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Chapter Text

Balan | Bëor the Old — Bemen

Children of Bëor:
Baran — Mavar
Belen — Talag

Children of Belen:
Beldir — Meren

Children of Beldir:
Belemir — Adanel (House of Hador)

Children of Belemir:
Tereth
Echadril
Thilior
Rostiel
Beren — Geldil

Children of Beren:
Laldir
Berior
Emeldir the Manhearted — Barahir

Children of Baran:
Boron — Lenniel
Baranor — Canneth

Children of Baranor:
Bereg

Children of Boron:
Boromir — Pelinel
Belegor

Children of Boromir:
Bregor — Díneloth
Andreth Saelind — Aegnor
Beril

Children of Bregor:
Bregil — Arachon
Hirwen
Bregolas — Rónil
Gilwen
Barahir — Emeldir the Manhearted

Children of Bregil:
Brandir
Beldis — Handir (House of Haleth)

Children of Bregolas:
Beleth (ancestor of Beregar) — Narweth
Baragund — Reniel Angren
Belegund — Redoron

Children of Baragund:
Morwen Eledhwen — Húrin Thalion (House of Hador)

Children of Belegund:
Rían — Huor (House of Hador)
Orlin

Children of Barahir and Emeldir the Manhearted:
Beren Erchamion — Lúthien Tinúviel

Children of Beren Erchamion:
Dior Aranel Eluchíl — Nimloth

Children of Dior:
Eluréd
Elurín
Elwing — Eärendil (House of Hador)

Children of Elwing:
Elrond — Celebrían
Elros — Hiril Tári-Ecceþindë

Children of Elrond:
Elladan
Elrohir
Arwen Undómiel — Aragorn (Line of Elros)

Children of Elros:
Line of Elros

Angrim — Lumorn

Children of Angrim:
Gorlim the Unhappy — Eilinel

Companions of Barahir:
Barahir
Beren Erchamion
Baragund
Belegund
Gorlim the Unhappy
Gildor
Urthel
Dagnir
Ragnor
Radhruin
Dairuin
Arthad
Hathaldir the Young

Arasdil — Heledir, Maglor Fëanorion, Tanrad Ídhron

Children of Arasdil and Heledir:
Eglessor
Elior (ancestress of Edhelvain)

Children of Arasdil and Ídhron:
Ordil
Tharaneth

TALISKA GLOSSARY

ach, lach || “leader” || real element, made up meaning; lach happens to also mean “flame” in Sindarin
am || “valiant” || real element, made up meaning
-an, -en || masculine suffix || real element, made up meaning
-ar, -er || feminine suffix || entirely made up
bal || “bright” || real element, made up meaning
bar || “warm” || real element, made up meaning
bel || “strong” || real element, made up meaning
bem || “swift” || entirely made up
bëor || “vassal” || canonical meaning!
-hin || “child” || canonical meaning!
im || “marsh” || real element, made up meaning
leg || “cold” || entirely made up
mal || “message” || real element, made up meaning
mar || “wise” || real element, made up meaning
mav || “water” || entirely made up
talag || “leap” || entirely made up
zimra || “jewel” || canonical meaning! this element survived all the way into Adûnaic :)

Chapter Text

Balan was the leader of the first Men to cross the Blue Mountains into Beleriand. He was born in the lands that would later be known as Eriador, and came to be respected by his people when he slew a troll that attacked their small settlement. This reemergence of danger reminded Balan why they had traveled westward, in search of the Gods and safer lands, and he urged his people to continue their journey. Inspired by his bravery, they named him their leader and followed him into unknown territories.

In crossing the mountains, some of Balan’s people perished from accidents and starvations. Among the casualties was his partner Bemen, whose children he had borne in the east before the troll’s attack. Bemen died saving their younger son Belen, and his loss was deeply mourned by Balan and his kin. When his people were close to starvation, Balan found aid from the dwarves who lived in the mountains, who gave them food and shelter in their time of need.

At last they arrived in Beleriand, and Balan led his folk into the woods of Ossiriand. One night as they slept, a strange elf came upon them and began to play enchanting music. Balan woke to the sight of the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, and was instantly enamoured of the elf. He had met elves before, but none so glorious as this one, shining with the Light of the West for which he had long sought.

This was Finrod Felagund, a king of the elves of this land and a friend of all the free-peoples of Beleriand. Balan swiftly befriended him, teaching him their language, and to his joy he discovered that Finrod was just as taken with him as he was with Finrod. At Felagund’s advice, Balan told his sons to take their people south to settle in Estolad, as the elves of Ossiriand welcomed them not.

Balan himself, however, cleaved to Finrod and refused to leave his side. When Finrod returned to his kingdom of Nargothrond, Balan went with him as his lover and friend. His elder son, Baran, took up leadership in his stead, though he misunderstood his father’s new relationship and believed Balan to have sworn vassalage to Felagund as his lord. Thus Balan, who left his folk, became known to them as Bëor, meaning “vassal,” and ever after that people was known as the House of Bëor.

Balan marveled at the beauty of Nargothrond and was welcomed by Finrod’s people, for he was the first Man they had ever seen. Few people understood the depth of love between Balan and Felagund, and the name of Bëor became commonplace among the elves as well, but this Balan did not begrudge them so long as he remained with his beloved.

Balan lived very long for a Man, but as he was mortal, he aged and weakened before Finrod’s eyes. The elves were astonished at this process, for they were undying, and they were even more shaken when Balan willingly gave up his life at the age of ninety-three, having lived a full and happy life. This was Finrod’s first encounter with the Gift of Men, and he always carried fondness for Balan in his heart, which he extended to all his descendants and other Men.

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Belen was the younger son of Balan and his husband Bemen. Born in the lands that would later be known as Eriador, he journeyed westward across the Blue Mountains with his family in search of safer lands. The crossing was treacherous, and young Belen, only sixteen years old, nearly died when a stone beneath his feet gave way to empty air. He was rescued by his father Bemen, who lifted him to safety before he, too, lost contact with the ground and fell to his death.

