A true delight. Usually, I am not into fan fiction, but this one I truly enjoyed. And I do not mean the voice or the visuals, but the story itself. The voice and the video are really good, do not get me wrong but, without the story, they would be empty shells at best. The Professor himself said that, after he will be gone from this world, that he would like other minds to contribute and build upon the foundation he made, and works like this fit precisely in his vision. I hope that, after his works enter public domain (The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings shall be public domain in many countries in about ten years.), more like this is will be created, published and appreciated.
Thanks Lotus! What a comment, this made my day. I did put a lot of effort into the story, and it really grew as the work progressed. Every sentence of the script is finely tuned. I hope they story fits into the universe of Tolkien, first I was a bit doubtful, mostly because of the blood and gore I wanted to display. In the end I toned it down a bit, to keep it more family friendly 🙂
I’ve never heard anything of the sort that “Tolkien expected other minds to expand upon his story.” Sounds like something that Amazon would say in defense of their atrocity “Rings of Power.” I looked it up, and all I could find was someone on Reddit saying the exact same thing, with no actual quote from Tolkien expressing that sentiment.
There is no book for this I am afraid :) I Have made up this speculative story. Very little information is available about his life prior to becoming a Ringwraith. @@joshuaagron9693
Gotta be one of the coolest lore videos Ive ever watched. The Witch King’s identity has always been so interesting. I’ve always viewed WK as LOTR’s not fleshed out Anakin Skywalker. This gave me that vibe and was great.
It’s the greatest success of world-building that people can still wonder and expound on the mysteries of your creations so many years later. As someone who always wanted to be a writer, I imagine the knowledge of that would make Tolkien very happy. Thanks for this, I always wanted more of him than just a few lines of dialogue in the movie.
Wow. So Amazon is one of the richest companies on the planet and throws a billion dollars at a project which no one likes. Then someone puts a free video on UA-cam that is what we actually wanted to see about the second age and the allure of the rings. Amazon, hire people like this! Imagine this concept with the backing of a full studio!
It isn't because of incompetence that their projects are turning out the way they are. It is with INTENT. They want it to be a platform for their ideology, like everything else in Hollywood. They didn't fail to know who to look for, or fail in execution. They chose the who and what very much on purpose. It was like how Marvel tanked from No Way Home until Deadpool & Wolverine; or how every Pixar project for 10 years has been a woke-fest; or Bud Light/Target/whatever made pedo-glorification a marketing ploy. They aren't hiring stupid people who don't know what they are doing; they are hiring people specifically to become ideological platforms and youth indoctrination spectacles. That rant aside: even if Amazon would have gone this route, it still requires being stretched out into hour-long episodes, 10 episodes per season, over multiple seasons. It still requires actors, directors, set designers, graphics editors, etc., to get it right. Furthermore, telling us in great detail everything that before was a mystery doesn't complete the story or make it more fulfilling, but rather shrinks it. This version is good, but it's easier to get it right when you only produce 15 minutes of content. That's why trailers can make almost any movie or series look interesting. Even if this were the arch Amazon chose, the "purists" would have complained that the studio "took liberties" to flesh out a story that wasn't in the Tolkien canon; there is no winning with some people. The product Amazon has given us isn't great, but you also have to consider that the 2nd Age covers thousands of years, which means it doesn't have to disrupt the lore we all know and love. It's just extra or in-between.
@@madsquabbles2016 please be aware that some people actually love rings of power - even the idea of the dwarves singing to rocks, a beautiful concept and very much in tune with Tolkien's musical theme. Peter Jackson, in my opinion, is the 'thug'. For example, his awful hobbit movies, or his mistreatment of Farimer and Denethor. Maybe I should just chill, and stop reacting when others insult something I love. But I just don't get it. And I'm definitely no fan of multi million dollar US corporations. But Jackson basically sold his soul to Hollywood to make a quick buck out of Tolkien. I mean, Legolas snowboarding down those steps in the battle of helm's deep? Seriously?
@@fred20097 You are everything that is wrong with the world. The rings of power literally just rips everything from the jackson movies and almost NOTHING from the books. You are wildly misinformed. DYOR more carefully please
@@rylandorr I beg you're pardon? No need for personal abuse. Why even be like that? What's wrong with the world is that people can't give their honest opinion without others attacking them. You're just so emotional, you don't even give any examples. So you think that when Aragorn beheads the mouth of Sauron in the movie, that's in keeping with honour and the rules of law? As evil as the mouth of Sauron is, Aragorn is meant to be a hero, and killing an emissary during negotiations is completely the opposite of what he's meant to stand for. And fantasy fiction is meant to be fun, not something you research. Just chill and enjoy the story. Forget about UA-cam and forget about about whatever it is that bothers you about rings of p. Because you're missing out. Oh and I've read lotrs and the hobbit many times. That's why I hate Jackson's crappy hobbit movies so much. They're only worth watching if you like non stop fight scenes.
Even with said 'speculation', a tremendous amount of artistry and creativity went into creating this video.. and i enjoyed it tremendously.. Thank you for such a wonderful adaptation.
This is awesome. I love it when someone takes a general idea or a character in the story and then expand it, but tries their best to stay in line with the overall idea of the authors original concept. This is a great ad and would make a great miniseries to an already great set of movies.
This was outstanding! It could well be filled out into a full length book. It reminds me of the passages from Tolkein in which many Numenoreans envied the Elven immortality, and feared the unknown of death. In the Appendix completion of Aragorn and Arwen's story, she admitted that she once dismissed them as fools, but now that she faced losing Aragorn to death, and knowing that it was her fate as well, she understood. This does not excuse the Witch King, but in a world in which immortality existed for some, but not others, the rage and insanity becomes more comprehensible. Many thanks.
