(no subject)

I have accidentally embarked upon a personal project that seemingly requires background knowledge of eras in Tolkien's history that I never intended to learn about. And yet now, because of my sudden desire to investigate the personal history of an OC who was only intended to be a bit player in a fanfic series about the canon characters, I find myself needing to understand all this stuff about the end of the Second Age/beginning of the Third, the Last Alliance against Sauron, Oropher (who I used to pretend I didn't even know EXISTED), succession in the Woodland Realm, and all manner of other things.

Anyone have resource suggestions, or feelings about any of these things they want to share?