#misc dunedain

          Gondor was a mighty kingdom at its height, and even in the years of its decline it held many fiefdoms within its borders aside from the capital of Minas Tirith. Those who led these provinces were known in times of war as the Captains of the Outlands, for when the King or Steward called upon them they were bound by honor and duty to ride to the defense of their kingdom.           During the War of the Ring, the Captains were rallied together to face the might of Sauron on the Pelennor Fields. From Lossarnach came Forlong the Fat, an old man of great girth and vitality, with two hundred men bearing mighty battle-axes. From Blackroot Vale came Lord Duinhir and his sons Duilin and Derufin, leading five hundred bowmen to battle. From Ringló Vale came Dervorin, son of its Lord, with three hundred men on foot; from Anfalas came Golasgil with a long line of civilians, fighting bravely despite their lack of equipment or skill. From the Green Hills came Hirluin the Fair with three hundred gallant green-clad men. From Dor-en-Ernil, Land of Princes, whose capital was Dol Amroth by the sea, came Prince Imrahil with a company of knights and seven hundred soldiers. From Anórien came Benrodir, newly ennobled for his bravery, with two hundred doughty men loyal to their prince. From Calembel came Inram the Tall, who had emptied his settlement of soldiers and led six hundred spearmen in his train; from Ethir Anduin came Nosdiligand, his force of a hundred fishermen small but mighty in their bravery.           These brave warriors fought to defend Minas Tirith, a city not their own, for its people were their kin and deserved not the cruelty of the Enemy. Amid the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, hundreds of soldiers fell; and with them fell many of their lords, also. Forlong, separated from his men, was rendered immobile when his horse was slain, and soon was overrun; Hirluin was killed in battle rushing to the aid of Éomer of Rohan; Nosdiligand was cut down at the very gates of Minas Tirith, defending against an onslaught of orcs. Though Duinhir survived, his twin sons Duilin and Derufin were slain, trampled by mûmakil while attempting to shoot out the monsters’ eyes; they died with questions in their heart of who their mother was, though in truth they had none, for Duinhir had borne them himself after a love affair gone wrong.           Of the Captains of the Outlands, only three were not present for the assault upon Minas Tirith, for they were defending their own lands, besieged by the Corsairs of Umbar. These were Angbor of Lamedon, Torthion of Lebennin, and Brassenor of Belfalas, and each of their lands was freed only when Aragorn and the Grey Company with the wraiths of the Oathbreakers swept along the coast liberating the Men of Gondor from the wrath of the Corsairs. Both Torthion and Brassenor were slain before Aragorn’s arrival, leaving Angbor alone to rally the people of the coast and march to Minas Tirith. Aragorn named Angbor “the Fearless” for his determination in leading four thousand men, many of which were his own horsemen, even after the destruction of his homeland. Indeed, his endurance through trial allowed Angbor to relieve Aragorn of the duty of protecting Minas Tirith when he marched to the Black Gate in a direct challenge to Sauron, for Angbor’s forces would defend the city as he went on the offensive, both important roles in bringing about the end of the War and the freedom of Gondor.

          The Rangers of Ithilien were a Gondorian special operations force selected from the descendants of the people who had dwelt in Ithilien before it was overrun by orcs. Dressed in camouflaging green and brown, they crossed the Anduin in secret to harass the Enemy’s forces, using several secret retreats as havens. They were organized in the time of Steward Túrin II and were first led by Túrin’s son Turgon and Prince Angelimir of Dol Amroth, and afterward it was traditional that their leader be related either to the Steward or the Prince.           In the time of the War of the Ring, Faramir son of Steward Denethor II led these rangers. Under his command were Anborn, a bowman and a scout; Damrod, guard of grim mood; Mablung, a scout and guard; and Madril, an aging soldier of much wisdom. Many others worked alongside them, but these four were the only ones who had direct contact with Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, and the creature Gollum when they passed through Ithilien on their quest to Mount Doom.

