After Silmalorë saw that the elves had settled well in both Valinor and Middle-earth, he decided to withdraw from their affairs and construct a hidden base in the Thangorodrim Mountains, a place once known as Melkor's fortress, according to the tale in The Silmarillion he had read in his previous life. He did not choose the location out of nostalgia, but for its geological power and deep magma veins—ideal for large-scale experimentation.
Silmalorë was not alone. He was accompanied by Brandish, who had now mastered all the knowledge and techniques of the Valar Aulë. Brandish was not merely a follower, but a true partner in creation projects. Together with Brandish, Silmalorë invited the remaining Balrogs to join them in the Thangorodrim Mountains. There, they built Silmalorë's version of Angband—not as a fortress of darkness, but as a colossal laboratory for conducting strange and dangerous experiments that could not be performed in Valinor or Middle-earth.
Silmalorë sensed a growing crisis on the planet Azeroth. From afar, he saw that on the continent of Kalimdor, a Titan-forged named Loken was about to commit a great betrayal. He knew that without intervention, the balance of the world would be shaken. So he began designing a grand plan: to create seven dwarf nations from stone and metal—not with ordinary magic, but with his own life energy. This race would later be known as the Dwemer, dwarves of high intelligence and technological prowess beyond any other race.
The creation of the Dwemer was carried out with Brandish, who handled the metal structures and mechanical systems, while Silmalorë infused life energy into the stone bodies. They did not merely create beings, but also culture, language, and complex social systems. The Dwemer were not just a new race—they were Silmalorë's answer to the threat rising from Kalimdor.
But Silmalorë's ambition did not stop there. He wanted to create a race of dragons. Though these dragons would not be as powerful as the original dragons of Azeroth, they would still be dragons. Silmalorë thought it would be far more majestic if the elf children he had guided could one day ride dragons instead of mere griffons. He began gathering various reptile species from across Middle-earth and Valinor, and through artificial selection and biological engineering, he began creating new dragons designed specifically for the continents of Valinor and Middle-earth.
The experiments lasted a long time. No one knew how many years had passed since Silmalorë and Brandish entered the depths of Angband. They were immersed in experimentation, creation, and observation. The world outside continued on, but they remained underground, crafting creatures no one had ever seen before.
Silmalorë entrusted all matters concerning Middle-earth and Valinor to the Valar. These Valar had only recently been created by Eru Ilúvatar, and Silmalorë felt at peace knowing they would maintain the world's balance. He believed his task now was to create, not to lead.
Meanwhile, Ossë followed Olwë's host, which had arrived at the Bay of Eldamar, known as Elvenhome. There, he called to them with the sound of waves and wind. The Teleri recognized his voice and pleaded with Valar Juvia to delay their voyage. Juvia, who understood the hearts of the Teleri, granted their request. At her command, Ossë secured the island and anchored it to the sea floor.
Valar Juvia did this with ease, for she held deep understanding of the Quendi's souls. She believed it was better for them to remain in the Mortal Lands. Finwë mourned when he learned that the Teleri had not come to Valinor, and even more so when he discovered that Elwë had been left behind. He knew he would not see his friend again, except in the halls of Mandos, where Valar Igneel watched over the departed spirits.
The island no longer moved, and stood alone in the Bay of Eldamar. It was later named Tol Eressëa, the Lonely Isle. There, the Teleri dwelled as they wished, beneath the stars shining in the sky, yet still within sight of Aman and the undying shores. Because of their long stay on the Lonely Isle, their language began to diverge from that of the Vanyar and Noldor. They developed their own dialect, their own songs, and a rhythm of life distinct from their kin who had crossed into Valinor.
To those Eldar who had crossed into the Blessed Realm, the Valar gave land and beautiful dwellings. Even among the glittering flowers that bloomed in the gardens of Valinor, lit by the light of the sacred trees, the elves still longed for the stars they once gazed upon in the skies of Middle-earth. Because of that longing, a gap was opened in the great walls of the Pelóri Mountains, and there, in a deep valley stretching to the sea, the Eldar raised a tall green hill. That hill was named Túna.
