The second of the great battles of Beleriand, and the first in which the Noldor were directly involved. It was fought after the destruction of the Two Trees, but before the first rising of the Moon and Sun, and so became known as the Dagor-nuin-Giliath, the Battle-under-Stars.
Shortly after the Noldor arrived in Middle-earth, Morgoth planned to eradicate his enemies while they were unprepared, and sent a vast army of Orcs against them in the land of Mithrim. Though they were desperately outnumbered, the Noldor were able to withstand the assault and turn the battle, driving the surviving Orcs into the North, and freeing the Sindar of Beleriand from their menace.
Fëanor had led his people into Middle-earth to defeat Morgoth and recover the Silmarils, and in the great victory of the battle he sensed a chance to immediately achieve his goals. Driving on towards Angband with only a small bodyguard, he was attacked by Balrogs and mortally wounded. So though the Second Battle was a great military success for the Noldor, it also saw the end of their High King.
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