After the Dagor Bragollach in FA 456, Sauron was bidden by Morgoth to destroy Barahir, ally of Finrod, King of Nargothrond; Sauron ensnared Gorlim, who was captured by his hunters, and interrogated him about the outlaw-lord's location. Gorlim refused to tell them anything, even under torture, until Sauron himself came forth and bartered with the man. Gorlim asked for his wife Eilinel, whom he thought captured. Thus, Sauron agreed and Gorlim yielded the information. However, Morgoth's vassal revealed that Eilinel was dead, and he put Gorlim to death afterward. Sauron then sent Gorgol the Butcher's horde to slay Barahir and his company. Barahir's son, Beren, evaded this fate and after news of his deeds reached Morgoth, Sauron at the helm of an army of Orcs, Werewolves and other fell beasts started hunting him. The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B: The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands), "The Third Age"

Bilbo's Last Song [1974] • The Silmarillion [1977] • Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth [1980]Three of the titles of the volumes of The History of The Lord of the Rings were also used as book titles for the seven-volume edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Treason of Isengard for Book 3, The War of the Ring for Book 5, and The End of the Third Age for Book 6. i. The Book of Lost Tales: Part One · ii. The Book of Lost Tales: Part Two · iii. The Lays of Beleriand · The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XVIII: " Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin" Assisted by the disguised Sauron, Celebrimbor created nineteen Rings of Power - three for the Elves, seven for the Dwarves, and nine for humans. When the rings were completed, Sauron returned to Mordor and used the volcanic fires of Mount Doom to forge the One Ring, which would bind the others to its power.

Parma Eldalamberon, Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien Suspecting that Sauron had indeed returned and that his hand coordinated the steady resurgence of evil, such as the actions of the Nazgûl, Gandalf infiltrated Dol Guldur in TA 2063 to confirm his suspicion, but the Dark Lord fled eastwards to conceal his identity. This marked the beginning of the Watchful Peace, which ended with Sauron's return to Dol Guldur in TA 2460 with renewed strength. In the same year, the One Ring was finally discovered by the Stoor Sméagol and his friend, Déagol. Sméagol murdered Déagol and took the Ring for himself. Sméagol was eventually so changed by the Ring's corruption he was given the name Gollum, ostracized from his people, and dwelt secluded, deep within the Misty Mountains. With Durin's Folk driven out from Khazad-dûm by Durin's Bane, Sauron began "to people Moria with his creatures" around TA 2480. Tolkien, J. R. R. (1977). Christopher Tolkien (ed.). The Silmarillion. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-395-25730-2. Some information concerning the appendices and a soon-abandoned sequel to the novel can also be found in volume 12, The Peoples of Middle-earth.He befriended the Elf smiths of Eregion, including Celebrimbor (greatest of craftsmen, as he was descended from Fëanor), and counselled them in arts and magic. Not all the Elves trusted him, particularly Lady Galadriel, Elrond, and Gil-galad, High King of the Ñoldor. Some accounts say that he befriended the Elven smiths of Gwaith-i-Mírdain without the knowledge of Galadriel and Celeborn. [16] In one version of the story, Sauron developed a strong hold over Gwaith-i-Mírdain that he persuaded them to rebel against Galadriel and Celeborn which drove them to leave Eregion so he could work unopposed. [16] Tolkien never described Sauron's appearance in detail, though he painted a watercolour illustration of him. [T 1] Sarah Crown, in The Guardian, wrote that "we're never ushered into his presence; we don't hear him speak. All we see is his influence". [2] She called it "a bold move, to leave the book's central evil so undefined – an edgeless darkness given shape only through the actions of its subordinates", [2] with the result that he becomes "truly unforgettable ... vaster, bolder and more terrifying through his absence than he could ever have been through his presence". [2] Before the publication in 1977 of The Silmarillion, Sauron's origins and true identity were unclear to those without access to Tolkien's notes. In 1968, the poet W. H. Auden conjectured that Sauron might have been one of the Valar. [3] Interpretations [ edit ] Wholly evil will [ edit ]