#caliondo

          Eärendur was the younger son of Tar-Amandil and the companion of the mariner Vëantur. Eärendur was a sailor from a young age, neglecting any princely duties he may have been given and preferring the carefree life of a crewmate at sea rather than the responsibility of a naval commander. His father granted him his own ship, but Eärendur was never very serious about being a captain.          Vëantur was the child of commoner parents, and when they refused to accept him when he asserted himself as a man rather than the girl he had been mistaken for at birth, he fled his home to join the royal navy. Eärendur took the young man under his wing and was gratified when Vëantur’s ambition saw him rise to the top of the ranks, proud of his friend and glad to be relieved of the pressure on himself to lead.           When Tar-Amandil purposed to name his seafaring son the Captain of the King’s Ships, Eärendur instead suggested he choose Vëantur, a more capable commander and his bosom companion. In gratitude, Vëantur named Eärendur his first mate, a position that suited him much better, and the two turned their sights to lands far beyond Elenna. Vëantur became the first Númenórean to return to Middle-earth in his ship Entulussë. He met the Elvenking Gil-galad and the shipwright Círdan, as well as twelve Men from Eriador who came to see “who had returned from death in the deeps of the Sea.”         Upon returning from this momentous journey, Eärendur wed Helwë, a fisher’s daughter who yearned for greatness. Vëantur too loved Eärendur, and had wed him in an unofficial ship-board ceremony, and together they welcomed Helwë into their relationship. Eärendur fathered children with both his spouses; Helwë bore him a son, Caliondo, and Vëantur a daughter, Almarian, though for political reasons Almarian’s true heritage was obscured even from her.          Eärendur died at sea, saving Vëantur’s life in the midst of a storm. His loss was mourned deeply by his family, and in the aftermath, Vëantur married Helwë. A man’s friend or brother taking to wife his widow was not uncommon at the time, especially among sailors, and thus the transition into a more “official” family unit was not remarked upon even in Tar-Elendil’s court.           Almarian was raised alongside her half-brother Caliondo, and both youths loved and admired their cousin Prince Írimon. In time, Almarian’s affection for Írimon grew into a deeper love, and they became betrothed. This was the only time Helwë and Vëantur considered telling her that Eärendur was her father, making her and Írimon first cousins, but after Almarian confessed she was already carrying the prince’s child, her parents decided not to spoil her happiness with the truth. Cousin marriage, though uncommon, was not unheard of, and with Eärendur dead for many years they did not wish to revisit old hurts.

          Caliondo was the only son of Eärendur and his wife Helwë. Upon his father’s untimely death, Eärendur’s dear friend and secret lover, Vëantur, took Caliondo under his wing and introduced him to the life of a mariner. Caliondo grew into a strong naval commander, battling pirates from the mainland in defense of Númenor’s ever-expanding fleet of trade ships.           For years, he chased the fearsome Sea-serpent, a pirate queen known for striking fast and taking all the enemy crew hostage. Her true name was Gaerlin, though the Númenóreans fearfully whispered her title in Quenya: Lingwilócë. At last Caliondo surprised her and, after a pitched battle, took her captive himself.           On the journey to Númenor, where Lingwilócë would stand trial, Caliondo surprised himself by how much he liked the strong-willed pirate queen. She too was surprised at his kindness and charm, and by the time they arrived at the island, they had fallen in love. Caliondo married her in a ship-board ceremony, pleading for mercy for his wife in her trial, and she was pardoned so long as she remained with him and never returned to her pirating ways.           Gaerlin and Caliondo sailed the seas together, bringing more pirates to justice, though never in quite such a romantic way. They had one son, Malantur, who for a time was the heir to the throne of Númenor, but the law was changed to allow for Tar-Ancalimë to inherit instead. For this Malantur was grateful, as he, like his forebears, preferred a life on the sea.