Basic lotr info

WARNING: page under construction. This page is meant to give a very brief overview of Middle Earth lore.
In Tolkein's magic world he created many things, and for those who haven't sunken a lot of time into it, everything can be quite daunting. This page is here to give you a slight overview on the world of Tolkein and the forces at play.
==Races==
The races of Middle-earth according to J.R.R Tolkien.
Orcs: These vile creatures were created by Melkor through the torture and corruption of captured Elves. They are a race of savage warriors and are the primary villains in the books. It should be noted that Tolkien did not want them to be purely evil, and that according to Lord Elrond all races save Elves were divided during the War of the Last Alliance, so it is possible that some good (likely stretching the term "good") Orcs exist or existed.
Elves: First born of Iluvatar, these beings are tall, graceful and immortal to anything but a violent death. They have a natural affinity for magic and nature, and are far wiser than any other race.
The lines of the Half Elven: This race is a mix of Elves and Men. This race is unique in that they eother choose or live by the choice their ancestors made - to be immortal like Elves, or to die like men. For example, Elros, son of Earendil was the first king of the Numenoreans (Men who lived on an island off the coast which was then sunk) while his brother was Elrond, lord of Rivendell, an Elven realm.
Humans: The second born of the Children of Ilúvatar, they are very abundant and have a great lust for power (though different individuals have different motives and degrees of this), but they can also acquire great feats of strength and courage.
Dwarves: Short, bearded and stoic, they are the children of the Vala Aulë. The Dwarves are a species who have weathered countless onslaughts. Though many of their grand cities have fallen over the years, these bearded men and women are determined to reclaim what is theirs.
Ents: The Shepherds of the Trees, Ents protect the forests from the vile claws of the Orcs, and are the children of Yavannah (a Vala, often referred to as Kemetari). They are strong, but slow to make decisions and often passive.
Hourns: Trees that have been so influenced by the magical Ents that they can communicate and move.
Maiar: Maiar are spirits that came to Middle-Earth with the Valar. The Maiar are the less powerful than the Valar, but are still very strong and powerful. Some of them were corrupted by Morgoth, the most well known of which is Sauron.
Trolls: These dimwitted beings are immensely strong mockeries of Ents, and serve as shock troops and heavy laborers in the armies of Sauron, and Morgoth before him. They are made from the stone, and when the sunlight shines on some of them, to it they will return. 
Hobbits: A short race of small cheerful folk who have lived in the Shire since the middle of the Third Age. It is possible that they are descended from men, and are sometimes described as such.
Spiders: The great spiders can refer to more than race. The most common of which, however, are a group of large, sapient arachnids who are at least partially descended from Ungoliant, an evil mysterious being who took the form of a giant spider.
Half Trolls: Very little is known about Half-Trolls. It is possible that they can be anything from regular men who were rudely described by Numenoreans, or, they are actually men who have partially Troll genealogy. They are from southern parts of Middle Earth, such as Harad in the land of petrorogwaith. (NOTE- This is a race only marginally referenced by Tolkien. Much of this is speculation)
== The Ages of Middle Earth ==
Valian Years
This age is when Eru made Arda, and the Valar shaped it, Melkor also became Morgoth in this time. It also saw the destruction of the two 
towers, then the two trees, and then the creation of the Sun, Moon and 
Silmarilli.
THE FIRST AGE
This is the age when The Eldar, Khazad, Men and Ents awoke. This 
is the first and only (so far) age when Morgoth corrupted Middle Earth. 
This resulted in the destruction of Beleraind, the draining of the sea 
of Helcar and the creation of Numenor.
THE SECOND AGE
This age witnessed Morgoth's greatest pupil, Sauron the fallen 
Maia, corrupt the king of Numenor. This resulted in the destruction of 
Numenor. The few refugees either stayed loyal to Sauron, or stayed loyal
 to the Valar. The former became known as Black Numenoreans and 
inhabited Umbar and the other colonies, while the latter established the South and North 
kingdoms in exile, Gondor and Arnor respectively. After sixty years of 
establishment and fighting, Sauron was banished from the physical world, only to return at some later point.
THE THIRD AGE
This age included the fall of Arnor, the rise and fall of Angmar,
 the corruption of Mirkwood, The reinstatement of the line of kings, the
 unification of Arnor and Gondor under King Aragorn Ellesar, and the 
final defeat of Sauron at the brave hands of Frodo Baggins and Samwise 
Gamgee. 
THE FOURTH AGE
Very, very little is known about this age. However, it is said 
that the free peoples of Middle Earth flourished and that most elves 
departed to Aman, and Durin VII led a colony of dwarves and finally 
retook Khazad-dum, where dwarves stayed until the end of time. It is 
perhaps possible that the Fourth Age ended with a great flood. However, 
the last piece of information provided is is nothing more than a theory.
== Realms ==
There are the various realms of Arda according to the lore of the Third age of Middle-earth.
LANDS OF THE VALAR
These are the undying lands where the Valar live. Aman is part of this category, and before the First Age Almaren.
LANDS OF THE ELVES 
These are the lands of the Elves, and as such they are some of 
the most beautiful and pure places in Middle Earth. They are Lindon, 
Mirkwood, and Imladris, or Rivendell as it is more commonly known. It is
 also said that there are "Avari" Elves that never agreed to see 
Valinor. They reside in the Far East. They also live in Aman in Tirion, Alqualondë and Valimar.
LANDS OF THE DWARVES
These are the lands of the 7 dwarf clans. They include the Blue 
Mountains, The Mountain of Erebor, the Iron Hills, and the Red Mountains
 of the east. In ancient times, Dwarves also dwelt in the Grey 
Mountains, but now this is a desolate Dragon Infested area. The Misty 
Mountains for periods of time also had Dwarves, as is seen by the ruins 
of Khazad-dum (Dwarf mansion), or as the elves named it, 'Moria'.
LANDS OF MEN
The lands of men are numerous but very different, some include 
large kindoms like Rohan, Gondor and Rhun and some are small villages 
like Bree.
LANDS OF EVIL
These are the corrupted lands of Sauron and his Orcs. They 
include the  Misty Mountains, Dol Guldur and Mordor and the lands around
 it.
Category:Help
Category:Browse
Category:Guide