Ok, just as a heads up. This is the state of my outline right now. Please give me feedback so I can finish this until next thursday.
I've already had lots of help in creating this outline, especially from Haerangil, Faelivrin, MithLuin and Brian Dimmick (and I probably missed mentioning people, sorry! Well let's say it's everyone involved in this thread...), and I based it on the outline Alcarohtar made, so it's not just my thing.
Season 3 timeline, which is at least in part an attempt to show that it's possible to put the First Battle of Beleriand before the Second Battle of Beleriand (focusing primarily on the Beleriand storyline and some of the Noldor storyline – not a lot of Valar and no frame, which makes some episodes seem short and lacking of story):
Episode 3: Of the Sindar
1. Storm of Uinen.
2. We see Círdan, see the life of the Falathrim, their settlements, ships etc. This is long before the Kinslaying and certainly long before Círdan hears about the crime. He has completed a new large ship. A visiting Sindar - could be someone unnamed - is impressed and says he'll make sure to tell King Thingol about it. 'Yes, tell Elwë', Círdan says, implying he doesn’t put much worth in titles (but also informing us about the name change).
3. We go to Thingol and Melian, and their court, engaged in a movable feast, a hunting festival to honor Oromë. They arrive in Nan Elmoth, partly because Lúthien, their daughter, wants to visit the place of her parents’ love trance. She dances under the stars and Daeron, a new face to the viewers, sings. Beleg is there as well, and Mablung.
4.Eöl arrives, crashes the party, along with a couple of servants. He says he’s found a home in Nan Elmoth, and that they are disturbing him. Thingol doesn’t approve. He says that fine, Eöl can stay there, but it’s within Thingol’s and Melian’s domain, and they won’t restrict their movements. Eöl stomps off as usual.
5. Melian councels Thingol: He is king of the Sindar, but there are lands beyond the Ered Luin where others live. Thingol recalls the Avari and the Nandor. Melian says that others have come to Beleriand. Thingol sends Beleg and Mablung to find what these others are. Beleg goes northwest and Mablung southeast.
6. Eöl meets Mîm– at first, he has his servants hold the petty-dwarf down, but he soon realises that he’s harmless and releases him. Eöl wants to know who Mîm is and the petty-dwarf says he has come from east of the Blue Mountains where there are more of his kind but they are different. Mîm learns (or has already understood) that Eöl has a grudge against Thingol. Mîm says he himself tries to avoid the elves and keep a low profile, and he has found a place to live that the Sindar king doesn’t know about. He recommends Eöl to do the same.
7.We see Dwarves making their way along the mountainside (these are the Nogrod Dwarves - Firebeards?, but that doesn't have to be clear to the viewers at this point). At some point, they halt and seem to listen to the rock wall. They make laughing noises while setting up camp. Later, we hear cracking sounds, and the rock breaks. A tunnel opening is created in the mountainside, and out comes more Dwarves. These are the Belegost Dwarves (Broadbeams?). They are welcomed by the waiting Dwarves. Together they look at Beleriand. Some distance eastward downhill, they see an elf (Mablung). He is looking right at them (they have been making quite a lot of noise). The Nogrod Dwarves hide (or at least retreat), but the Belegost Dwarves keep eye contact with the elf and a couple of them (including Azaghâl? No he’s probably not born yet) make a move towards Mablung, who also walks up to meet the strangers. (Well, maybe Mablung isn’t alone.)
8. Beleg is in the woods close to Eithel Sirion and notices a fire some distance away. He moves closer. As he comes closer, he sees that someone has set fire to a tree on the lower slopes of the mountains (Ered Wethrin). By the light if the burning tree, a couple of beings are squatting with the back to him, hunched over a large, dead animal. With long, thin black hair and pointy ears, they can be mistaken for elves for a second or two. Beleg calls out to them, and one of them turns around and by doing so, he/she shows that he/she has his/her face covered in blood. The same goes for the other being. They've been eating directly from the belly of the animal. Beleg is appalled. The two beings are scared by him and run away screaming with hideous voices. The scene ends with Beleg doing something with the animal as a sign of respect. Or maybe he does something about the burning tree. (Beleg could have company - maybe Annael, later to be Tuor's foster father?)
E4: Gonnhirrim
Melian councels Thingol that the peace of Middle-earth won’t last forever. He wants to build himself a kingly stronghold. (This is during the second age of Melkor’s imprisonment)
This leads to the suggestion that the elves should move underground. Who finds Menegroth and suggests that the Sindar should move there? (Sindar, dwarves, Eöl? Eöl would probably be too complicated, although he could have told the Dwarves about Mîm and his caves and then the Dwarves could suggest those caves when talking to Thingol). Thingol is fascinated about the gonnhirrim. All Sindar are puzzled by the dwarves, and Luthien asks her father if it's wise to follow the ways of a culture you don't understand. In the end her concerns are interpreted as a wish to keep dancing under the stars.
