What Powered The Three?

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Mithadan

Regarding the Three Rings, and presumably the Seven and the Nine, some portion of their makers' essence would have been instilled into their creations. Some of Sauron's power would have been placed in the Seven and the Nine as he assisted in their creation. Some of the power of Celebrimbor and his smiths would have been placed in the Three. But the power of the Three to act may have been drawn from other sources. Pitchwife discusses their nature above and their links to the elements, air, water and fire. Their power may come from those elements to some extent.

It was said Feanor captured the light of the two trees when imbuing the Silmarils; certainly, a part of him went into his ultimate creation, but the act - or the art, really - of collecting the essence of a thing to create another is most likely what occurred when his grandson, Celebrimbor, and the other Hollin smiths created the three. If you actually consider the Silmarils from an essential standpoint, it is stated that at the end of the world Feanor will release the light trapped in his gems and with their light Yavanna will revive the Two Trees - such is the efficacy of Elvish craft.

I think the logical conclusion is that the scion of the Feanorions would imbue his great art in the same manner as his ancestor, so that the three elements air, fire and water (the earth being beneath the haughty Elves and a place fit for only dwarves ) were imbued into the rings so that the preservative powers of each element was present in an essential manner.

Originally Posted by Mithadan

Has anyone ever considered the nature and intricacy of Sauron's plot? He spent decades or centuries instructing the Elves of Hollin and assisting them in the making of the Great Rings, with the intent to create the One in order to dominate the bearers of the various Rings and their people.

But even with Sauron's input, the Three remained unsullied by his black hand. Proof of this is that Sauron never gained dominion over them (while he wielded the One), and it seems the Dark Lord never quite figured out where they were. He may have guessed but it doesn't appear he knew for sure.

The plot itself was quite intricate, but for the greater part of its intent, it was a failure. Only Man succumbed to the lure of the Rings. It failed against the Elves utterly, and the success against the dwarves was so limited that Sauron ended up taking back the ones not eaten up by dragons.