Part 5/8:
As time passed, the power of Sauron grew, leading to the formation of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men against him. It was during this dark period that the King of the Mountains was faced with the summons to honor his oath. Unfortunately, he faltered and rejected the call to arms, having come to worship Sauron instead. Isildur, feeling betrayed, pronounced a terrible curse upon the King and his men: they would remain restless and unfulfilled until their oath was honored.
This curse trapped the men in a state of undeath, forcing them to dwell in the shadows for over three thousand years—until a time when their obligation would be fulfilled.