Bemen was deeply mourned by his kin, Belen most of all, but Balan determined to press forward across the mountains. Eventually they arrived in Beleriand, where they discovered strange elves who shone with the Light of the Gods. Balan quickly became enamoured of one such elf, Finrod Felagund, and entered into Felagund’s service, leaving his family and people for the elf’s kingdom of Nargothrond. At this time, Belen’s brother Baran took up leadership in their father’s stead, naming their people the House of Bëor, for all believed Balan to have sworn vassalage to Felagund.

Belen grew in the shadow of his brother, and was fiercely loyal to Baran for all his life. When he came of age, he took the hunter Talag as his spouse, and together they had one child, Beldir, among the first of Bëor’s folk to be named in the Sindarin tongue of the elves. Beldir grew into a cunning hunter like Talag his parent, wedding a cheerful woman known as Meren and producing a son of his own, Belemir.

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Belemir was the son of Belen of the House of Bëor. He was a kind man with a love of all things beautiful, especially his wife, Adanel of the House of Marach. Adanel was a wise-woman who preserved the old legends that some Men had chosen to worship Melkor instead of Eru, causing their downfall into mortality. She told this tale to her husband’s young kinswoman Andreth, as well as teaching her many other lessons of lore and healing.

Adanel and Belemir had five children. The eldest, Tereth, was a healer like her mother, though she had little interest in Adanel’s stories. Tereth’s sister Echadril was a potter, making many useful household objects for her family and community. Belemir’s third child was Thilior, a gentle weaver who cared for their younger sister Rostiel, a child prone to fits of mania and melancholy. Adanel and Belemir had only one son, Beren, who rose to prominence among his people as a great warrior unlike his more peaceful family.

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Beren was the son of Belemir of the House of Bëor and Adanel of the House of Marach. He was a mighty warrior, among the best among his father’s people, master of many weapons and only able to be bested in one—the spear—by his wife Geldil, a fisherwoman.

Geldil bore Beren three children: Laldir, an expert bowman; Berior, a shield-warrior who refused to let their father’s expectations hold them back from a fight; and Emeldir, who would have followed in Berior’s footsteps if a childhood injury had not prevented her for a time.

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Baran was the elder son of Balan and his husband Bemen. Born in the lands that would later be known as Eriador, he journeyed westward across the Blue Mountains with his family in search of safer lands. Upon their arrival in Beleriand, his father Balan quickly became enamoured of the Elvenking Finrod Felagund, entering into his service and leaving his kin behind for Felagund’s realm of Nargothrond.

With some bitterness, Baran took up the leadership of his kin, giving Balan the name Bëor, meaning “vassal,” for he believed his father to have sworn vassalage to Felagund. Though he and his descendants were always elf-friends, Baran himself harbored some resentment against the elves for stealing away his father as their servant, rather than allowing him to be the great chieftain Baran knew he could have been.

Baran wed the woman Mavar shortly before Balan’s departure, and though Bëor never met his grandsons Boron and Baranor, he sent them both great gifts from Nargothrond upon their births.

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Baranor was the younger son of Baran, head of the House of Bëor. He was closer to his father than his brother Boron, though it was Boron who was Baran’s heir. Baran confided in his son his resentments toward the elves who had pressed his father, Bëor, into their service, and Baranor grew to share those bitter feelings. He passed down that distrust of elvenkind to his own son, Bereg, despite his wife Canneth’s personal admiration of the elves with shining eyes and clever tongues.

Bereg was unsatisfied with only quiet mutterings about the treachery of the elves, and when he came of age he (along with Amlach of the House of Marach) began to organize an unrest among all the Men of Beleriand, stirring them up against their overlords. He claimed that their journey westward had been in vain, for the Light of the Gods was beyond an impassable sea, and danger was yet all about them.

Many hearts were swayed, and not even the revelation of the Dark King’s tricks and treachery in causing these dissensions could change the will of Bereg. Though Amlach repented of his malcontent, Bereg would not, and led a thousand of his House east across the mountains. None in Beleriand knew what became of them, but some say that the forest-people of Eryn Vorn are their descendants.

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Boron was the elder son of Baran, and the third head of the House of Bëor. Though he was his father’s heir, he was not so close to Baran as was his brother Baranor. Still, he learned much of leadership from his father, and in time became a wise and respected leader of his people.

The wife of Boron was Lenniel, a minstrel famed for her beautiful voice. She bore her husband two sons: Boromir, who would become the first Lord of Ladros; and Belegor, an adventurous man who scaled the cliffs of Dorthonion.

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Boromir was the elder son of Boron, and the fourth head of the House of Bëor. His family had long been in service to the House of Finarfin and loyal to Finrod Felagund, and near the end of his father’s rule Boromir fought alongside Finrod’s brothers Angrod and Aegnor, as well as the Fëanorions Maedhros and Maglor, in the Battle of Aglon Pass. As a reward for his people’s bravery, the sons of Finarfin granted the land of Ladros to the House of Bëor, and shortly after he inherited the leadership of his people Boromir was named the first Lord of Ladros.

The wife of Boromir was Pelinel, a soft-spoken woman who bore him three children. In her youth she had been friends with Boromir’s cousin Bereg, and through him met her husband. Pelinel was sorrowful when Bereg was stirred to wrath against the elves, and even before he departed Beleriand their friendship had grown cold, for she admired the elven-lords and influenced Boromir to advocate to his father to place his trust in them.

Bregor was the eldest child and only son of Boromir and Pelinel. He was close to his youngest sister Beril, who was his close counselor throughout his life. Their middle sister, Andreth, was independent and stubborn, preferring her own company to that of her siblings. In her youth she was sent to the house of her kinsman Belemir, where she learned the art of healing and many lessons of lore from Belemir’s wife, Adanel of the House of Marach.

One day while walking along the shore of Aeluin, Andreth chanced to meet Aegnor, her father’s liege-lord. They first beheld one another in the reflection of the clear blue lake, and Andreth was taken with his beauty, and he with hers. Over the course of two years, they grew close to one another and fell desperately in love.

