"I know." Maglor assures him. "I know you could not help it. It's alright, Nelyo. Truly."
He nods slowly. "Alright. He... he founded a city - one built of trade and knowledge and learning. Father and Curufin both would have been so pleased. He traded with dwarves and elves and men alike. But ... one came to him, styled himself Annatar. A maia of Aule, he said. They... studied with him, learnt of him... and he... learnt of them."
Softly, painfully. "He was Sauron in disguise. Under his tutelage Celebrimbor and his folk learnt much and reached such wonderful heights. And eventually they started forging rings of power. And there, at last, Sauron showed his hand, forging a master ring to rule all the others. Realising they were betrayed, Celebrimbor hid the three greatest rings away but could not save the others. He was... tortured. I heard. But... I was too far away. I could not... do anything." Again.
"They say he never broke, and in the end Sauron killed him and razed his city to the ground... but the Three survived, and in the end their wielders had a hand in Sauron's final defeat. Galadriel holds one. Elrond another."
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He nods slowly. "Alright. He... he founded a city - one built of trade and knowledge and learning. Father and Curufin both would have been so pleased. He traded with dwarves and elves and men alike. But ... one came to him, styled himself Annatar. A maia of Aule, he said. They... studied with him, learnt of him... and he... learnt of them."
Softly, painfully. "He was Sauron in disguise. Under his tutelage Celebrimbor and his folk learnt much and reached such wonderful heights. And eventually they started forging rings of power. And there, at last, Sauron showed his hand, forging a master ring to rule all the others. Realising they were betrayed, Celebrimbor hid the three greatest rings away but could not save the others. He was... tortured. I heard. But... I was too far away. I could not... do anything." Again.
"They say he never broke, and in the end Sauron killed him and razed his city to the ground... but the Three survived, and in the end their wielders had a hand in Sauron's final defeat. Galadriel holds one. Elrond another."