Númenor: The peak of human civilization in the Second Age, and a legendary empire that met a tragic end due to its own hubris.
At the end of the First Age, it was established on the island of Elenna as a reward from the 'Valar' (the gods) to the Edain (humans) who fought alongside the Elves against the first Dark Lord, Morgoth.
In Year 32 of the Second Age, Elros Tar-Minyatur—son of the half-elf Eärendil and brother of Elrond—chose a mortal life and became the first King. He lived for 500 years and laid the kingdom's foundation.
Blessed by the Valar, the Númenoreans possessed much longer lifespans (approx. 200–400 years), superior wisdom, and physical abilities compared to ordinary men.
However, there was one condition: they were forbidden from sailing west toward Valinor, the land where mortals were not allowed to set foot.
Initially, the Númenoreans maintained close ties with the Elves, learning navigation, craftsmanship, and lore. They built a fleet so powerful they were dubbed 'Lords of the Sea' and explored the world. Their stonework eventually surpassed even that of the Elves, and they built massive, enduring structures everywhere. At first, they visited Middle-earth as 'teachers' to spread knowledge to 'lesser' men, but they gradually expanded their influence by building massive port cities.
Between roughly S.A. 2000 and 3261, Númenor reached its peak but also began to grow arrogant. They stopped being teachers and started exploiting the people they ruled as masters.
They began to crave 'immortality'—the one thing they couldn't have—and grew resentful of the Valar's 'Ban of the West.' (Fun fact: The Undying Lands weren't 'Undying' because the land itself granted immortality, but because those who lived there were already immortal). The population split into two: the 'King's Men' (the majority who wanted more power and eternal life, distancing themselves from Elves and Valar) and the 'Faithful' (the minority who remained loyal to the Elves and the Valar).
In S.A. 3319, Ar-Pharazôn the Golden, the 25th King, led a massive army to Middle-earth and actually forced Sauron—who was calling himself the 'King of Men'—to surrender and took him back as a prisoner.
But this was Sauron’s plan all along. The cunning Sauron became the King's advisor, corrupted him, and turned the nation toward the worship of Melkor (Morgoth). Many subjects and political rivals were enslaved or offered as human sacrifices in Melkor's temple.
Terrified of aging and death, and egged on by Sauron, Ar-Pharazôn led a 'Great Armament' west to conquer the Undying Lands in S.A. 3319. His forces landed on the shores of Valinor and he declared it his own.
Faced with the ultimate human hubris, Eru Ilúvatar (the Creator) intervened directly. A massive cataclysm buried the invasion force and caused the entire island of Númenor to sink into the sea.
That wasn't all. The world, which had been flat, was reshaped into the sphere we know today.
Just before the destruction, Elendil (a minor royal) and his sons Isildur and Anárion led the 'Faithful' on nine ships and escaped to Middle-earth.
Bringing with them the knowledge and treasures of Númenor (like the Palantíri and the seedling of the White Tree), they founded Arnor in the north and Gondor in the south. These kingdoms are the roots of the human realms we see in the Third Age 'Lord of the Rings' story.
"The community is geeking out over Númenor's insane power levels, debating whether they could solo Sauron, while also cracking jokes about 'busting' Sauron-apologists and the futility of fighting Eru without a gun."
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