#manipulations

Greetings, seasoned seekers of knowledge and lovers of darkness! Sauron is with you once again, and today I have decided to lift the veil on the mystery surrounding the creation of the Rings of Power and, of course, the One Ring. It's not every day that you get the chance to peek behind the scenes of a grand deception, so make yourselves comfortable—it’s going to be intriguing.

Where It All Began: The Art of Deception as Inspiration

It all started when I, Sauron, grew tired of being just the "right hand" of Morgoth. Yes, you heard that correctly. Subordination is not something that great power strives for, so I began to ponder: how could I not just rule but control the world from the shadows, with my enemies not even realizing that they were already on my side? How could I achieve control while remaining invisible? And that, my dark friends, is where the idea of the Rings of Power was born.

Unity Through Division: The Creation of the Rings of Power

It’s no secret that any ruler dreams of control. But forcing everyone to obey directly is boring and predictable. It’s much more interesting to govern by giving people the illusion of freedom. And that’s when I thought of creating the Rings of Power—not just some trinkets, but powerful artifacts that would tempt and subjugate their bearers to my will.

For this, I traveled to Eregion, where the local elves were greedily engrossed in the art of jewelry making and the creation of magical artifacts. I introduced myself as Annatar, which means "Giver," and offered to help them create rings that could strengthen their powers and expand their influence. They, of course, suspected nothing, for who would doubt a giver bringing so much knowledge and power? Naive.

The Secret of the One Ring: My Personal Ambition

But of course, the most crucial element of the plan was the One Ring. While the elves were creating their rings, I secretly forged my own—a ring that would control all the others. Oh, you should have seen how their eyes shone when they received their jewelry! No one suspected that they were becoming part of my great web, where I, Sauron, pulled all the strings.

The One Ring was my masterstroke—a powerful artifact that contained a part of my strength and mind. It didn’t just control the other Rings of Power; it allowed me to see all their secrets, thoughts, and plans of their bearers. It was a true web woven from illusions and lies. Nothing escaped my gaze.

Why Rings? It’s All About Symbolism

But you probably ask: "Why rings?" And I answer: what could be better than a ring as a symbol of eternity? It’s a closed shape, a symbol of infinity and complete submission. Men, elves, and even dwarves—they are all enchanted by rings, these magical and material symbols of power. So why not use this symbol for my purposes?

Moreover, a ring is always in sight, always on the finger, as a reminder that you are not just wielding power—you are possessed by it. It’s a closed circle of power that pulls you deeper and deeper. That’s my little metaphor for eternal power and control.

Failure or Triumph? It Depends on Perspective

Of course, any great idea eventually faces obstacles. Yes, perhaps at some point the plan didn’t go as expected when those damn elves figured out my deception and hid their rings. And yes, maybe there were some issues when a certain man named Isildur managed to snatch the Ring from my finger. But is that the end? No, my dark friends, it’s just the beginning of an even greater game.

The concept of the Rings of Power is not just a strategy. It’s the art of manipulation, it’s a mind game, it’s a grand plan that never dies. The Ring will live on, even if I disappear for a while. It will wait for its moment when it returns to its true master, and with it, my power will return.

The End or the Beginning?

So, my dear admirers and frequenters of darkness, think about this: every great plan starts with a small idea. The concept of the Rings of Power was born from the desire to control everything while remaining in the shadows. This was, is, and will be my main strategy. The Ring lives on, as does my will, and who knows what surprise I will prepare for the world next?

Hot take but these two aren’t and never were friends. THIS IS NOT WHAT A FRIENDSHIP looks like!!!

So to explain myself, I’ve read many takes on their relationship but I’ve only ever seen very few people point out how shallow this so-called friendship/queer attraction/whatever was. Not only shallow but also extremely one-sided.

Francesca never gave two shits about Fringilla. She used her to bring all her people to safety at Cintra and then tried to turn her against Cahir at every turn. She was literally manipulating her in most scenes by pointing out Fringilla’s weaknesses and indirectly causing drama between her and the Nilfgaardian generals, Cahir included.

Finally, when she has the baby, this chick has the audacity to tell Fringilla the deal is off while chilling in bed in the apartments in the PALACE!!! provided to her by Fringilla in return for the elves’ help in the Nilfgaardian war. So the moment she has what she wanted, the first elven baby in decades, she tells Fringilla to go screw herself while expecting to still continue living in Nilfgaard’s luxury....

FURTHERMORE, she knows perfectly well Fringilla is in some deep shit with the generals (she literally asks “trouble with your men” in 2x03) and could easily be punished by Emhyr if she screws up even more after Sodden? So what does Francesca Findabair, gracious queen of the elves do? She twists Fringilla’s accusatory words in 2x07 by saying they’re not hers but Cahir’s (YET AGAIN manipulating her) and then she sells Fringilla down the bloody river, knowing she could end up killed (and the generals were planning to throw her under the bus once Emhyr gets there) since the elven pact just fell through, thanks again to Francesca. 

And Fringilla? Well, it’s exactly Francesca’s sudden decision to end their deal that makes her even more desperate and forces her into massacring the generals before they could talk shit about her to Emhyr. Still too late cause he already knew and has her arrested anyways. And Francesca actively contributed to that downfall.