          Voronwë was the son of Orontor of Númenor, and a fast friend of Elendil the Tall. He was a great mariner, and with his wife lord he escaped the downfall of Númenor, though his father and sister were lost. His children, Cemniel and Ilcanië, were aboard the ships of Isildur and Anárion and were swept away from the northern fleet, but they landed safely in the south of Middle-earth and were among the founders of Gondor. Eventually Voronwë and his daughters were reunited just in time for the wedding of Ilcanië to the shipwright Sandor and the birth of two more sons to Cemniel and Isildur her husband. Ilcanië also bore a child, whom she named Glanor, and though Voronwë was devoted to his liege in Arnor their family remained as tight-knit as that of Elendil and his own sons.           Amid the War of the Last Alliance, Elendil, Anárion, and Sandor were all slain, but Voronwë survived to comfort his daughters. It seemed that Isildur had survived and would soon reunite with Cemniel and his newborn son Valandil, but before his company could reach the hidden stronghold of Imladris, they were attacked by a massive company of orcs. Glanor at this time was serving as an ohtar, or esquire, to his uncle, and to him Isildur entrusted the shards of Narsil before the orcs closed in. Along with his friend and companion Celevon, Ohtar Glanor fled to Imladris and told of his uncle and cousins’ grim fate.           Isildur’s company was massacred save for Glanor and Celevon, and one other ohtar who was presumed dead on the battlefield: Estelmo, the esquire of Isildur’s eldest son Elendur. He was discovered lying stunned under the corpse of his lord by the Guard of Eryn Galen and the Woodmen of the North, who delivered him to the healing hands of Elrond in Imladris, and from Estelmo the last words of Isildur became known, though no trace of his body—or of the Ring he bore—were ever found by elves or men.           The kingdom of Arnor passed to the rulership of Valandil, who kept Glanor, Celevon, Estelmo, and their families in his service. For generations these men and their kindred served the King of Arnor, and indeed Malbeth the Seer was a direct descendant of Ohtar Celevon. Malbeth served as a counselor to King Araphant, advising him to name his son Arvedui, for he would be the last king of Arthedain. Malbeth warned that a choice would come to the Dúnedain, and that the one that seemed less hopeful would lead to Arvedui becoming King of a realm greater than Arnor in its glory; but alas, the Council of Gondor chose otherwise, dismissing the wisdom of the Arnorian Seer, and in the end this led to much sorrow and centuries before the Dúnedain would arise and be united again.           Malbeth made their second prophecy during the rule of Arvedui, foretelling that an Heir of the Dúnedain would call the Army of the Dead from their half-existence to fulfill their once-forsaken Oath to Isildur. This manifested in Aragorn II entering the Paths of the Dead and rallying the spirits of the Men of the Mountains to war against Sauron, releasing them from their Oath once the battle was won. At Aragonr’s side was the ranger Halbarad, leading the Grey Company out of the North to aid their Chieftain. Aragorn fulfilled Malbeth’s first prophecy also when he ascended to the throne of the Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor as King Elessar, bringing the Dúnedain together at long last.

          Saelon was a man of Gondor in the early Fourth Age. His father was Duilin, a worker in Emyn Arnen and an acquaintance of Borlas the son of Beregond. As a child, Saelon befriended Borlas’ son Berelach, often getting him into mischief. Borlas disapproved of his son’s companion and kept a firm eye on Saelon, and when he caught the young lad stealing an apple from his garden that was all he needed to forbid Saelon from cavorting around with Berelach. Indeed, he likened Saelon’s behavior to “orc’s work,” an insult the child would not soon forget, though he played games of orcs and soldiers with his friends.           As Saelon grew into a young man, Borlas’ heart softened and he allowed his erstwhile neighbor to spend time with Berelach once more. Yet when they were grown, Berelach took the seas, gaining a high command of the King’s Ships, while Saelon worked with timber and remained in the lands about Ithilien. As Borlas grew older and lonelier, his daughter Sammareth marrying and his son off to sea and his wife Orosser passing away, it was Saelon who took to looking in on the old man from time to time, and a strange companionship arose between them.           When Borlas heard from his friend Othrondir, a stonemason from Minas Tirith, that a new shadow was festering like a canker in Gondor, he mused aloud at the persistence of evil among Men and was overheard by Saelon. Himself knowledgeable of such rumors concerning an orc-cult known only as “the Dark Tree,” Saelon asked if Borlas knew of its leader Herumor, and was shocked to find he did. The two conversed on the nature of evil, Borlas growing ever more suspicious of the young man’s motivations, but Saelon proved frustratingly vague in his answers, though he promised to tell Borlas more should he meet him under the cover of night wearing black clothes.           No more of this tale is known, for it was written by Findegil, the King’s Writer, who died before he could complete it. Findegil was known best for his copying of the Red Book of Westmarch at the request of Thain Peregrin Took’s great-grandson, his compilation being the most complete version in existence, but he penned many other tales and histories in his days serving under King Eldarion.

