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Well, there were two consequences, or three. The first was really metaphysical or spiritual: whereas Elenna was purified, Middle-earth was tainted by the marring of Melkor and the ongoing evil of Sauron, so simply going there resulted in a sort of inchoate moral contagion. More practically, Numenorean colonization both raised the ire of Sauron, and started Numenor down the slippery slope of imperialist pride which led eventually to Ar-Pharazon.
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The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it.
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