Before the conception of time, Eru the Father, (Illuvatar in the tongue of the Elven), put before his Anuir (celestial servants) three themes. They sang these themes eager the be enlightened in their Father’s unpalpable wisdom. As they sang, the cadences blending in a beautiful harmony. But Melkor , the highest of the Anuir, attempted to sing his own theme and was scolded by Illuvatar. The Eru revealed unto his Anuir a vision that was beyond their fathoming. In the Æ (the outer void beyond the Halls of Eru, the Father begot a firmament of existence, the Macrocosm, that founded a material reality. In the center of this he formed the world of Etherea. The Anuir watched fixatedly at the vision as the history of this world rapidly before their eyes. All of the Anuir gained a new understanding, and became entuned with the will of Eru. Melkor, again attempted to defy Eru and venture into the Æ and gain the world of Arda. The vision was halted and all of the Anuir wore sorely disappointed.
Now, many of the Anuir wished to go to Arda, and tend it, and nuture it with the love and power of Eru. So, Eru gave Arda to them as a gift, so that they might be his direct advocates in the . The most notable Anuir that departed to Etherea were: Manwe, Lorien, Varda, Yarvanna, Olme, Tuklas, Ulmo, Mandos, Aule, and Melkor. Many others went with them. These 10 became known as the Valar, the most powerful beings that existed solely within the Macrocosm. The others that followed in the Exodus were known as the Maiar.
Now, Melkor had it in his heart to depart along with the other Valar, but he not only desired to rule the world of Arda, but also wished to command the will of Illuvatar, the Father. Melkor, poisoned the Maiar and lesser Anuirs’ with deceitful lies and promises. He succeeded in converting many Maiar (known as Balrogs) and lesser Anuir (known as Demons) to his will.
But not all the Anuir that remained (known as Angels) fell for his lies. The Angel, Michael, mustered unto him a following of supporters whom opposed Melkor. Tensions began building between these two factions and they began organizing into armies. Michael and his captains, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Chamuel, Jophiel, and Zadkiel, arranged their legions and marched against the Demons of Melkor.
The captains of Melkor, known as Armaros, Araqiel, Azazel, Baraqijal, Ezequeel, Gadreel, Kokabel, Penemune, Sariel, Semjaza, Shamshiel, became known as the Thrones. Their hordes being very proud and desiring rank were sorted into thus: Thrones, the Demons of Vengence (their prince known as Oriphiel, Zabkiel, or Zaphiel), Dominions, wielders of orbs and scepters of authority (the chief known as Hashael, Principalities, the Demons appointed to disrupt faith in Eru ( their prime being, Nisroc,) Powers, Demon Warriors ordained to struggle with and overcome the Archangels (their chief is known as Requel, Anael, or Cerviel), and Virtues the workers of wonder and decits.
A massive battle ensued. It raged in the sacred Halls of Eru. Michael subdued Melkor, and cast him down into the void of the Æ, along with those he had corrupted. Eru awarded Michael and his captains, by appointing them as Archangels, protectors of His will. The Sacred Halls of Eru were shaken by this war, as a symbols of the sundering of the Anuir, Eru caused a sea of glass to form around the parameter of his Sacred Halls. Underneath His halls he conceived a swirling lake of fire, wrought of the fires Eru’s wrath at the disobedience of his children, where he would cast Melkor and his rebels after the final battle of Dagor Dagorath.
There were also those that did not chose to participate in the war. These were mainly the closest to Eru, and the ones that knew his presence. Of these few Anuir, two orders were established. The Seraphim and the Cherubim. The Serahpim were the most holy of the Anuir, and had seen the face of Eru, they bowed before him night and day singing his praises and washed in his glory. The Cherubim were the Guardians of Eru’s Purity, and they kept the celestial records, (the Cherubs are: Ophaniel, Rikbiel, Zophiel). Melkor would have been classified into the Cherubim, had he not rebelled.
Melkor stalked through the Æ as he sought away of entry into the . Occasionally having scuffles with the Cherubim as they arranged the stars to record the laws and will of Eru. By his own genius Melkor destroyed a star, it collapsed in upon itself, and formed a Dark Portal (a portal into the Abyss), he poured the force of his yearning into this dark gateway, until it sucked everything into it greedily. Melkor placed this Dark Portal beneath the foundation of Etherea. The Black Hole pulled greedily upon Etherea, wishing to consume it and banish it. The of was strained so much that it bent around the Dark Portal, sculpting the into a sphere. The gravity of the Black Hole could not banish Etherea, for the world was too strong, but its power radiated throughout Etherea, anchoring all upon its surface to the ground.
