless, in the end, Sauron still wasted his power.[9]

Sauron could send fear, disease, and a cloud of Darkness upon his foes. In the First Age, he was a master of illusion and metamorphosis; werewolves and vampires were his servants, chief among them Draugluin, the Father of Werewolves, and the vampire bat Thuringwethil. He was vile in his wisdom and cruel in his power, corrupting everything he touched and everyone he ruled.[10]

Sauron mastered the art of necromancy. He was able to expel fëa from hróa, possess another's body, and enslave homeless souls. He taught such skills.[11]

Sauron could not fully control the Palantir, as the stones were more easily controlled by those who rightfully wielded them. Thus, Sauron was forced to wrestle with the Palantir, which did not prevent him from averting the eyes of his enemies.[12]
Mordor had vast armies at its disposal, filled with a fierce hatred for the people of the West. While the orcs might not have been the strongest warriors on earth, they were extremely ferocious and could be quite numerous. Other units, such as trolls and allies like the Haradrim, were also assembled in Mordor before the Dark Lord's final war.
During the War of the Ring, Sauron gathered all his forces in Mordor. The Dark Tower, the Black Gate, and the Teeth of Mordor were all within Sauron's grasp. The shores of the Sea of ​​Núrnen also belonged to Sauron.

Basic units
The backbone and most numerous part of Sauron's army were the Orcs. They often used poisoned or fiery arrows to attack their opponents. Although neither the soldiers themselves nor their weapons reached the quality of those of the "Free Peoples," they were still quite deadly and could attack their enemies thanks to their superior numbers. They also did not "fight fairly" and used any strategy (or no strategy at all) to achieve victory.

Allies
Mordor had powerful allies who aided Sauron in his quest for dominance. The Easterlings were a more advanced race (than the Orcs), using deadly swords and pikes. They had better weapons and armor, as well as better-trained soldiers. In some ways, they were more like Mordor's elite infantry. The Haradrim used bows; far superior to Orc bows, they could inflict serious damage on enemy units, even on horseback. The Haradrim also had Mûmak, enormous elephant-like beasts that resembled a walking tower, capable of inflicting immense damage.

Other allies included the Variags of Khand and the Pirates of Umbar, who had the longest history of war with Gondor.

Captains and Champions
The Nazgûl were deadly shadow-wraiths who could sow terror in their enemies and were Sauron's chief captains. The Voice of Sauron was a black Númenórean sorcerer who served as Sauron's ambassador. Sauron's lieutenant was the Witch-king.

Grishnákh was the captain of Barad-dûr and led a band of orcs from Mordor that was to meet with Saruman's band of Uruk-hai, who had captured Merry and Pippin. These scenes depict clashes between the leaders of Grishnákh and Uglúk, who would follow only Saruman's orders, not Sauron's. The orc bands from Mordor were primarily composed of Snaga orcs.

Other Orc captains, such as Shagrat and Gorbag, kept their unruly subordinates in line, but themselves demanded strong leadership lest they become "rogues." Shagrat was a Black Uruk, loyal to Sauron, while Gorbag ​​was from Minas Morgul, and the two staged, or at least provoked, a great battle at the Tower of Cirith Ungol, resulting in the slaughter of its entire garrison. Shagrat, however, successfully escaped with Frodo's mithril mail, which he brought to Barad-dûr, to Sauron.

Sauron taught the orcs the Dark Speech and bred a new breed, the Uruk-hai. Thanks to Sauron, the trolls gained what little they could accept. Sauron also bred a new breed of trolls, the Olog-hai.

Hunt for the Ring
In 2951, Sauron made a name for himself in Mordor and began to rebuild Barad-dûr. Instead of Sauron, three Nazgûl remained in Dol Guldur, led by Khamul.

During these years, Sauron noticed Saruman's attempts to use the palantír of Isengard. Sauron himself had the stone of Minas Itil, which he made his instrument of deception and suppression of the will. Saruman came under the influence of Sauron, becoming partly his ally. It was easy for Sauron to understand his mind, since he and Saruman were inherently similar. However, Sauron's noticed governor of Gondor, Denethor, did not fall under his influence. Moreover, Denethor had successfully resisted Sauron for many years, and Sauron could only avert his eyes.