From the west, the light of the Trees illuminated its summit, and its shadow always stretched eastward. On its eastern side, the hill faced the Bay of Elvenhome, the Lonely Isle of Tol Eressëa, and the Shadowed Sea. Through the cleft of Calacirya, the Path of Light, the radiance of the Blessed Realm poured forth, touching the dark waves of the sea and transforming them into silver and gold. That light reached the western shores of the Lonely Isle, turning them green and beautiful. There, the first flowers bloomed east of the Mountains of Aman, a sign that the beauty of Valinor had reached the outer world.
Atop the crown of Túna hill, the city of the Elves was built: Tirion, with its white walls and towering terraces. The tallest tower in the city was Ingwë's Tower, Mindon Eldaliéva, whose silver lamp shone far across the sea mist. Only a few mortal ships had ever glimpsed its slender and lofty light. In Tirion, the Vanyar and the Noldor dwelled long in peaceful fellowship. Of all things in Valinor, they loved the White Tree most, and so Valar Erza created for them a tree resembling Telperion, though it did not emit light of its own. That tree was named Galathilion in the Sindarin tongue.
Galathilion was planted in the courts beneath Mindon and flourished there. Its seedlings spread widely throughout Eldamar. From those trees, one was planted on Tol Eressëa and grew magnificently. That tree was named Celeborn. From Celeborn, after the appointed time and in accordance with tales told elsewhere, came forth Nimloth, the White Tree of Númenor, which would later become the final symbol of hope for the race of Men.
Geraint and Selene loved the Vanyar, the Fair Elves who shone in the light of Valinor. But the Noldor were beloved by Brandish, and they often came together to his halls to discuss and learn. The knowledge and skill of the Noldor were indeed extraordinary; yet their thirst for wisdom grew with each passing day. In many ways, they soon surpassed their own teachers. They delighted in the play of words and constantly sought more precise names for all things they knew or imagined. Thus, they frequently visited Silmalorë's tree-library, a place where knowledge from many worlds and ages had been gathered.
It came to pass that the stonemasons of Finwë's house, who mined the hills out of love for lofty towers, first discovered the earth-gems. They brought them forth in countless numbers and began designing tools to cut and shape the stones. They carved them into many forms, not to hoard, but to give freely. Through their labor, all of Valinor was enriched by the beauty and splendor of their handiwork.
Silmalorë, who understood the value of knowledge and preparation, invited the elves to study all the experiments and records of flora and fauna he had compiled over 400,000 years. He granted them full access, so that they might one day be ready to face the great threat that would come from the Burning Legion in ancient Kalimondor. He knew that learning was a long process, and that true strength came not only from weapons, but from deep understanding of the world and its creatures.
The Noldor, after a long era in Valinor filled with achievement, learning, and inner conflict, finally chose to return to Middle-earth. This decision was not impulsive, but born of soul-searching and longing for the ancestral lands they had once left behind. This great tale centers largely on the actions, choices, and legacy of the princes of the Noldor, and so their names and kinships deserve to be laid out in detail here, in the form later known in the Elvish tongue of Beleriand.
Finwë was the High King of the Noldor, a leader revered for his wisdom, steadfastness, and far-reaching influence. He had three sons: Fëanor, Fingolfin, and Finarfin. The mother of Fëanor was Míriel Serindë, the spirit-weaver, gifted beyond measure in art and craft. Meanwhile, the mother of Fingolfin and Finarfin was Indis of the Vanyar, descended from a line of light and peace, bringing gentleness and serenity into their blood.
Fëanor was the mightiest in skill of word and hand. He was more learned than his brothers, and his spirit burned like an unquenchable flame. He created the Silmarils, jewels that held the light of the sacred Trees, and became a central figure in many great events. Fingolfin was the most resolute, the most valiant, and the strongest in courage and leadership. Finarfin was the fairest, and his heart the wisest; he later became a friend to the sons of Olwë, lord of the Teleri, and married Eärwen, the swan-maiden of Alqualondë, daughter of Olwë himself, known for her gentleness and beauty.
Fëanor had seven sons, each possessing unique character and abilities:
Maedhros, tall and formidable, would become a leader in many battles and was renowned for his extraordinary courage.
Maglor, the mighty singer, whose voice echoed far across land and sea, capable of stirring even the hardest of hearts.
Celegorm, handsome and deeply connected to wild beasts; in Valinor, he befriended Mavis Vermilion and often followed the path of the Hunter Valar.
