Of Morgoth and Men by Chilled in Hithlum

Chapter 1

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Of Morgoth and Men
 
 
It happened that Melkor came down from the dread principality of Angband high in the icy reaches north of fair Beleriand, and not since the the days of the great ridings of Oromë did he enter the east of the world.  There he achieved great injury upon the Secondborn of Middle-earth, those people who were yet to look upon the faces of the ones that had beheld the elder light in Valinor.  To these Secondborn - or Men as they are now called and many other names besides - the coming of the Dark Lord was as a monumental upheaval in the world; for as it is known in lore, he of all the Powers was most primal and for a certainty the most destructive!  Mightier was he in these days of old and less bound to the earth; for as it is said elsewhere Melkor greedily squandered his own life-force in countless attempts to attain the very essence of Arda since he sought the domination all the things upon it, above it and within it.  Nonetheless, even in the latter days his power he was unmatched by lesser beings and perhaps it can only be guessed at nowadays how he appeared in his former might. 
 
Now, all this happened shortly after the new arising of the Sun when Varda, the Queen of the night sky, lifted the veil from behind the stars and the eyes of Men first opened to this most recent glory of Ilúvatar.  And also when in the time that the Dark Lord had recently heard firsthand the new name imparted upon him by the Elves after which he would be forever known - Morgoth, the Black Foe of the World!  There is no report marking his response to this slight made upon him!
 
Morgoth was canny, canny enough to know that this new portent in the sky was a matter of great importance.  And so it was that he forsook his lofty seat in Angband to seek out what it meant.  He searched long in secret as it was his wont to do, and for that time there was peace in Beleriand; although this he did not do until he had inflicted much hurt and strife amongst the Eldar who had chased after him out of Valinor, and not before he had blighted the land and skies with reek and filth.  Thus Morgoth entered the seldom ventured eastern world, and there it was also that he first beheld this fledgling order of people who quailed at the sight of his dark majesty.  Therefore under the shadow of this new thing, this new force, and not knowing aught other than themselves the peoples of the Secondborn took him as their lord.  During the sojourn of Morgoth his subjects built temples and towers in tribute of their lord; none of these matched in craft the work of the elder peoples but this he brooked since the honour came to him alone.  And naturally, in the birthing of this ‘Civilisation under One’ hierarchies grew amongst these folk and this Morgoth used to wicked advantage; for even from the beginning did he seek out the strongest men and the meanest of spirit so that he might raise them up into positions of authority.  Now, whilst it is true to say that those under his dominion feared Morgoth, in no small part due to the exterior he fashioned for himself and his loss of ability to assume fair seeming; it is also true that for a whole generation, from cradle to grave, the Secondborn did not taste the cruelty and depth of his wrath.        
 
And Morgoth said onto them, “It is good that thou hadst reckoned me for thy Lord, for now I have taken thee all under my protection, and ever shall it be so.  Many wonders will I show in proof of my word and long shall we endure!”  
 
To many his words seemed good and they were content to have protection such as he proffered.  But Morgoth reckoned not for the mind of Ilúvatar nor the ‘Gift’ that he had already bestowed upon mankind; and thus it came to pass that his plan was spoilt.  For it soon became apparent to him that these Secondborn grew old and perished long before he could disclose but one hundredth the breadth of his mind to them, moreover, their young had naught approaching the quickness of mind of their firstborn kin - if indeed kindred they were!
 
And Morgoth said in his thought, “What drollery is this; this surely cannot the manifestation of the Third Theme, could it be that I riled Eru into this folly?” and he laughed.  But all too soon his laugher failed and dark thought took him, “…or could it be that these are a manifestation sent to thwart me, one of which I that shall never be fully able turn to my will because of the shortness of their span?”  His face contorted into a snort and then a scowl, he said aloud,  “O Eru, hear this… these lesser things shall never be free of me - NEVER - whatever it is you have planned for them remember that I found them first.  I will mar them, I will scar them; only when they are diminished further still and when I deem them incapable might I turn my eye away from this deed, only then!”  
 
Thus it came on a sudden, even as he had just spoken aloud to Eru, that Morgoth cast down the buildings of Men and unleashed his wrath in a great burning.  There were many then who took it in mind to flee, seeing now from this tyrant what they had long suspected; but Morgoth was suspicious too for he had long put in place guarded outposts manned by his lieutenants’ men, and in this way the runners were slain or captured.  To those that he caught a cruel fate awaited: children were killed in front of their mothers, wives ravished in front of their husbands, the weakest were hunted for sport and the strongest chained in a holding pen.  Thereafter Morgoth sent word to Angband and slave drivers came from that evil pit there to lead the captives into a life of servitude down the mines.  Now, amongst this Orkish company were some that Morgoth intended to place in his stead for he was now of a mind to return to his seat; and on their arrival he gathered the people and said, “Long have I abided your ineptitude and patient have I been - NO MORE!  You are disappointing children and I relinquish my role as your father, but not as master!  I can no longer countenance the sight of you or your feeble offerings; I deem your edifices to me of little worth and lesser still those in the wake of their rubble!”  He pauses for effect, “Consider these Orcs to be your new masters for I shall abandon you on the morrow,” and gesturing toward the holding pen, “…but I shall not be going alone!”  Another pause: “And further I say this, weep not for your lost father my children for tears will not avail to vary my mind!”  
 
As has been told, Morgoth recruited some of his lieutenants based on their strength but it does not follow that every one of them was altogether evil.  It is true also that not all of them partook in the depravity suffered of those that tried to escape; indeed many lamented what had happened.  In consequence of their penance a bold company laid attack to the prison compound on the last night of holding; brother slew brother that night and comrades of different minds took arms against each other in order to free the captives.  But the raiders had the victory for they knew when Morgoth would be in conference with his captains and Orc Command and they struck at the optimum time.  It soon became apparent to Morgoth that this action had been long in the planning and his wrath knew no bounds.  He ordered that the traitors be hunted down and every one of their descendants after them; so it was that he returned alone to Angband, ever after was a substantial share of his hatred given to those that escaped him.