In 3009, Gollum was caught on the border of Mordor, and Sauron personally interrogated him after learning that the One Ring had returned and was in the Shire with a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. When everything they could extract from him, Sauron released him and sent him out of Mordor (3017). He did not trust Gollum because he guessed his hidden disobedience, although he could not comprehend the reason for it. But Sauron saw how much Gollum hated Baggins and hoped that Gollum would go look for him, thus leading his servants to the Ring.

However, in the same year, Gollum was captured, and he remained a prisoner of the elves of Mirkwood. Sauron feared that Gollum would betray the secret to his enemies, and sent his spies to Mirkwood. However, they were partly destroyed by the Dúnedain rangers, and partly deceived by the servants of Saruman. Sauron was not yet able to reach Isengard, and pretended not to know of his treachery. He decided it was time to use the Nazgûl. Sauron tried to buy horses from the Rohirrim for them, but when they refused, he sent orcs and the horses were stolen.

The Third Age and Return to Mordor
Around T.A. 1050, Sauron appeared in the south of the Great Greenwood, apparently having finally regained his body. There, on the hill of Amon Lanka, he created for himself the stronghold of Dol Guldur, from which a shadow fell on the entire forest, and from now on it was called Mirkwood. At this time, Sauron became known as the Necromancer. Upon learning of the darkening of Greenwood, the Wise Ones thought it was the presence of one of the Nazgûl.

Sauron was aware of the growing power of the Dúnedain of Gondor and Arnor. In T.A. 1300, the Nazgûl reappeared in Middle-earth, obeying his will, and their leader was sent to crush Arnor. At the same time, orcs appeared in the Misty Mountains and completely captured them after 1980, when the Balrog awoke in Moria. Sauron coveted the mithril, the silver of Moria, and the orcs in Moria gathered what they could and gave it to him.

In 1636, Gondor, Rhovanion, and Arnor were struck by the Great Plague, which came from Sauron. The plague struck not only his enemies, but also his allies, and the weakened Dúnedain were never attacked. However, the borders of Mordor were left unguarded, and Sauron's servants gradually began to return there.

Sauron directed the actions of the Easterlings and the Haradrim, which led to a combined attack on Gondor in 1944, which almost ended with the destruction of the kingdom.

In 1974, the Nazgûl leader, the Witch King, destroyed Arnor, but the ancestral branch of its rulers survived. Six years later, he appeared in Mordor and gathered the rest of the Nazgûl there to prepare for the coming of Sauron. In 2002, the assembled armies of Mordor captured Minas Ithil and it became known as Minas Morgul. As the power of Dol Guldur began to grow in 2060, the Wise Ones feared that Sauron had returned and regained his bodily form. In 2063, the mage Gandalf the Grey came to Dol Guldur, and Sauron retreated, hiding in the East. After that, the Vigilant Peace came. During the Vigilant Peace, Sauron and his servants stood idly by, giving their enemies time to recuperate.

In 2460, Sauron returned to Dol Guldur, and the Vigilant Peace ended. From that time on, there were constant attacks on the borders with Gondor from Minas Morgul.

In the year 2850 of the Third Age, Gandalf, who is seriously concerned about the activities of the master of Dol Guldur, arrives at the fortress again and learns that the Necromancer is Sauron. A year later, Gandalf manages to convene the White Council, where he calls for an immediate attack on Dol Guldur. However, the head of the Council, the wizard Saruman, refuted Gandalf's arguments, and the Wise Ones remained inactive.

In 2939, Sauron learned that the One Ring had been lost. Before that, he believed that the elves destroyed him. Sauron's servants began searching near the Toffee Lowlands, where Isildur died and the One Ring was lost. Saruman learned of this and, secretly wanting to take possession of the Ring, gathered the White Council two years later and initiated an attack on Dol Guldur. In 2941, the Council arrived, and Sauron, pretending to have escaped, returned to Mordor.

The War of the Last Alliance
Returning to Middle-earth, Sauron restored his body, but due to the waste of his soul's strength, he could no longer make it beautiful. He found that the power of Gil-galad now extended as far as the borders of Greenwood, approaching Mordor. He also learned that the surviving Loyal Númenóreans, led by Elendil, managed to escape and sail to Middle-earth, where they founded their kingdoms: Arnor and Gondor. Sauron began to prepare for war and in 3429, having accumulated military power, he attacked Gondor, captured Minas Itil and drove out Elendil's eldest son, Isildur. Anarion, Isildur's brother, was able to halt the advance of the legions of Mordor and prevent them from capturing Osgiliath. Elendil formed an alliance with Gil-galad, and in 3434 they crossed the Misty Mountains to Mordor. Knowing about the Union, Sauron sent as many orcs as possible to meet him to prevent the passage of those troops who decided to take a shortcut by crossing the Mountains. But the main forces of Gil-galad and Isildur with part of the Arnor army were marching through the passes, and the orcs were frightened and hid.

