Marrer of Middle-earth

In the most ancient times of Arda, the Valar sought to forge the newly-made world into a place of peace and order. Melkor worked endlessly against them, breaking the things that they had made and spreading violence and decay. It seemed for a time that Melkor would indeed win this First War against the other Powers, but the coming of Tulkas into the world allowed the Valar to turn the tide, and force Melkor out into the Void.

For a time it seemed that Arda would unfold as the Valar had designed. They created two great Lamps to give light to Middle-earth, and they settled on the island of Almaren amidst the beauty of their new world. Secretly, however, Melkor had returned into the dark and distant North and established a great stronghold at Utumno. When his strength was prepared, he broke the Lamps of the Valar, and with their cataclysmic fall the symmetry that the Valar had given the world was broken beyond repair.

The Valar retreated across the Great Sea to establish themselves in Aman, while Middle-earth was left in darkness under the power of Melkor in Utumno. Eventually the Valar would return to Middle-earth and defeat the Dark Lord, chaining him in Valinor for three ages, but by the time of this War of the Powers Melkor's work had been done. The world was left irretrievably marred by Melkor's dark power, and thus the Dark Lord gained the title of Marrer of Middle-earth.