          Castamir the Usurper was the bloodthirsty, devious despot who overthrew the government of King Eldacar amid the chaos of Gondor’s Kin-strife. Though after a decade of tyranny, he was ousted from his throne and killed in battle, his grim legacy would endure for many generations.           The wife of Castamir was Lady Núriel of Pelargir, who bore him two sons almost as vicious as himself. After their father’s death, Airesarno and Ninquo withdrew to their mother’s city, but Núriel had long since grown sick of the conflict her husband stirred up and surrendered her keep to Eldacar’s army. Her sons then fled to Umbar, where they were taken in by the Black Númenóreans and assimilated into their Council of Lords.           Airesarno and Ninquo married daughters of their fellow lords, solidifying their place in Umbar’s Council and integrating themselves into the culture of their new home. There they learned the truth of Eärnil I’s death, arranged by the rulers of Umbar after his conquest of their haven and not lost in a sea-storm as the records of Gondor said. Though they lived in exile for the rest of their lives, the sons of Castamir instilled a deep hatred of Gondor in the hearts of their own descendants.           Ninquo was killed before his time in a duel with a rival lord, leaving his wife Zôriphêl to raise their daughter Lômirôth. In this she was aided by Airesarno and his wife Azûlindil, growing intimately close with them to the point that Lômirôth and Airesarno’s son Dôlguzagar considered each other siblings rather than cousins.           Lômirôth married one of Dôlguzagar’s close friends Gimlân, a lord grown rich off his piracy, and their son Azgarzîr quickly became embroiled in his father’s corsair lifestyle. Much like his foster sister, Dôlguzagar’s heart was won by a sea-voyager: the pirate queen Azruphêl, scourge of Gondor’s coastlines. But Gimlân and Azruphêl had many quarrels between them that forced their spouses and children apart, and thus Dôlguzagar’s son Arnakhôr remained with his father in Umbar’s political sphere while Azgarzîr sailed the mighty seas.           Still, the cousins would not be separated forever, and not long after Gimlân’s death in a ship-battle, Azgarzîr returned to Umbar to comfort his grieving mother. Upon witnessing Arnakhôr’s impassioned speech at Gimlân’s funeral, Azgarzîr became enamoured of his long-lost cousin and struck up a friendship between them. Soon he established himself as Arnakhôr’s right-hand man and personal champion, learning to loathe Gondor’s kings as he never had before.           The cousins schemed together to fulfill the promises of their great-grandfather Castamir and destroy the line of kings entirely and place Arnakhôr as the Emperor of Umbar and Gondor. Azgarzîr rallied together the disunified pirates who operated out of the haven under his lord’s banner and led a great fleet against Pelargir; though they did not succeed in taking the city of Núriel the Faithless, as she had become known to her wicked descendants, they struck fear into the hearts of Gondor’s soldiers and earned the Quenya names Angamaitë and Sangahyando for their ruthlessness in battle.           Arnakhôr Angamaitë and Azgarzîr Sangahyando retreated back to Umbar to adjust their tactics, but before their plans were full-wrought, they heard that King Minardil of Gondor had taken his wife on a visit to Pelargir. Eager for slaughter, Azgarzîr stirred Arnakhôr to action and the cousins led their fleet back to the coastal city and led a devastating raid upon the port, demolishing the city and slaying Minardil. Amid his bloodlust, Sangahyando had left little to rule in Pelargir, and in disgust Angamaitë forsook the ruins of the city and returned victorious to Umbar.           