Many thanks! You bring up really good points. I wanted to convey this mad search for Immortally, and it becomes so twisted in the end. What does he have to live for in those last decades leading up to him meeting Sauron..., I don't think he even knows the answer to that. It just becomes this thing where his ego completely runs amok, and it refuses to let go of the bodily form. Although he is absolutely terrified what the after life might hold for him, that is for sure. Thanks again for watching
The Ai produced animation is beautiful I have to say. Especially the mountain scenes with the sunlight passing through gaps in the clouds as they passes across the landscape ❤
Everybody gotta take a breath. Most of you take this to seriously. Tolken was a great writer and i have read the books since i was a child many years before t.v and internet took over. You all should be proud to have this we have today. When i was a kid all there was, was Rankin-Bass. I still love that animation.
Alright. Here's what I'm thinking, my "head canon." The man who becomes the Witch King was the son of the Numenorean Admiral Ciryatur. Ciryatur remained in Eriador after the War of the Elves and Sauron and eventually established a stronghold outside of what became Angmar to guard Eriador against the Orcs and evil men that fled north. His mother was also a Numenorean. I don't want the Witch King, or any of the Nazgul, to be of the line of Elros. Or to have ever set foot in Numenor. The name for this character, I came up with the name "Enmar." This character was born after the War of the Elves and Sauron, so say 1800 of the Second Age.
I love the animations that accompany this narrative, it brings the story to life and adds so much that you dont get with 99% of ....for lack of a better word..."e-reader" stories
Nice video, there's a lot of speculation around the Witch King, but I agree with others, you've taken some of the mythology and tried to create a narrative within that, good job, as a Tolkien fan all my life being able to get lost in well structured and laid out narrative videos whether creative liberties were taken or not, is brilliant & you put effort into your narration/visuals, nevermind the negative vibes from people who can't suspend their disbelief for a second to allow themselves to get lost in a narrative 👍
I appreciate all the LOTR lore-masters who contribute such depth and fulness to the LOTR saga. It appears that the use of the word “themselves” is deeply ingrained in the English language. But I have to wonder about the correctness of such verbiage, or use. I believe “them” is a personal pronoun, much like “him”-self is. But wouldn’t use of the pronouns require possessive pronouns, of course to indicate possession? Would it not be more appropriate to say “theirselves” and hisself? Or at least “their selves” and “his self?”
An interesting take. Since we know so little about the Witch King (except he was of Numenorean ancestry), there is room for imagination. Here's how I would go about it: Shortly after the rout and annihilation of Sauron's forces by Numenoreans under the command of their Admiral Ciryatan and his father King Tar-Minastir, a Numenorean nobleman by the name of Angmar with genetic ties to the royal family (and therefore the bloodline stretching all the way to Luthien and Melian) who had fought alongside his friend and future King, settled to the north of Eriador with his family. He had a normal childhood, with a loving family of his own, and with his followers he built up his realm. As his children grew up and had children of their own (and those children had their own children, etc.), he yearned to continue to live a life so charmed with the love and life and vitality of his family and their descendants all around him. Into this mix stepped a figure of great power, yet appeared like a Numenorean so handsome and persuasive he charmed all those around him. First he convinced Angmar's wife of the righteousness of his intentions, knowing she would be the one person Angmar loved, cherished, and trusted the most. Then with her by his side, they convinced Angmar to take up the Ring of Power that would enable him to continue to live this charmed life, convinced by him and her that not only would he benefit from this Ring of Power, but everyone around him, and would live life eternal. It was not just eternal life that beckoned him, but also that Numenor itself could benefit by growing ever more powerful if he would take up his best friend's offer, and come back home to Numenor (Tar-Ciryatan having since succeeded to the throne) to be by his side, advising him and helping him govern this growing empire. He grew close to Tar Ciryatan's son who would become Tar-Atanamir, and among others, it was he who debated the Eldar who came to visit Numenor (on behalf of the Valar) when they became concerned over Numenor's growing discontent over the Ban and the Gift (of death). Partly thanks to the man who would become the Witch King, the Numenoreans were left unconvinced by elven arguments, and so continued their spiritual descent even as they became ever more powerful and numerous, dominating Middle Earth. He eventually returned home to Angmar when he began to realize he had been lied to when his wife died, as did his older children of an old scourge -old age. But the Ring of Power that had been given to him had now such a hold over his mind he could not now set it aside, and he began to fade from the visible world. Just as he was physically weakening and visibly fading, that same mysterious figure who first offered and convinced him to take up that Ring of Power returned to Angmar now that he was no longer able to resist him, and weaved spells of magic binding Angmar's soul to his will, and took his Ring. From then on, he became a Nazgul, but given his bloodline from the Line of Elros, he was inherently and exceptionally powerful, more so than any of the other Nazgul, and to him Sauron taught him nearly everything he knew. Eventually due to plague, Angmar's entire remaining family was wiped out, as with most of their followers who settled with them. After the War of the Last Alliance had nearly destroyed Sauron's power (except for his One Ring), he was sent on his Master's behalf back his old home, and as the Witch King he conjured up the souls of all who had died, and bound them to his will as Sauron had done to him, and with the wild men and orcs he built up the evil realm of Angmar (his old name) to ultimately destroy Arnor and its remnant kingdoms of Rhudaur, Cardolan, and Arthedain, and wipe out Elendil's royal bloodline in the north. He nearly succeeded.
@@numenorean81 Honestly I hope the Rings of Power producers (assuming that show isn't entirely a lost cause) would take up either your or my interpretations on what turned a living, breathing man into an evil Nazgul and the Witch King.
This AI animation and story telling is incredible!! It gives individuals other than large name corporate studios the ability to create their own Visual Works.
Pharazon was the leader of a group that became known as the Black Numenoreans who went to Middle Earth and put the lesser men under tribute and servitude and opposed the Elves and Valar. The Witch King was likely one of Pharazons Generals or field commanders.
The black numenoreans were the descendants of the faction known as the king's men. The king's men were those of the numenorean people and nobility who questioned the ban of the valar and hated the elves as spies of the valar. The black numenoreans set up petty realms on the shores of middle earth where they ruled as conquerors and as harsh masters where once the men of westernesse were seen as teachers, as good and great people worthy of renown.
