Despite his father Araval’s victory against Angmar, Araphant struggled to rebuff the Witch-king’s renewed attacks against Arthedain. The war at this point had stretched on for over 500 years, and the northern Dúnedain were rapidly dwindling; Araphant did not have the military might to sustain himself against their supernatural enemy.
Thus it was that Araphant reached out to Gondor for aid, breaking the long estrangement between the two sister kingdoms. King Ondoher was likewise in need of support, and together they formed an alliance against their mutual enemies. Araphant’s wife Laerdil befriended Ondoher’s daughter Fíriel and arranged a marriage between the princess and her son Arvedui to symbolize the reunion of the two realms.
Unfortunately, the alliance between Gondor and Arnor proved fruitless, as neither kingdom could spare help for the other. Arthedain was assailed by the Witch-king at the same time Gondor was attacked by the Wainriders, leading to the death of Ondoher and his sons.
At Arvedui’s birth, the seer Malbeth prophesied that he would be the last king of Arthedain, for either he would reunite the divided kingdoms and claim leadership of both Arnor and Gondor, or both lines of kings would dwindle in the shadows for many centuries. Upon Ondoher’s death, Arvedui attempted to claim the kingship of Gondor on behalf of his wife, who under the old Númenórean law should have become Ruling Queen, but the steward Pelendur persuaded the Council of Gondor to select the victorious general Eärnil as king instead, thus leading the path of the Dúnedain into darkness.
Twenty years later, Araphant died and Arvedui became the last king of Arnor. Angmar was winning the war, and after being forced to hide in old dwarven mines in the Blue Mountains, Arvedui and his men sought the aid of the Lossoth in the Ice-bay of Forochel. Though the Lossoth cared not for his jewels, they aided the starving king out of pity. In Arvedui’s absence, Fíriel ruled Arthedain while their son Aranarth searched for his father.
Eventually Aranarth discovered what had happened and begged the aid of Círdan to save the king. Círdan sent a ship to Forochel, but the Lossoth warned Arvedui against sailing in the bitter winter. Arvedui ignored their advice and gave to them the Ring of Barahir as a token of his thanks, mounting the ship in the hope of escape. Alas, when the ship set sail a great wind came from the north and drove it into the ice, its hull breaking and all upon it perishing in the freezing water.
Thus died the last King of the North-realm, though his line continued with the Chieftains of the Dúnedain, who never forgot their dual ancestry as heirs of both Isildur and Anárion.
