Chapter Summaries

Chang Wei stayed in Rivendell's library while Aragorn prepared to hire him for another mission. When Aragorn offered to add him to the Ring Guard Team, Chang Wei demanded payment and named a million Castar, leaving Aragorn unable to afford it.

• Arwen arranged for elves to watch Chang Wei and keep others from discovering his identity.
• Chang Wei told Aragorn that knowledge mattered more to him than love and that Arwen was guarding against him.
• Aragorn asked Chang Wei to join the Ring Guard Team after seeing his strength and resistance to The One Ring.
• Chang Wei reminded Aragorn that he still owed payment for the previous job and demanded a million Castar for the next one.
• Aragorn said he could not afford the sum, and Chang Wei produced a contract.

Chang Wei joined the Ring Guard Team after securing Aragorn’s signature on a debt contract, and the group left Rivendell to carry The One Ring toward Mount Doom. Chang Wei secretly created a new race of green-skinned Orcs, whose arrival near Rivendell alarmed the Elves.

• Chang Wei had Aragorn sign a contract binding him and his descendants to repay one million Castars, then declined to charge him for joining the Ring Guard Team.
• At the council in Rivendell, the company chose to destroy The One Ring at Mount Doom, and Frodo volunteered to carry it.
• Elrond formed the nine-member Ring Guard Team from Frodo, Sam, Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, Boromir, Pippin, and Merry, but Aragorn persuaded Gandalf and Elrond to let Chang Wei join as the tenth member.
• The group left Rivendell after Aragorn named his reforged sword Andúril and Bilbo gave Frodo Sting and a Mithril coat of mail.
• Chang Wei secretly created green-skinned Orcs called Hulk, and the Elves of Rivendell discovered the unfamiliar beings in the nearby forests.

Chang Wei established an Orc force near Rivendell, intending to grow it into a kingdom while using the Elves as a training challenge. Elrond chose not to attack the Orcs, leaving them free to reproduce and expand.

• Chang Wei created five or six hundred Hulk Orcs, split between males and females, and posed as a wizard among them while his other identity joined the Ring Guard Team.
• The Hulk Orcs began focusing on reproduction and expansion so they could build the kingdom Chang Wei wanted.
• Some Elves urged Elrond to drive the Orcs out of the forest, but he refused to risk Elven lives against them.
• Elrond judged that the Orcs were well armed and tough, though they lacked mounts and armor and were not exceptional by Middle-earth standards.
• Chang Wei had also created degenerated Hulk Orcs called Lads or Goblins, who were smaller and less durable but more numerous and cunning.

Chang Wei’s Orcs developed a crude social order and began expanding in the Misty Mountains, where they soon encountered other Orcs. Elrond watched the new creatures warily, while the chapter examined how Saruman might have bred and organized his Uruk-hai.

• Chang Wei’s Orcs formed a hierarchy of Bosses, Ladz, Shorties, and Big Bros, and divided their roles among producing offspring, hunting, patrolling, and ruling.
• Elrond learned that intelligent green-skinned creatures had appeared among the Orcs and arranged for Elves to monitor them while they remained in the Misty Mountains.
• Chang Wei chose the Misty Mountains for his Orcs because it was full of potential rivals, including Goblins, Great Eagles, and the remnants of Moria.
• The Orcs bred rapidly, and Chang Wei’s account considered how their growth compared with Saruman’s forces.
• The chapter weighed book and film accounts of Saruman’s Uruk-hai, concluding that he may have begun breeding Orcs around 2990 and had little time to assemble them into an army.

Chang Wei considered Saruman’s Orc-breeding methods and the timeline behind his army, then learned that Saruman had sent Uruk-hai and Goblins to capture green Orcs for study. He punished a green Orc for calling him “boss,” leaving the Orcs frightened and excited.

• The account linked Saruman’s secret Orc-breeding efforts to his contact with Soren around 2990 and explained that his first-generation Goblins were distinct from Uruk-hai.
• Appendix A described Orc raids in Rohan before Eomund’s death in 3002, suggesting that Saruman’s Orcs also operated in the Misty Mountains.
• The discussion proposed hidden Orc colonies in the Misty Mountains or on the plains and considered, without confirmation, theories about Orc reproduction.
• Chang Wei heard that Saruman’s Uruk-hai and Goblins had surrounded and hunted green Orcs, and realized Saruman wanted specimens to examine.
• A green Orc called Chang Wei “boss,” so Chang Wei struck him with lightning and demanded to be addressed as Emperor or Your Majesty.