The armies of the Union destroyed Sauron's armies at the Battle of Dagorlad, broke into Mordor, and besieged Barad-Dur for seven years. In 3441, the siege was so close that Sauron was forced to personally engage in battle. He fought Elendil and Gil-galad on the slopes of Mount Doom and slew them, but he himself was defeated. Then Isildur son of Elendil cut off the Ring with the finger of Sauron's hand. The body of the Dark Lord was disembodied due to the loss of the Ring, and the spirit disappeared and did not gain visible form for a long time. Isildur took the Ring for himself as a vira for the death of his father and brother, so Sauron was not completely defeated. Two years later, Isildur fell in a clash with the orcs in the Toffee Fields, and the Ring disappeared into the waters of Anduin.

The loss of the Ring greatly weakened Sauron; he spent the first thousand years of the Third Age as a spirit devoid of embodied form.
After the Fall of Númenor, Sauron could no longer change his guise, as he had spent too much energy inducing Númenor to evil. From now on, he became dark and terrifying, with black hands in which fire burned, yellow and fire-shrouded eyes without eyelids, with a vertical pupil. He was taller than a man, but not a giant.

Domination of Middle-earth
In the years that followed, Sauron focused his attention on the east, gathering allies and distributing the Rings. The Nine Rings were distributed among the kings of men and gradually inclined them to evil, eventually turning them into ulairi, the most powerful and loyal of Sauron's servants. The Seven Rings were given to the lords of the dwarves, but they could not be enslaved due to the natural resilience of this people.

Nevertheless, Sauron was at the height of his power, becoming almost the supreme ruler of Middle-earth, since his power extended over all of Middle-earth, except for those places where the Elves and Númenóreans lived. He ruled a vast empire from the citadel of Barad-Dur in Mordor, using the One Ring at all times. Sauron's greed and pride increased enormously. He did not tolerate anyone's will and rivalry, he called himself the Lord of the Earth. He could still deceive people if he wanted to, appearing to them in a form full of wisdom and beauty. But Sauron usually ruled by force and fear, if it was profitable for him. People in the east and south completely submitted to him, calling him God and King, fearing his fiery abode at Orodruin. Others in those years began to call him the Dark Lord and the Enemy. Sauron's armies caused considerable damage to the coastal fortresses and settlements of the Númenóreans. As a result, Sauron proclaimed himself king over the people, promised to expel the Númenóreans and destroy Númenor itself. But Sauron overestimated his power and authority, since in the years of his greatness the power of Númenor also increased. Sauron in Númenor
in 3261, King Ar-Pharazon of Númenor, offended by Sauron's claim to domination over men, came to Middle-earth with a huge army, and Sauron's troops fled in fear. Sauron realized that he could not crush Ar-Pharazon by force of arms, and he used a stratagem. Sauron deliberately surrendered and was brought to Númenor, where he was overcome by envy and hatred of the greatness of men. The One Ring was with him, and after three years, squandering the powers of his soul on the darkening of minds, Sauron turned from a prisoner into an adviser to Ar-Pharazon. Then Sauron called himself Tar-Myron (the Fair King), and strenuously refuted all that the Valar had previously taught, and taught men that there were still many lands and seas in the world, both in the east and even in the west, if only they had to be conquered; Untold riches await the victors there. He persuaded the king and the Númenóreans to worship the Darkness and its Lord, Melkor, by granting his servants new worlds and powers. In this Sauron acted cunningly. In order to distract the God-fearing person from his devotion, it is necessary to offer him another, invisible object of devotion and another hope of reward; to offer a bishop who approves of all the desires of the neophyte. As a mere prisoner, Sauron could not put himself in this position; but any worshipper of Melkor will make a high priest of a prisoner, if the prisoner is a servant and disciple of the Lord of Darkness. Although Sauron's ultimate goal was the destruction of the Númenóreans, it was mixed with a desire to take revenge on Ar-Pharazon for the humiliation. As a result, Sauron seduced many Númenóreans into his service and ruled over them, with which he was more than satisfied. "This is he whose name is not now called, for the Valar have deceived you concerning him, and have proclaimed the name of Eru, the ghost whom they themselves have devised in their madness, seeking to make men their slaves. For the Valar are the oracles of this Eru, and he speaks only what pleases them, but he who is lord over them will yet prevail and deliver you from this phantom; and his name is Melkor, Lord of All Things, Giver of Liberty; and he will make you stronger than the Valar."