All though this severly hindered the Valar, in their shaping and forming of the face of Arda according to the will of Eru, it did not gain him entry as he had hoped. For Eru had breathed upon the face of the world, and formed and atmosphere of life. Melkor and his minions could not slip past this barrier. Melkor and his minions came among the stars, and tampered with their Heavenly ordained locations, in order to cut off the communication between the Sacred Halls and the world. In doing so, he soon received an idea. The laws of the Macrocosm where determined by the formation of the celestial bodies. Melkor and his minions set all of the outermost stars in a circular orbit around the world; a Cosmic Clockwork to drive the destiny of the world. Two he bound to the task of driving the Wheel. No one knows from wince they came, or whom they are. They are the to opposing energies of the world, Fate and Fortune. Melkor went on to collapse a second star creating another dark portal into the abyss. He led his hordes into the abyss, in search of the Dark Portal in the core of Etherea.
Eru was sorely sorrowful of the actions of Melkor, but permitted them to persist, for it was apart of his will that no one could yet foresee. Eru then brought forth the first life outside his Sacred Halls. He caused the stars to come to life, the heavenly bodies became the first material children of Eru. They were called the Celestials. They were to assist the Cherubim in their documentation of the will of Eru and the destiny of his children. They would be placed in the sky, by the Cherubim to watch over Etherea, and to proclaim the will of Eru to his children. This assisted the Valar greatly as they strove to please Eru with their formulating of the world.
Eru informed Manwe, which had become the chief of the Valar that the Celestials were not meant for his precreation Children, but for his material children, that were coming to inhabitEtherea. Eru told the Valar that they were to shape the earth and ready it for the coming of His children, and when His children came, to protect, instruct, and guide them. This news excited the Valar and filled them with wonder. What would the Children of Illuvatar be like? When would they come into existance? Where would they come into exsistance? To Manwe it was revealed the races and their destiny, but not their origins.
Rumor of this great revelation reached Melkor, and he was also pleased. The Children of Illuvatar could be used as a tool to overthrow the dominion of the Valar, as well serve him as thralls. Melkor, rarely dared return to the emptiness of the Æ where countless legions of steadfast Celestials dwelt. He attempted to deceive them with his sugar-coated tongue, but the Celestials knew of his treason and banished him back into the abyss. So he focused his efforts on Etherea and allowed the Cosmic Clock to spin of its own will.
In the blackness of the abyss Melkor erected an infernal fortress, composed of his malice and a multitude of his diabolical devices and designs. It was a Dungeon that consisted of 9 layers, the Valar called it Tartarus, but the Elven simplified this to Hadesl. At the entrance of each layer was a Gate of Hate, becoming progressively more impassible toward the bottom. In the top layer were stored the devices and contraptions devised by his perverted mind. The second layer is where the minions of his creation dwelt.
He could find no means to create his own races without means that were already present. He created fiends from the blood of his Powers, Devils from the essence of his Thrones, Daemons from the substance of his Dominions, and imps from the concentration of his hatred.
The third level, he had reserved for his Balrogs, the Mailar in the that had sworn alligence to him. The fourth layer would be a dark laboratory for his Virtues, and all of their diabolical research as they persued after ways to enhance the Demons’ powers. The 5th level was originally built as a dungeon for any prisoners Melkor might take. It was designed to contain even Manwe, the most powerful of the Valar, for Melkor hoped to capture him. But Melkor also built it incase he must incarserate any of his own minions, for becoming rebellious. Later on, after the construction of the Halls Of Mandos, it would be used as a basin to catch the River Styx as it cascaded into the abyss, and the dungeon would be moved into the 6th layer. Originally all of the Ranks of Demons had their own individual layer, but it was shifted to this: when the 5th layer was converted to a basin for the River Styx, the 6th level was converted to a training ground for the Powers as they forced themselves to become terrible in strength. The 7th layer was made into the Library of Malevolence (known to the Valar as the Library of Blasphemy). In this library the Principalities documented all of the findings of the Virtues and thoughts of Melkor, recorded the progress of the devices and designs of Melkor. They also devised countless means to undermine the will of Eru, to desicrate what he had consecrated, destroyed what he caused to flourish, and kill what he breathed life into. The 8th level was the level of the Dominions, the wielders of the scepters and orbs of Authority. These orbs were the focal points of Melkor’s dark powers and magic, and by the scepters the Dominions could invoke the ever-expanding power of their master. The Hall of Authority it is known as, because residents of the first 7 layers may descend no further than to this layer, for the evil presence which lies bellow is too great for them to bear. In the 9th layer is the throne room of Melkor. Only the Thrones are allowed into this, the most sinister of layers. No one is for sure what lies within this throne room, besides Eru himself, and none have dared to venture toward it. Rarely did Melkor leave his throne, but from behind his Gates guarded by Daemons he planted seeds of evil within the world.