Sindar talk to Círdan who agrees to give Thingol pearls to pay the Dwarves. The Falathrim have a lot of pearls, so that’s not a problem.
Mîm is tossed out from his caves. The Sindar discover Petty-dwarves and believe they are the weird creatures Beleg saw up north. They shoot at them and one or two are killed by arrows. Beleg arrives and says that’s not the same kind. (Idea: Mîm complains to Thingol, who has to decide what to do about the petty-dwarf – and asks the Broadbeams for advice, which doesn’t result in making Mîm happy.) Btw the Dwarves love the pearls.
More of Eöl and the dwarves of the Blue Mts. He learns secrets about smithing. (From Belegost or Nogrod? Does it matter?)
The Dwarves encounter fell beasts (wolves, beings of shadow, proto orcs) on the eastern slopes of the mountains. They have to fight them. After this, wandering elves appear: Lindi led by Denethor arrive in Ossiriand, looking for a mighty king. They bring Ents, including Treebeard. Denethor's people have met dwarves before (Durin's people - the Longbeards?).
E5: Menegroth
Doriath: Dwarves of Belegost inform Thingol that there are fell beasts to the east of the mountains, and that the Sindar’s ancient kindred that dwell there are flying from the plains. Thingol and the Dwarves make an arms deal. (Telchar?) Interior decoration of Menegroth. A young Gamil Zirak at work? Dwarves are fascinated by Daeron's writing.
Angband: Morgoth has returned and starts ruling through management by fear, letting his servants know that no one has a safe position. SSNOP details, orcs being prepped for release but Morgoth thinks the proto-orcs are a sad lot. Mairon loses his job, is sent to find out what happened to Ungoliant, and also to map the Sindar movements, where they live etc. Boldog is put in charge of the orc project. His position is under Gothmog who is put in charge of the army as operative general. Boldog's relation to Mairon is probably that he thinks Mairon is a loser and he himself a winner, but they won't have much contact at this stage. Mairon is filled with the desire to prove himself in Melkor’s eyes and hate against Gothmog. (By handling Mairon roughly, Morgoth actually provokes Mairon to step further towards a complete fall.)
Thingol learns that elves have now entered Beleriand crossing the Blue Mts. He could be excited ("Is Lenwë among them?" - the dwarves won't know details).
Mairon: His disappointment transfers to aggression towards his gang, and he sends them to look for elves and Ungoiliant.
The Lindi meet the Sindar. (What has happened to Lenwë? What will the relationship between Thingol and Denethor be like? Is Thingol disappointed or does he dislike the newcomers? Is his reaction like Estel's when he comes to the Dúnedain camp? What about Threebeard?)
Mairon and his people can’t find more than a few of the Sindar. He instructs his underlings to intensify their search while he shifts focus to his second task, finding Ungoliant. Angband:The orcs multiply. Morgoth pours his hate into them. Boldog is making soldiers of them, and is getting ready to release a huge army. Gothmog is onto him and threatens him – he must not fail.
Rising of the Thangorodrim.
Of the Noldor: There is tension between the fingolfinians and the feanorians - and even the friendship of Maedhros and Fingon is at a low point. Finarfin and his children debate - go on or return? We understand that not much time has passed since the Kinslaying. (The timelines are getting closer)
E6: Strong and fell
Sauron still doesn’t find the Sindar and neither does his gang. He learns about the Green elves though. Thuringwethil finds out that word is spread among the elves of Beleriand that there is a hidden place in Doriath where elves can find refuge.
Sauron searches for the hidden place and north of Doriath he finds a lot of spiders and Shelob. He learns that Ungoliant has left Beleriand. He returns to Morgoth with this news and also tells his lord about the Green elves and the disappearance of most of the Sindar. Morgoth decides to wipe out the green elves and the Falathrim.
Boldog and Sauron bring a larger host of orcs out of Angband and pass silently into the highlands of the north. They initially encounter just a few Sindar, who are killed.
Thingol is given the sword Aranrúth by the dwarves (or is it elven made?).
E7: Doom
Eöl brings the sword Anglachel to Thingol and buys the right to live in Nan Elmoth. He goes there and hides. Thingol puts the black sword away - he already has Aranrúth.
The orc army under Boldog comes south moving suddenly down past Estolad, while another army under Sauron is sent out into the western parts of Beleriand. We see Thingol and Círdan hurry to prepair defensive action. Thingol coordinates movements with the Dwarvesto meet the enemy. Círdan also summons his people to meet the western Angband army but we get a bad feeling about their chances. (Denethor? Wants to be a hero? Keeps a low profile? Thingol doesn't want him in a battle? They don't have time to plan his part in this?)
