Akallabeth – The Downfall of Numenor in The Silmarillion
Akallabeth is the final story that is written in detail of the events of the Legendarium by J.R.R. Tolkien and edited by his son Chrisotpher Tolkien. In the Silmarillion, Elendil himself wrote the Akallabeth during the Third Age and preserved the records in Gondor.
Call to arms of the Great Armament
Ar-Pharazon ruled Numenor while harassing the Faithful and expanding the colonies of Numenor furthermore on Middle Earth.
However, as Ar-Pharazon aged and sensed his death was near, Sauron would tempt Ar-Pharazon to invade the continent of Aman while Sauron lied that within Valinor in the continent of Aman laid the secrets of immortality hidden by the Valars and the Maiar. Sauron’s deception was false as Valinor was called the Land of Immortality merely because the immortal beings dwelled on those lands. V
Valinor didn’t grant immortality and even if a mortal entered Valinor, the mortal would eventually die. Also, Death was a Gift granted as a prestige only for humans by Iluvatar that allowed the journey of the soul to a world of mysteries that even Iluvatar have no knowledge.
However, Numenorians never knew of this and Ar-Pharazon under Sauron’s lies and deception started to build a great armada to invade Valinor.
Secret assembly of the Faithful and Amandil’s journey to Valinor
Amandil would secretly gather the Faithful and planned on to evacuate them to Middle-Earth after hearing of Ar-Pharazon’s plans on the conquest of Valinor. Amandil feared the judgement of the Valars and informed his son Elendil to prepare for the perish of Numenor.
Like the old ancestors of the Numenorians Earendil, the father of Elros the first king of Numenor, Amandil would set journey to Valinor to ask for forgiveness of the arrogance of the humans of Numenor and mercy for their sins and disbelief.
However, Amandil never returned to Middle Earth nor Numenor and went missing on his journey. Elendil would eventually become the leader of the Faithful and continued to gather records, heirlooms of Numenor and tried to assemble as much of the Faithful.
Invasion of Valinor by Ar-Pharazon
The Valars sent constant warnings by the storms and lightning to Numenor to forbid their invasion into Valinor. However, Sauron and Ar-Pharazon insisted that the Valars had sent a declaration of war and urged the Numenorian’s battle fever even further.
On the king’s flagship Alacrondas, Ar-Pharazon and the Great Armament set sail to the west crossing the forbidden borders that was called the Ban of the Valars to conquer Valinor by the deception of Sauron.
Sauron remained on Numenor in the Temple of Melkor watching over his successful plot of corrupting the humans of Numenor. The Armament of Numenor was so massive that from a distance it looked as if a whole island was setting sail.
Ar-Pharazon’s fleet reached the continent of Aman and set foot onto the shores of Valinor. Ar-Pharazon would insult the Lord of the Valars Manwe and even Iluvatar, the All Might claiming his kingship of Valinor.
Manwe’s call onto Iluvatar
The Valars and the Maiars thus the Ainur of Valinor on the continent of Aman couldn’t kill the children of Iluvatar the elves nor the humans. Manwe, the Lord of the Valars would ask for judgement onto the arrogant humans that dare to defy the Valars and even Iluvatar itself. Iluvatar answers Manwe and takes matters by its own hands.
Changing of the World
Iluvatar never interfered with its own hands on the events of Arda, however as much as the Valars were furious of the arrogance of the Numenorians, Iluvatar itself poured out its wrath onto the humans of Numenor.
Iluvatar caused a cataclysm that would swallow the mass armada of the Numenor into the abyss and Iluvatar started to shape the Arda by itself.
First, Iluvatar would separate Arda from Valinor where only by the special permission of the Valars that one could set sail and enter Valinor.
Iluvatar then made the world round called the Circles of the World, so even if one attempts to sail to Valinor without permission of the Valars, one will never reach Valinor but repeat their voyage in circles. Then Iluvatar punished Numenor itself.
Downfall of Numenor
Iluvatar set judgement on Numenor staring with the main island Aman. The highest mountain of Numenor, Meneltarma started to erupt by the power of Iluvatar and Iluvatar sent high tides and waves that would crush the lands of Numenor sinking Numenor to the abyss.
The whole kingdom of Numenor started to drown and sink to the bottom of the sea. While the Faithful prepared for the wrath of the Valars and Iluvatar and were able to escape from the judgment on Numenor, only a few of the Kings’ Men were able to survive the perish of Numenor.
Ar-Pharazon and the Great Armament were also destroyed by the wrath and judgement by the Valars and Iluvatar.
Sauron’s return to Mordor
Sauron himself didn’t expect such wrath and catastrophe by the invasion of Valinor. Sauron also sank with Numenor and Sauron lost his ability to disguise himself and lost his charming abilities that allowed him to seduce and deceive Celebrimbor and Ar-Pharazon.
As Sauron was also a former Maia, only his soul was barely able to escape back to Mordor where he kept the One Ring. Now only with the One Ring which Sauron has forged with parts of his soul and will could Sauron maintain a physical body on Arda.
Elendil, Isildur and Anarion’s evacuation from Numenor
Elendil has prepared for the perish of Numenor by his father Amandil’s advice along with his sons Isildur and Anarion. Isildur and Anarion led the group of the Faithful while Elendil also led the others of the Faithful himself.
Isildur has kept a fruit from the White Tree of Numenor Nimloth while Elendil carried the Palantiri(Palantirs), his sword Narsil, the Ring of Barahir along with many records of the old Edain and Numenor.
Isildur and Anarion sailed to the Port of Pelargir while Elendil sailed to the northwest and reached Lindon. After the cataclysm and sinking of Numenor, Elendil, Isildur and Anarion would lead the Faithful and escaped the catastrophe of Numenor.