Absolutely gorgeous images. ❤ the images "coming out" of the book pages & the landscapes. And the images of the young man/king were sigh worthy. Mainly a great story and perfect narrator.
Awesome, this would have fit right in to something like the Book of Lost Tales seamlessly as if it was written by Tolkien himself! Amazing! Definitely got a new sub here.
I can't help that gut feeling A.I. wasn't solely used for the animations but also with some of the wordings in this lore as well. I was bracing myself to hear: " The young noble boy was overcome with a pang of guilt". Luckily that never materialized or else I would've smashed my screen with a jackhammer.
Very well done. Everything worked together, the visuals, particularly the 3-dimensional books, the story and voice over. It made you feel actual sympathy for the character, which takes some doing given what he ended up becoming as the Witch King. An orphan trying to gain knowledge and run a kingdom with nobody there to show him how. Unfortunately he started off down a dark path of his own making, further and further until, just at the end, when he was ripe for the picking, along comes Sauron with an offer he couldn't resist or refuse. To him, it seemed miraculous, but to Sauron it was just another case of having another case of, 'I've got you. You're mine now.'
Absolutely fantastic representation. As someone below observed, this is the finest work I’ve seen regarding the Witch King. It simply brought the character to life. Taking into account that Tolkien didn’t explain his origins, I like to think that this would have been close to the mark, and in keeping with his storytelling style.
Love this and hope to see more of these! Just one critique if you don’t mind? The Dark Lords name is pronounced more Sour-on instead of Sore-on. I’d loveeee to see one of these videos for each of The Nine!
Thanks you, I am more than delighted! And you are totally correct, for the next section the pronunciation should be on point One video for each Ringwraith is a neat idea, it is going into the todo list :)
Absolutely sensational, really enjoy what you have produced. The Witch King has always been a source of mystery, love this unique presentation and its the type of content I didn't know I needed but very happy to have stumbled upon. Bravo
We know almost nothing about the Nazguls' identities. This is remarkable considering what they became. This was certainly deliberate on Tolkien's part. The less we know, the more fearsome they are. Tolkien's basically saying, "Use your imagination." Which you did! Well done.
@@numenorean81 So far with your videos about him you've done a great job. Will you do a video describing the Witch-King's human years after he received the Ring? His youth and vigour returned, and he became one of the Nine who were "mighty in their day, kings, sorcerers, and warriors of old". Then the wreathing process that slowly turned him into a slave. That would be very cool.
And the other half of people would then bitch about them doing that. Takes some brass gonads to even bother trying to put popular fantasy on any screen. Half the fans will always find fault. 😂
Totally. I mean yeah Eragon the movie was very different from the book but it was a fricken good movie; the whining fans killed it: “No, Arya wasn’t a redhead she had dark hair wah wah I need a baba!!!!” etc . I wanted so bad to see how they did Shruikan. 😭
Thank you! You could see it as a bit of creative liberty that I took. I tried to convey that he was part of a strong Numenorean lineage. This might not be to everyone's liking
@@numenorean81great video looking forward to seeing the rest of your content and future videos. Where are these clips that you used from? They’re really good.
That was a pretty amazing rendition of your view. Well done. Instant fan. The obscurity of the dark forces history not really being talked about. Looking forward to more videos. :)
Great video. The artwork was very impressive as was the “fillers” of the Witch Kings origins. Very detailed and it “made sense”. It progressed to a logical conclusion of the ability of Sauron to “corrupt the hearts of Men”.
Wonderful work! You should really consider making ambient music videos. Absolutely love the musical compositions throughout it. It's rare for fan produced material to be that emotionally evocative for me, but this really tugged the heartstrings. Great Job!
@@numenorean81 He was definitely a flawed sociopath that grew ever more cynical, jaded, and made worse due to his necromancy obsession and his power as a King which provided resources to feed his ideological flaws. I enjoyed the videos detailed transitional explanation of the WK's supervillain arc.
Now this is the movie/show that should be being made! This is great, well done on the video. This is the first time finding your channel and I look forward to hearing more.
This is a really great tale, but I doubt it's ability to fall within the reality (so far as there is such a thing in the legendarium) of Middle Earth. The Rings were given to people already of proven power and might - and this can be seen in both who the rings were given to elsewhere, but also how Sauron worked on people, and which people he worked on, throughout his life. Skill in and of itself was not desired by Sauron, even skill in the dark arts. It was the ability to command, the ability to make grand strategies, a desire that allowed dark manipulation, those were the traits he focused on in the canon lore, and the Witch King would be, in my mind, the one who in life was greatest of these. An emperor of vast proportions and a dark terror in and of himself even before being given one of the Nine Rings. Anything less I cannot see Sauron making the leader of his armies.
You bring up really valid points here, and I don't have any defense other than that I took some liberties. I will learn and improve for the next speculative instalment 🙂
utube always throws awesome new channels my way :) And next week I am so dusting off Middle earth 2 :The Rise of the Witch-king. Also, what wonderful use of tools to make your story shine
The first few minutes of this had me thinking I was about to feel sorry for this guy, then they talked about him enjoying torturing people and I went "yep, there it is, screw this guy." Well done on this video, truly enjoyed it and listened to every word in awe.
I agree. If we continue this storyline, the ring would initially have healed up his body, infused it with youth and vitality. Bringing him back into a well looking middle aged lord. From there the process is slow, several centuries, perhaps even longer, for him to transform.
Yes, if not for the ring he would have passed away in a few years tops, I believe. He never found the secret to eternal life, and at the end all he could do was to prolong his miserable existence, a little bit at a time
This is so detached from Tolkien's universe, it's obviously terrible AI writing, with ai music, ai illustrations and ai narration. Shame on you. Create things with your own damn mind instead
Brilliant video. The Tolkien universe has so much potential. Many of us love it and always wish to delve deeper into it. The shows and movies that could be made from is infinite. I will always wait for a series about Morgoth and all the battles that took place between him and the elves. With all the magic, Dragons, Balrogs and Ungoliant too. It would be epic!
