The Last Alliance

The Last Alliance The Last Alliance was the great coalition of Numenoreans and Elves He rallied what forces he had, and struck at the besieging host, catching it at the end of the Second Age in Middle-earth. The alliance won a unawares and driving it back to the Ephel Duath. This respite allowed the great war against Sauron, but with a victory which was itself to cast Numenoreans to recover their nerve and Elendil took council with Gil-galad, a long and fateful shadow into the future. high king of the Elves in Middle-earth. They concluded that Sauron could only When Numenor was destroyed, the defeated spirit of be defeated if the Elves and Numenoreans, both his hated foes, would unite Sauron fled east to his ancient fortress of Mordor. The longships of against him. Thus was the Last Alliance made, and its riding out from Lindon to Elendil and the Faithful also sailed to Middle-earth from the wreck of Imladris, was more splendid than that of any host that ever gathered in Middle- westernesse, and founded the Kingdoms in exile. When Sauron earth, save for the Valar at Thangorodrim. perceived the men of the west setting up their realms in Middle-earth, The Alliance passed through the Hithaeglir and south to Dagorland, he resolved to strike them down before their Kingdoms could take where the army of sauron was drawn up to meet it. The forces of the Dark-lord root. His strength returning, the Dark-lord summoned to Mordor were defeated and withdrew back into Mordor. those Kings of the South and East who were still in thrall to the The Alliance carried the war to the plain of Gorgoroth itself, and Ruling ring. Great hosts of Haradrim, Easterlings and Drcs were held what remained of Sauron's army under siege in Barad-dur. It was a bitter mustered in Gorgoroth in readiness. struggle of seven years. Finally Sauron himself, his force nearly spent, emerged Striking before his enemies were prepared, Sauron sent in terrible form and fought with Gil-galad and Elendil. The Dark-lord was his host through the Western pass of the Ephel Duath to Gondor's eventually slain by Elendil's sword Narsil, and both Elendil and Gil-galad were city of Minis Ithil. It fell to Sauron while lsildur its commander mortally wounded. escaped by ship. Thence, while Gondor still reeled at its defeat, the Thus both the spirit of Sauron and the Second age of the World Dark-lord pressed his advantage and laid siege to Gondor's capital, passed away. Isildur, Elendil's son, ignorant of the momentous fate which his Osgilaith. actions would bring to pass, refused to cast Sauron's Ruling Ring back into the Osoilaith was held bv Anarion. brother of Isildur, who flames of Orodruin, but took it as weregeld, and thus unknowingly bequeathed thwarted the enemy's attempts io take it. its terrible legacy to the future. M271 Elendil the tall 211278 Numenorean Infantry Erstwhile leader of the Faithful of Numenor, Elendil (Isildur) escaped its destruction and led the remnant of his This figure represents the mail clad "Man-at-arms" of people to Middle-earth where he founded the early Arnor. He wears a long mail coat with leather kingdoms in exile. His armour like that of the Noldor reinforcements and has full plate armour covering both is of mostly plate but with a chainmail coif. The shoulders and arms. His horned helm is yet another breastplate is decorated with a single star, a Motif of -- variant of the debased Karma design. The Northern Numenor, and similar small star shapes form his Kingdom, unlike Gondor, did not intermarry so readily cloak-clasps. In his hand he carries the sword with the native Northmen population. This caste system Narsil., probably the most famous weapon in the produced a much more fuedal society, which reflected in history of Middle-earth, It was wrought by the great its armed forces. This man-at-arms would lead a Dwarven smith Telchar in ancient times and passed warband of less well armed native Northmen levies, an to the Lords of Andunie in the west of Numenor: Sample file arrangement which caused an increasing weakness in the thence to Elendil. infantry arm of the army. Its mounted kniahts were the pride of Arnor's forces. M269 Gil-galad, High-king in exile The leader of the Noldo and Sindar Elves of Lindon. Gil-galad became High-king after the death of Turgon. Of all the races of the Elves the Noldo are the most warlike and the most skilled in the making of fine things Their armour and weaponry are unsurpassed GiI-galad wears Elven made plate armour, which is lighter and more articulate than its mannish counterpart- The plates are a series of