ves ▁became ▁aware ▁of ▁his ▁r use , ▁removing ▁and ▁hiding ▁their ▁Three ▁R ings , ▁which ▁C ele br im bor ▁had ▁for ged ▁without ▁Sa ur on ' s ▁aid . ▁Sa ur on ▁w aged ▁war ▁on ▁the ▁el ves , ▁conqu ering ▁much ▁of ▁Middle - ear th ▁and ▁killing ▁C ele br im bor . ▁Thus ▁began ▁the ▁Dark ▁Years , ▁when ▁Sa ur on ▁took ▁possession ▁of ▁the ▁remaining ▁six teen ▁R ings , ▁giving ▁seven ▁to ▁the ▁d war ves ▁and ▁nine ▁to ▁men ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁cor rupt ▁them . ▁The ▁d war ves ▁proved ▁relatively ▁imm une ▁to ▁the ▁powers ▁of ▁the ▁R ings , ▁acqu iring ▁only ▁a ▁gre ed ▁for ▁gold , ▁and ▁becoming ▁un con c ern ed ▁with ▁events ▁in ▁the ▁wider ▁world . ▁Men ▁proved ▁less ▁res il ient , ▁and ▁the ▁nine ▁k ings ▁given ▁the ▁R ings ▁become ▁the ▁nine ▁Ring - w ra ith s , ▁or ▁Naz g û l , ▁led ▁by ▁the ▁W itch - king ▁of ▁Ang mar . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁on going ▁efforts ▁to ▁conquer ▁Middle - ear th , ▁Sa ur on ▁reg ained ▁the ▁alleg iance ▁of ▁many ▁of ▁M org oth ' s ▁servants ▁from ▁the ▁First ▁Age , ▁and ▁successfully ▁cor rupted ▁N ú men or . ▁However , ▁in ▁doing ▁so , ▁he ▁exp ended ▁a ▁great ▁deal ▁of ▁his ▁power , ▁and ▁lost ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁ever ▁again ▁assume ▁a ▁ple asing ▁dis