Chang Wei’s Orcs battled Goblins and Uruk-hai, then faced five armored Trolls sent by Saruman. When the Trolls threatened to overwhelm them, Chang Wei appeared in a fearsome form and unleashed a Flame Storm, leaving the enemy forces burning and fleeing.

• Chang Wei ordered the Orc Boss to take the Orcs to war against the Goblins, and the Orcs quickly met the Goblins and Uruk-hai in battle.
• The Orcs tore through the enemy ranks until five armored Trolls appeared and challenged them with overwhelming strength.
• The Orc Chieftain charged a Troll and knocked it back, but the five Trolls advanced while the Goblins and Uruk-hai threatened to capture Orcs alive.
• Chang Wei decided that Saruman would not be allowed to take his Orcs and appeared amid lightning with six black wings.
• Chang Wei swept the Goblins, Uruk-hai, and Trolls into a Flame Storm, killing many and sending the survivors fleeing.

Chang Wei recruited five Mountain Ogres, captured Wargs, and created Triceratops for his Orcs as the Ring Guard Team reached Moria. At the mine entrance, Chang Wei attacked a giant octopus with a Fireball Spell.

• Chang Wei stopped the Fire Tornado and forced five Mountain Ogres to surrender, then learned they were Mountain Ogres.
• Chang Wei supplied his Orcs with improved green potatoes and ordered them to search for Wargs.
• The Orcs captured seven or eight giant wolves and their cubs, and Chang Wei created Triceratops as mounts and charging beasts.
• The Ring Guard Team reached the Moria Mines and encountered a giant octopus, which Chang Wei hit with a Fireball Spell, vaporizing much of the pool water.

Chang Wei and the Ring Guard Team fought Goblins in the Moria Mines, where Chang Wei slew a Cave Ogre and his allies’ noise threatened to awaken a Balrog. The Goblins fled, and Gandalf warned the group about the ancient creature sleeping beneath the mines.

• The group entered the Goblin-occupied Moria Mines, where Gimli discovered the bodies of Dwarves and cried out, attracting Goblins.
• Aragorn urged Chang Wei to use magic, but Chang Wei fought with his sword as Gandalf and the others battled the Goblins.
• Chang Wei set his Steel Sword ablaze and cut through the Goblins before facing a Cave Ogre head-on.
• Chang Wei cut the Cave Ogre’s club, stabbed it, and roasted it while its cries echoed through the mines.
• The Goblins retreated, and Gandalf explained that their noise could awaken a Balrog hidden beneath Moria for six thousand years.

Chang Wei and Gandalf confronted a Balrog awakened beneath Moria while Goblins attacked from the cliffs. Chang Wei stayed to fight alongside Gandalf and revealed Frost Magic powerful enough to drive the Balrog back.

• Gandalf identified the colossal creature as a Balrog and ordered Chang Wei, Aragorn, and the others to flee while he held it off.
• Chang Wei refused to leave and said his sword could hurt the Balrog, then helped Legolas fend off arrows from Goblins on the cliffs.
• Gandalf clashed with the Balrog using Glamdring and his staff while Chang Wei darted beneath it and cut its foot with his Frost Sword.
• Chang Wei struck the Balrog repeatedly, spreading frost over its legs as Gandalf warned him to avoid the demon flames.
• Gandalf drove back the Balrog with a burst of white light, and Chang Wei froze its chest before summoning a Blizzard that forced it backward.

Chang Wei saved Gandalf from the Balrog and led the company out of the Moria Mines. He then gathered more Ogres and forced captured Goblins to drink green blood, transforming them into stronger green Goblins while his Ogres dug toward the frozen Balrog.

• The Balrog broke free from Chang Wei's frost, caught Gandalf with its whip, and dragged him into the abyss.
• Chang Wei used Frozen Earth to trap the Balrog in ice and save Gandalf from falling further.
• Gandalf reunited with Frodo, and the company left the Moria Mines and crossed out of the Misty Mountains.
• Chang Wei gathered Cave Ogres, bringing the total under his command to thirteen, and ordered them to excavate the frozen Balrog.
• Chang Wei captured Goblins and forced them to drink green blood, transforming them into stronger green Goblins.