Why is it trash to you? AI can be a useful tool. Just imagine the budget and the planning for a short like this in the real world. We could be talking about millions of dollars.
@@numenorean81 Exactly, we live in the real world, if you want to make somethinng resepecful, do the work. AI is just an excuse lazy people are using to milk the work done off of others before them, trying to create justified plagarism and monetize it, taking clicable real estate away from people who actually know how to write a script, act and use a camera, that is why it is trash.
This video is what brought me to your channel, and I am beyond glad that it did! This was a fantastic tale, expertly woven, and crafted with a jeweler's attention to detail! Thank you. Out of curiosity, is there a list of the music you used?
Thank you! Not sure you can find the music on youtube, I use artlist.io and motionarray.com to get the rights to the music. Anyway here are some of the music used DaniHaDani - Secret No 3 Ben Winwood - Towards the Light Vasil Yatsevich - Pulsar WaveArt - You Will See the Light
![The Complete History of the Rings of Power [COMPILATION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/rsCaXGvMypM/mqdefault.jpg)
Excellent video. You told the Witch King's story very poetically and the visuals were a sight to behold.
Thanks a lot mate, your comment motivate me to improve upon the next video.
A true delight. Usually, I am not into fan fiction, but this one I truly enjoyed. And I do not mean the voice or the visuals, but the story itself. The voice and the video are really good, do not get me wrong but, without the story, they would be empty shells at best. The Professor himself said that, after he will be gone from this world, that he would like other minds to contribute and build upon the foundation he made, and works like this fit precisely in his vision. I hope that, after his works enter public domain (The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings shall be public domain in many countries in about ten years.), more like this is will be created, published and appreciated.
Thanks Lotus! What a comment, this made my day.
I did put a lot of effort into the story, and it really grew as the work progressed. Every sentence of the script is finely tuned.
I hope they story fits into the universe of Tolkien, first I was a bit doubtful, mostly because of the blood and gore I wanted to display. In the end I toned it down a bit, to keep it more family friendly 🙂
I’ve never heard anything of the sort that “Tolkien expected other minds to expand upon his story.” Sounds like something that Amazon would say in defense of their atrocity “Rings of Power.” I looked it up, and all I could find was someone on Reddit saying the exact same thing, with no actual quote from Tolkien expressing that sentiment.
@@numenorean81they need you to revamp the scripts for the Rings of Power
Tolken Reader since 1969, THIS IS GREAT!
Thank you Tony!
Is the narrator reading straight from the book? Bc this is awesome
There is no book for this I am afraid :) I Have made up this speculative story. Very little information is available about his life prior to becoming a Ringwraith. @@joshuaagron9693
Loving that AI Overlord!
wow,
Gotta be one of the coolest lore videos Ive ever watched. The Witch King’s identity has always been so interesting. I’ve always viewed WK as LOTR’s not fleshed out Anakin Skywalker. This gave me that vibe and was great.
Thanks man! I am humbled by your comment
@@numenorean81 Subscribed, great content.
Damn, that's a great analogy
The witch King was researching Slidding through alternative universes lol this guy was way ahead of his time lol shame as he started as a good man .
Thats tolkeins storytelling. Falls from grace@@Rick79LUFC
Well done, I always liked the Witch King from Lord of the Rings
Thank you Jeff! The Witch King is a fascinating subject indeed
His feats were incredible...the downfall of Arnor, killing the last king of Gondor,
Okay this is the best in-depth lore of the witch king so far found in youtube. I love it.
I really appreciate the sentiment, Thanks Jan!
@@numenorean81 Hey what is the AI that you used to make the video?
@@numenorean81 this is absolutely brilliant work my friend. Just stumbled upon this tonight. 👊🧡👍
It’s the greatest success of world-building that people can still wonder and expound on the mysteries of your creations so many years later. As someone who always wanted to be a writer, I imagine the knowledge of that would make Tolkien very happy. Thanks for this, I always wanted more of him than just a few lines of dialogue in the movie.
Thanks mate! Tolkien's world can be explored for a thousand years it seems like, that is just amazing
Wow. So Amazon is one of the richest companies on the planet and throws a billion dollars at a project which no one likes. Then someone puts a free video on UA-cam that is what we actually wanted to see about the second age and the allure of the rings. Amazon, hire people like this! Imagine this concept with the backing of a full studio!
It isn't because of incompetence that their projects are turning out the way they are. It is with INTENT. They want it to be a platform for their ideology, like everything else in Hollywood. They didn't fail to know who to look for, or fail in execution. They chose the who and what very much on purpose. It was like how Marvel tanked from No Way Home until Deadpool & Wolverine; or how every Pixar project for 10 years has been a woke-fest; or Bud Light/Target/whatever made pedo-glorification a marketing ploy. They aren't hiring stupid people who don't know what they are doing; they are hiring people specifically to become ideological platforms and youth indoctrination spectacles.
That rant aside: even if Amazon would have gone this route, it still requires being stretched out into hour-long episodes, 10 episodes per season, over multiple seasons. It still requires actors, directors, set designers, graphics editors, etc., to get it right. Furthermore, telling us in great detail everything that before was a mystery doesn't complete the story or make it more fulfilling, but rather shrinks it.
This version is good, but it's easier to get it right when you only produce 15 minutes of content. That's why trailers can make almost any movie or series look interesting. Even if this were the arch Amazon chose, the "purists" would have complained that the studio "took liberties" to flesh out a story that wasn't in the Tolkien canon; there is no winning with some people.
The product Amazon has given us isn't great, but you also have to consider that the 2nd Age covers thousands of years, which means it doesn't have to disrupt the lore we all know and love. It's just extra or in-between.
Amazon is a digital thug.
