The five Wizards sent by the Valar to Middle-earth around the year 1000 of the Third Age to rally resistance against Sauron. They are Maiar clothed in the bodies of old men, their power deliberately limited so they must work through persuasion and wisdom rather than force. Gandalf the Grey (later the White) and Saruman the White are the most prominent. Saruman betrays his mission by seeking power for himself. Radagast the Brown becomes absorbed in nature. The two Blue Wizards pass into the East and their fate is unknown.