[Anguirel]

RESULTS OF THE CHALLENGE

Morgoth was displeased by the departure of the Doom of Mandos, but not dismayed. Remembering still the blows of Fingolfin, he led his Balrogs and Orcs into the line of the Edain, sending Smaug and his Dragons against Gil-Galad, Fingolfin's descendant. He trusted that Sauron would be able to prevent the Sons of Feanor from intervening.

The cunning of the Dark Lord caught the Free Peoples off guard. Earendil was aware that his men could not stand in the face of Morgoth himself and all his direst evil; so he fell back to a pass between hills, and commanded Elros, Elwing and much of his army to retreat to Sirion. Then, with the Maia Pallando, he made his stand, and the two confronted Morgoth together. The Balrogs quailed at the approach of a Maia from the West, vigorous and dauntless.

But Morgoth did not. Raising Grond, Hammer of the Underworld, in both his hands, he struck at Pallando with all his might; and the Maia knew his time was ended. With his last breath he cast a glamour upon Earendil, making the Peredhil invisible for a short time; and so protected, Earendil dealt Morgoth a sore blow. And in cowardice, the Dark Lord retreated, but commanded his minions to make another charge. Seeing Pallando dead and Earendil vanished, they attacked eagerly, and though the Edain fought bravely, they had no choice but to flee; though sometimes a Balrog would fall by some unknown hand. In this way Earendil escaped his people's ruin for the present, and made his way to the High King's side.

The Noldor were regretting the absence of the Naugrim, and the battle with the Dragons was going ill for them. Everywhere Gil-Galad led by example, and Aiglos, his spear, slew three Dragons of Smaug's brood, but to no avail. Even as Earendil and the Valkyries rallied to his side, the fourth High King of the Noldor, after Finwe, Feanor and Maedhros, was consumed in flame and perished.

But now the Dragons, in their hour of victory, were beset by the Valkyries, winged as they were, and skilled with bows. And Indis and Amarie lifted Earendil to Smaug's belly, and he struck the wyrm hard; but Smaug's body brought down Earendil and Indis in its fall, and Amarie escaped with a tale of woe as the last Dragons fled. When Elwing saw what had befallen, she threw herself from the wall of Sirion.

Cirdan and his Teleri were now surrounded by Balrogs and Orcs, and there seemed little hope for them, though they loosed many vorpal arrows. The Valkyries and the remainder of the Noldor assailed the Orcs, hoping to but them time, but were sorely defeated. Cirdan was cut down, and Amarie and Celebrian led the survivors into Sirion.

Now Morgoth's horde invested the city's landward side, and it seemed it must fall, though Elros within defied him. But even as his siege towers approached, a new force of Elves shimmered before him-Maedhros's warriors, who had marched concealed by the enchantments of Alatar. And Morgoth beheld a bloated bat skewered upon a tall spear, and knew that Maedhros had had the better of Sauron. (Though Sauron, it is said had wheedled his way out of actual death. As usual.) The Dark Lord's laughter was bitter.

"You have ever defied me, Sons of Feanor. Now hear this. I have had a trinket stolen from me. Surrender the gem and I will spare the city."

And Maedhros spat before Morgoth, and challenged him to single combat; and the Dark Lord, remembering that it had been said that Maedhros was more skilled even than his uncle Fingolfin, lurked at the rear of his Orcs. And the Balrogs declared a charge.

Celebrian and Amarie, who had ever distrusted the Sons of Feanor, would not sally out. But Elros remembered that his brother was the herald of Maglor, and he led out the Edain in a counterattack.

There stumbled Maedhros the Tall, with all the Balrogs dragging him down. But of the five that remained, he slew four ere he died, and one fled, and burrowed itself beneath the mountains. And Alatar bound Morgoth, and forced him to give up the Silmarils before he was hurled into the Void; and the two that remained were given to Elrond and Elros, sole heirs of Beren and Luthien. But Maglor had worn his Silmaril long enough; it burnt him not, but its sight, after his brother had fallen defending it, was hateful to him. He gave it up to Alatar, who set it in the sky.

And Maglor, broken by sorrow, wandered alone, and of his fate no song can sing.

(Though Salgant, Lord of Harps, and notoriously jealous of Maglor's talents, likes to sing that he married a Petty-Dwarf and went into the East.)

HERE ENDS THE QUENTA SILMARILLION AS DISGRACED BY ANGUIREL.

The final vote: which of the survivors should be the Survivor?

VALAR

Elbereth (a confirmed alcoholic)
Ulmo

VANYAR

Amarie

NOLDOR

Maglor
Salgant

TELERI/SINDAR

Elrond
Celebrian

MAIA

Uinen
Alatar

MEN

Elros Tar-Minyatur

FORCES OF EVIL

Sauron

You decide! Votes are NON-RETRACTABLE. Vote for the winner!