Andreth begged Aegnor to marry her, for she knew her mortal lifespan would allow them only a short time to be together, but at the advice of his elder brother Finrod, Aegnor recalled the law of the Eldar that no marriage could happen during a time of war. In sorrow, he parted from her, though his love for her remained and he would take no other bride for the sake of her memory, nor would she wed any Man among her people.

In the wake of her heartbreak, Andreth turned again to the legends of Men taught to her by Adanel, growing great in knowledge and understanding of their lore. As she grew older, she was respected as a wise-woman among all the Houses of the Edain, earning the name Saelind, “wise-heart.” Despite his role in turning Aegnor from her, Andreth befriended Finrod Felagund as had her ancestor Bëor, and they often discoursed together on matters of elves and Men. She faithfully recorded their conversations, though the only one to survive through the Ages was the document later known as Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth, a heated debate on the nature of Mannish fëar and the fate of relations between the two kindreds.

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Bregor was the eldest child and only son of Boromir, and the second Lord of Ladros. He was a great hunter and battle-archer, bearing a mighty bow that survived to become an heirloom of his House in Númenor. He ruled his people peacefully, advised by his youngest sister Beril and his quick-witted wife Díneloth, and from time to time his other sister Andreth Saelind, who spent much of her time alone but imparted great wisdom on the occasions that she walked among her people.

Díneloth bore Bregor five children: Bregil, whose own quiet love story resolved much happier than that of her aunt Andreth’s; Hirwen, a gardener who beautified the house of her father; Bregolas, his father’s heir and a mighty warrior; Gilwen, who mapped the stars and helped her brothers navigate on their many journeys; and Barahir, a valiant man who survived the fall of his House and fathered the famed hero Beren Erchamion.

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Bregil was the eldest child and first daughter of Bregor. Much like her aunt Andreth, Bregil loved and admired the elves, and was eager to meet Finrod Felagund on the occasions he visited Andreth. One day while out in the woods with her sisters, Bregil came across a party of elvish hunters in the service of Lord Aegnor, Felagund’s brother and Andreth’s long-lost love. She befriended the youngest of the elven hunters, an ellon named Arachon, and the two quickly fell in love.

Where her aunt’s story ended tragically, Bregil refused to allow fate and war to prevent her happiness. She and Arachon were wed the spring after their first meeting in a small ceremony attended only by her sisters Hirwen and Gilwen and Arachon’s brother Gelmir. The marriage was not kept secret long, for soon Bregil bore her husband a son, Brandir. Her father had little choice but to accept her choice in spouse, but upon hearing of her niece’s marriage to an elf, Andreth’s bitterness returned to her, and her next encounter with Felagund would be one of harsh words.

Yet Bregil continued to live in happiness, Arachon at her side. Their small family lived in the woods so dear to them, and soon little Brandir was granted a sister, Beldis. These two half-elven children grew slower than their mortal kin, but were doted upon by their aunts and uncles and much loved throughout their youth. In time, Arachon would re-enter the service of Aegnor, with his son at his side, while Bregil and Beldis returned to the people of Bëor’s House, though the family was never apart for long.

When the Siege of Angband broke and the Sudden Flame swept across Dorthonion, Arachon and Brandir were among the first to fall. In grief and fear, Bregil and Beldis fled Ladros with Emeldir the Man-hearted, wife of Bregil’s brother Barahir, and settled among the House of Haleth. Beldis eventually married Handir, Chieftain of the Haladin, and bore him a son, whom she named Brandir in honor of her fallen brother.

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Bregolas was the third child and eldest son of Bregor, and the third Lord of Ladros. He ruled the House of Bëor in the last years of the Long Peace, in a time where his liege-lords Angrod and Aegnor were the only defenders of Beleriand who worried that the Siege of Angband may break. As a result, their vassal Bregolas was more prepared than many others when the Sudden Flame descended upon Dorthonion, and arranged for his younger brother Barahir to remain in reserve while he himself marched to war alongside the elves. This grim foresight proved fortuitous, for Bregolas was indeed slain in that first battle, leaving the leadership of his people to Barahir.

Ever at Bregolas’ side was his spouse Rónil, a fearsome warrior who fought like the lion for which they were named. Though both Bregolas and Rónil perished in the Dagor Bragollach, their three children survived, each vowing to carry on the legacy of their parents. The brothers Baragund and Belegund remained in Ladros fighting the Enemy alongside their uncle Barahir, while their elder sister Beleth escaped with her wife Narweth to Dor-lómin, protecting her brothers’ offspring and her own unborn child. Thanks to Beleth, her nieces Morwen and Rían survived the breaking of the Siege; her own line would extend to Númenor, where her descendant Beregar fathered Erendis, the wife of Tar-Aldarion.

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Arasdil was a mortal woman of the House of Bëor. While in her youth, she was captured by a wandering rogue who abducted her from home and took her away to the lands near Maglor’s Gap. This man, Heledir, took Arasdil as his wife, and before the end of the winter she had borne him a son, Eglosser. Some years later, she encountered a strange elf with fire in his eyes, and she was immediately smitten by the kind elf-lord who helped her find food and firewood.

The elf, also, was intrigued by the doe-eyed woman who admired him with a frankness he had never before experienced. Over the next year, he returned from time to time to the small wood near his lands to see Arasdil, and at length he revealed to her that he was none other than Maglor the mighty singer, Lord of the Gap.

Heledir was a cruel and unforgiving husband, even when his wife was heavy with child. His harsh treatment drove Arasdil from his home and into the wild on the very eve of her labor, driven out of her mind in fear and pain, leaving behind young Eglosser in his father’s hands. She crashed through the woods and was soon beset upon by orcs, and would have perished had not Maglor found and saved her. He saw her through the birth of her daughter, and through supporting her in this trial he realized how deeply he cared for her and her children. Arasdil asked him to name her newborn daughter, and, overwhelmed with strange new emotions, he chose the name Elior, “one who helps and blesses.” Though Arasdil returned to her husband and son with Elior in her arms, Maglor swore to watch over her and aid her should she ever choose to flee Heledir entirely.

