LOTR 1

And into this ring he poured his cruelty, his malice

the free lands of Middle-earth fell to the power of the ring.

A last alliance of men and elves marched against the armies of Mordor.

And on the slopes of Mount Doom, they fought for the freedom of Middle-earth.

But the power of the ring could not be undone

It was in this moment when all hope had faded

The ring passed to Isildur who had this one chance to destroy evil forever.

And for two and a half thousand years the ring passed out of all knowledge.

Until, when chance came it ensnared a new bearer

And there it consumed him

The ring brought to Gollum unnatural long life.

And in the gloom of Gollum's cave, it waited.

Darkness crept back into the forests of the world.

Rumor grew of a shadow in the East, whispers of a nameless fear.

And the ring of power perceived its time had now come.

It was picked up by the most unlikely creature imaginable

For the time will soon come when Hobbits will shape the fortunes of all.

The 22nd day of September in the year 1400 by Shire-reckoning.

Hobbits have been living and farming in the four Farthings of the Shire for many hundreds of years quite content to ignore and be ignored by the world of the big folk.

Middle-earth being, after all, full of strange creatures beyond count

Hobbits must seem of little importance being neither renowned as great warriors nor counted among the very wise.