@@madsquabbles2016 please be aware that some people actually love rings of power - even the idea of the dwarves singing to rocks, a beautiful concept and very much in tune with Tolkien's musical theme. Peter Jackson, in my opinion, is the 'thug'. For example, his awful hobbit movies, or his mistreatment of Farimer and Denethor. Maybe I should just chill, and stop reacting when others insult something I love. But I just don't get it. And I'm definitely no fan of multi million dollar US corporations. But Jackson basically sold his soul to Hollywood to make a quick buck out of Tolkien. I mean, Legolas snowboarding down those steps in the battle of helm's deep? Seriously?
@@fred20097 You are everything that is wrong with the world. The rings of power literally just rips everything from the jackson movies and almost NOTHING from the books. You are wildly misinformed. DYOR more carefully please
@@rylandorr I beg you're pardon? No need for personal abuse. Why even be like that? What's wrong with the world is that people can't give their honest opinion without others attacking them. You're just so emotional, you don't even give any examples. So you think that when Aragorn beheads the mouth of Sauron in the movie, that's in keeping with honour and the rules of law? As evil as the mouth of Sauron is, Aragorn is meant to be a hero, and killing an emissary during negotiations is completely the opposite of what he's meant to stand for. And fantasy fiction is meant to be fun, not something you research. Just chill and enjoy the story. Forget about UA-cam and forget about about whatever it is that bothers you about rings of p. Because you're missing out. Oh and I've read lotrs and the hobbit many times. That's why I hate Jackson's crappy hobbit movies so much. They're only worth watching if you like non stop fight scenes.
Very well done I'm liking your take on the Witch King.
I am happy you enjoyed it, Gathron!
So you don't think he married or had children?
Even with said 'speculation', a tremendous amount of artistry and creativity went into creating this video.. and i enjoyed it tremendously.. Thank you for such a wonderful adaptation.
I Thank you for your kind words! it thaws a cold Numenorean heart
Creativity ? Can't you see this is all AI ? This whole thing was written, illustrated and read by an AI. Tolkien would weep if he was still around
This is awesome. I love it when someone takes a general idea or a character in the story and then expand it, but tries their best to stay in line with the overall idea of the authors original concept. This is a great ad and would make a great miniseries to an already great set of movies.
Thank you my man! A miniseries you say... we will see :)
Yep, Fan Fic. at it's finest! 🤓😎✌🏼
The visual effects is beautiful.
This was outstanding! It could well be filled out into a full length book.
It reminds me of the passages from Tolkein in which many Numenoreans envied the Elven immortality, and feared the unknown of death.
In the Appendix completion of Aragorn and Arwen's story, she admitted that she once dismissed them as fools, but now that she faced losing Aragorn to death, and knowing that it was her fate as well, she understood.
This does not excuse the Witch King, but in a world in which immortality existed for some, but not others, the rage and insanity becomes more comprehensible.
Many thanks.
Many thanks! You bring up really good points.
I wanted to convey this mad search for Immortally, and it becomes so twisted in the end. What does he have to live for in those last decades leading up to him meeting Sauron..., I don't think he even knows the answer to that. It just becomes this thing where his ego completely runs amok, and it refuses to let go of the bodily form. Although he is absolutely terrified what the after life might hold for him, that is for sure.
Thanks again for watching
The Ai produced animation is beautiful I have to say. Especially the mountain scenes with the sunlight passing through gaps in the clouds as they passes across the landscape ❤
Thank you, some sequences are striking indeed!
The narration, visuals & music are markable
Thank you for the compliment, really appreciate it!
Everybody gotta take a breath. Most of you take this to seriously. Tolken was a great writer and i have read the books since i was a child many years before t.v and internet took over. You all should be proud to have this we have today. When i was a kid all there was, was Rankin-Bass. I still love that animation.
Rankin-Bass.. meh..
Ok
It was - bad. Compared to the imagination it was a pale, pale, pale shadow.
But as for the rest of your submission? Yes, you are quite correct.
This video is wonderful. The narration, the tempo, the sequences, and the images are absolutely stunning.
Thanks!
Alright. Here's what I'm thinking, my "head canon." The man who becomes the Witch King was the son of the Numenorean Admiral Ciryatur. Ciryatur remained in Eriador after the War of the Elves and Sauron and eventually established a stronghold outside of what became Angmar to guard Eriador against the Orcs and evil men that fled north. His mother was also a Numenorean. I don't want the Witch King, or any of the Nazgul, to be of the line of Elros. Or to have ever set foot in Numenor. The name for this character, I came up with the name "Enmar." This character was born after the War of the Elves and Sauron, so say 1800 of the Second Age.
I like the theory! It certainly lends plausibility, given Admiral Ciryatur unknown whereabouts after he helped defeat Sauron. The timeline would fit
Wouldn’t Al-Farzon be the witch king though? Because the witch king was the mightiest of all kings in middle earth
I love the animations that accompany this narrative, it brings the story to life and adds so much that you dont get with 99% of ....for lack of a better word..."e-reader" stories
Thank you! Indeed, getting the imagery just right is a big part of the story and work.
Welcome to the age of AI.
Great job. I'm sure the channel grow quickly.
Thank you! If I continue to post videos people enjoy then hopefully
Nice video, there's a lot of speculation around the Witch King, but I agree with others, you've taken some of the mythology and tried to create a narrative within that, good job, as a Tolkien fan all my life being able to get lost in well structured and laid out narrative videos whether creative liberties were taken or not, is brilliant & you put effort into your narration/visuals, nevermind the negative vibes from people who can't suspend their disbelief for a second to allow themselves to get lost in a narrative 👍
Thank you man! I hope you are able to enjoy the one about Khamul as well :)
I appreciate all the LOTR lore-masters who contribute such depth and fulness to the LOTR saga.
It appears that the use of the word “themselves” is deeply ingrained in the English language.
But I have to wonder about the correctness of such verbiage, or
use.
I believe “them” is a personal pronoun, much like “him”-self is.
But wouldn’t use of the pronouns require possessive pronouns, of course to indicate possession?
Would it not be more appropriate
to say “theirselves” and hisself? Or at least “their selves” and “his self?”
this channel deserves more subs
Thank you Jonny! Some day perhaps 😀
Now this would be worth a movie .
