People of Narog

Those Elves of the following of Finrod Felagund, the eldest son of Finarfin of the Noldor. Finrod was among the leaders of that people on their journey back to Middle-earth, and he founded a realm for himself in Beleriand. On the advice of Thingol of Doriath, he travelled to the Caverns of Narog, which ran into the cliffs below the High Faroth overlooking the course of the river Narog. There he founded a new underground city that became one of the most important in Beleriand.

Finrod excavated the caves with the help of the Dwarves, and thus gained his surname Felagund, from the Dwarvish for 'Hewer of Caves'. He delved a great stronghold into the rock beneath the cliffs that became known as Nargothrond. Finrod's new domain was made as defensible as possible, with its Doors opening onto the river, so that enemies could not approach in force. Its power extended across the plains to the north, on which the People of Narog kept unceasing watch, and before the Doors of Nargothrond the Elves raised a new hill, Amon Ethir the Spyhill, from which they could watch out over their lands.

Finrod completed Nargothrond in the year I 102, and he ruled over the People of Narog for nearly four centuries. In I 455, following the disaster of the Dagor Bragollach, Celegorm and Curufin fled the northern lands to seek refuge with Finrod, and this proved to be the beginning of the downfall of Finrod's domain. Ten years later, the Man Beren arrived to claim Finrod's aid in the Quest of the Silmaril, which Finrod was bound by an oath to provide.¹ Finrod agreed to accompany Beren, leaving Finrod's brother Orodreth as regent, but Celegorm and Curufin saw their opportunity to gain power.

Though Orodreth was formally the ruler of Nargothrond, for a while these two Sons of Fëanor ordered things as they wished, until a time when bands of ragged Elves came unexpectedly to Nargothrond out of the wild. These had formerly been Elves of Nargothrond who had been captured and held by Sauron, but released by Lúthien, who told that Finrod had been in slain Tol-in-Gaurhoth. Their story revealed the treacherous plans of the brothers to take power for themselves, and the People of Narog cast them out of the city. Now Finrod's younger brother Orodreth ruled the People of Narog unchallenged, but he was not the great lord that his brother had been.

Twenty-five years later, another escaped prisoner of Morgoth returned to Nargothrond, bringing with him another Man who would have a fateful impact on the city's history. That escaped Elf was named Gwindor, and the Man he guided to Nargothrond was Túrin Turambar. Túrin was a lordly Man raised in Doriath, and he soon took control of Nargothrond's warriors. Where Finrod and Orodreth had ordered their realm for defence, Túrin now led the People of Narog to open war, and built a great bridge across the river Narog so that their armies could ride out onto the plain beyond.

In going to war, Túrin brought Morgoth's gaze to Nargothrond, and a great force of Orcs were sent against the city, led by the Dragon Glaurung. The People of Narog engaged this force in the Battle of Tumhalad of I 495, but they were soundly defeated, and King Orodreth was slain. The victorious Dragon moved on to sack Nargothrond itself. The last of the surviving People of Narog were led away as thralls of Morgoth, and the great city of Finrod Felagund became the abode of the Dragon Glaurung.