When the Valar departed for Etherea, long before the Descension, they found the world not as they had perceived it in Eru’s Vision. It was new, crude, and hostile, not the paradise that they had forseen. The material of Etherea was raw, some of its still molding together. The Kingdom was a barren wasteland, the Valar at first were confused, then Eru revealed unto Manwe His will. They were to shape, nurture, and make the world bloom for the coming of His material children.
So, all the Valar and Maiar held counsel to discuss the tasks that must be accomplished to fulfill the Vision of Eru. They laid out all that was in the design that Eru had shown them, and then gave individual charges according to each others’ area of passion. They elected Manwe as their King, for he was the greatest of the Anuir among them, and had seen the most of Eru’s Vision. Because of his deep wisdom he could convey the will of Eru to them and supervise the formation of Etherea. Each of the Valar were appointed to a general area of development according to their passions, and the Maiar that had similar passions were given specific assignments under their command.
Manwe refused to merely supervise the formation of the world, he took command of the firmament that Eru had placed about the orb of the earth. This firmament was filled with Eru’s breath of life, which breathed life into Etherea, allowing it to be molded by the Valar. To this day many draw their magic from the wind because the air mortals breath to sustain themselves is the breath of Illuvatar. Manwe commanded the winds and weather. The Maiar in his service assumed the form of great eagles of mist, whose wings spread across the sky. They delivered the soothing rains to the land, and the punishing storms. His Maiar hammered the wild new world’s surface with storms, until it was flooded with deep oceans, that quenched the untamable fires of creation.
Ulmo had only harkened to the part in the Vision of Eru in which the secrets of the Fathomless Blue were revealed to the Anuir. He yearned to explore its deep expanses, so he became Lord of the water. The task of maintaining currents, erecting waves, supporting sealife, and replenishing rivers, were cleverly divided up between his Maiar. Ulmo was the most recluse and mysterious of all the Valar. Most of the Valar openly showed the works of their labor, but Ulmo accomplished covertly many great things in the Fathomless Blue that none shall ever know.
Aule was appointed as Lord of the earth. He was to erect dry land and great continents, and furnish its mantle with a wealth of reasources. He enlisted the aid of Ulmo and drove great continents up from the wild deeps. Him and his Maiar, forged many rock layers to set Etherea upon a sturdy foundation. His Maiar artisans contrived fine metals and precious stones to grow in the earth.
Yarvanna saw the barren and desolate continents, and was not impressed. She had been elected as Lady of Flora. Her and her Maiar devised many species of plantlife, according to the instruction of Manwe, and cast the seeds willy-nilly across the arid soil. Then Manwe cause the land to be sprinkled with gentle, life-giving rain, and the plants sprang forth, their presence blessed the soil and made it fertile, and they fed of the Breath of Eru. Manwe sent gentle zephyrs to the plants to give them energy, the plants sighed in gratitude and their breath of thanks put the breath of origin into the air, inviting new races to join them in the new paradise.
Olme was appointed as Warden of Wildlife. Him and Yarvanna were close collegues. When the Breath of Origin was release into the air, Olme caused a multitude of races to come into being, sculpted from the elements of existence, according to the designs of Eru. Him and his Maiar patrol the world, tending to the races, insuring their survival and health. Olme, taught the animals the skills and gave them the instincts to survive. He even aides certain races in evolving to adapt to their environment.
Varda was elected Lady of the Sky. She could read the Stars in the Sky, and was the only of the Valar that had the ability to pass beyond the firmament into the Æ. She commonly consulted with the Celestials and was eventually given charge of many of them. She, the aid of her Maiar, and the help of Aule forged a giant globe of diamond; a prism of giant proportions. She fixed it out in the Æ and had all of her Celestials surround it to protected it from Melkor. The radiance of the Celestials was reflected and magnified to terrible proportions through this prism. Since the animals of Olme preferred night at all times, and the plants of Yarvanna preferred light at all times, Varda compromised. She and her Maiar drew the prism closer to the firmament of Arda, until the gravity of the world seized it. Then they launched it away at a tremendous speed. It still could not escape the pull of Etherea, so it began to orbit the world. In this way, it was both night and day.
