Here… at the end of all things!

All was quiet along the watchtowers of the Black Gate as the Mouth of Sauron, emissary of the Dark Tower emerged from the vast gate.

Sauron will have his little game, with those who dare come so boldly before the Black Gate of Mordor with such insolence

The plain of Gorgoroth lay empty before the fortress of Barad-dûr, the Eye in the Dark Tower was bent fully upon the force of men before the Black Gate.

The Dark Lord’s time had come at last… he could feel that Ring was near… and yet something… something gnawed at his thought… something perhaps he might have missed?

The great Eye in the Tower, lidless and wreathed in flame moved this way and that across the borders of his land, searching for any breach through which a force of strength might come. Sauron had made sure, that all of the points of entrance into the Land of Shadow were watched and guarded in case a hidden legion of elves or men came from behind, while he looked north to the gate. He had left no border unwatched… no pass unguarded… and yet… Sauron felt something…

The gaze of the Dark Lord was drawn ever back to these so called Captains of the West, who dared proclaimed all the lands outside of Mordor as their own. They would soon be tested and the Dark Lord would instruct them in the ways of war, making sure they understood who held the real power in Middle-earth.

This pitiful show of force, that stood before the Black Gate and called upon the Sauron to come forth and surrender, would soon be overwhelmed with the full might of Mordor. These foolish Captains must be under the mistaken assumption, that the Dark Lord had already emptied the land of Shadow in his war upon the West. What they did not know, was the within the borders of Mordor, was camped the single largest army ever seen in this age of the world. It will be with great satisfaction to watch his armies crush this lowly force of men, who followed this would-be king.

Sauron had no doubt, it was this Ranger… Aragorn, son of Arathorn, who held the Ring of Power and foolishly believed he had the strength to break the gate of Mordor and ravage the works of the Dark Lord. Soon this heir of Númenor would be thrown down and the Ring taken back to it’s real Master, but first the cat must have his play with the mouse… before devouring it.

Even now, the Mouth of Sauron was showing these captains tokens that would leave them in despair. They had dared send spies into Mordor and even though these spies had not been captured yet, they could still be used to bargain with.

The eight remaining Nazgûl circled about the vale of Udûn just out of sight, within of the Black Gate. Suddenly the Mouth of Sauron fled back through the gate… it seemed his sport was not gone as well as hoped. No matter, it was now time to teach this would be-king a lesson. The Eye of Sauron peered into the vale of Udûn and sent the signal to attack. Brazen horns were sounded… great beasts of war bellowed in the shadow… and the harsh cries of his servants rose up with such a clammer that the ground shook as the Black Gated opened.

The vast forces of Mordor issued through the gate, the slag hills around the Towers of the Teeth were black with countless orcs streaming down their sides. The uruks of Mordor issued out of every crack and crevice along the black hills bored in the Mountains of Shadow. Spiders, orcs, wargs, trolls and legions of evil men descended upon the Captains of the West and they were soon surrounded, with no route of escape. The fly was now trapped in the spiders web and there could be no rescue for the this remnant of failing Númenor.

Sauron called upon the Nazgûl to come forth upon their fell beasts! They descended upon these men of the west. prepared to rend and tear and destroy. Then finally, to retrieve the One Ring and bring it back to the Dark Tower. The Dark Lord Sauron would then come forth from the Black Gate himself and finish this final war! His moment of triumph was come at last!

The battle raged… but then… a voice was heard crying above the rest.

“The Eagles are coming… the Eagles are coming!”

The great Eye in the Tower looked up above the field of battle… over the spires of Narchost and Carchost and the Black Gate of Mordor… up into the western skies of Middle-earth… there he saw the air filled with winged armies of Eagles from the Misty Mountains. For the first time, a thread of fear began to worm it’s way into the mind of Sauron. He had not anticipated that the Eagles of the North would fly such a distance to fight, but it ultimately it would prove fruitless, because even with this additional force, they had not the numbers to withstand the armies of Mordor.

Suddenly the ground shook… Sauron felt the full power of the One Ring!

So… in his urgent need this heir of Númenor had put the Ring upon his finger and openly declared himself. Now… at last it was time for the fly be devoured! The Eye in the Dark Tower searched across the field of battle… but the Ring was not there… the RING… he felt the ONE Ring… it was… it was within the borders of Mordor… IN THE CONE OF ORODRUIN!

The Great Eye swung about… searching across the plain of Gorgoroth and landing upon summit of Mount Doom. The Ring was upon the finger of the halfling… who stood upon the precipice in the furnaces of Sammath Naur! Suddenly the full impact of his error was known to him.

They did not seek to take the Ring to use against him… no… NO… they sought to destroy it!

And with it, the greater part of his strength! Across the whole of Middle-earth his armies faltered… from the Gates of Erebor to the trees of Lothlorien… and even upon the Dagorlad before the very gates of Mordor! All of the power of the dark Lord was bent upon Mount Doom and the fate of the Ring. From all his policies and webs of fear and treachery, from all of his stratagems and wars his mind shook free, and throughout his realm a tremor ran, his slaves quailed, his armies halted, and his captains suddenly steerless, bereft of will, waivered and despaired

The Dark Lord looked across the plain to the door he had made and the plans of his enemies were laid bare.

At his summons, wheeling with a rending cry, in a last desperate race they flew, faster than the winds, the Nazgûl, the Ringwraiths, and with a storm of wings they hurtled southwards towards Mount Doom.

Time stood still… Sauron waited as he realized the full meaning of his folly. Then he felt it… the Ring was falling… falling… falling into the Cracks of Doom from whence it had been made. It sat a moment upon the crust of flame… and then it sank into the molten fire and was gone forever!

The Dark Tower… the vast fortress of Barad-dûr began to crumble beneath him. In a last… desperate… vain attempt to save himself and the Ring, the spirit of Sauron launched itself upward into the skies over Mount Doom. Like a vast black hand it rose over Orodruin. The grounds shook, the plains heaved, battlements tumbled, walls crumbled and mountains slid into ruin upon the vast plain of Gorgoroth. The Nazgûl came shooting like flaming bolts, as caught in the fiery ruin of hill and sky, they crackled, withered and went out.

A huge shape of shadow reared up above the world, and stretched out over all the lands of Mordor, like a vast threatening hand, terrible, but impotent: for a wind out of the west engulfed the Shadow and it was blown away… and passed… and a hush fell upon the world.

And so it was, that on this day, the reign of Sauron was ended in Middle-earth forever…

 

The Mordor Appendices ~ The Time Line of the Year 3018 ~ 3019