The Arrival of Númenór
From there, things turned largely from bad to worse in Eriador, however. Sauron’s forces spent six years razing Eregion to the ground, pushing forces to besiege Imladris and eventually move westwards to put pressure on Gil-Galad’s own battle lines in Lindon. With the Dwarves pushed back into Khazad-dûm—closing the Doors of Durin for what would ultimately be the last time until the Fellowship of the Ring came to Moria thousands of years later—and Lórien’s forces likewise pushed back, by 1699, Sauron’s victory in Eriador looked all but complete, with Imladris and Lindon being the final pieces of the Elven kingdoms left to fall to him.
However, at long last, the forces of Númenór petitioned by Gil-Galad at the start of the conflict arrived on Eriador’s shores. Just as Sauron’s forces had overwhelmed the Elves, Númenór’s fresh soldiers crashed against Sauron’s besieging forces and successfully pushed them back towards Mordor, allowing Gil-Galad’s forces to help lift the sieges on Imladris and aid the Númenórean forces in beating back Sauron’s hosts across what was left of Eregion. Although Sauron managed to rally with small force after being defeated at the Battle of the river Gwathló, he was pushed back once more into Mordor by 1701, bringing an end to the war—and to centuries of Sauron’s attempts to directly influence the Elves to his side.