Tuklas glorified the exploits of Michael and set out to do the same in Etherea, him and his powerful Maiar were appointed to keep the peace and stability in Etherea. Tuklas and his Maiar guarded carefully the core ofEtherea, were the Dark Portal that led to the abyss was. Melkor had not found it yet, but by this he could gain entry into Etherea. He also controlled the fire of creation, which was a wild and erratic magic that Melkor sought to command. He became Master over the flames of the earth, and forger of the powerful bolts of Manwe’s wrath. For this he was give the title Vulcan (Volcanov Elvish).
Mandos, like Ulmo was recluse and mysterious in his ways. But he did not clearly state his purpose, and few Maiar chose to follow him. To him had been ordained the most obscure of all the positions. He was the Master of the Fates of the Children of Illuvatar. He was not permitted to bring them in to being, but instead instructed to erect a mighty stronghold, to be a refuge to Illuvatar’s Chilren. Not even Manwe discerned the purposes of Mandos. For unto Mandos was revealed that the Material Children had souls, but the souls were contained in a vessel known as the body. Mandos knew of the fate of the Children. All of them were doomed to one day depart from their bodies and seek refuge in the Halls of Mandos, where they would be exempt from the pains, frustrations, and cares of inflicted upon Etherea by Melkor. Some on the races’ bodies were doomed to deteriorate and fail with time, others would linger until the end of the world, unless their body be destroyed or their life be taken. Eru showed him the Realm of the Passing, the spiritual realm of Etherea. Just as the Material Children of Illuvatar had a Ba (soul) so did Etherea, its was Realm of the Passing. This is what gave life to the world and allowed it to live. Just as the bas of the Material Children are anchored to the body by the Ka (lifeforce). So is the Realm of the Passing anchored to Etherea. It is anchored by a realm that lies halfway in between, the Realm of the Fading. In the Realm of the Passing Mandros built his halls as a haven to the departed races. Before the Gates of the Halls of Mandos was laid a lake. This lake was not composed of water, but of all the Kas of those departed. This liquid body of lifeforce, slowly seeped back into the world, through the Realm of the Fading. This recycling of lifeforce made it possible for the races to produce posterity. When the Ba departed from the body the gravity of the Black Holes sucks greedily attempting to consume the soul, but the gravity pulls the Ba into the Realm of the Fading where Mandos’s Maiar escort it into the Hall of Judgement. This is the first chamber in the Halls of Mandos. It is here that Mandos placed a balance scale in the middle of the chamber. As the Ka is brought before him, he places the Ba on the balance, then weighs it against the Scepter of Judgement (which is in the form of a feather, for there is no corruption which weighs it down), a paragon given to him by Eru as a standard of rightousness. If the scale balances then the Ka is admitted into the haven for eternal rest. If the scale does not balance, then they are banished into the realm of the Fading, to watch their Ba recycled continuously through their posterity. This is where many ghosts come from and are not granted second life in the Material Realm. The gravity of the world draws the defilement that has entered Arda downward, accumulates in a vast sea called the . This sea serves as a metaphore for the separation that this defilement has caused between Illuvatar and His Children. This leaching process naturally acts to drain Melkor’s taint out of Arda. However, instead allowing this filth to be recycled back into Arda through the Realm of the Fading as is the lifeforce in the lake before the Halls of Mandos, Mandos fashioned a river to drain the into the Abyss through the Dark Portal at the very foundations of Arda. This river is known by the Eldar as the River Styx. Tuklas and his Mailar guarded this watercourse through the Material Realm, joined by the Mailar of Mandos in the Realm of the Passing. Tuklas set his champion Ardor as watchman to watch the Abyssal Cataract. When Melkor found the bottom of this watercourse he set dragon Tiamat with jaws open at the bottom to greedily consume the taint and preserve it in his vast stomach.
The Mandos sits upon his throne and weaves a great tapestry, that documents the history of Etherea and the Children of Illuvatar. Eru reveals to him the pattern, and he weaves the tapestry with the strands of fate.