The royalty of Gondor plotted revenge against the Corsairs of Umbar, but so also did the Corsairs connive to overthrow their enemies entirely. Yet neither had the chance to strike, for only two years after Minardil’s death the Great Plague descended upon the south of Middle-earth and ravaged its peoples, killing the first new King Telemnar and his heirs and then Arnakhôr and Azgarzîr themselves.           Though neither Angamaitë nor Sangahyando had children of their own, they had many remaining kin through the younger children of their parents and grandparents, who took up the mantle of vengeance against Gondor. These descendants of Castamir would hold Umbar for some generations as the region recovered from the Plague, but eventually the line of the Usurper was wiped out when King Telumehtar Umbardacil conquered the haven for Gondor once more. Yet the Corsairs of Umbar endured, though the line of their founding lords was lost, and would not cease to trouble Gondor until the ultimate defeat of Sauron in the War of the Ring.

          Baranor was a man of Gondor, originally descended from the people of Ithilien who then settled in Lossarnach when that land was overrun by orcs. He was a soldier, his work bringing his family to Minas Tirith, where he and his wife Pethriel had two sons, Iorlas and Beregond. Iorlas became a merchant in the city, while Beregond followed his father’s footsteps and joined the ranks of Gondor’s soldiers as part of the Third Company of the Citadel.           When the periannath Peregrin Took arrived in Minas Tirith and swore his service to Steward Denethor II, Beregond was assigned to show him around the city. Beregond’s young son Bergil quickly took a liking to Pippin and took him to the Great Gate to watch as warriors from the Outlands gathered to reinforce the city’s defenses against the impending siege.           During the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Beregond was stationed as the sentinel at the gate of the Citadel when Pippin rushed to tell him that Denethor was attempting to burn his catatonic son Faramir alive. Beregond, who greatly admired Faramir, was distraught by this news and knew at once that his duty to protect his liege-lord was more important than remaining at his post. He ran to save Faramir and was forced to kill three of his fellow guards who would have prevented him from his noble task. When Mithrandir came to the rescue, Beregond warded off any attackers as Faramir was pulled from the pyre, and blocked Denethor in his attempt to kill his son with a knife. After Faramir was at last out of immediate danger, Beregond elected to stand guard over him in the Houses of Healing, and was present when he awoke.           Beregond served under the command of Imrahil of Dol Amroth at the Battle of the Morannon, where he was nearly killed by a troll, but Pippin killed the monster before he could be slain. Upon the coronation of King Elessar, Beregond was brought forth to receive judgement for leaving his post and killing Denethor’s guards upon hallowed ground. The usual penalty would have been death, but the new King showed mercy as his deeds were done out of love for Faramir, and instead Beregond was exiled from the White City. Yet though he could not return to his home, Aragorn granted him the position of Captain of Faramir’s Guard, the White Company, and Beregond brought his family with him to Ithilien, the land of his ancestors where Faramir now ruled as Prince.           In Ithilien, Beregond’s wife Fondil bore him a second son, Borlas. In his adulthood, Borlas married the orchard-worker Orosser, and together they had two children of their own: a daughter, Sammareth, and a son, Berelach, who served in the King’s Ships under the rule of Elessar’s son Eldarion.