Before long, a time came where Arasdil needed Maglor’s help once more. Eglosser, only five years old, fled his father’s wrath and rushed to the nearest elven settlement, begging for aid. Swiftly, Maglor rode to the little cottage in the wood, holding Eglosser tight to his chest. He burst inside to see the house in disarray and Arasdil cowering before Heledir’s rage while Elior wailed in her crib, and without a second thought he drew his sword and slew the dreadful man.

Feeling responsible for Arasdil’s wellbeing and deeply protective of her children, Maglor took them under his wing and arranged a home for them in his fortress. Elior and Eglosser treated him as a second father, unperturbed by his elvish mannerisms, and over the course of several years he and Arasdil became lovers.

Yet Maglor never forgot the wife he had left behind in Valinor nor the lingering feelings he held for the bard of Doriath, and the two never exchanged promises they knew they could not keep. Their affection for one another was sincere and deep, but their friendship remained the pillar of their relationship, with any physical pleasures held as secondary. Indeed, Arasdil eventually took another mortal husband, an Easterling healer who had taken the name Ídhron when he entered into Maglor’s service. Ídhron was a kind and gentle man who treated his wife with the respect she deserved, and even encouraged her strange relationship with Maglor, for such arrangements were not uncommon among his people in the east.

When the Sudden Flame descended upon the North, Maglor could not hold the Gap and was forced to flee with the remnant of his people to his brother’s hold of Himring. There Arasdil bore two more daughters, Ordil and Tharaneth, both fathered by Ídhron. As Eglosser grew into manhood, he entered into Maglor’s service as a man-at-arms; he was slain in the Nírnaeth Arnœdiad, guarding his lord and foster father’s back while Maglor slew Uldor the Accursed as once Maglor had guarded him from his own accursed blood-father.

Of Arasdil’s family, only Elior survived the fall of Himring, remaining as a healer in the dwindling Fëanorian host until the end of her days. Her granddaughter Edhelvain remained faithful to Maglor through the Third Kinslaying, and was the primary mortal caretaker for the young Elrond and Elros, taken in by Maglor and Maedhros in recompense for their misdeeds and in memory of the children—including Eglosser, Elior, Ordil, and Tharaneth—that were with them no longer.

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Baragund and Belegund were the sons of Bregolas of Ladros. When their father fell in the Dagor Bragollach, they remained in Dorthonion to fight the Enemy alongside their uncle Barahir, though they sent away their own young families to safer lands. Their elder sister, Beleth, guarded over their children along the perilous journey, as both Baragund’s wife and Belegund’s husband perished in battle before they could escape.

In happier times, Baragund had wed Reniel, the youngest daughter of a large family who secretly resisted the role of “gentle maiden” that was expected of her. Baragund discovered the fierceness that lay within her and encouraged her to learn the sword, coaching her into becoming a fearsome warrior. Reniel took the name Angren, the Grinning Maw, for she rushed into battle against orcs with wild laughter and delight in the freedom she had achieved for herself. Angren passed her stubborn independence and firm will onto her only child, Morwen. Angren fought valiantly to her death, refusing to abandon her husband and homeland, and was slain in a burst of dragonfire.

Belegund was similar to his brother in many ways, but he chose a very different partner for his life. He married Redoron, a kind and practical fisherman who bore him two children, Rían and Orlin. Rían adored her elder cousin Morwen, who enjoyed having someone to order around, and as they grew they became fast friends just like their fathers. Little Orlin was only a year old when the Sudden Flame descended upon the place of his birth, and was raised mostly by Rían and his aunt Beleth, never truly knowing his fathers. Redoron was no warrior, but he held the rearguard of his fleeing people, and was killed by an orc just before they crossed the Mountains of Shadow into the relative safety of Hithlum.

Even as Baragund and Belegund joined Barahir’s band of outlaws, their children settled into a new home in Dor-lómin, welcomed and sheltered by the House of Hador. Indeed, both their daughters would wed lords of that House, bearing sons whose great deeds would shape the fate of Arda. But Orlin, the son of Belegund, grew into a shy young man who never claimed the leadership that could have passed to him after the destruction of the rest of his family; only when he saw his home conquered a second time in the aftermath of the Nírnaeth did he harden his resolve and nurse a secret anger against the Incomers who ruled over him in cruelty. Upon the return of Morwen’s son Túrin to Dor-lómin, threatening violence against any who would stand in his way, Orlin stepped forth to confront his cousin’s child, but Túrin struck him down in blind rage without any regard for their long-forgotten kinship.

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Barahir was the youngest son of Bregor, and the fourth Lord of Ladros, though he held the title in name only. He inherited the leadership of the House of Bëor when his elder brother Bregolas perished in the Dagor Bragollach. Bregolas had ordered Barahir to hold the Pass of Sirion, and it was there that he heard of the peril of Finrod Felagund, the elvenking who had long been in friendship with Barahir’s ancestors. Rushing to his aid in the Fen of Serech, Barahir and his bravest men formed a wall of spears around Felagund and cut their way out of the battle at great loss. In gratitude, Felagund swore an oath to Barahir, vowing to aid him and his kin, and gave Barahir his ring as a token of his promise.

Though the land of Ladros was lost, Barahir refused to give up on his land and the remnant of his people and fought ferociously against the Enemy to the very end. His wife, Emeldir, was a bold-hearted woman who would have preferred to stay and fight alongside her husband, but he entrusted her with leading their people’s refugees to new lands. In her youth, Emeldir suffered an injury to her leg when she attempted to imitate her elder sibling Berior’s skill with the spear, preventing her from achieving her ambitions as a warrior.

