A few things

[Laiudanama]

Couldn't get much fuller than that - I commend your mastery of the quote function, sir Raynor!

Just to really add a brief note to that in response to one of your questions, JimmyLew:

What was Saurons' actaul plan with creating the Rings? What was he hoping to happen exactly? Would the Elves of Erigion have turned to Wraiths if they hadn't had foiled his plan?

It could be an interesting discussion on the differences between men and elves, and their characters - how they would react to the power of the rings. Throughout the novel, one becomes aware that, although men and elves are similar, there are still certain generic character differences between them: for example, the weakness of men is highlighted several times - e.g. in the weakness of Isildur in keeping the ring of power when he had the chance to destroy it, whereas it is implied that an elven character in the same position (such as Elrond) would have destroyed it. Maybe this is just the wisdom of Elrond being shown, of course - after all, elven characters are not entirely without weakness, seen by the temper rashness of fiery Fëanor in the Silmarillion, or even of Galadriel in her being tempted by the rings. But there is a certain 'weakness of men' implied: they great kings of men gave in to the allure of the power and riches offered by the rings, and thus fell under it's power and became wraiths, entirely subject to Sauron; the elves did not - so maybe even under Sauron's influence they would have become 'wraith-like' too.

On the one hand, doubtful, as the three rings, Nenya, Narya and Vilya, were made without Sauron's commission - but then again, they were made when the Celebrimbor and the Mirdain (sorry not to do the little thing over the i - npt exactly sure how to on this computer...) were under the influence of 'Annatar', and were linked inextricably with the other rings and the One Ring itself - and so, if they had kept them on, they would probably have become wraithlike, like the Men. Who knows? Maybe they would have reacted differently and would actually have been less affected by it, or would have been able to resist the seductive pull to submission to the One Ring - but then again, maybe not. But they did, after all, take of the rings - and thus plan foiled!

...although as Raynor puts it, if they had, "He would have comanded everything, forever". Uh huh. And perfect quotage there to prove it.

Hope this didn't just come out as a ramble - I'm also a new member (first post - huzzah!)

Lai