Maia

When Arda, the World-That-Is, was concieved, it was done so at the hands of a mighty being named Eru Ilúvatar. He instructed the spirits he had created, named the Ainur, in all manner of music. For eons he taught them, in pairs or small groups, until finally his grand concert was ready. When the Music, the Ainulindalë, began, the Ainur were astonished at its beauty, and amazed to find that their Music actually sang of a world, describing it in great detail. However, Melkor, one of the mightiest Ainur, wove discord into the great theme, making evil an integral part of Middle-Earth. When the Music was finished, Eru revealed that some of the most powerful spirits of the Ainur would have the chance to go down and form the world that had been Sung about. Many spirits jumped at the chance, some greater, some lesser. Those greater were named the Valar, with power as gods, and the lesser Maiar, as demigods.

Centuries passed as the Valar struggled to fashion a beautiful world like unto the one they had witnessed in the Music. Just as it seemed that the world began to approach its prophesied beauty, Melkor betrayed his brothers and sisters and waged war, taking the name of Morgoth and marring the young world. He tempted and corrupted many of the Maiar to his command; some becoming Balrogs, some becoming great Were-wolves and demonic Vampires. The greatest of his servants was a great craftsman of the household of Aulë, the Smith. He was called Mairon, the Admirable, and was named Sauron by Morgoth, his new master.

Many wars and upheavals predate the events of the War of the Ring in Middle-earth, but even though his power had lessened over the ages, Sauron was still perhaps the single most powerful being this side of Valinor, home of the gods. It is thus fitting that we are reminded of this power as he is the only card in the entire Lord of the Rings TCG with the Race of Maia.

While Lord of the Rings aficionados might note that the Wizards are actually Maiar in the guise of wise men and that the Balrog was a Maia before being corrupted by Melkor, in this game Wizard and Balrog are considered separate races from Maia. Cards which affect wizards or the Balrog do not affect Sauron, and no card mentions Maia by name.

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List of Cards with the Race of Maia

Portrait	Name	Game Text
	Sauron, The Lord of the Rings (9R+48)	Damage +2. Enduring. Fierce. For each burden you spot, threat you spot, and site you control, Sauron’s twilight cost is –1.
	Sauron, Dark Lord of Mordor (13R140)	Damage +1. Fierce. When you play Sauron, you may exert any number of minions. For each minion you exert, Sauron is twilight cost –X, where X is the current region number. ​

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