#arvedui

I got the piece I commissioned from @floweroflaurelin !!! It's super awesome!! Any errors in the Tengwar are my own <3

Pictured on the left is Arvedui, the last king of Arnor. His name means "last king" and was given to him by Malbeth the Seer, who said that a choice would come to him. If he took the choice less hopeful, he would change his name and become a great king of men. Here he is with the ship that he hopes will lead him to safety. It will not. Pictured on the right is Eärnur, the last king of Gondor. It was he who arrived too late to save Arvedui when the Witch King came down from Angmar and forced him to flee. But Eärnur was strong enough to raze Angmar and almost challenge the Witch King directly, held back only by the warning of Glorfindel who told Eärnur "Far off yet is his doom and not by the hand of man will he fall". The Witch King fled the North and conquered Minas Ithil and challenged Eärnur to single combat, which Eärnur answered. Here he is before Minas Ithil, sure he can defy prophecy and slay the Witch King. He will not.

Popping out of the Void again briefly to salute last year's readers/commenters/encouragers/enablers. Thanks for everything, People Who Help to Keep Me Sane. These are for you.

The Gentle Tide: drabbles, drabbles-and-a-half, and double drabbles to celebrate another year gone 'round.

@beatles4ever65 @thescrapwitch @queerofthedagger @shrikeseams @idleleaves @melestasflight @antares0606 @zealouswerewolfcollector @annarobots @admirablemonster @eilinelsghost @balrogballs @amorbidcorvid @lferion @wisteria53 @hhimring @nycterisg @from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras @idrilsscribe treats are up for you! And everyone else, as well.

Passengers are advised to note all of Thoroval's possible exits, bring a warm change of winter gear, and keep close to your Loth at all times.

Arvedui did not bring a Loth. He also failed to heed the Lossoth warnings OR bring a change of winter woolies. All in all a deadly constellation of oversights.

this is an exciting read because I feel I know little about Arnor, and find it's history as well as its borders interesting

Beyond the Lune was Elvish country, green and quiet, where no Men went; but Dwarves dwelt, and still dwell, in the east side of the blue mountains [...]

How interesting! Another elven dwelling in middle-earth of the later ages, and it sounds beautiful. It does go down to the Gulf of Lune and the Grey Havens where Cirdan dwells, but does not seem to belong to the same group. It is green, and it is quiet, despite Elves living there together with Dwarves. Of course they have their own niches - the Elves the trees and meadows, and Dwarves the mines and mountains, I assume - but they are still neighbours sharing space, and probably trading, maybe even being friends. There's probably not many Sindar there, but I wonder who else lives there. Green elves? Noldor? It must have been an interesting place.

So one of the main reasons Arnor broke apart was the dissence about who would get Amon Sûl (weathertop). Because that's where the Palantir was. In other words: another realm breaks apart because people are arguing over jewellery - albeit this time very practical one - made by Fëanor.

The witch king, already under the control of Sauron, was sent north by Sauron to establish a realm at the northern borders of Eriador (which are never clearly defined anyway), in the ettenmoors (moors are great for witchery) and on both sides of the mountains (conveniently including orcish realms) so that he can build up an evil force in the least nice lands and get men and orcs on his side. I wonder how many dragons, other then Smaug, where still alive, and if Sauron ever tried to deal with them directly?

At this time Arnor was already officially split in three. I wonder if Gondor/Arnor is influenced by the east and west roman empire.

Rivendell was besieged by the witch king of Angmar. Wasn't it also besieged sometime in the second age?

During the wars with Angmar Rivendell was besieged; Cirdan and his people joined in the fight; weather top was razed but the palantir saved; the Stoors fled from where they were dwelling; and Eriador became unfriendly. Interesting times.

The plague also raged in middle earth and killed a lot of people, including Hobbits.

It seems the barrow down graves where made by men before they ever met elves! That is very ancient. Though the evils spirits only entered when Angmar spread its reach.

Dunedain where driven over the Lune, but earlier that was a country where Men do not go. Is that referring to different times?

The Lossoth, the Snowmen of Forochel [...]

The Lossoth live in igloos, they have sleds and ice skates! They live in different camps! They are said to be unfriendly, but I'm assuming that's just cultural differences. They did not value jewellery (well, that is some cultural differences to basically anyone else in Tolkien's world). They did help king Arvedui, though not willingly (because he wanted to pay them in jewellery). They believed the witch king could make frost and thaw at will. I wonder if they were right? I wonder if they were ever in contact with the elves of Lune? I wonder how different their culture and language were, as they lived there since before men met elves at all? They actually did manage to communicate with Arvedui, and I'd wager he didn't learn their language. They also helped him get to Cirdan's ship with sleds, and they gave great advice (that Arvedui ignored)

Arvedui gave the Lossoth a ring that would basically be a favour. He stressed that it was not magical in the slightest. You can see he learned from history. Also, this was - it was said - actually the very same ring Finrod gave Barahir. No favor done for them is ever mentioned, though obviously the Dúnedain regained the ring.

People much later actually learned about Arvedui's faith from the Lossoth, there must have been more communication then I thought.

Two palantiri of the north vanished in the ice, one stayed with Cirdan until he took it with him west. Nice.

The hobbits sent archers to help the king, though they never returned, and others helped in the battle when Angmar was overthrown.

Another piece of jewellery that so far noone fought over: the scepter of Annúminas!

Celebrian left for Valinor within one year of being captured, tortured and poisoned.

Bandobras Took who fought off orcs from the shire!

The main home of the Dunedain seems to have been at Lake Evendim, though mostly they were a wandering people. But they probably had more or less stable environments to raise children, give birth, take care of the elderly and sick? I have a lot of trouble imagining their lives.

Arvedui, king of Arthedain (part of Arnor), was a Man, and he listened to the elves, which is generally a good idea in Tolkien's world! What's more, he listened to Cirdan('s people), which is literally always a good idea in Tolkien's world except for this one time.

Yes, the Lossoth locals warn him about sailing in such dangerous, icy conditions, but these are Cirdan's highly experienced elven mariners on elven ships who, after all, arrived here safely. And Arvedui is urgently needed back with his people to fight the Witch-king of (quite literally at this point) Angmar.

I'm looking at how insistent Elendil is in the UT that we should not count Vanimeldë's husband Herucalmo in the line of kings of Númenor. Elendil clearly specifies that Herucalmo WAS of royal blood, as a descendent of Atanamir, and that he effectively ruled Númenor for 20 years, until he died, and he even adopted a royal name -- Tar-Anducal. But he also makes a point of highlighting that none of the circumstances of his claim made it legitimate, and goes on to say that Alcarin, Herucalmo and Vanimeldë's son, "ruled for 80 years until his death in 2737, being rightful King for one hundred years".

The difference between Herucalmo and Pharazôn is that Pharazôn is still married to Míriel and thus he is a legitimate king. Which brings to mind again Elendil's insistence that the marriage was not just a product of coercion, but that it was illegal anyway because cousins that close can't marry under Númenorian law. I've mentioned before that it sounds so weird on page the first time you read it, that a lame ass law about cousin marriage would be put on the same level as rape/forced marriage... and I always come away with the same impression, that it is easy to assume Elendil is just using every single argument he has to say that Pharazôn's kingship is at best dubious...

It’s like...

It was given by Finrod as thanks for saving his life, and kept by the descendants of Barahir who saved him even after Beren “cashed in” on the favour during the Quest.

But when Beren’s descendant gives the RoB in gratitude, it’s ransomed back instead?