#aranarth

Words: 8,136

One who cannot cast away a treasure at need is in fetters

          Aranarth was the son of Arvedui, the last King of Arnor, and Fíriel, a princess of Gondor, and the first Chieftain of the Dúnedain. When his father disappeared after a crushing defeat in battle, a young Aranarth searched tirelessly for any news of him, at last discovering that he had fled north to the Ice-bay of Forochel. He beseeched the aid of the elves to save the king, but though Círdan sent a ship to rescue him, it was sunk in the freezing water and Arvedui perished.           As his father’s heir, Aranarth could have claimed the title of King of Arthedain, but as the remnants of Arnor had been destroyed by the Witch-king of Angmar, he chose instead to call himself the Chieftain of the Dúnedain. Upon Eärnur’s arrival in the land that once had been Arnor, Aranarth joined with the heir of the South-kingdom to defeat Angmar once and for all. Though the Witch-king survived, he fled south to Gondor where he would focus his efforts on Eärnur rather than Aranarth and his people.           For many long decades, Aranarth led his people, now known as the Rangers of the North, in a wild and woodland life. During his rule, the North experienced much chaos, including the fall of Khazad-dûm and the rise of Dol Guldur. Aranarth was a skilled tracker, known for leaving no footprints as he walked, and under his guidance they hunted down many remaining bands of orcs and defended those few inhabitants of Eriador (including the Shire, who in the absence of a King elected their first Thain, Bucca of the Marish) from Angmar’s servants.           After many years of solitude save for the steadfast companionship of his younger brother Amathin, Aranarth at last met Lorneth, a contemplative woman training to become a healer. At first, Lorneth shyly demurred her Chieftain’s advances, but in time she grew to love him, and the two were wed.           When the couple were expecting their first child, a band of men once under the service of Angmar mustered a coordinated attack against the Dúnedain. Amathin was slain defending his brother’s wife, and after this loss Aranarth resolved that Lorneth must be sent to safety until he could take care of the bandits. He sent her to the hidden sanctuary of Imladris with an escort and several heirlooms of Arnor, counting on Lord Elrond to deliver mercy upon the line of Elros as he had when Isildur delivered his own pregnant wife to Rivendell in a time of war.           Elrond welcomed Lorneth into his valley and secured the heirlooms she brought with her. Within the month, Lorneth’s son Arahael was born, and before he was a year old, a victorious Aranarth rushed to Imladris to meet his son. Lorneth and Aranarth had a second son, Idhrion, only a few years later; the brothers were inseparable, Idhrion serving faithfully under Arahael throughout all his days as Chieftain.

“The title was created following the final destruction of Arthedain in T.A. 1974 by the Witch-king of Angmar. The heir to the throne of Arthedain, Aranarth son of Arvedui, in T.A. 1976 chose not to claim the kingship and instead ruled the remnants of his people as Chieftain. The Chieftains were raised in Rivendell, where the heirlooms of the House of Isildur, were also kept.”

ARANARTH, SON OF ARVENDUI, HEIR OF ISILDUR 

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graphite, A4

Death metal / Nov. 2017