In time she recovered and learned to wield a sword, but she never had the opportunity to prove herself in battle. This last denial of glory and bravery engendered such bitterness within her that it severed what little connection to womanhood she held, and she took the epithet the Man-hearted to emphasize her distance from her past self. Yet Emeldir understood the grave importance of her task, and did not shirk from it, leading her people to Brethil where they were welcomed by their kin, the House of Haleth.

Emeldir and Barahir had but one child, Beren, named for his mother’s father. Beren joined his father’s band of outlaws, and was the sole survivor when the group was betrayed. He would become one of the greatest heroes of the Age, his name gaining such fame and honor that it would be remembered forever, and even Emeldir in Brethil heard of her son’s accomplishments and celebrated his victory against Morgoth. But when Emeldir donned her armor one last time and set out into the wild, endeavouring to seek out Beren and his miraculous young family, none ever heard from her again, and no tale tells if she met her son once more.

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Angrim was a man of the House of Bëor, a blacksmith who perished in the Dagor Bragollach. Before his death, he lived a quiet life with his spouse Lumorn, a gardener, and their son Gorlim. Like his parents, Gorlim was happy with his simple existence by the shores of Aeluin, devoting himself to the happiness of his wife Eilinel, whom he loved more than anything else in Arda.

But this peace was not to last, for the Sudden Flame descended upon Dorthonion, and those who were not slain were forced into battle. Gorlim joined the service of Barahir, finding a strength and courage within himself he had not known was there, and survived the dreadful perils of the war. When the worst of the fighting died down, he thought to flee to Brethil with his family, but upon returning home he found his parents dead and Eilinel vanished.

Grieving and angry, Gorlim returned to Barahir and joined his band of outlaws living in the heights of Dorthonion, but he nursed within him a secret hope that his wife still lived. At times he would depart, alone and secret, looking for Eilinel, and one time he thought he caught a glimpse of her—but before he could chase after her figure, he was captured by Gorthaur’s hunters and tortured for information about the outlaws.

For a time Gorlim resisted, refusing to yield, until Gorthaur promised him he could reunite with his wife if he would only betray his companions. There Gorlim faltered, broken by torment and yearning for his lost love, and in exchange for a free life with her offered up the location of the outlaws’ camp. Then Gorthaur revealed his treachery: Eilinel was long dead, though Gorlim would indeed be reunited with her, cruelly put to death and his spirit snared by Gorthaur’s necromancy.

But Gorthaur had promised freedom along with reunion, and his spells could not hold their souls for long. Thus Eilinel escaped, passing from the circles of Arda, and Gorlim followed—but not before his wraith visited Barahir’s son Beren in a dream, confessing his betrayal and urging him to warn the outlaws, though it was too late to save them. Then Gorlim, too, left this realm to receive the Gift of Men alongside Eilinel his wife.

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Barahir, Lord of conquered Ladros, refused to give up on the lands of his fathers even after the Enemy drove the House of Bëor from Dorthonion. Sending his wife to lead the remnant of their people to safety, he gathered about him twelve stalwart companions in a band of outlaws, hiding out near Tarn Aeluin and assailing the servants of Morgoth however they could.

Leading the band was Barahir, and at his side was Beren his son, valiant and strong though he was young. With him also were his nephews Baragund and Belegund, sons of his fallen brother Bregolas, whose own young families had escaped to Dor-lómin.

Gorlim was the most fierce and desperate of all their band, for he had lost everything to the war, and sought to regain what he could against hope and rationality. Chiefest of his losses was Eilinel, his wife, and his longing for her would spell his doom in the end.

Gildor was swiftest of all the outlaws, a runner and a scout, and his tongue was quick and clever also, bringing brief levity to their grim existence with his jests. The lone woman among their band was Urthel, a tough mountain-dweller who had slain a small dragon amid the Sudden Flame. The cousins Dagnir and Ragnor had been left for dead on the battlefield with matching side wounds, but through their own grit and grim resolve they stumbled away and returned to war determined to avenge themselves upon their enemies.

Radhruin and Dairuin were brothers, fleet of foot and dark of mind. In their youth they had loved the clear waters and blue skies of their homeland, and to see Dorthonion so defiled stirred a rage within them they could not quell. It was Radhruin who sought out Barahir’s band of outlaws, and Dairuin whose fury and passion for the land convinced Barahir to accept them into his company.

Arthad was a solitary man before the war, living alone in a wood that burned to the ground amid the Flame. As he escaped he discovered Hathaldir, the youngest of the band even after Beren, who had for months been hiding in his cabin and stealing his food. There was no time for Arthad to be angry with Hathaldir as they both escaped, and by the time they encountered Barahir and his outlaws they had each saved the other’s life many times and a strange bond of friendship had grown between them.

The deeds of these warriors were rumored across Beleriand, bringing hope to the war-wearied and fury to the heart of Morgoth. The Dark King ordered his lieutenant Gorthaur to find them and destroy them, and with great treachery Gorthaur ensnared unhappy Gorlim, torturing him and promising freedom with his wife should he betray his companions. At last Gorlim broke and revealed the location of the outlaws’ camp, and for his betrayal he received only death, for his wife had long since met her end.

Thus the servants of Gorthaur found their way to the outlaws, and set upon them in surprise, slaying them all to the last man—save for Beren, son of Barahir, who was away on an errand. Greatly would Gorthaur and Morgoth rue his survival, for in Beren lay their ultimate Dooms, and he would not rest until his father was avenged.

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Beren was the son of Barahir and Emeldir, and the last Lord of Ladros, though like his father he held that title in name only. Beren remained at his father’s side as a member of his outlaw band, and was the only one of Barahir’s companions to survive the betrayal of Gorlim, as he was away on an errand at the time they were ambushed and slaughtered. Beren recovered the Ring of Barahir from the orcs and swore an oath to avenge his father, even as Finrod Felagund swore an oath to aid Barahir and his kin when he gave him that same ring.

