Though grievously besieged, the heavily fortified hill did not fall, and Maedhros himself accomplished deeds of surpassing valor during the fighting. Maglor retreated with heavy losses to Himring, where he helped defend the fortress of Maedhros. Maglor's horsemen were burnt alive on the plain of Lothlann, and Maglor's Gap was taken, giving Morgoth an entry into Beleriand. The Orcs quickly overran the highlands of Dorthonion, and slew Angrod and Aegnor. And so it was that each of the Elven kingdoms had to fight Morgoth's forces on their own. Morgoth's primary aim was an onslaught so rapid and overwhelmingly powerful that the various kingdoms of the Elves would not be able to consolidate their forces or come to each others' aid. Behind them came the Balrogs, Glaurung the Father of Dragons, and legions of Orcs in such numbers as the Elves had never imagined. The Elves had never faced an assault of this sort before, and many perished as they fled from these flames. The plains of Ard-galen were consumed by the fire and transformed into a barren desert which was renamed Anfauglith, "the Gasping Dust". ![]() On a cold winter's night when the Elven watch was at its least vigilant, Morgoth sent out rivers of flame and poisonous fumes from Thangorodrim and the Iron Mountains. Had Morgoth waited for a short time longer to truly complete the buildup of his forces, his foes would have been utterly annihilated.įirst Battle – Dagor-nuin-Giliath – Dagor Aglareb – Dagor Bragollach – Nírnaeth Arnoediad – War of Wrath This haste was credited as the reason why resistance against Morgoth was able to continue after the conclusion of the conflict. However, in the furious haste of his malice, he decided to strike before his designs were complete, cynically underestimating the valor of the Elves, and not accounting for the Edain at all. He intended to use this new, unprecedentedly powerful force to utterly destroy those who had opposed him. As such, the Dark Lord labored undisturbed in Angband during the siege, breeding countless legions of Orcs and other evil creatures, as well creating the first dragon. The Elves, confident in their ability to defeat mere Orcs, had not yet realized the true futility of their war, nor that assaulting Angband was simply not within their power. Their kingdoms were more idyllic than they had ever been, and they were not eager to begin an assault which, even in victory, would come at an absolutely ruinous cost. However, the vast majority of the Elven lords were content with the situation as it stood. The strength of the Elven kingdoms, and that of their Edain allies, became such that Fingolfin, High King of the Ñoldor, even began to toy with the idea of assaulting Angband itself. With the Orcs contained, four hundred years of peace and prosperity reigned in Beleriand, to the point where green grass came to grow even to the very doors of Angband. ![]() As such, he halted his attacks but sent out many spies and agents to gather information for him. The Dark Lord had occasionally sent out sorties of Orcs to test the Elven defenses, but each time they had held with relative ease, and after a time Morgoth realized that the Orcs unaided were simply not a match for the Ñoldor. In the years after Dagor Aglareb, the Ñoldor set up a siege-like guard over the southern gates Angband. The burning of Ard-galen at the beginning of the battle, by Filat
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