Soon, many Númenóreans, led by Ar-Pharazôn, began to practice a false religion, wishing to escape death. Meneltarma was abandoned and the White Tree was burned, and the Temple of Melkor was built in Armenelos, where human sacrifices were offered. At this time, Sauron, if not independently, then through servants from among the Númenóreans, turned people against each other. Only a few of the Faithful did not yield to Sauron's promises, and remained faithful to the Valar, but so far Sauron had not been able to exterminate them.

However, Sauron also taught the Númenóreans a lot, thanks to which people learned to make long-range weapons and iron ships that did not sink in a storm. With the help of Sauron, the Númenóreans increased their power even more.

In 3310, Ar-Pharazôn sensed the approach of death, and Sauron suggested to him that the Valar were depriving men of their immortality by forbidding them to come to Valinor. Then the king prepared for war, paying no attention to the signs with which the Valar tried to warn the Númenóreans. One of the warnings was lightning that struck the dome of the temple of Melkor while Sauron was at its top. He remained unharmed, and people called him a god. Then Sauron declared that the lords of Valinor were the first to declare war, and the fleet of Númenor sailed to the Blessed Kingdom (3319). Sauron secluded himself in the inner chapel of the Temple, and people brought him more and more sacrifices to be burned. Sauron's servants tried to capture and kill the leader of the Faithful, Elendil, but they failed.

By the will of Ilúvatar, the Númenórean fleet was destroyed, as well as Númenor itself, which sank into the depths of the sea. Though Sauron's body sank into the abysses, his spirit returned to Middle-earth, taking the One Ring with it.

The Beginning of the
Second Age At the beginning of the Second Age, Sauron acted with good intentions in rebuilding the devastated Middle-earth. However, the service of Morgoth left too deep a mark on him, and Sauron returned to evil, thirsting for absolute power. Watching what was happening, Sauron believed that the Valar, whom he hated, had left Middle-earth with their attention. Sauron began to spread his influence to the people who lived in the east and south of Middle-earth, persuading them to serve him. The people of Númenor were fearful of Sauron, but for the time being his influence did not extend to them.

In 1000 A.D., Sauron gained a foothold in Mordor and began the construction of the fortress of Barad-Dura, which was completed 600 years later (1600 A.D.).

Most of all, Sauron wanted to win over the elves, who possessed immeasurably greater power than humans. Taking on a beautiful form and being called Annatar ("Lord of the Gifts"), Sauron appeared to the Elves in 1200, trying to win their trust. He called himself a messenger of the Valar, and said that he had been sent by them to Middle-earth to help the Elves arrange things as they had done in Valinor. Galadriel, Gil-galad, and Elrond did not trust him, and would not admit Sauron to Lindon, but the Noldor of Eregion gladly listened to his advice, seeking to improve their art. Celebrimbor, the lord of Eregion, did not listen to the messengers from Lindon. The Creation of the Rings of Power
Sauron knew of the Noldor's desire to make the world around him forever young and beautiful, as it had been in Valinor. Under Sauron's leadership, the blacksmiths of Gwaith-y-Mirdain achieved great success and plotted to create the Rings of Power that could stop the world's demise. Sauron, on the other hand, sought to enslave the Elves and directed their labors; with him were created the Seven and Nine Rings. Celebrimbor created the Three Rings in secret from Sauron, and they had no dark will, although they also turned out to be bound by Sauron's design. While the Rings were still being made, he traveled to Mordor and forged the One Ring in the fire of Orodruin in 1600. Sauron had to invest most of his spiritual strength in it. In return, Sauron gained power over the other Rings: he knew everything that had been done with the lesser Rings; Sauron did not count on the Elves to feel his influence. In fact, when Sauron put on the One Ring and cast the spell, the Elves saw his designs, took off their Rings, and did not put them on as long as Sauron possessed the One. Sauron was seized with anger, and soon he declared war on the Elves, demanding the return of the Rings to him. He said that without his knowledge and help, it would be impossible to create them. War of the Elves and Sauron
In 1695, at the head of a huge army, Sauron invaded Eriador and marched towards Eregion. His army was so large that the combined forces of Celeborn and Elrond were driven back at the same time that Eregion was besieged. In 1697, the Elven capital of Ost-in-Edil was captured. Celebrimbor went out to fight Sauron on the threshold of House Myrdain, but lost the duel and was captured. Sauron found in the House of the Nine Rings other less valuable creations of the Mirdain. However, the other rings could not be found, especially Three, which Sauron especially wanted because of his power to stop the withering of the world.