Beren lived as a solitary outlaw, befriending birds and beasts and hunting the creatures of Morgoth. He performed deeds of such daring that they were heard even in isolated Doriath, and the Dark King set a price upon his head no less than the one upon Fingon, High King of the Noldor. The land of Dorthonion became filled with such evil, infected with the sorcery of Gorthaur who hunted him, that after four years of such a perilous life Beren was forced to flee. He climbed into the dreadful mountains of Ered Gorgoroth and down into the and into the wilderness of Nan Dungortheb where horror and madness dwelt alongside the children of Ungoliant, before at last he passed the border into Doriath and a great doom was laid upon him as he laid eyes upon Lúthien, daughter of Thingol and Melian, and named her Tinúviel.

At once Beren was caught under Lúthien’s spell of wondrous beauty, and to his joy and astonishment she loved him in return. They spent two seasons together amidst the trees, until Daeron the minstrel espied their meetings and revealed them to the King. Thingol was furious, finding Beren and bringing him before his throne, and at Lúthien’s bidding he declared his love for her. Then Lúthien and Melian stayed Thingol’s hand, or else he would have slain Beren for his impudence, but instead he issued a demand to him: a Silmaril from the Iron Crown for the hand of Lúthien, most treasured of all jewels; and the Doom of Doriath was set in motion.

Thus Beren set out upon his quest, heading thence to Nargothrond where King Felagund could fulfill the oath he swore to Barahir. Felagund was troubled, for in his halls dwelt Celegorm and Curufin, sons of Fëanor who swore their own dreadful Oath to reclaim the jewels Beren now sought. But the Elvenking would not go back on his word, and despite the knowledge of his doom he set forth from Nargothrond with Beren and ten faithful companions, even as Celegorm and Curufin turned his own people against him and cast him out.

Disguised as orcs, Felagund and Beren passed by Tol-in-Gaurhoth where Gorthaur dwelt, and they were captured and their faces revealed, though not their names. There Felagund engaged Gorthaur in a battle of songs, and lost but narrowly, and they all were thrown into the dungeons and devoured one by one by werewolves until only Beren and Felagund remained. At last their deaths approached, but Felagund finding sudden strength broke his chains and slew the werewolf with naught but his hands and teeth, saving Beren and fulfilling his oath with his dying breaths.

All the while, Lúthien was kept in Doriath, and purposing to escape to Beren’s side she asked Daeron for aid, but he betrayed her once more to Thingol, who locked her away in a treehouse deep in the woods. But Lúthien was mighty with the magics of her mother, and sang her hair to grow until she could weave it into a rope, and thus she escaped from her prison and fled to Nargothrond after her beloved. She was found first by Celegorm and Curufin, now Lords of Nargothrond, out hunting on the Guarded Plain; and seeing them as friends she told them of her plight. But they were treacherous, and kept their foreknowledge of Beren’s quest from her, until they locked her within the walls of Nargothrond and Celegorm demanded she accept him in Beren’s place.

But Huan, the hound of Celegorm, was of true heart and loved Lúthien from the first hour of their meeting, and with his aid she escaped and rushed to Tol-in-Gaurhoth where Beren was himself imprisoned. There Huan bested every werewolf, even Gorthaur himself in wolvish form, and Lúthien cast his spirit out and tore down the tower he had corrupted. Many thralls were freed, but Beren did not come forth until she found him at the side of Felagund’s empty hröa, and then he was renewed.

Beren and Lúthien buried the body of Felagund, and Huan returned to Celegorm, though not forever. For word came to Nargothrond of the King’s death, and suddenly the hearts of the people turned against the sons of Fëanor, and their loyalty returned to the House of Finarfin and to Orodreth, Felagund’s nephew. Celegorm and Curufin were cast out, and in their rage they tracked down Beren and Lúthien. They battled, and Huan forsook Celegorm’s service, aiding Lúthien to victory. Beren took Curufin’s knife Angrist, but not his bow, and even as they retreated Curufin shot a poisoned dart at Beren’s breast.

Lúthien healed her beloved, and they returned to Doriath, but soon Beren’s oath tormented him and he set forth once more to Angband. But Lúthien and Huan found him, and vowed to remain at his side, and at last he accepted he must bring her into danger. They disguised themselves as beasts, servants of Gorthaur, and crept to the very gate of Angband, guarded by Carcharoth the greatest of all werewolves. But Lúthien commanded him to sleep, and they passed him by, even to the halls of Morgoth.

There Lúthien was stripped of her disguise, though Beren slunk by unnoticed, and standing tall and proud she offered her service in song and dance. Being caught by greed and lust, Morgoth watched her music until her spell was full-wrought, and he and all his court were cast down into slumber. Then Beren drew forth Angrist and cut from the Iron Crown a Silmaril: but pride overcame him, and he attempted to take all three, only for the knife to break and Morgoth to stir. Great terror fell upon the lovers, and they fled in haste toward the Light, but Carcaroth had woken and awaited them with great wrath.

Lúthien’s strength was spent, so Beren strode before her with the Silmaril in hand, thinking it would daunt the foul beast. But Carcharoth would not be quailed, and he took the hand within his jaws and bit it off at the wrist, devouring flesh and jewel and all. A madness of flame and light overtook him, and he fled howling into the valleys, leaving Beren and Lúthien behind.

There they may have perished, but suddenly as they had before in lovers’ peril, the Eagles of Manwë arrived and bore them to safety to the borders of Doriath. Lúthien and Huan were deeply grieved, fearing Beren would die, but Lúthien healed him again and her sweet music roused him from near-death. Thereafter he was named Erchamion, the One-handed; and Camlost, the Empty-handed, for returning to the court of Thingol he declared he held a Silamril in his hand: but that hand was in the belly of Carcharoth. But at last Thingol’s heart was moved, and he consented to Beren’s suit, and Lúthien was wed before her father after all.

But the Quest not finished, for Carcharoth rampaged through the forests, and thus the Hunting of the Wolf was prepared. Thingol and Beren, accompanied by the marchwardens Mablung and Beleg, tracked the beast to the waters of Esgalduin where he and Huan fought to their very deaths. Then Mablung ripped open the belly of the wolf and set the the Silmaril in Beren’s hand, and at last the husband of Lúthien fulfilled his oath to his law-father. But even as Thingol took the jewel, Beren breathed his last, and died.

