BLUF:[BLAZE] As Numenor started to descend into discontent, the people's morality began to bend. Factions arose to either preserve or destroy its sacred cultural institutions. One faction in particular, the King's Men, sought to subvert the ideals of what made Numenor great in the first place in an effort to pursue immortality. Sauron convinced the King's Men and their wicked leader, Ar-Pharazon, to cut down and burn the White Tree of Nimloth. This tree was a cultural institution in Numenor that had stood for over a thousand years. Sauron hated it because it was a symbol of the blessing that the Numenoreans received for their faith and loyalty to the forces of good. Sauron redefined the tree as a symbol of Numenor’s oppression. The voice of the Faithful men of Numenor had become so quiet that they were unable to stop this atrocity from taking place.