Chang Wei subdued the Balrog, claimed the Moria Mines for the Orcs, and then traveled with the Fellowship of the Ring to Lothlórien. There, Gandalf explained Galadriel’s strength and why she could not safely confront Soren.

• Chang Wei transformed, overpowered the Balrog, and scrubbed the Moria Mines by dragging it across the ground.
• The Balrog submitted to Chang Wei, and the Orcs claimed the mines and their Mithril.
• The Fellowship of the Ring left Moria and arrived in Lothlórien, where Gimli had to enter blindfolded.
• Chang Wei questioned Legolas’s description of Galadriel, and Gandalf said she was the strongest Elf alive.
• Gandalf explained that Galadriel might match Soren without The One Ring, but its power made a direct confrontation too risky.

Chang Wei and the Fellowship entered Lothlórien after Aragorn negotiated with its Elven guards, then met Galadriel at her palace. Galadriel welcomed Chang Wei as the Child of Radiance, while his pointed address to her as Queen of the Forest left Celeborn standing behind her.

• Chang Wei prepared to cast Smite at the Lothlórien guards, but Aragorn and Legolas stopped him and Aragorn negotiated their passage.
• Chang Wei explained Smite and the Sleep Spell, calling them White Magic designed to avoid hurting people.
• The Elves escorted the Fellowship through Nenya’s curtain of light into Lothlórien, where Chang Wei compared the forest unfavorably to The Wizard of Oz.
• The Fellowship climbed to Galadriel’s palace, where Galadriel and Celeborn welcomed them.
• Galadriel greeted Chang Wei as the Child of Radiance, and Chang Wei addressed her as Queen of the Forest.

Galadriel welcomed Chang Wei and the Fellowship to Lothlórien, openly revealing Chang Wei’s identity and drawing the Elves’ curiosity. That night, she entered Chang Wei’s room without permission, leaving him wondering why she had come.

• Galadriel apologized for staring at Chang Wei but did not persuade him to remove his mask.
• Galadriel invited Gandalf and Chang Wei to talk and arranged for the Fellowship to stay in Lothlórien for several days.
• News of Chang Wei’s arrival spread, and curious Elves gathered outside his house until Legolas dispersed them at Aragorn’s urging.
• Galadriel came to Chang Wei’s house at night and entered his room despite his silence.

Galadriel visited Chang Wei, shielded his house from outside observation, and tried to see his face despite his refusal. After she removed his mask and became captivated by his appearance, she destroyed it and left when he retaliated, while Chang Wei realized she had sought him out to distract herself from the temptation of The One Ring.

• Galadriel enclosed Chang Wei’s house in a veil of light, blocked his Smite with Nenya, and explained that she disliked being blasted away.
• Galadriel offered Chang Wei an Elven Sword, but he said his Steel Sword was enough for him.
• Galadriel asked to see Chang Wei’s face, then used her magic and combat skills to take his mask when he refused.
• Galadriel became captivated by Chang Wei’s appearance and destroyed his mask after he told her not to put it back on.
• Chang Wei ignited his Steel Sword, and Galadriel escaped under Nenya’s protection without alerting Gandalf or Celeborn.
• Chang Wei realized Galadriel had treated him as an anchor to distract herself from The One Ring’s temptation.

Galadriel became infatuated with Chang Wei after seeing his true appearance, and he decided to expose her behavior to Aragorn and Legolas. After showing them a recording of Galadriel destroying his mask and pressuring him, Chang Wei left them questioning their image of the Queen and wondering what else might be going on.

• Galadriel used Chang Wei to resist the temptation of The One Ring, but became completely focused on him instead.
• Chang Wei went to find Gandalf and Celeborn to complain about Galadriel, but Aragorn and Legolas arrived first after seeing a curtain of light around his house.
• Aragorn and Legolas saw Chang Wei's true face, and Legolas felt ashamed of his own appearance.
• Chang Wei showed Aragorn and Legolas a recording of Galadriel destroying his mask and pressuring him to reveal his face.
• Legolas struggled to believe Queen Galadriel had acted that way, while Aragorn began to suspect that secret meetings between Galadriel and Gandalf might have meant more than he had thought.