Yet even death would not part Lúthien from the Man she loved. She bade his spirit wait for her in Mandos, and giving up her body even as Míriel had done before her, she passed into Mandos herself and sang before Námo its Lord of the sorrow of the Eldar and the grief of Men. Námo was moved as he was never before or since, but it was not in his power to grant Men the eternal life of the elves. Thus he presented her a Choice: to be reborn in Valinor, as elves might, and forget her sorrows in the Blessed Land; or to return to life in Middle-earth, but mortal as her husband, subject to a second death that would remove her from the Circles of Arda.

This second Doom she chose, joining her spirit with Beren’s utterly, and though they returned to life they removed themselves from either of their kindreds, dwelling alone upon Tol Galen, after called Dor Firn-i-Guinar, the Land of the Dead that Live. It was there that their son was born, Dior Aranel the Fair, who afterwards was King of Doriath. When Thingol was slain, Beren went to war one final time, reclaiming the stolen Silmaril at the Battle of Sarn Athrad, which he set upon the breast of Lúthien. It is said that her beauty enhanced by the gem was too great for this world, and hastened her death: but the truth of how Beren and Lúthien passed on from Arda a second time shall never truly be known, though the story of their deeds and love be sung forevermore.

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Dior Aranel was the son of Beren Erchamion and Lúthien Tinúviel, born to them in their second lives upon the isle of Tol Galen. Though his parents walked no more among elves or Men, Dior would visit Menegroth from time to time, learning from his grandfather Thingol. On one such visit he married Nimloth, daughter of Galathil, and brought her back to the waterfall of Lanthir Lamath, where she bore him three children: the twins Eluréd and Elurín, and their daughter Elwing.

After Thingol was slain by the dwarves of Nogrod and the Silmaril was stolen, Dior accompanied his father to the Battle of Sarn Athrad, where the jewel was retrieved. Beren took it back to Lúthien, but Dior, seeing his grandfather’s throne now empty, took up Elu Thingol’s crown and named himself Eluchíl, Thingol’s heir. Later that same year, the Silmaril was delivered to him and he knew his parents had died once more; after a period of mourning, Dior wore the jewel himself, and he appeared as the fairest of all Maiar, Eldar, and Edain.

But news of the Silmaril’s new bearer made its way to the Sons of Fëanor, and their Oath stirred once more. For years the Girdle of Melian had stayed their wrath, and none would dare assail Lúthien upon Tol Galen, but now that the witches of Doriath had passed from Beleriand, Celegorm stirred his brothers to battle. Maedhros at least attempted to ask for the jewel’s return, but when Dior gave no answer all seven brothers attacked Doriath in the bloodbath later known as the Second Kinslaying.

There many were killed: Caranthir amid the darkness, Celegorm by Dior’s hand, Dior by Curufin’s sword, Curufin by Nimloth’s blade, and Nimloth by Maedhros, and many more besides. But the Silmaril was not found, for little Elwing escaped with the jewel to the Havens of Sirion, and her survival was kept secret for some time.

It is said that amid their furious grief, the servants of Celegorm seized young Eluréd and Elurín and left them in the forest to starve or freeze. Maedhros sought for them long in the woods of Doriath, horror and repentance weighing heavy upon him, but he found them not, and of their fate no tale is told.

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Elwing was the youngest child and only daughter of Dior Eluchíl and Nimloth Galathiliel, born to them in the dusk of Lanthir Lamath and named for the reflection of the stars within the waterfall’s spray beside her father’s house. When she was yet an infant, her father took up the crown of Doriath and the Silmaril of Lúthien, won by his own father Beren in their renowned quest.

As a child of only three years old, Elwing’s family was ripped apart amid the Second Kinslaying, when the Sons of Fëanor assaulted Doriath and sacked it in search of the Silmaril they claimed as their birthright. Nimloth and Dior were slain, and their twin sons Eluréd and Elurín abandoned in the wintry forest to die, but Elwing herself survived and bore the Silmaril with her to relative safety at the mouths of the River Sirion.

Protected by the her nursemaid Evranîn and the warrior Gereth, Elwing grew into the Lady of the Havens, the princess of fallen Doriath beloved by her people and respected by the other elven refugees from Nargothrond and Gondolin who dwelt by the seashore. She befriended Eärendil, son of Tuor and Idril, who was likewise a peredhel and soon won her heart. At an age counted young for the Eldar, though not for the Edain to whom they were also kin, Elwing and Eärendil were wed amid a grand celebration where, for the first time, she wore the Silmaril openly upon her breast. Within a matter of years, Elwing bore twin sons, whom she and Eärendil named Elrond and Elros.

But the happiness of this young family would be short-lived. Eärendil was a mariner, lured ever to the sea: with three companions he sailed often in the Belegaer, yearning for Valinor and the parents who had left him for the promise of those blessed shores. In many ways he took more after his father’s Mannish kin, but in this the sea-longing of the elves dominated his spirit. Yet Elwing did not share his love of the great waters and missed him dearly whenever he departed. To remember him by, Eärendil gave his wife an enchanted stone known as the Elessar that he had inherited from his mother. Yet Elwing already wore a necklace with a stone of greater power, so she passed this gift along to her sons so they might have a token of their father while he was away.

Though for many years Elwing had succeeded in hiding from the Sons of Fëanor, at last the news that she bore a Silmaril reached her foes and they began to stir amid the torment of their Oath. She denied their demands to the jewel, trusting that it would protect her family and her people from any assault and refusing to surrender the jewel her parents and brothers had died for. Within a year, the Fëanorions descended upon the Havens of Sirion with a furious desperation, and the last peaceful haven in Beleriand was destroyed.

As the battle raged, Elwing entrusted her children to the care of Evranîn, who managed to hide them in a wardrobe before she was slain. Elwing herself fled to the highest point in all the city, a clifftop tower overlooking the unforgiving sea below, and there made her final stand.