An interesting take. Since we know so little about the Witch King (except he was of Numenorean ancestry), there is room for imagination. Here's how I would go about it:
Shortly after the rout and annihilation of Sauron's forces by Numenoreans under the command of their Admiral Ciryatan and his father King Tar-Minastir, a Numenorean nobleman by the name of Angmar with genetic ties to the royal family (and therefore the bloodline stretching all the way to Luthien and Melian) who had fought alongside his friend and future King, settled to the north of Eriador with his family. He had a normal childhood, with a loving family of his own, and with his followers he built up his realm. As his children grew up and had children of their own (and those children had their own children, etc.), he yearned to continue to live a life so charmed with the love and life and vitality of his family and their descendants all around him. Into this mix stepped a figure of great power, yet appeared like a Numenorean so handsome and persuasive he charmed all those around him. First he convinced Angmar's wife of the righteousness of his intentions, knowing she would be the one person Angmar loved, cherished, and trusted the most. Then with her by his side, they convinced Angmar to take up the Ring of Power that would enable him to continue to live this charmed life, convinced by him and her that not only would he benefit from this Ring of Power, but everyone around him, and would live life eternal. It was not just eternal life that beckoned him, but also that Numenor itself could benefit by growing ever more powerful if he would take up his best friend's offer, and come back home to Numenor (Tar-Ciryatan having since succeeded to the throne) to be by his side, advising him and helping him govern this growing empire. He grew close to Tar Ciryatan's son who would become Tar-Atanamir, and among others, it was he who debated the Eldar who came to visit Numenor (on behalf of the Valar) when they became concerned over Numenor's growing discontent over the Ban and the Gift (of death). Partly thanks to the man who would become the Witch King, the Numenoreans were left unconvinced by elven arguments, and so continued their spiritual descent even as they became ever more powerful and numerous, dominating Middle Earth.
He eventually returned home to Angmar when he began to realize he had been lied to when his wife died, as did his older children of an old scourge -old age. But the Ring of Power that had been given to him had now such a hold over his mind he could not now set it aside, and he began to fade from the visible world. Just as he was physically weakening and visibly fading, that same mysterious figure who first offered and convinced him to take up that Ring of Power returned to Angmar now that he was no longer able to resist him, and weaved spells of magic binding Angmar's soul to his will, and took his Ring. From then on, he became a Nazgul, but given his bloodline from the Line of Elros, he was inherently and exceptionally powerful, more so than any of the other Nazgul, and to him Sauron taught him nearly everything he knew. Eventually due to plague, Angmar's entire remaining family was wiped out, as with most of their followers who settled with them. After the War of the Last Alliance had nearly destroyed Sauron's power (except for his One Ring), he was sent on his Master's behalf back his old home, and as the Witch King he conjured up the souls of all who had died, and bound them to his will as Sauron had done to him, and with the wild men and orcs he built up the evil realm of Angmar (his old name) to ultimately destroy Arnor and its remnant kingdoms of Rhudaur, Cardolan, and Arthedain, and wipe out Elendil's royal bloodline in the north. He nearly succeeded.
Wow. That is a great story! Much more subtle in many ways than my take. Impressive
@@numenorean81 Honestly I hope the Rings of Power producers (assuming that show isn't entirely a lost cause) would take up either your or my interpretations on what turned a living, breathing man into an evil Nazgul and the Witch King.
@@1101millie97 Don't hold your breath. 😏
@@1101millie97 They can't do it, because they absolutely want a show based on Guy-Ladriel and on a diverse casting.
@@frederiquelorimier8286 What does any of that have to do with what we are talking about?
This AI animation and story telling is incredible!! It gives individuals other than large name corporate studios the ability to create their own Visual Works.
Pharazon was the leader of a group that became known as the Black Numenoreans who went to Middle Earth and put the lesser men under tribute and servitude and opposed the Elves and Valar. The Witch King was likely one of Pharazons Generals or field commanders.
The black numenoreans were the descendants of the faction known as the king's men. The king's men were those of the numenorean people and nobility who questioned the ban of the valar and hated the elves as spies of the valar. The black numenoreans set up petty realms on the shores of middle earth where they ruled as conquerors and as harsh masters where once the men of westernesse were seen as teachers, as good and great people worthy of renown.
I always thought of him as a Numenorean.
I think you can only take daddy issues so far. This dude went all the way .
It would have been given way before pharazons time. 1000 plus years
this story take place byfore battle of last aliance this begin of second age
Great presentation! I look forward to seeing more of your work.
Thank you man!
Absolutely gorgeous images. ❤ the images "coming out" of the book pages & the landscapes. And the images of the young man/king were sigh worthy. Mainly a great story and perfect narrator.
Thank you, appreciate your kind words!
Just marvelous. Love it.
Thank you John!
Absolutely amazing, thank you!!!!
Beautifully written story, and the visuals are stunning!
Thank you for sharing this creation with us!
Thank you so much! it is totally my pleasure
Awesome, this would have fit right in to something like the Book of Lost Tales seamlessly as if it was written by Tolkien himself! Amazing!
Definitely got a new sub here.
Thank you! such a heart warming comment
I can't help that gut feeling A.I. wasn't solely used for the animations but also with some of the wordings in this lore as well. I was bracing myself to hear: " The young noble boy was overcome with a pang of guilt". Luckily that never materialized or else I would've smashed my screen with a jackhammer.
This would make an incredible movie. 😀
Thanks Yeah! In fact, Amazon just bought the rights for 250 pesos. they promised to deliver a inclusive family drama. Can't wait! 😄
Pure speculation but at this point I'm starving for more videos with this quality. Well made thanks a lot
Thank you, happy you like it!
I always felt that Tal-Elmar is the origin story for the Witch King.
That would be appropriate as well.
Very well done. Everything worked together, the visuals, particularly the 3-dimensional books, the story and voice over. It made you feel actual sympathy for the character, which takes some doing given what he ended up becoming as the Witch King.