The last of the Valar, Lorien chose to be the Keeper of Dreams. Mysterious and unforetold are his works, enigmatic are his purposes and designs. Many are his dealings in the Realm of the Passing. He became great friends and partners with Mandos, for there charges were somehow similar. No one knows how many Maiar followed Lorien, but they were for sure the wisest and the most foresighted. The Elves believe that it is Lorien’s task to counteract the Cosmic Clock, to the fate of the World. They believe that he has created feelings, virtues, thoughts, dreams, and above all hope, help the Children of Illuvatar to overcome the Darkness.
Little did Tulkas know, that many of his Mailar that aided him in guarding the Dark Portal were Balrogs, and were secretly in the service of Melkor. They secretly passed word to Melkor of all that developed in Etherea. Melkor soon deemed his strength sufficient to laid siege to world. First, he sent his Daemons into the Æ to attack the Celestials guarding the diamond orb, known as the Sun. He sought to capture the Sun and either, scorch the land barren, or cast the Sun down to earth and penetrate the Firmament. The Daemons took the Celestials guarding the Sun, by surprise, and by diabolical methods contrived by Melkor killed all of them. The Celestials, upon their death exploded into a great nimbus of light. Melkor began gathering this stardust together and compacting it around the Sun, until it was nothing but an orb of inquenchable fire. Varda sensed her subjects being assaulted and hurried to their aid. A Throne of Melkor was waiting for her with dark manacles forged by his Virtues. Varda was captured and incarserated in the 5th level dungeon of Hades.
When Manwe received word of this he was distraut, for he knew that even though the Sun was still under the control of the Valar, Melkor had devised some means of entry into Etheria. Manwe sent out the call to arms to the all the Valar and their Mailar. He advised them to forge legendary weapons of great power, and armor of strength. He also informed them that if they went to war with Melkor, the Kindom of Etherea would be shaken, all the way down to its foundation, just as the Sacred Halls of Eru had been. Also the land and all they had strived for would be scarred, and perhaps must be rebuilt.
Manwe forged for himself a great bow called the Celestial Bow, the Helm of Salvation, the Shield of Faith, Breastplate of Rightousness, and Sword of the Spirit. All of his Maiar in the form of Great Eagles of Storm (known as Thunderbirds) mounted for war. Ulmo displayed a portion of his reclusive works as great leviathans and whales burst forth from the Fathomless Blue, his furious beasts of the deep were ready to hold the sea in the name of Eru. Alue forged many fabulous legendary weapons and armament, now lost and unaccounted for, and handed them to any who would accept. Yarvanna endowed her plantlife with means of defense, such as poisonous leaves, and darts, thorns, and in some cases, teeth. Olme sounded his great Horn of the Hunt and gathered all fit beasts to him, all that mustered he endowed with such offenses as fangs, stingers, claws, and poison (these later became the carnivore when bent to the will of Melkor), Mandos awoke the Kas of the Celestials martyred defending the Sun, he gave to them new bodies, so that they may go and claim their vengence. Because they received a new Ba to anchor their souls with, they were called in Elven tongue Anubas.
Tulkas and his Maiar mounted for war, but when the Daemons of came pouring through the Dark Portal, Tulkas could have easily subdued them, if not for the betrayal of the Balrogs. The Balrogs turned on him openly declaring their allegence to Melkor, and drove Tulkas from the core of the Earth. Such pressure and tension mounted in the core of the earth that day that the Fire of Creation was forced to the surface, and was vomited out of great crators. As the Great War with Melkor raged across the face of the earth, canyons were ploughed, mountains were piled up, and knocked down, the continents were torn and scattered, and the sea was partially drained. Countless Daemons continued swarming through the Dark Portal, seemingly having no end. Finally in his wrath Manwe descended his thrown from atop Olympus Mons (a mountain tower that was so tall it scraped the firmament) and passed through the Black Hole into the Abyss. With is Armor of the Lord he penetrated the Fortress of Hades and freed Varda. Then he had Varda take some of the inquinchable fire from the Sun (this was the essence of the disembodied Celestials). From this she sculpted two great gates. Manwe himself placed the gates on both Black Holes permanently ceiling Melkor in the Abyss. For he could not pass the burning rightousness of the blood of the first martyrs.