The eldest sons of Fëanor, Maedhros and Maglor, cornered her upon her ledge and entreated her for the Silmaril once more, promising to call off the attack if only she returned it to them. But Elwing was proud, and distrustful, and seeing her city burn below her she was filled with despair. These Kinslayers had slaughtered her parents and left her brothers to die, and they would do the same to her and her sons; they could in no way be trusted and in no way be allowed to gain the for which she had lost so much.

Thus Elwing turned and leapt into the sea, plummeting toward the unforgiving rocks below. Yet miracle of miracles, her unspoken prayer was answered, and in one swift moment she was transformed by Ulmo into a white bird, soaring to freedom with the Silmaril yet hanging from her breast. She flew across the ocean to Eärendil aboard his ship, where she turned back to her original form and told him all that had happened. Together, believing their sons dead at the hands of the Fëanorions, Elwing and Eärendil set their courses for Aman and sailed forth, carrying the last hope of the Free-peoples with them in one final attempt to beg aid from the Valar.

Had they known that their sons yet lived, cared for by Maedhros and Maglor rather than killed by them, perhaps they would have sailed back to the ruins of Beleriand. But they did not, and though they left their children behind, Elwing and Eärendil would prove invaluable in the final assault against Morgoth, for none other than scions of both the Kindreds of the Children of Eru could have swayed the hearts and minds of the Valar to finally march against the Enemy whose influence wreaked such havoc upon Beleriand.

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Elrond Peredhel was a loremaster, herald, warrior, and healer whose influence upon the events of the Second and Third Ages of Middle-earth were greater, perhaps, than any other individual. He was the son of Eärendil and Elwing, fostered by Maedhros and Maglor, brother to King Elros Tar-Minyatur, and herald of High King Gil-galad; yet despite his royal associations he never once claimed any throne, preferring to stand as a counselor rather than an overlord.

Amid the War of Wrath, Elrond honed his skills in healing and in battle, though to protect his capabilities for the former he had to limit his accomplishments of the latter. When he and his brother were offered the Choice of the Peredhel, Elrond chose the elven path and officially entered into the service of Gil-galad, whom he had befriended and saw as a second brother.

Elrond served his king throughout the Second Age, becoming a respected advisor, scholar, and lord among the Noldor. When a Maia calling himself Annatar sought entrance to Lindon, Elrond and Gil-galad distrusted him and denied him, though their cousin Celebrimbor would fall under Annatar’s spell. Together they would forge the Rings of Power, only for Annatar to reveal his true identity as Sauron, servant of fallen Morgoth, and ignite a war between him and the elves.

Elrond led a force to aid Celebrimbor when Annatar’s treachery was revealed, but he was too late: Celebrimbor had been captured and Eregion sacked, pushing Elrond to flee north where he discovered a hidden valley. There Elrond established Imladris, a secret stronghold of the elves that would endure many great wars and perils. Though Sauron besieged Imladris, it was eventually liberated by the forces of Gil-galad and Tar-Minastir, King of Númenor and direct descendant of Elrond’s twin brother Elros. Upon Sauron’s defeat, Gil-galad granted Elrond the lordship of Imladris and appointed him his vice-regent in the land of Eriador.

Yet Sauron had not been defeated forever. In the War of the Last Alliance, Elrond served as Gil-galad’s herald one last time and at his king’s insistence received Vilya, the Ring of Air, from him before the final confrontation at the gates of Barad-dûr. There Elrond witnessed the fall of Gil-galad and Elendil of the Dúnedain, those Men of Númenor who had survived its fall and settled in Middle-earth, and the ascension of Elendil’s son Isildur to power as he confronted Sauron in single combat and cut the One Ring from his finger.

Elrond and Círdan, to whom Gil-galad had entrusted Narya, the Ring of Fire, entreated Isildur to destroy the Ring in the fires of Mount Doom, but Isildur refused their counsel, a choice that would bring about his own end. Though many expected Elrond to take up the kingship of the Noldor after Gil-galad’s fall, he never claimed the title, instead returning to Imladris where he fostered the descendants of Isildur and guarded the heirlooms of his House. Chiefest of these was the blade Narsil, now shattered into pieces after bringing down Sauron, that had once been the sword of Maedhros, Elrond’s foster-father in the Elder Days.

The bearers of the elven-rings met from time to time to discuss matters of grave importance to the Free-peoples of Middle-earth. Often these meetings of what would later be known as the White Council took place in Imladris, but once Elrond and Círdan traveled instead to Lothlórien, realm of Galadriel, bearer of Nenya, the Ring of Water. There Elrond fell in love with Galadriel’s daughter Celebrían, and when he found the courage to bare his feelings to her she returned them in full.

They were married on a joyous spring day, and soon after came the birth of their first children: twin sons, Elladan and Elrohir. They were named in the pattern of Elrond’s family, the el- element hearkening to the names of Elwing and Elros, but the children were also given other names in the manner of the House of Fëanor, of which Elrond counted himself a part due to his connection to his foster-fathers Maedhros and Maglor. Elladan was Farafinwë, the hunter, and Elrohir was Roccofinwë, the horse-master.

Likewise, Elrond and Celebrían’s daughter was given two names as was the fashion of the Noldor in Valinor. Her mother called her Arwen, the noble lady, and her father called her Undómiel, the Evenstar. Undómiel honored all of Elrond’s family: like her cousin Tindómiel, daughter of Elros, she was called after the Star of Dusk and Dawn, in actuality the Silmaril of Elrond’s birth-father Eärendil; but it was also a quiet reference to Míriel, mother of Fëanáro, for both names could be lengthened to Undómíriel and Tindómíriel.

For a time, Imladris saw peace in the Third Age of Middle-earth, allowing for an idyllic youth for Elrond’s children—but all too soon the Shadow would rise again, endangering the valley and its people, though its lord was always ready to defend the home he had carved from the remnant of Arda’s beauty.