An orphan trying to gain knowledge and run a kingdom with nobody there to show him how. Unfortunately he started off down a dark path of his own making, further and further until, just at the end, when he was ripe for the picking, along comes Sauron with an offer he couldn't resist or refuse. To him, it seemed miraculous, but to Sauron it was just another case of having another case of, 'I've got you. You're mine now.'
Richard Harris did a great job narrating
Hey Numenorean, I updated all my songs to include your channel. I wish the best for you always. Be safe and keep up the incredible work!
Thank you brother, I am in your dept!
Great imagination, great narration and background music. Most of all those graphics were incomparable. Done by man or AI, WOW!
Dont think its untrue thoe
Absolutely fantastic representation. As someone below observed, this is the finest work I’ve seen regarding the Witch King. It simply brought the character to life. Taking into account that Tolkien didn’t explain his origins, I like to think that this would have been close to the mark, and in keeping with his storytelling style.
Thank you so much for that! I have to say the reception has been varied, but mostly positive.
This is a wonderful presentation. Really helps the viewer get invested. Great job my friend!
Thank you Jason, much appreciated!
Your story telling is amazing, it will trump the story telling of Rings Of Power, any day 💯
Love this and hope to see more of these! Just one critique if you don’t mind? The Dark Lords name is pronounced more Sour-on instead of Sore-on.
I’d loveeee to see one of these videos for each of The Nine!
Thanks you, I am more than delighted!
And you are totally correct, for the next section the pronunciation should be on point
One video for each Ringwraith is a neat idea, it is going into the todo list :)
@@numenorean81 subscribing to your channel, man. Great stuff here!
Ai cant pronounce Sauron
There you are correct. If I narrated though, it would be a catastrophy :)@@yomama211
Absolutely sensational, really enjoy what you have produced. The Witch King has always been a source of mystery, love this unique presentation and its the type of content I didn't know I needed but very happy to have stumbled upon. Bravo
Happy you enjoyed it so much!
Very good! He fell as the Black Numenorians fell. and that works perfectly because that is who he was.
Thank you!
Your work is wonderful! And honestly, what a horrifying reminder that at some point, the Witch-King was just a kid like anyone else!
Holy crap how many hours did it take you to make this video? It looks amazing!
Thanks man! About 100 hours give or take.
The storytelling and audio work here are top notch.
We know almost nothing about the Nazguls' identities. This is remarkable considering what they became. This was certainly deliberate on Tolkien's part. The less we know, the more fearsome they are. Tolkien's basically saying, "Use your imagination."
Which you did! Well done.
Thank you! Yeah, that is the fear of trying to write such a story, it can easily fall flat if it makes the protagonist less fearsome.
@@numenorean81 What program is this?
@@squamish4244 if you mean what I use to create the imagery, it's called midjourney.
@@numenorean81 Yes. Thanks.
@@numenorean81 So far with your videos about him you've done a great job.
Will you do a video describing the Witch-King's human years after he received the Ring? His youth and vigour returned, and he became one of the Nine who were "mighty in their day, kings, sorcerers, and warriors of old". Then the wreathing process that slowly turned him into a slave. That would be very cool.
The fact that the ring didn't cause the downfall of the Witchking takes away from the tale. But it is still very well done
I really like this! Very well done. The ring was basically a deal with the devil. He signed his soul away to Sauron.
Amazon failed us hard they could have done something like this
I am happy you believe that. It would have interesting...
Nope. They would cast Zendaya, to play him.
And the other half of people would then bitch about them doing that.
Takes some brass gonads to even bother trying to put popular fantasy on any screen. Half the fans will always find fault. 😂
Totally. I mean yeah Eragon the movie was very different from the book but it was a fricken good movie; the whining fans killed it: “No, Arya wasn’t a redhead she had dark hair wah wah I need a baba!!!!” etc . I wanted so bad to see how they did Shruikan. 😭
@@TELJAN Thats a girl
Great vid bro.
Thanks mate!
Dude I’m only 6 minutes in and I am enthralled. Great job.
Wow. Don't know enough to know how close this is to the written lore, but holy smokes....the visuals !!!!
Thank you! Not much is known of the Witch King's past. Other than that he is of Numenorean descent
Ive said this a long time now. This tale deserves a tv show
Nicely done dude, strange though saying he was a descendant of numennor as it’s known that three of the nine were high lords of numennor.
Thank you!
You could see it as a bit of creative liberty that I took.
I tried to convey that he was part of a strong Numenorean lineage.
This might not be to everyone's liking
there were even rumours that the witch king was a distant cousin of the main line of kinship of numenor
@@numenorean81great video looking forward to seeing the rest of your content and future videos. Where are these clips that you used from? They’re really good.
@@MichaelMedici61W2 Thank you. I create the clips using a few different programs. midjourney and runwayml.
That was a pretty amazing rendition of your view. Well done. Instant fan. The obscurity of the dark forces history not really being talked about. Looking forward to more videos. :)
Happy to have you here! hopefully you will enjoy some of my other videos as well.
I look forward to seeing them.
Love this channel
Thank you!
Great video. The artwork was very impressive as was the “fillers” of the Witch Kings origins. Very detailed and it “made sense”. It progressed to a logical conclusion of the ability of Sauron to “corrupt the hearts of Men”.
Thank you!
Great efx. Interesting ideas.
Thank you John
Wonderful work! You should really consider making ambient music videos. Absolutely love the musical compositions throughout it. It's rare for fan produced material to be that emotionally evocative for me, but this really tugged the heartstrings. Great Job!
Thank you, I really tried my hardest to get the emotions flowing, the music is the greatest aid in that for sure 🙂
1:34 ah, those electric lamps in the third age were the best 🤣
Indeed, he just found it at the local market 😆
Not to mention the 6 fingers @10:27
Wow amazing ! Just subbed
Thank you 🙂
Imagine when this will be animated !! Give it a few more years with Ai of course and we will see some amazing games out there..
