#elrandir

Elrandir is the youngest of twins; he has an elder sister named Luineth (named for her blue garb and love of the sea) who was a mariner living most of her days in Mithlond. She was the more reasonable and cautious one of the two, often warning her brother not to be so reckless - to little success.

During the Third Age Elrandir received ill news that a storm had carried away his sister's ship at the harbour and, with none of the people aboard ever being seen again in Middle-earth, it was assumed they all perished at sea. Elrandir had always preferred traveling on land, crossing forests and hiking across tall mountains rather being out on sea, but this event really awakened in him a great fear of the ocean. He would from then on avoid journeying close to any shore or river if he could help it, finding the sound of moving water a painful reminder of his loss.

Unbeknownst to Elrandir though, Luineth's ship had managed to weather the storm and eventually make it to Tol Eressëa, where she waited in vain for her brother.

@peredhellen​: “ are monsters born or created ? ” / from elrandir though :' ))) [ accepting ]

Many of Lithmael’s fondest memories are from the First Age, especially from her youth in Nan Elmoth where she feels she found her true purpose in life by having her talents recognized by Eöl when he began his tutelage of her. She was also very fond of and loyal to a fault to his son Maeglin, who she followed and served during her time in Gondolin, aiding the House of the Mole through her craftsmanships and, on occasion, joining some of its membership on their excavations to the Mines of Anghabar.

That being said, she was for the most part discontent during her stay in the hidden kingdom, feeling underappreciated and condescended to by the Noldor due to her nature as one of the Avari. She is especially resentful her contributions during the Fall of Gondolin have been entirely overlooked by the annals of history, having forged many a weapon and shield that was wielded that fateful day. Lithmael herself did not fight during the battle, being a craftsperson more than a warrior, and escaped through Idril’s Hidden Path with the other refugees.

For the rest of the age, she was mostly a restless nomad like her kin before her, moving eastwards and eventually settling for a time near Fangorn Forest. The last big event of the First Age that directly impacted her was the Sinking of Beleriand, whereupon she lost her parents who were still residing there when it was plunged into the sea. For as many tragedies that befell during that time, she still remembers the First Age fondly due to it being when she found her calling. Elrandir’s experiences during the First Age is, comparatively, uneventful save for one especially harrowing incident. I would say most of what define him and his life occurred during the Second and Third Ages rather than the First (such as his first interactions with Fallohides, gaining and later renouncing his lordship of Edhellond, his journeys to Rivendell, losing contact with his sister etc.). He had a comfortable and carefree, even somewhat spoiled life at Doriath due to his kinship to King Thingol. He grew early a love of travel due to his father being one of the Falathrim who would often journey with his son between Eglarest, his home, and Doriath in order to visit kin.

Due to the secrecy surrounding the Lemberin tongue, Lithmael rarely sings when any non-Avari are around. She’s generally not much a singer anyways, being rather solitary and serious to a fault to begin with. That being said, she would on occasion sing lullabies to little Maeglin shortly after he was born, hoping he would pick up more of his father’s language and nature than his mother’s.* (Lithmael is not exactly fond of either Aredhel or the Noldor in general).

The one time she completely disregarded any belief she held regarding not only music, but the Noldor Elves as well was when she in Gondolin fell for a Noldorin elf-lord who was anything she was not: high-born, cheerful, open-minded and kind-hearted. She taught her noble love the Avarin tongue by singing it to him as she worked and he became the only one of the Eldar able to speak the language of the Avari. Their love was, however, eventually sundered due to him choosing to sail and she not.

(They had a real Nimrodel/Amroth-thing going on, the woman not being too keen on the man’s people as a whole, but recognising the goodness in that one particular man despite it all.)

As for stories... oh boy. I’m going to try to keep this as short as I can given how long this already is, but... Lithmael’s yearns to be in the annals of Middle-earth’s history as one who has made the tools needed for say, the survivial of the Gondolindrim during the Fall of their city, or the armour and weaponry of both Thranduil and his people during the two harrowing battles fought during the Third Age by the Elves of the Woodland Realm. She reads and enjoys historical tomes, fascinated with the heroes in them and the makers of their arms who made their heroism possible in the first place. She wants that same recognition; to be admired in the same vein as someone like Celebrimbor, Fëanor, Eöl or other great smiths throughout the ages. For various reasons, this has not yet happened for her.

If you’ve made it this far: thank you! I really appreciate it! Next off is Elrandir and his relationship with both songs and stories. Elrandir was taught to use the flute by his mother all the way back when he was just an elfling, whereas his father tutored him in singing various aerlinn when the two would travel between Eglarest and Doriath. Elrandir has, from an early age, been restless even in song, and he is often found either humming or whistling to himself whenever it is too quiet for his liking. If anything, he loathes deafening silence and finds it dreary.

After his many journeys, he has come to prefer the music of the other free folk: the rowdy tavern songs of Hobbits, or Men’s jaunty hunting tunes - more “rustic” and “down-to-earth”-type of music compared to the lofty aerlinn of the Elves. Elrandir once surprised an aging Bilbo resting in Imladris with his own rendition with his flute of Bilbo’s own “The Road Goes Ever On”.

Elrandir knows Thranduil well, having met him and his father Oropher when they were all living in Doriath still. They didn’t interact much there due to their vastly different personalities and also because of Elrandir’s father often taking his son with him on his travels to Eglarest, making little time for Elrandir to grow a deep friendship with anyone but his closest family back then. The two grew somewhat closer at Lindon afterwards, when they and their people sought refuge there. Elrandir is welcomed to the Woodland Realm later, which he has accepted on more than one occasion, if only to ask the elusive Wood-elves questions. Elrandir is endlessly curious about the lands and all its inhabitants after all. After the corruption falls upon the Woodland Realm and it becomes Mirkwood in name and spirit, the visits to the Elvenking gets less and less frequent.

I would say Thranduil is a friend, albeit not necessarily the closest one he has. Elrandir has always quiped that “I feel more at home at the peaks of mountains, at the peculiar inn at Bree and in the presence of Men and Halflings than I’ve ever done with my own kin.”. For him, friendships are the most precious when they are forged across races since he believes an Elf has so much to learn from a Hobbit, Hobbits could learn from the Dwarves, a Dwarf could learn plenty from Elves and vice versa etc. So oddly enough, Elrandir makes friends more easily with non-Elves, as he wants to experience new things.

Now, with Celeborn… this one gets a bit complicated. Celeborn and Elrandir are both grandsons of Lord Elmo, making them first cousins*, but it was first at Harlindon they grew close as both of them lost family and friends in the attack. The two got along great until Elrandir started neglecting his duties as a lord at the expense of all else. To make a long story short, Elrandir was granted lordship over Edhellond at the behest of Celeborn who ruled over Harlindon at the time. The role of authority was given to him due to his lineage to both Lord Elmo and his descent as one of the Falathrim, but Elrandir’s heart was not in it at all and he, frankly, did not do his job. He had only ever taken the position as the lord of Edhellond because he’s too polite to outright refuse and afraid of conflict with those he cares about.

The friendship he had with Celeborn soured after that, especially when Elrandir gave up the position as one of the nobility altogether. Though they do care for one another as family, their relationship is now strained and awkward and not as close as it used to be back when they both lived in Lindon.