          Borondir was a soldier of Gondor descended from the Northmen of Rhovanion, and like his kin chose to forgo the use of stirrups, earning him the name Udalraph among his warrior companions. At a time when Gondor’s northern borders were threatened by the Balchoth hordes, Steward Círion sent six riders to seek the aid of his people’s the Éothéod who had once been Kings of Rhovanion and even wed their princess Vidumavi to Valacar, the twentieth King of Gondor. Of the messengers, only Borondir survived the journey, though he was waylaid by enemies the entire way from Minas Tirith to Framsburg.           He arrived half-dead from exhaustion and hunger, but still managed to give Círion’s message to Éorl, Lord of the Éothéod. He presented both the Seal of the Stewards and an orc-arrow stained with blood to impress the direness of the situation and urgently called upon Éorl to renew the ancient friendship between their peoples. After much deliberation, Éorl agreed, and Borondir guided the Éothéod southward to the Battle of the Field of Celebrant. The arrival of reinforcements turned the tide of the battle, but amidst the fighting Borondir was killed, much to the grief of both Gondor and the Éothéod.           Borondir was laid to rest in the Hallows of Minas Tirith beside the Kings and Stewards, and his name was long remembered in the song of Rochon Methestel, “Rider of Last Hope.” After his death, Círion granted the Éothéod the land of Calenardhon to become their Kingdom, and he and Éorl swore an Oath of everlasting friendship between their nations, to be called upon by delivery of a Red Arrow after the fashion of Borondir’s fateful symbol of war.           Five centuries later, Borondir’s heroic ride was echoed by Hirgon, an errand-rider of Steward Denethor II. Though his journey was not so far as his predecessor’s, Hirgon nonetheless narrowly escaped orc attacks on his flight, surviving to present the Red Arrow to Théoden King. He did not stay to lead the Rohirrim back to Gondor, instead riding for Minas Tirith the day after Théoden agreed to come to Gondor’s aid.            But before he could reach the White City, Hirgon was caught by Sauron’s forces and slain at the Rammas Echor, where Théoden’s riders found his body when they made their way south. Thus Denethor never received the message that the Rohirrim were coming to Gondor’s aid, and their sudden arrival at the Pelennor Fields was as miraculous as that of Éorl at the Celebrant.

          Húrin the Tall was the Warden of the Keys of Minas Tirith at the time of the War of the Ring. Alongside Forlong, Hirluin, and Imrahil, he rode to the aid of the Rohirrim in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, and when the Captains of the West marched on the Black Gate he remained in Gondor. When King Elessar returned victorious, it was Húrin who opened the barricade of the gatehouse to make way for the new King.           The husband of Húrin was Suilor, the Warden of the Houses of Healing in Minas Tirith. He was fascinated by herbs and herb-lore and tended to ramble on on these topics of his interest, much to the irritation of certain of his patients! Despite his enthusiasm for lore, Suilor was ignorant of certain important topics; it was not him, but his aged colleague Golunil, known by all as Ioreth for her advanced age, who remembered the old adage that The hands of the King are the hands of a healer. Hearing this wisdom, Mithrandir brought Aragorn to the Houses of Healing to tend to the sick, and both Ioreth and Suilor were able to bear witness to his miraculous healing of Faramir and Éowyn using the so-called “weed,” athelas.           Another of Aragorn’s patients was the soldier Ingold, who manned the north-gate of Forannest. When an army out of the east crossed the River Anduin, Ingold had been forced into retreat, bringing the grim news that the Rohirrim were blocked from riding to their aid. Yet Rohan’s warriors found their way to the battle nonetheless, and their timely coming saved Ingold’s life in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, though he was not spared all injury. With the King’s careful healing, Ingold was brought back from the brink of death and was able to reunite with his brother Targon, a storehouse worker who had played his small part in the War by giving food to Beregond and Peregrin Took some days earlier.           Suilor and Húrin had one daughter, an adopted orphan they named Morwen after the wife of Húrin’s namesake. She aided her father in the Houses of Healing, where she briefly flirted with Lady Éowyn’s brother Éomer. Morwen was well-regarded by Lothíriel of Dol Amroth, and her high opinion of the Rohirric king influenced her friend’s decision to give Éomer a chance when he began to court her. Morwen attended Lothíriel and Éomer’s wedding, and shortly thereafter moved to Meduseld as her lady’s handmaid, where she found true love with Idis, a lady of Rohan’s court.