How Eregion Forged the Rings of Power | The Red Book

In this episode, I turn to Middle-earth after the cataclysmic wars of the First Age.
What drove the Elves to found Eregion? What tempted Sauron, under the guise of Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, to their realm? And how did trust and ambition descend into corruption, war, and ruin?

This chapter explores the forging of alliances, the deception of Annatar, and the tragedy that would shape the Second Age forever.

📖 Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction & Recap
02:15 – Middle-earth After Morgoth
10:17 – The Founding of Eregion: The Common Tradition
15:58 – The Founding of Eregion: The Alternative Tradition
22:25 – The Lord of Gifts
29:44 – Skepticism & Rejection: The Common Tradition
32:49 – Skepticism & Rejection: The Alternative Tradition
38:22 – Annatar Unmasked & The Wrath of Sauron
52:41 – Eregion & The Lord of Gifts (Summary)
53:58 – Outro / References

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📚 On-Screen Notes & 🎨 Artwork:
All on-screen notes, references, artist credits, images, and links are listed here:
👉 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

🖼️ Thumbnail Art:
"The Bearer of Gifts"
Ralph Damiani
https://www.ralphdamianiart.com

🎵 Audio:
All music used is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

"Dark Times", "Decline", "Gregorian Chant", "Heart of Nowhere", "Past the Edge", "The Pyre", "Virtutes Vocis"
Kevin MacLeod
https://incompetech.com

"The Fog of War", "The End"
Tim Kulig
https://www.timkulig.com

"Lords of Shadow (Intro)"
Óscar Araujo
  / oaraujo  

❗ Disclaimer:
All videos are the result of my own research into the works of Tolkien unless stated otherwise. Permission and/or licenses have been obtained for the use of copyrighted material. All scripts and editing are my own work and property, and no AI tools have been used to create this video.