The Elven block.

[davem]

I still think - while agreeing with what you say about the Elvish mentality, that the Rings themselves will exert a physical brake on change, on the 'tides of time'. The Rings enable the Elves desire for a timeless realm to be made manifest in the physical ME. Time itself flows differently within the sheres of power/influence of the Rings. In effect, they create a kind of 'time warp' around them, acting almost like mini Black Holes, where time is frozen. But as I say, this effect would be psychic as well as physical. While the Elves dwell in ME, using the Rings, then their mentality would influence the other races, yes, but it would be amplified to an unbelievably large degree by the Rings. So the passing of the Elven, & other, Rings, would not just free up the other races psychologically, but also there would be a physical change in the structure of ME, like the breaking of a storm, possibly resulting in a sudden spurt of change, as the 'released' energy is suddenly free to be put to use.