Under torture, Celebrimbor revealed the location of the Seven Rings, as he did not value them, but did not say a word about the Three. Enraged, Sauron ordered Celebrimbor to be executed and his body carried on a pole like a banner. Sauron threw his troops against the troops of Elrond, and they managed to survive only thanks to the help of the dwarves of Khazad-dûm and the elves of Amroth, who struck at the rear of Sauron. Elrond retreated to the north and entrenched himself in Imladris, and Sauron drove the dwarves and elves back, but the Gates of Moria slammed shut. From that time on, Sauron was consumed by hatred for the dwarves of the Durin family.

Having completed the sack of Eregion (1699), Sauron sent troops to Lindon, correctly assuming that the three Rings were there. Sauron came close to victory, but was thwarted by the fleet of Númenor, sent by King Tar-Minastir to help the Elves of Gil-galad. In 1700, Sauron's forces suffered a crushing defeat at the Grey Harbors, and were driven back to the southeast at the Battle of Sarn Ford. At the Battle of the Gwathlo River, Sauron barely escaped only under the cover of a few bodyguards. In 1701, he secretly returned to Mordor and swore revenge on the Númenóreans.

The First Age
In the war between the Valar and Melkor, caused by the awakening of the Elves in 1050 BC (the beginning of the First Age), Angband quickly fell, and Sauron was forced to flee (1090). The Valar laid siege to Utumno and finally took it, taking Melkor prisoner and taking him to Valinor to serve his sentence (1099). Sauron was never found by the Valar. In Melkor's absence, Sauron hid in the ruins of Angband, rebuilding the Orc army and awaiting his master's return. In 1497, Melkor (now Morgoth) returned to Middle-earth with the stolen Silmarils of Fëanor. He rebuilt Angband and moved the hordes prepared by Sauron against Thingol, king of the Sindar elves. Melkor was followed by the Noldor Elves, led by Fëanor, intent on recovering the Silmarils. In the War of the Gems with the Noldor, Sauron was the viceroy of Morgoth, surpassing in influence Gothmog, lord of the Balrogs and commander-in-chief of the army of Angband.

In the first year of the Sun of the First Age, the first Men awoke, and Melkor departed for them, leaving Sauron to lead the war against the Noldor.

In the year of Dagor Bragollach (455 A.D.), Morgoth sent Sauron to conquer the elven island of Tol Sirion, which he did, expelling Orodreth from there; the island has since become known as Tol in Gaurhot (Werewolf Island). No living creature could pass through the valley without Sauron seeing him from the tower.

A few years after Dagor Bragollach Morgoth ordered Sauron to destroy Barahir and his companions, who had successfully waged a guerrilla war in Dorthonion. Gorlim, one of the squad members, has been spotted by Sauron's spies and deceived by the ghostly image of his wife in the window of his house. So the orcs managed to capture him and bring him to Sauron, who promised that in exchange for information about Barahir he would release Gorlim and his wife, Eilinell. Terrified by Sauron's gaze, the man told everything, and Sauron gave Gorlim a painful death as the fulfillment of his promise, for Eilinell had long been dead. In 460, Barahir's detachment was destroyed.

On Morgoth's orders, Sauron began a hunt for Barahir's surviving son, Beren. For three years it was all in vain, and once Beren was even able to wound Sauron in the paw (apparently he was in the form of a wolf). Sauron continued the persecution, and eventually Beren fled Dorthonion in 464.