Caranthir, dark-skinned and stern in temperament, known for his uncompromising stance in conflict.
Curufin, cunning and inheriting much of his father's craft, possessed a cleverness that often caused tension among his brothers.
Amrod and Amras, the youngest twin brothers, whose faces and moods were alike; they would become great hunters in the forests of Middle-earth, known for their speed and sharp instincts.
The sons of Fingolfin were:
Fingon, who would later become King of the Noldor in the northern reaches of Middle-earth, famed for his bravery in rescuing Maedhros from torment.
Turgon, ruler of Gondolin, the hidden city of grandeur and mystery, which would become the final symbol of hope for the Elven race.
Their sister was Aredhel the White, younger than her brothers. As she grew, she became tall, strong, and beautiful. She loved riding and hunting in the woods, often in the company of Fëanor's sons, though none truly loved her. She was known as Ar-Feiniel, the White Lady of the Noldor, for her pale skin despite her dark hair, and she always wore garments of silver and white that radiated a cold and resolute aura.
The sons of Finarfin were:
Finrod, loyal and later given the title Felagund, Lord of the Caves, for he built a magnificent underground kingdom.
Orodreth, wise and quiet, yet steadfast in the face of danger.
Angrod and Aegnor, who were close companions to Fingolfin's sons, as though they were brothers in spirit and purpose.
Their sister was Galadriel, the most beautiful among all the descendants of Finwë. Her hair shimmered golden, as if it had captured the light of Laurelin in an invisible net, and she possessed an inner strength that would one day shape the fate of many beings.
Meanwhile, the Teleri who had long dwelled on Tol Eressëa began to feel a change in their hearts. They were drawn to the light flowing from Valinor, across the sea toward the Lonely Isle. Torn between their love for the music of the waves and their desire to reunite with kin and witness the splendor of Valinor, they ultimately found the longing for light stronger than nostalgia.
Valar Juvia, who understood their hearts, sent Ossë, the old friend of the Teleri. Though his heart was heavy, Ossë taught them the art of shipbuilding. When their white ships were completed, Ossë gifted them strong-winged swans as a farewell token. These swans pulled the Teleri's ships across calm, windless seas. Thus, they finally arrived in Aman and the shores of Eldamar, reunited with their kin beneath the eternal light.
There they dwelled, the Teleri who had crossed into Aman, and if they wished, they could behold the light of the Trees shining from the heart of Valinor. They were free to walk the golden roads that stretched through Valmar, the city of the Valar, and ascend the crystal stairs leading to Tirion, the city of the Noldor standing proud atop the green hill of Túna. Yet what they loved most was not the grandeur of architecture or the radiance of the sacred Trees, but the freedom to sail their swift ships across the waters of the Bay of Elvenhome, or walk upon the waves along the shore, their hair gleaming in the light reflected from behind the hills.
Many gems were gifted to them by the Noldor—soft-glowing opals, diamonds that reflected the light of the Trees, and pale crystals that resembled eternal ice. These they scattered along the beaches and in clear pools, making the shores of Elendë in those days a place of wonder, full of color and light. They also gathered many pearls from the sea, and the halls where they gathered were built from layers of pearl polished by their own hands. Even the great houses of Olwë in Alqualondë, the Haven of Swans, were lit by lamps made of pearl, casting a gentle glow that dazzled without blinding.
That was their city, their dwelling and harbor for their ships. The ships were crafted in the likeness of swans, with gleaming golden beaks, sharp golden eyes, and deep crimson bodies that blazed when touched by sunlight. The harbor gates were not shaped by Elven hands, but were living stone arches carved by the sea itself, shaped by waves and long time. The harbor lay at the border of Eldamar, just north of Calacirya, where the starlight shone brilliant and clear, unclouded by mist or storm.
As time passed, the Vanyar grew ever more devoted to the land of the Valar and the abundant light of the Trees. They left the city of Tirion atop Túna hill and settled on the Mountain of the Valar, where Geraint built one of his homes, or in the quiet plains and forests of Valinor. Thus, they became separated from the Noldor, both physically and in daily life. Yet the memory of Middle-earth beneath the stars remained in the hearts of the Noldor, and they settled in Calacirya, and in the hills and valleys bordering the western sea.