<P> Rivendell was founded in the year 1697 of the Second Age, following the destruction of the Elvish realm of Eregion by the forces of Sauron . Sauron had invaded Eregion in S.A. 1695 to wrest the rings of power from the Elven smiths . In response to this attack, Gil - galad sent a force from Lindon, commanded by Elrond, to bolster Eregion's defence . After two years of fighting Eregion was utterly destroyed . The remnants of Elrond's army and Eregion's refugees were driven north into the hills of Rhudaur by Sauron's forces, and were subsequently besieged for three years in the valley that would become the site of Rivendell . They were relieved in S.A. 1700 when an army of Elves from Lindon and their allies the Men of Númenor, in conjunction with the defenders, attacked the besieging force and annihilated it . </P> <P> After the siege was lifted it was decided to abandon Eregion, leaving Rivendell the only Elven settlement in eastern Eriador . At the end of the Second Age it served as a mustering station for the forces of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men on their way to war in Mordor . After this war Rivendell enjoyed centuries of peace, but was attacked in the fourteenth century of the Third Age by the armies of the Witch - king of Angmar . It again withstood a siege for some years, but its enemies were finally driven off when reinforcements arrived from Lothlórien . Several centuries later, a force sent from Rivendell, commanded by Glorfindel, took part in the final battle against the armies of Angmar . </P> <P> Following the destruction of Arnor, the northern kingdom of the Númenórean exiles, in T.A. 1974, Rivendell became an important location for the remnants of its people, the Rangers of the North . Elrond held several important relics of the kingdom in his keeping, including the shards of Narsil, the Sceptre of Annúminas, the Star of Elendil, and the ring of Barahir, and all of the heirs of the chieftains of the Rangers were fostered in Rivendell as children . The most notable, and last, of these was Aragorn, whom Elrond regarded as a foster son . During his time in Rivendell Aragorn met and fell in love with Arwen . They were later married after he was crowned king of Gondor and Arnor . </P> <P> Rivendell proved to be an important location in the events leading up to and during the War of the Ring . Fearing the growing power of Sauron, his enemies formed the White Council to allow them to debate and strategize how to confront his menace . Elrond was a prominent member of the Council, and it frequently met in Rivendell . One of these meetings occurred in T.A. 2941 when the Council decided to attack Sauron in his fortress in Dol Guldur . That same year, another Council member, the wizard Gandalf, helped the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins and a company of dwarves on their quest to reclaim Erebor . On their way they stopped at Rivendell, and while there learned important information as to how they could achieve their goal . Bilbo and Gandalf also stopped in Rivendell on their return journey . </P>

What happened to rivendell after the elves left