908
by Valkrist
My theory, and this is coming just from me as personal opinion, is that the Seven, probably much like the Nine, had the same draw and pull that the One did, albeit to a much lesser extent. They were made with the same tainted ring lore and were touched by the hand of Sauron in their forging, thus they were forever tainted with his corruption, and the wearers doomed from the outset.
When it comes to how the Seven were worn, although they did not turn the wearers into wraith slaves like the Nine did, they did awaken the worst forms of greed and paranoia inside the hearts of the Dwarf lords. This no doubt multiplied their defensive protectiveness of their rings because they were the cause of their drive for more and more riches. Because the greed meant that they wanted more and more, it would be natural that they hide and protect the source of that desire. Nevertheless, their pull of greed and corruption was still so strong that it drew dragons to them, also known as naturally greedy creatures. The dragons probably believed they were only seeking treasure and lusting to burn dwarves, but in reality it was the pull of the Seven at work, wherever they may be found.
The Three were very different. Sauron had no part in their making, because Celebrimbor made them in secret. Sauron therefore did not suspect of their existence until much later when they were finished and the rings were worn. This is because although Sauron was not present in their making to touch them with his malice and spells of binding, they were nevertheless made with the same corrupted ring lore used to make the others, so therefore they were still tied to the master Ring. This is why when the One was no more, that the Three also lost their power.
The main power of the Three was concealment and protection. I believe that if the Three were wielded openly and in raw displays of power, Sauron would have found them very quickly, slain the wearers, and taken them for himself. He knew of them and wanted them, as he did include them in the spell of binding present on the One. When he destroyed Ost-in-edhil, he searched the place high and low for them, and likely tortured Celebrimbor before his death to learn of their location. The smith however, had given them to Gil-galad prior to that and instructed him on their danger.
It was the presence of Vilya and Nenya that kept Rivendell and Lorien hidden and protected from Sauron's prying Eye. These were areas of Middle-earth that his burning gaze could not penetrate, a fog to his vision, and he long suspected that meant the presence of the Three, but he could not be certain. Because of this nature and power of concealment, I believe the Three were not easily visible to mortal eyes in and of themselves, and could extend that obfuscating effect to person wearing one. This is how I believe Gandalf was able to penetrate Dol Guldur several times and not be detected by Sauron each time: he wore Narya, and the elven ring acted as a blind spot to the Necromancer's ever-searching senses and awareness. To me, this is where PJ fails in grasping the subleties of Tolkien and has to go for the flash and loud noises.
So, to answer your question, Narya would have had the opposite effect of what you are thinking in Dol Guldur. I have no doubt that Sauron would have found it eventually if he had imprisoned Gandalf (which is a movie invention,) but Narya would definitely not be broadcasting its presence. Or at least the book version wouldn't have.
Last edited by
Valkrist on Mon Feb 24, 2014 8:25 am, edited 3 times in total.