Gimli’s Life before joining the Fellowship of the Ring
Gimli was the son of Gloin, the dwarf from Thorin’s Company that retook the dwarf kingdom Erebor from the dragon Smaug. Gimli was born in the Blue Mountains known as Ered Luin and Gimli was also a dwarf from Durin’s Folk, the House of Durin.
Gimli was too young to join his father for the quest for Erebor. After Erebor was retaken from Smaug, Gimli also relocated to Erebor.
A messenger of Sauron has come to Erebor to offer a reward for information of Bilbo Baggins. Gimli and Gloin were dispatched to Rivendell to warn Elrond of Sauron’s suspicious activities while seeking advice on news from Balin and Moria.
Legolas’s Life before joining the Fellowship of the Ring
Legolas was a Sindar elf, the prince of the Woodland Realm of Mirkwoods. Legolas dwas the son of Thranduil the king of the Woodland Realm. Unlike the movie where Legolas became one of the most popular characters, in the novel, not much is referred of Legolas before the Fellowship of the Ring.
Legolas was dispatched to Rivendell to warn Gandalf of the escape of Gollum but joined the Fellowship of the Ring representing the elves.
Boromir’s Life before joining the Fellowship of the Ring
Boromir was the eldest son of Denethor 2nd and the older brother of Faramir. Boromir was a great warrior with honor.
Boromir led the Gondor forces to reclaim Osgiliath after Sauron’s decoy attack to conceal the nazguls. However, him and Faramir had weird prophetic dreams that required Elrond’s advice to decipher. Boromir headed to Rivendell(Imladris) and eventually even joined the Council of Elrond
Unlike the movie, Boromir was a man of honor but the temptation of the One Ring was too powerful for an ordinary man to bear so Boromir was attracted to wield the One Ring.
However, Boromir’s only desire was to save Gondor from Sauron and he wasn’t as hot tempered and selfish as he was depicted in the movie.
Narsil, the Sword That Was Broken, Predecessor of the Anduril
Narsil was the sword of Elendil, the High King of Gondor and Arnor and the father of Anarion and Isildur. The shards of Narsil were kept by Elrondafter the Northern Kingdom of Arnor perished.
The shards of Narsil were kept for the Chieftain of the Dunedain. In the movie, Aragorn hesitates to even look at Narsil as it reminded him of Isildur’s mistake not destroying the One Ring.
Also, in the movie Aragorn still hasn’t accepted his fate to return as the King of Gondor and save Middle Earth yet. The shards of Narsil were kept in Rivendell before Aragorn and Rohan rode to Gondor.
In the novel, already, Aragorn has accepted his fate and Elrod’s quest to return as king of Arnor and Gondor. Elrond would forge the blade Anduril, that means “Flame of the West” for Aragorn and Aragorn wields Anduril before the Fellowship of the Ring headed east to Mordor.
Fellowship of the Ring first destination - Pass of Caradhras
The Fellowship of the Ring eventually attempted to cross the Pass of Caradhras of the Misty Mountains to head east to Mordor. The Pass of Caradhras was also called the Redhorn Pass. Boromir suggested taking the Path of Rohan while Gimli suggested taking the underground path of Moria.
This Pass of Caradhras, the Redhorn Pass was the location where Elrond’s wife Celebrian was ambushed by elves and dreaded by the dwarves of the old dwarf kingdom Khazad-dum.
Boromir wanted to pass through Gondor quickly while Gimli wanted to check on Balin’s survival and the dwarf colony at Moria. Yet, Gandalf insisted on taking the snowy icy mountains of Caradhras because Saruman’s forces of Isengard watched over the Gap of Rohan and Gandalf feared the balrog of Moria.
Fellowship of the Ring second destination – Moria that used to be the old dwarf kingdom Khazad-dum
Avalanches and blizzards eventually halted the Fellowship of the Ring. The movie adaption shows Saruman making spells in Quenya to create a blizzard after Saruman caught track of the Fellowship of the Ring by the crebain crows spying for him.
The Fellowship of the Ring eventually heads to Moria. Moria used to have rich Mithril mines where the dwarf kingdom Khazad-dum stood.
The dwarf kingdom Khazad-dum prospered with Mithril and had a friendship with the Noldor elves by trades of the mined Mitrhil. However, the dwarves dug too deep and awaken a balrog from the 1st age sleeping deep.
Khazad-dum fell and the dwarves fled while the orcs and goblins occupied the old realm of Khazad-dum that is now called Moria.
Balin and the dwarf colony of Moria
Balin was the dwarf advisor of Thorin Oakenshield and the closest dwarf friend to Bilbo Baggins. However, after Erebor was retaken, Balin and Oin and Ori from Thorin’s company along with a group of dwarves recolonized Moria for Mitrhil and in hopes of finding a ring of power of the dwarves.
However, at some point, news from Moria were cut off from Erebor. Gimli and Gloin arrived at Rivendell to warn Elrond of Sauron and to find any clues of the whereabouts of Balin and Moria.
Bilbo Baggins Pity and Gollum’s stalk on the Fellowship of the Ring
Frodo Baggins noticed someone following the Fellowship of the Ring. Gandalf informs that it was Gollum, the corrupted hobbit that was once called Smeagol that was stalking them.
Frodo Baggins would show his concerns as the Ring Bearer of the One Ring while he also felt sorry for himself. Frodo Baggins would say that his uncle Bilbo Baggins should have killed Gollum when he had his chance.
However, Gandalf would encourage Frodo while giving advice that Bilbo Baggin’s pity or his small compassion for Smeagol may have altered the history of Middle Earth. Gandalf tells Frodo Baggins that all the small, good deeds could make a difference to history.
Considering the end of the Lord of the Rings, the survival of Smeagol was crucial. Bilbo Baggins’s pity did save the history of Middle Earth.
"So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us"
-Gandalf to Frodo Baggins at Moria -
