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<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Tancred:
The three Elven-Rings were originally held by Galadriel, Elrond and Cirdan (Lord of the Grey Havens, a western outpost of Elves beond the Shire); however, Cirdan's ring was given to Gandalf, Cirdan admitting that 'you'll need it more than I will'. Not that Gandalf ever wears it - that would reveal him to Sauron fully - but as Gandalf appears to have some affinity for fire in the book, and the ring he keeps is Narya - Ring of Fire - perhaps he gains something from it passively, just as Galadriel and Elrond do.
The seven Dwarf-Rings were lost; four of them were destroyed by dragonfire, as the Dwarf Lords tried to battle the Dragons that sought to take the dwarf gold hoards. Three of them Sauron has found, and he keeps them (one he took from Thorin's grandfather Thror, if any of you know 'The Hobbit').
The Nine Rings of Men are still held by the Ringwraiths. By each one are they kept slaves to Sauron's will.
As to why Sauron did not turn invisible... well, the Ring 'shifts' a person into the spirit realm, essentially. Hence why Elves appear to almost shine, Frodo can see the Ringwraiths as they truly are, and the real world seems shadowy. Sauron, being in essence a demigod, is a powerful spirit, perhaps his physical and spiritual forms are one and the same?
The One Ring's powers... who knows? Domination and control, the power to conquer - mainly. Had Aragorn taken the ring, for example, no doubt he would have raised the armies of Gondor and Rohan, and the surrounding realms to boot, and sought to invade Mordor to fight for mastership of Middle-Earth - only to become like a second Dark Lord in the Process. Who knows? Much of Sauron was in it, so eventually the Ring's main function is to turn whoever uses it into another Sauron... Frodo, Bilbo - even Gollum - were able to resist for so long because, as hobbits or hobbitlike folk, they did not dream of conquest, and because they had little or no strength of their own. The Ring is mentioned as 'giving power according to the measure of its' possessor'. This is, naturally, why Gandalf (and Galadriel)refused to take it, and why the possibility of Saruman gaining it would be terrible - as Wizards, the power they would gain would easily match Sauron's.<hr></blockquote>
Ok I have some stickiing points here...First, I guess I should address the thing about invisibility due to wearing the ring. All the great rings can confer invisibility or so what I read seemed to indicate, what determines if you automaticly turn invisible is your personal power. If your will is great enough you master the ring and the RING will be invisible (Gandalf always wears Narya in the time period of the books) Gandalf wearing Narya is what allows him to best the Balrog, the ring he keeps invisible as do Elrond and Galadriel you will only see the ring if A. you are one of the elder types and have the power or B. If they reveal it to you which is what Galadriel did with Frodo.
Now wearing Narya does not reveal him to Sauron because...and its a big BECAUSE ...because Sauron does not have the One ring. With the ring he would control all the other "Great" rings and would know Gandalfs whereabouts and indeed even his very thoughts.
Anyhooo I researched all this something like 20 years ago for a graduation paper I wrote [img]smile.gif[/img] I dont remember the sources but I was sure about the Ring and the Invisibility thing, Remember Tom Bombadil wore the ONE ring and DID not turn invisible. He had mastery over his own will that the ring could not break so the ring did as he bade it to. And in the books Frodo did not see Galadriels ring untill she revealed it.
Well anyhooo hope that is interesting [img]smile.gif[/img]
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