After the Dark Lord Morgoth was defeated, the Elf Finrod died searching for his servant Sauron. Finrod's sister Galadriel vowed to continue the search, and finds an abandoned fortress in the northern wastelands of Forodwaith which bears Sauron's mark. Her companions insist that they return to the Elven capital Lindon, where High-king Gil-galad proclaims the war against Morgoth's forces to be over. He grants Galadriel and her company the honor of sailing to Valinor where they can live an eternal life at peace. In the Southlands of Middle-earth, Elves watch over Men descended from allies of Morgoth. To the disapproval of the others, the Elf Arondir has developed a close relationship with the human healer Bronwyn. Together they discover that the village of Hordern has been destroyed, while Bronwyn's son Theo finds a broken sword bearing Sauron's mark. Near Valinor, Galadriel chooses to turn back and continue the search for Sauron, jumping from the ship into the Sundering Seas. At the same time, two curious Harfoots, Nori Brandyfoot and Poppy Proudfellow, discover a strange man inside a meteor crater.