Saruman and Sauron represent the machine; the Ents and Hobbits represent the earth.
Elves live with the grief of a fading world. Saruman and Sauron represent the machine; the Ents
Just like Samwise or Elendilmir above, the most important stories often happen far from the thrones of kings. To give you a detailed story set in
To give you a detailed story set in Tolkien’s world, let’s look at a "lost" perspective from the —the era of the forging of the Rings and the rise of Númenor. The Shadow of the Gilded Star The year was 1600 of the Second Age
Elendilmir was a minor smith, a craftsman who worked not with Mithril, but with copper and glass. He watched from the fringes of the Ghalad-mîrdain (the Jewel-smiths) as their lord, , grew closer to the stranger known as Annatar , the "Lord of Gifts." Annatar was beautiful, his voice like a well-tuned harp, and his knowledge of the earth’s bones was beyond anything the Elves had seen.
The year was 1600 of the Second Age. In the elven-smith kingdom of , the air always smelled of charcoal and ozone.
As Annatar turned, his eyes briefly flared—not with the light of the Trees, but with a yellow, lidless intensity. In that moment, Elendilmir realized the "Lord of Gifts" was not an emissary of the Valar, but a master of puppets.