The Great War against Melkor was done. Melkor was sealed in the Abyss, and could no longer send great wakes of physical strength into Arda, but was forced to penetrate it and in small masterful strokes, corrupt its beauty and undermine its progress. The major threat of Melkor was now subdued, but Manwe surveying the damages to Arda cause at his hand quaked with wrath. He named him Morgoth (this means “Darkest Enemy,” symbolizing that he was the enemy of the Children of Illuvatar). Arda was indeed scarred, marred, and broken just as he had fortold. It could not be reshaped to its former beauty, because while the land was infected by Melkor’s minions, they had planted irreversible blights, and diabolical devices of Melkors design.
The Valar began the slow process of reconstructing Arda. Manwe retired his armorments, vowing never to fight again. He had Varda hang his armor in the Night Sky, so that it may be a light unto the Children of Illuvatar during the night, and a reminder of the struggle with Melkor. Varda appointed several of her Mailar to drive chariots through the night sky, with the armorments mounted for all to see on the back, they were to regularly rotate between all of the pieces of armor. First to be displayed is His shield of Faith, a circular shield, wrought of silver, that carries the abuse given to it during the war. Then the Helm of Salavation was paraded in the night sky, then the Breastplate of Righteousness, oval in shape, wrought of silver, and still bearing the scars of battle. After that the Helm of Salvation, it is displayed from the side to symbolize how it was battered from Manwe’s head, then his Cloak of Twilight, dark as the night. Once again His shield of Faith, a circular shield, wrought of silver, that carries the abuse given to it during the war. Then the Helm of Salavation was paraded in the night sky, then the Breastplate of Righteousness, oval in shape, wrought of silver, and still bearing the scars of battle. After that the Helm of Salvation, it is displayed from the side to symbolize how it was battered from Manwe’s head. And last of all, the Sword of the Spirit, a scimitar wrought from truesilver. To the more ignorant of the Children of Illuvatar in ages to follow, the would hold this display of armor, as another heavenly body, equal to the Sun, that was set apart by the Valar to command the Night Sky. Men gave it the name Moon, for monarch but could never explain its fazes. Varda, removed the great prism from the center of the Sun, for it would magnify the radience of the unquenchable fire, and scorch the earth. Instead she placed it directly above Arda in the north and hewed it into a throne of diamond. There she now sits watching over Arda and the sky, her own aura maginified through the prism. The race of men, believing this to be their guiding star, because it seemed to be a star fixed perfectly in the north named it Polaris for Northern or Boreal in their language. Sometimes the prism bends the light of Varda and projects it in the Northern night sky. This is known to the Elven as the Northern Lights.
All the Valar were caught by surprise when they heard the Horn of the Hunts call echo through the air. Manwe was excited, for the reconstruction of Arda was recently finished. The horn of Orme signaled the origin of the Firstborn of the Children of Illuvatar. Orme brought the first seven before Manwe upon Olympus Mons. These children intrigued Manwe, for he had known shape of their Kas, and had not considered what their bodies would look like. When they were brought before him they were struck mute with the glory of Illuvatar that radiated in Manwe’s face. As they glanced upon the glory of Illuvatar they yearned to dwell near to him and serve him selflessly.
Manwe was amazed at the design of Illuvatar for his Firstborn, they were not as the Celestials. These were a race that was small, slinder, fair in skin, sharp in feature, and fine in hair. They were deep in wisdom, for their place in the heiarchy of the Children of Eru. Also they were dependent upon, the Valar, whom tended Arda, for they needed air to survive, and food to function, but time would not touch them, so this was not the erratic wild race that was yet to come. These would not be a burden, but a assistant to the Valar in their caretaking of the world. Manwe named the race, Eldar, or God’s first light, (Elvan in the tounge of Man) and he named the 7 first Elfs the Quendi, or the Forefathers. Since the Elves desired to dwell with the Valar, Manwe made them a promise. If they would journey back to their origin and gather all of their race and lead them to the coast in the utmost west, then Ulmo would bear them off to a paradise where they could live among the Valar, but they must depart from that land when the next race of Illuvatar appeared and help instruct them.
The Quendi agreed and departed. Manwe enlisted the aid of all of the Valar in the erection of an island paradise called . They lavished it with wildlife and treasures. Then they set about forging for themselves physical forms, that would seem magnificent and beautiful to the eyes of the Elves.
Eventually the Elves came to dwell with then in , and for countless ages the Children of Illuvatar lived in his grace and praised his name. Yarvana and Varda together devised a Tree of Life that radiated crystals of light and cast a holy aura of blessing around the , shielding it from the devices of Melkor.
Seeing that the attension of the Valar was elsewhere, Melkor began working his dark will in Arda once again.