The First Age
the world that ended; the wars of Beleriand
The world that ended. The Eldar fled Aman to Middle-earth in pursuit of Morgoth and his stolen Silmarils, and the wars of Beleriand were fought here, Doriath the hidden kingdom of Thingol and Melian, Gondolin the seven-named city in its mountain ring, Nargothrond carved beneath the river by Finrod. Here Beren and Lúthien took a Silmaril back from Morgoth's iron crown. Here Túrin slew Glaurung the dragon, and himself, on the river Teiglin. Here Fingolfin rode alone to the gate of Angband and there fought Morgoth and there fell. The Sun and Moon rose at this age's dawn, the last fruit and last flower of the slain Trees, and the long defeat of the Eldar against the first Dark Lord played out beneath them. When the Valar finally came in the War of Wrath, they drew the very poison out of the world, and the world broke. Beleriand sank beneath the Sundering Sea forever. Only the eastern strip survived, the narrow coast of Lindon. The First Age ended with the world half-drowned and the Silmarils mostly lost.
