What New Evils Was Sauron Forging?

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

It does also bring to mind the 'nuclear winter' type effects which have been seen following massive volcanic eruptions. There was one in the Dark Ages (one of the Pacific Rim volcanoes) which resulted in massive crop failure and the Sun being blotted out for a long time in Europe. Maybe that 'poison' was partly due to sulphur and other noxious gases in the air?

This might sound odd, coming from me, but that might be a little too scientific . And the lack of oxygen, decreased by the increased levels of other gases released into the atmosphere, would not only make some despair but others downright giddy and slaphappy. Maybe this oxygen-deprivation affected the Witch-King's thinking, allowing him to be delusional enough to take on a maia, mano a mano.

"Is that a Balrog painted the White Wizard's sword hilt? Nah, cannot be. Why, he's only three feet tall and sitting on a white poofy rabbit...I can take him..."

And just who thought it a good idea to build downwind from one of the few (if not only) active volcanoes in the region?