In the autumn of 465, Beren, along with Finrod Felagund, king of Nargothrond, and ten other companions, traveled to Angband for the Silmaril, which was needed as a dowry for his marriage to Lúthien. Finrod magically gave himself and his companions the appearance of orcs, but as they passed Tol-Sirion, Sauron suspected deception, for the orcs walked quickly and did not report themselves. A party of Beren and Finrod was brought before Sauron, and he questioned them, telling them about Nargothrond. He was surprised that the Orcs knew so much about the affairs of Nargothrond, and the sympathy of one of them for Lúthien and his refusal to repeat his oaths of allegiance to Morgoth confirmed all suspicions. Then Sauron sang a magic song, and Finrod confronted him, singing his song. But the elf could not resist and was defeated when Sauron reminded him of the elven fratricide and the theft of ships. The veils of Finrod were torn off, and the captives were thrown into prison. Sauron was still unaware of the purpose of their campaign and threatened death if the secret was not revealed. From time to time, a werewolf descended to the captives and devoured one of the elves. Sauron suspected Finrod of an important elven lord and had no intention of killing him. However, when the wolf came for Beren, Finrod grappled with the werewolf and killed it, but was mortally wounded and died. Soon after, Lúthien and the dog Huan arrived on the island, intending to rescue Beren. Sauron sent werewolves to capture Lúthien, but Huan killed everyone, including Angband's werewolf chieftain, Draugluin. Before he died, Drauguin was able to report to Sauron that Huan had come to the island. Knowing about the prophecy that said that John would die in battle with the greatest wolf, Sauron took the form of a monstrous wolf and went out to fight. The Valinor dog jumped away in terror, and Lúthien fainted from the stinking breath, but as she fell, she waved her magic cloak, and Sauron hesitated, overcome by a moment's drowsiness. Huang took advantage of this and rushed into battle. Sauron was mistaken and could not defeat John, since the prophecy actually referred to Carcharoth. As a result, the dog grabbed Sauron's throat, and no matter how he changed his appearance, he could not get rid of the grip. Lúthien gave Sauron the choice of giving her power over the fortress or losing his body, returning to Morgoth in disgrace as a disembodied spirit. Sauron relented, and Huan let him go, and he flew away, turning into a giant vampire bat. Afterwards, Sauron hid for a time in Taur nu Fuin, filling the forest with terror.

After Eärendil's journey to Valinor (542), the Valar decided to march against Morgoth, and in the War of Wrath the Dark Lord was defeated. Then Sauron took on a beautiful form and turned to Eonwë with repentance, for he was shocked by the defeat of Morgoth. However, Eonwë had no right to forgive or punish a Maya like himself in any case. Sauron was ordered to return to Haman and await the decision of the Valar. Not wanting to be humiliated and serve the Valar until the end of time (while he was powerful under Morgoth), Sauron fled and hid in Middle-earth for a long time.

Period before the First Age
Like the rest of the Ainur, Sauron was created by Eru Ilúvatar before the Music of the Ainur. Sauron did not join Melkor's dissonance in the Music, and was among the Ainur who joined Ea to prepare it for the coming of the Children of Eru (Elves and Men). In Arda, Sauron became one of the Maiar of Aulë, and until his fall was known as Mairon, which was probably based on Valarin, but was later adapted by the Elves for Quenya. Soon Melkor rebelled against Manwë and tried to appropriate Arda for himself against the rest of the Valar. Sauron was one of the Maiar who sided with Melkor during these years, in admiration of his greatness. However, the root cause of Sauron's downfall was his main virtue: his love of order and harmony. He did not tolerate confusion and useless quarrels. Sauron was attracted to Melkor's side by his will and power, which, as it seemed to Sauron at first, was suitable for the quick and powerful execution of his own plans.

For a time Sauron successfully pretended to be a loyal servant of the Valar, constantly supplying Melkor with information. So when the Valar settled in Almaren, and let their guard down, Melkor knew all this. After the destruction of Almaren by Melkor, the Valar left Middle-earth and settled in the lands of Aman, founding Valinor. They were still unaware of Sauron's betrayal, for he had also become a citizen of Valinor, but at some point Sauron left Aman and began to serve Melkor openly. After establishing the stronghold-arsenal of Angband in the northwest of Middle-earth, Melkor appointed Sauron as its commander. Skills
Sauron was the greatest of the Maiar who served Melkor: the most powerful and terrible of his servants, only slightly inferior to his master in evil.