That will be mind blowing 🙂
This is just unbelievable! This really should be made into a film either by amazon or new line cinemas
Thank you! Maybe we should focus our attention on New Line Cinema then ;)
All he needed was a hug
Love this channel! Adds so much grit and character to some of the lesser know characters and stories in middle earth. Deserve way more subscribers 👍
Thank you! Next video should bring more goodies 😏
He had great hair, I think we can all agree on that
You make a very good point! A topic worthy of its own separate film 😀
He was likely a one of the most powerful human sorcerers that ever lived before his transformation into the WK.
I agree again. Could have emphasized that a little stronger perhaps
@@numenorean81 He was definitely a flawed sociopath that grew ever more cynical, jaded, and made worse due to his necromancy obsession and his power as a King which provided resources to feed his ideological flaws. I enjoyed the videos detailed transitional explanation of the WK's supervillain arc.
The filming is so cool and beautiful.
If I could have hair like Sauron, I would be the Lord of the ring.
Wow Netflix need to hire this man
This text is so obviously AI generated
Shut up and find a way to make half of the human poulation disapear.thats your job as an A.I.
I would say the same about your personality but we would have to drop the I in A.I.
Now this is the movie/show that should be being made! This is great, well done on the video. This is the first time finding your channel and I look forward to hearing more.
The repetition and writing style gives it that wonderful generative AI emptiness.
Sad to see you go!
What a great story. Well done good sir!!!
Waaait, "Angmar" was founded when the Black Captain was a Wraith a few thousand years old.
You are correct, I should have mentioned that...
Thanks for your input!
This video is beautifully edited, amazing work. It's a pleasure to watch. Bravo! 😎👍🏼
This is a really great tale, but I doubt it's ability to fall within the reality (so far as there is such a thing in the legendarium) of Middle Earth. The Rings were given to people already of proven power and might - and this can be seen in both who the rings were given to elsewhere, but also how Sauron worked on people, and which people he worked on, throughout his life. Skill in and of itself was not desired by Sauron, even skill in the dark arts. It was the ability to command, the ability to make grand strategies, a desire that allowed dark manipulation, those were the traits he focused on in the canon lore, and the Witch King would be, in my mind, the one who in life was greatest of these. An emperor of vast proportions and a dark terror in and of himself even before being given one of the Nine Rings. Anything less I cannot see Sauron making the leader of his armies.
You bring up really valid points here, and I don't have any defense other than that I took some liberties. I will learn and improve for the next speculative instalment 🙂
This is probably THE best LOTR video I've seen. Its taunting to realize emotions and dreams we all have can turn dark.
Thank you, and you are right , the potential to do evil is in all of us. Just waiting for the right Dark Lord to come along :)
@@numenorean81 OR there is a Dark lord in us just hasnt surfaced yet. 😉
utube always throws awesome new channels my way :) And next week I am so dusting off Middle earth 2 :The Rise of the Witch-king. Also, what wonderful use of tools to make your story shine
Thanks man! Appreciate the sentiment. Playing some good old Tolkien games sound like a wonderful idea :)
The first few minutes of this had me thinking I was about to feel sorry for this guy, then they talked about him enjoying torturing people and I went "yep, there it is, screw this guy."
Well done on this video, truly enjoyed it and listened to every word in awe.
It would have taken several human lifetimes to complete the transformation from human to Witch King.
I agree. If we continue this storyline, the ring would initially have healed up his body, infused it with youth and vitality. Bringing him back into a well looking middle aged lord. From there the process is slow, several centuries, perhaps even longer, for him to transform.
This is amazing work. Thank you. Kinda sad really: devastating effects of no love during childhood.
Perhaps this is speculation, but it certainly is close to Tolkien’s truth. But what a tragic tale. Should he have just died, or did the ring save him?
Yes, if not for the ring he would have passed away in a few years tops, I believe.
He never found the secret to eternal life, and at the end all he could do was to prolong his miserable existence, a little bit at a time
Great lore-fiction, accompanied by gorgeous graphics, beautiful and disturbing, super job!!
A little bit of both worlds! Thanks for watching mate.
This is AI and these comments are all Bots. This actually tells you nothing.
AI
You know, I read my first LOTR book in 1969, so you know I am a true fan. I love new ideas & this was awesome. Thank you
It is great to hear from someone, who has cherished LOTR for so long.
Thank you for watching and I hope you stay :)
This is so detached from Tolkien's universe, it's obviously terrible AI writing, with ai music, ai illustrations and ai narration. Shame on you. Create things with your own damn mind instead
This was amazing! What ai software do you use?
AI generated slop.
If you say so
Brilliant video. The Tolkien universe has so much potential. Many of us love it and always wish to delve deeper into it. The shows and movies that could be made from is infinite. I will always wait for a series about Morgoth and all the battles that took place between him and the elves. With all the magic, Dragons, Balrogs and Ungoliant too. It would be epic!
More AI trash
Why is it trash to you? AI can be a useful tool. Just imagine the budget and the planning for a short like this in the real world. We could be talking about millions of dollars.
@@numenorean81 Exactly, we live in the real world, if you want to make somethinng resepecful, do the work. AI is just an excuse lazy people are using to milk the work done off of others before them, trying to create justified plagarism and monetize it, taking clicable real estate away from people who actually know how to write a script, act and use a camera, that is why it is trash.
Better story than the Ring of Power will ever do.
Someone need to give this man 200M dollar.
This video is what brought me to your channel, and I am beyond glad that it did! This was a fantastic tale, expertly woven, and crafted with a jeweler's attention to detail! Thank you. Out of curiosity, is there a list of the music you used?
Thank you!
Not sure you can find the music on youtube, I use artlist.io and motionarray.com to get the rights to the music.
Anyway here are some of the music used
DaniHaDani - Secret No 3
Ben Winwood - Towards the Light
Vasil Yatsevich - Pulsar
WaveArt - You Will See the Light
Had to hear this one again. Takes me into my second favorite world.
What a beautiful work, in all aspects. Thank you
I can’t wait for the day when you get a movie contract. I tell everyone about you. So deserving
Simply amazing well done +1 sub
Thank you my man!