Aragorn and Gandalf tried to understand why Galadriel had taken Chang Wei’s mask and learned that his appearance had deeply affected her. Galadriel and Celeborn refused to join the coming war, deciding that Lothlórien would leave Middle-earth as the age of the Elves ended.

• Chang Wei demanded a Mithril mask enchanted with a Light spell, and Aragorn and Legolas agreed to provide one.
• Aragorn showed Chang Wei’s face to Gandalf, who was astonished and wondered about Chang Wei’s origins.
• Gandalf confronted Galadriel about her actions, but she kept the matter private and gave him no clear resolution.
• Gandalf urged Galadriel and Celeborn to join the fight against Mordor and Isengard.
• Galadriel said the Elven Rings would fade and the age of the Elves had ended, and Celeborn declared that Lothlórien would not join the war and would sail west.

Chang Wei asked Galadriel whether the Elves could stay in Middle-earth without destroying The One Ring, but Gandalf, Galadriel, and Aragorn insisted that it had to be destroyed. As the Fellowship prepared to leave Lothlórien, Chang Wei’s beauty inspired many Elves to refuse to leave and offer to fight for him, and Galadriel continued presenting gifts while postponing the dispute.

• Chang Wei asked Galadriel what could keep the Elves from migrating, and he suggested dealing with Soren while leaving The One Ring intact.
• Gandalf, Galadriel, and Aragorn argued that The One Ring had to be destroyed because Soren could not otherwise be defeated.
• The Fellowship decided to leave Lothlórien, and Galadriel gave them gifts, including an Elven Cloak that she draped over Chang Wei.
• A female Elf offered to fight Mordor for humanity, then other Elves declared that they would fight for Chang Wei and wanted to remain in Middle-earth.
• Celeborn tried to bring the Elves to their senses, but they remained resolute, so Galadriel postponed the matter and continued giving gifts to the Fellowship.

The Fellowship of the Ring left Lothlórien with weapons and supplies, then traveled downriver while Saruman’s Uruk-hai pursued them. After reaching a place to camp, Boromir urged Aragorn to go to Minas Tirith, and Aragorn said he did not trust him.

• Galadriel kissed Chang Wei and gave him a magical blessing that would make her share half of any damage he suffered.
• The Fellowship of the Ring set out by boat toward Rauros Falls after Gandalf warned them that Goblins and Saruman’s Uruk-hai were hunting them.
• Aragorn spotted Uruk-hai tracking the group along the riverbank, and the Fellowship rowed through branching waterways to evade them.
• Aragorn led the group ashore to camp after they believed they had put distance between themselves and their pursuers.
• Boromir urged Aragorn to take the Fellowship to Minas Tirith, but Aragorn said he did not trust him, and they argued.

Gandalf led the Fellowship of the Ring to divert toward Rohan after learning that Isengard’s Uruk-hai were invading and Théoden was under Saruman’s control. Chang Wei proposed using Rohan and Gondor to draw Soren’s forces away from Mordor, but Aragorn and Boromir feared the kingdoms would be devastated.

• Gandalf explained that Rohan was being invaded, Edoras was near collapse, and the elves would not send troops to help.
• Chang Wei and Gandalf argued that the Fellowship had to save Rohan, and Frodo agreed to change course for Edoras.
• The Fellowship traveled overland to Rohan without horses, with Chang Wei outlining a plan to rally Rohan and Gondor against Mordor.
• Aragorn and Boromir objected that Soren could devastate both kingdoms before pulling troops back to defend Mordor.

Chang Wei and the others encountered Éomer while rescuing Rohan cavalry from Uruk-hai Warg Riders, and Gandalf healed the wounded Théodred. Éomer explained that Saruman’s scattered attacks had divided Rohan’s forces and left Helm’s Deep in grave danger.

• Legolas shot three Uruk-hai Warg Riders, and Chang Wei destroyed the pursuing force with a Fireball Spell, covering Aragorn and Boromir in ash.
• Éomer emerged from the Rohan cavalry and greeted Gandalf and Boromir, then asked Gandalf to save Théodred.
• Gandalf used the Flash Spell to heal Théodred, delighting Éomer.
• Éomer explained that the Orcs had split into separate forces and attacked Rohan’s tribes, forcing its cavalry to divide.
• Gandalf said Saruman was wearing down Rohan’s cavalry and that Helm’s Deep was in grave danger.