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Plurmo
Lorien
Dec 5 2012, 6:02pm
Views: 258
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[Caveat: I consider the mighty spirit of Melkor to have far more power over the World than what the Wise might concede (but they are biased!) Therefore what follows is pure speculation over some of the themes proposed by Felagund.]
The One Ring draws power from the Ring of Morgoth without his consent. It is an artifice Sauron is able to create because Morgoth is without will on the Matter, literally speaking. Perhaps the very presence of Morgoth in Arda would have made the "magic" behind the making of the One Ring impossible to perform, being it similar to trying to transfer the mastery of the One Ring out from Sauron while he still existed. In that sense, ringmaking under Aulë's Lore over Morgoth's tainted substance is the inevitable path for a Fall (by the Noldor and the Maiar of Aulë) after the extrusion of Morgoth.
In that light consider two attributes of the One Ring. First its ability to create a bonding between substance and will which brought about the inexpugnability of the Barad-dur, the mastery over the Ring itself, the freedom of movement for the Nazgul, the rebuilding of Sauron's body... Second, its ability to create a bonding between will and will resulting in forms of domination, being the Nazgul thraldom the most extreme form.
Of these mere two attributes among others, I speculate that the first draws exclusively from the power of Morgoth over substance and the second draws exclusively from the power of Sauron over mind.
If the One Ring was never made, then Sauron could have exerted his own powers of domination in other ways, but the power drawn from Morgoth would be absent. To give an example (following on Otaku-sempai's analysis,) without the making of the One Ring, as soon as the Nazgul would become open to Sauron's complete domination they would also become useless wraiths unable to perform in the open world, forced to hide in haunted places and carrion flesh like barrow whights. By contrast, Sauron would be unable to settle down. No place would be secure enough for him to stay and the Elven Rings would eventually overcome him and then this particular Fall of the elves in Middle-earth would become a terrible Fall of numenorean proportions.
So, what would have happened if Sauron never made the Ring and the Elves were left to the free Fall? Arguably Middle-earth would follow Beleriand and Númenor into unbeing. But Eru being the Lord of the Music chose Middle-earth to stay, therefore the One Ring is also another of his beautiful snowflakes (and that requires the power of Morgoth as an ingredient,) floating around as long as necessary for the High-elves to finally forsake Middle-earth (and the long defeat inherent to their staying) and then ceasing to be at the opening of the Age of Men.
PS: I don't think there is a way circumventing Ringlore that would give clear answers to most questions regarding the Rings of Power. If we cannot answer seemingly trivial questions like what would have happened to the Ring in case Sauron was himself bounded and dropped into Mount Doom, being forced to undo the bonding between spirit and matter under the threat of the same natural force that is at the heart of his ringmaking spell (and therefore his bonding to the One Ring,) then we cannot gauge with precision what comes as a result of the existence of the Rings and what doesn't. I chose to believe that it is in the power of Morgoth to recast a horrible hröa over an earthbound spirit, meaning that he could have given a new body to a Sauron defeated by Huan if he wished so, as a consequence I understand that as long as the Ring existed Sauron could usurp this power of Morgoth to rebuild himself. But that is a choice, the only way I found to make sense of Tolkien's open cosmogony.
I do apologise for the many error in my writing. I have no idea where they are, but I know they are everywhere making a fuss of things like little goblin imps.
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What if Sauron had never made the One Ring?
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alienorchid
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Nov 22 2012, 10:15am
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His power was in rapport with the ring
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ElendilTheShort
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Nov 23 2012, 11:00am
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Many variables here
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Faenoriel
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Nov 23 2012, 10:09pm
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Well, he would have had an extra finger...
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Morthoron
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Nov 24 2012, 3:30am
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Not necessarily so...
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Otaku-sempai
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Nov 27 2012, 3:06pm
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The Three were never meant for war
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CuriousG
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Dec 5 2012, 9:03pm
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True, however...
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Otaku-sempai
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Dec 5 2012, 9:28pm
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He wanted
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elevorn
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Nov 26 2012, 5:11pm
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An even more cautious & vulnerable Sauron
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Felagund
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Dec 4 2012, 8:43pm
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A reply
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Plurmo
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Dec 5 2012, 5:53pm
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An especulative reply
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Plurmo
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Dec 5 2012, 6:02pm
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