overlapping panels which together form the required torso shape The shoulder plates are of an inverted leaf design Like all Elves his hair is long and unusually for the Noldor it is fair in colour He carries in his hand his legendary spear Aeglos b M272 Isildur, the first Ring-bearer lsildur was the eldest son of Elendil, though by all accounts not such an able soldier as his father or brother Anarion. lsildur wears Numenorean plate mail with the star of Numenor motif on his breastplate. His helmet is of the distinctive Karma design, a pattern which was to have many derivatives in both western and southern Middle-earth in the years to come. Though much of the culture of Numenor derived from the Elves the "Karma" seems to be entirely indigenous to the men of Westernesse. In origin it was the distinctive headgear of the Uinendili, the mariners of Numenor. M270 Elrond, M276 Numenorean Infantry Herald of (Anarion) Gi1-gal ad In this figure can be seen the embryonic Gondorian soldier Elrond was the herald of Gil-galad His helmet is a somewhat the high King, in both Beleriand and more modest version of the Middle-earth Karma He is probably of His plate mail like that of the mixed blood (Ithilieni King is of Noldor design, though the Numenorean) scallop-shell shoulder plates are a born during sea motif of the Sindar, and is the 120 years badge of his descent from the since the foundation of the people of Elwe. Plate mail was kingdoms His armour is a almost exclusively worn by the mailcoat with plate Noldor of high descent, others of reinforcements at the the race wearing a fine chain and shoulder The more rapid plate, while the grey elves preferred intermixing of the popula- only chain armour. At his side he tions in the Southern kingdom meant that infantry was already wears his famous sword becoming the most important arm of Gondor's forces, and this He1kaluine. figure represents the core troops, the heavy spear-armed infantry which would later be the means by which Gondor won it's great empire. His shield depicts the Numenorean star motif. M275 Oropher, M273 Cirdan at El ven-king Gorgoroth Lord of the Elves in Greenwood the Great (later Mirkwood), Oropher led After the destruction of Beleriand his people to fight with the Host of Gil Cirdian was held to be the wisest of all the Eldar remaining in galad. Unlike the Noldor, Oropher's folk were not steeped in the traditions Middle-earth Since the beginning of war, being more or less isolated of the second age he dwelt in from the upheavals of Beleriand and Lindon Both he and GiI-galad later Eregion. Oropher's folk fought were bearers of Celebrimbor s with stealth and cunning, and in the great rings he of Narya and the way of forest hunters, lightly clad and king of Vilya bow-armed When GiI-galad set out Oropher s costume to join the Last Alliance Cirdan comprises a short leather tunic with leaf motifs patterned into it His accompanied him and fought beside him until the latter s death headwear is a stylised pattern design, and is peculiar to the people of Mirkwood He is armed with a light spear and short sword in Goraoroth SampleThough file an elf of the Teleri, Cirdan stands more than seven feet in hieght and wears Noldor plate armour but with a Sindar plant motif as the breastplate decoration. Most unusually for an Elf Cirdan wears a beard, which is white. He is armed with a Noldo two-handed M277 Numenorean Dunnish sword. scout M274 Anarion The youngest and most able of Elendil's sons, When Elendil founded the Kingdoms in exile there were a Anarion is depicted here, rallying his troops number of Dunnish communities in the white mountains and during the siege of Osgilaith. He wears a coif of the land of the Seven rivers The bulk of Gondor s new fine-mail over which would normally have been population would have settled in the richer country of lthilien worn the "Karma" helmet, his mail, like that of and the little competition lsildur and Elendil is of plate, with a slightly for land would have different star design on his breastplate. It is the occured in the poorer badge of the Numenorean Faithful, the central western seaboard lower star representing the undying lands, and Relations therefore those encircling, the realms of Numenor, Gondor between the Dunlending and Arnor It was largely due to Anarion's peoples here and their generalship and steadiness that the Dark-lord did new overlords are likely not win his Lightning victory over the southern to have been cordial at kingdom before the Last Alliance could be least for a while The formed.

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