The curse of Mandos. Finarfin turns back, saying goodbye to his children (all??). (Amarië says goodbye to Finrod? - Or did that already happen?) Fëanor leaves with the ships.
E8: The First Battle
While Melian sets up the girdle (which could take some time, like even more than one episode?), Thingol and the dwarves fight a part of the eastern orc army and set out to help the Lindi - the major part of the orc army is heading their way. (So, Thingol and the Dwarves are delayed north of Amon Ereb)
The green elves are slaughtered on Amon Ereb, Denethor dies (killed by Boldog).(What about the Ents? They could hold off the orcs until the dwarves and Sindar arrive? But some Ents must die, although they prove formidable in battle. This means they can't be too many.) The Sindar and the dwarves arrive to the battle.
The Falathrim meet the orcs led by Sauron, and the elves are forced to retreat.
The orcs led by Boldog are defeated but both Thingol and the Green elves have suffered heavy losses and they have to leave the battlefield. Beleg or Mablung wounded? Boldog manages to escape with some orcs - they go west.
Green Elves vow to never take a new leader. Thingol prepares for hard times. Some green Elves settle in Doriath as guests of king Thingol (Guest-Elves, Saeros is one of them). (Maybe the Girdle is fully established after this?) Others retreat to Ossiriand. (Treebeard?)
E9: The Ships
Sauron intensifies the attacks on the Havens. He is joined by Boldog and the defeated orc army coming from the First Battle (a bit of a loser but he has killed Denethor at least). They force the Falathrim to retreat into their settlements. The orc army press on and starts to attack the homes of the elves.
(At this point, things look really bad for the Sindar, even if they did were victorious in the first battle - one more of those victories and they're finished; they have to pull back and even hide)
Burning of ships (may take some time depending on whether we kill a twin or not). Will Maedhros try to save dying twin?
Fingolfin sees the burning ships in a vision (Maedhros?). Understands what has happened. Decides to move on.
Gothmog is watching the fires from the burning. Fëanor travels into Hithlum and sets up a camp by the shores of lake Mithrim.
Victory of Fëanor (Dagor-nuin-Giliath): Gothmog sends his orcs down to attack the noldor. The orcs are slaughtered and Gothmog is humiliated.
Helcaraxë – the first steps.
E10:
Fëanor’s troops force the northern orc army to retreat. Still, the feeling among the Noldor can be mixed since they might have lost Amrod. There is also the issue of Fëanor losing his mental balance.
In the South, Sauron has forced the Falathrim to abandon their cities. They escape on ships and boats. Círdan manages to send a message to Thingol asking for aid. (Thingol doesn't have enough people to send aid.)
Morgoth orders Sauron to leave the south to help at the northern front.
Helcaraxë: Running out of food, animals dying.
E11:(in which there are signs of Valar intervening, which makes the Sun&Moon come with less of a surprise and not out of nowhere)
Fëanor is killed but the Noldor cause significant damage to the northern orc army.
Sauron does not engage in combat with the Noldor but avoids them and passes close to Doriath. He senses the power of Melian and her girdle close by. ('Something is happening here'). He establishes counter-magic in the valley north of Doriath with the help of Shelob and her kin.
Meanwhile: Círdan dreams of Ulmo (or maybe a fog rolls in, covering the ships of the Falathrim, and he hears the Ulumori) and since the pressure from the siege isn't quite as relentless when Sauron isn't around, The Falathrim manages to send guerilla units upstream behind the enemy lines (helped by fog?)
Helcaraxë: Light of the Auroras give some hope.
E12:
Thingol sends people to aid the Falathrim.Maybe dwarves also come?
Sauron plans false treaty and sends out emissaries. Here we must have a scene showing Sauron convincing Gothmog to go along with his plan – or Morgoth makes him go along with it. One of Sauron’s emissaries finds Beleg who is given a message which he delivers to Thingol.
Maedhros decides to come to a parley.
(The creation of the Sun and the Moon?)
Helcaraxë: The Whirlpool. Death of Elenwë. Idril saved, close call.
E13:
(War in the south in a deadlock?)
Parley trap. The balrogs under Gothmog capture Maedhros (does anyone else go with him and escape, I mean another brother?); Sauron sends messengers to barter for Maedhros' (who is chained up on a mountain) release with the Fëanoreans, who refuse. The arrival of Fingolfin's host and the rising of the sun - Angband in turmoil. The sun shines on Maedhros hanging on the cliff side. Thingol learns that Fingolfin has arrived with a huge host. The orcs besieging the Falathrim scatter in fear? (Boldog?)