My Lord, Glorfindel and Erestor return from Mithlond, bearing news from Cirdan! The Havens of Lindon gird themselves for war, as it has been foreseen by you, Lord. Rivendell will stand alone for the time being – Lindon’s concerns are elsewhere as of this day. Cirdan sees great danger from the south, and foretells of the doom written in the stars on the finest clear nights. We stand against all threats, as we have done before, but the most immediate lies in the Misty Mountains, the centre of our concerns for many years. Evil mobilises, My Lord, and Rivendell must answer! Imladris must prepare for War.
Rivendell is the ‘Last Homely House West of the Mountains’, the province of Elrond the Half-Elven, Lord of Imladris, inheritor of the Ring Vilya, greatest of the Three Elven Rings. Located in a narrow gorge along the River Bruinen, Gil-Galad sent Lord Elrond to gather the refugees from the fall of Eregion, the Kingdom of Hollin, where the Rings of Power were forged. Driven north to Rhudaur, they settled and fortified the Riven-Dell, or Imladris in the Silvan tongue. Founded in the Second Age, after this retreat from Sauron’s forces, Imladris was besieged for three years, until the siege was relieved by the army of Gil-Galad, come fresh from Lindon.
Rivendell’s history has seen many battles in many wars, always defending to ensure the survival of this Last Homely House. It was assaulted by the armies of the Witch King of Angmar, which were only driven off by the Elves of Lorien after a siege numbering years. It has been proven that Imladris is more than capable of defending itself, and is a difficult target to besiege due to the nature of the gorge it lies in, and because of the River Bruinen itself, which rises to it’s defence under the power of the Elven Ring, Vilya.
Long has there been a tradition in Rivendell that the heirs of the Dunedain Kings are kept safe within, trained in the skills of war and survival, before they are given to the thin remnant of their people, to lead them until the Return of the King, Lord of both Gondor and Arnor of old – the Reunited Kingdom. The relationship between the Northern Dunedain and Imladris will be crucial to it’s developing story, as it faces numerous foes, and it’s list of allies grows short.
Elrond has an army of the Eldar; Noldor of old, led by the lord Erestor and Glorfindel, ‘Lord of the House of Golden Flower’ – highest of the twelve - in Gondolin of the First Age. Glorfindel is the only living being to have been ‘brought back’ from the Halls of Mandos, and slew a Balrog single-handedly, albeit to his own ruin. Sent back with the Istari, he is a testament to eras past, and Elrond’s forces are great warriors of vastly superior skill in battle. To this end, Rivendell will play a major part in the war which surely follows, but is limited in strength of numbers and cannot easily rectify any mistakes made early in the war.
As the only safe Haven near the Misty Mountains in the west, Rivendell enjoys fine trade and Lord Elrond is a collector of lore, gathered from travellers who all must take the long road through the Misty Mountains to either east or west. It must make firmer allies in it’s own part of the war that will soon engulf Middle Earth, as, although it’s armies are of the best, only through a strong economy and stronger allies can it achieve victory. Middle Earth is divided and Imladris stands at the crossroads of all lands in the West. They have an ideal location for dominion during this cataclysmic era, but must in turn stand in the way of danger from all directions – Carn-Dum to the north, Moria to the south and countless others, who all see the conquest of Rivendell as vital to their own war efforts. It will not be an easy task to win this war, but Imladris has the power to do so, even within the limits it so clearly exhibits.
Rivendell is the ‘Last Homely House West of the Mountains’, the province of Elrond the Half-Elven, Lord of Imladris, inheritor of the Ring Vilya, greatest of the Three Elven Rings. Located in a narrow gorge along the River Bruinen, Gil-Galad sent Lord Elrond to gather the refugees from the fall of Eregion, the Kingdom of Hollin, where the Rings of Power were forged. Driven north to Rhudaur, they settled and fortified the Riven-Dell, or Imladris in the Silvan tongue. Founded in the Second Age, after this retreat from Sauron’s forces, Imladris was besieged for three years, until the siege was relieved by the army of Gil-Galad, come fresh from Lindon.
Rivendell’s history has seen many battles in many wars, always defending to ensure the survival of this Last Homely House. It was assaulted by the armies of the Witch King of Angmar, which were only driven off by the Elves of Lorien after a siege numbering years. It has been proven that Imladris is more than capable of defending itself, and is a difficult target to besiege due to the nature of the gorge it lies in, and because of the River Bruinen itself, which rises to it’s defence under the power of the Elven Ring, Vilya.
Long has there been a tradition in Rivendell that the heirs of the Dunedain Kings are kept safe within, trained in the skills of war and survival, before they are given to the thin remnant of their people, to lead them until the Return of the King, Lord of both Gondor and Arnor of old – the Reunited Kingdom. The relationship between the Northern Dunedain and Imladris will be crucial to it’s developing story, as it faces numerous foes, and it’s list of allies grows short.
Elrond has an army of the Eldar; Noldor of old, led by the lord Erestor and Glorfindel, ‘Lord of the House of Golden Flower’ – highest of the twelve - in Gondolin of the First Age. Glorfindel is the only living being to have been ‘brought back’ from the Halls of Mandos, and slew a Balrog single-handedly, albeit to his own ruin. Sent back with the Istari, he is a testament to eras past, and Elrond’s forces are great warriors of vastly superior skill in battle. To this end, Rivendell will play a major part in the war which surely follows, but is limited in strength of numbers and cannot easily rectify any mistakes made early in the war.
As the only safe Haven near the Misty Mountains in the west, Rivendell enjoys fine trade and Lord Elrond is a collector of lore, gathered from travellers who all must take the long road through the Misty Mountains to either east or west. It must make firmer allies in it’s own part of the war that will soon engulf Middle Earth, as, although it’s armies are of the best, only through a strong economy and stronger allies can it achieve victory. Middle Earth is divided and Imladris stands at the crossroads of all lands in the West. They have an ideal location for dominion during this cataclysmic era, but must in turn stand in the way of danger from all directions – Carn-Dum to the north, Moria to the south and countless others, who all see the conquest of Rivendell as vital to their own war efforts. It will not be an easy task to win this war, but Imladris has the power to do so, even within the limits it so clearly exhibits.