Middle-Earth

A diminutive, humanoid race known as Hobbits were a little shorter in stature than ordinary men, but other than that and their hairy feet, one could hardly discern that they were different from other people on the planet.  They are extinct now just like the race of Elves and Dwarves.  All the Dwarves had beards, even the women and because they looked so much alike, this lead people to think that there were no Dwarf women and that Dwarves just sprung out of holes in the ground.  Elves had slightly pointed ears, they had blonde hair and blue eyes and they lived indefinitely (they did not age past a certain point), but they could be killed, or become so badly wounded that their spirits would forsake their bodies.  Hobbits lived in a pleasurable world where their lives were centered around eating natural foods and smoking the Shire’s finest pipe weed. The Shire is redolent of a timeless pastoral world, blessed by nature, unpolluted by man.

The Valar are simply the kings, and the Maiar, their people.  The Maiar were near-primordial spirits that descended into Arda to help the Valar first shape the World.  Melkor whose name means “He who arises in might”, rebelled against his creator out of pride and sought to corrupt Arda.  Melkor later became known as Morgoth and he became the first Dark Lord, the primordial source of evil.  Morgoth corrupted Sauron and became his mentor, but he was ultimately defeated.  Morgoth is now a bodiless spirit dwelling in the Void, no longer having any power to harm or affect the material world.  He is only a dark shadow, brooding on the confines of Arda, existing as karma’s quest for comeuppance.  Sauron escapes this fate by showing contrition, but he eventually goes back to emulating Morgoth by attempting to subjugate Middle Earth.  Sauron is an enigma who is represented as an evil eye of fire atop the tower of Barad-dur and looking at him will stir enough fear to make one faint.

Middle-earth or rather the continent of Arda was replete with mythical materials and unique substances.  The substance Galvorn was a black alloy used to make resistant armor and it was known as the steel of the Dwarves, because it was extremely malleable, and resistant to injury by metal weapons.

Written for Daily Addictions prompt Week #32 – Enigma, for FOWC with Fandango – Substance, for August Writing Prompts – Karma’s quest for comeuppance, for Sheryl’s A New Daily Post Word Prompt – Natural, for Ragtag Community – Blue, for Scotts Daily Prompt – Stir and for Word of the Day Challenge Prompt – Redolent.