Second Council of Elrond

Transcription

1 Second Council of Elrond

2 Don t adventures ever have an end? I suppose not. Someone else always has to carry on the story. Bilbo Baggins

3 Dear Delegates, Welcome to WUMUNS 2018! My name is Jay Schroeder and I am honored to be your director for The Second Council of Elrond Committee. You will be representing figures belonging to the Councils of the Kings of Gondor, Rohan, and the Woodland Realm. The War of the Ring is now over but there is much work to be done in reclaiming lost lands, rebuilding cities destroyed in the War, and purging the lands of any remaining enemies. Your skills in battle and political negotiation will be tested. You are some of your kings most trusted advisors, and your decisions in this committee may decide if your kingdoms thrive or if they fall to ruin. Make your choices wisely, for the survival of the last kingdoms of men and elves depend on it! I am a member of the Class of 2019 in the College of Arts and Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. I am majoring in Physics and also minoring in Healthcare Management through the Olin School of Business. My high school did not have Model UN like yours do, so I was not provided the opportunity to participate until college. Many of my friends were very active during our freshman year and convinced me to participate in an intramural and I ve been hooked, staffing committees ever since. I m used to being on the dais, usually as the chair, and this is my first time directing a committee. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to me at jay.schroeder@wustl.edu. Quel marth! 1 Jay Schroeder 1 Good luck! (In Sindarin)

4 Contents Committee Mandate... 5 Background Information Disclaimer Preface... 6 List of Important Individuals. 7 Historical Background The War of the Ring The Last Great Kingdoms of Middle Earth The Three Kings Topic A: Reclaiming Lost Lands and Rebuilding 17 Topic B: Dwarves 17 Topic C: Old Foes and the Spoils of War 18 Delegate Positions. 19 Map of Middle Earth Bibliography.. 27

5 Committee Mandate Esteemed Men and Elves of Middle Earth, The year is now 3019 of the Third Age in the land of Middle Earth. The War of the Ring has finally ended, the One Ring has been destroyed, and Sauron has been forever vanquished. Evil has been defeated forever. Aragorn II has been crowed the King of Gondor and Eomer the King of Rohan. Now that the War of the Ring is over, there is much to be done in Middle Earth: old kingdoms to reclaim, cities to rebuild, and scattered enemies to defeat. You have been called to this Council to discuss the rebuilding of Middle Earth as representatives of your kings, of the last free kingdoms of Middle Earth. The decisions you make here will influence the actions your kings will take, as you are some of their most trusted advisors and most skilled warriors. You are united in the goal of rebuilding Middle Earth, restoring your kingdoms to their former glories, but there is distrust and between you and old grudges are certainly still held. While your ultimate goal is to rebuild all of Middle Earth, you must always keep the best interests of your own kingdom in mind. Do your best to do both, for the future of Middle Earth depends on the decisions you make here. Each of you will be a member from the council of King Aragorn II, King Eomer, or King Thranduil. You range from Elvish Generals to Captains of Gondor to Riders of Rohan to Ministers and Ambassadors. Within this committee will you find peace and prosperity between your three kingdoms as you rebuild Middle Earth or will you succumb to greed and jealously, letting old rivalries get in the way of making a world free of evil? Elrond Lord Elrond of Rivendell 5

6 Disclaimer Preface Background Information The Lord of the Rings is a fictional universe built and composed from many sources. As I have seen the original trilogy movies over twenty times, the Hobbit movies half a dozen times, read the books a few times, and read The Lord of the Rings Wiki extensively, I cannot accurately recall where any one piece of background guide. Instead, at the end you will find citations for each of the Lord of the Rings movies, the Hobbit movies, the book The Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings book, and the Lord of the Rings Wiki. Furthermore, the staff of this committee reserves the right to arbitrate and decide on potential differences between lore source materials. Please do not hesitate to reach out at any point with questions or concerns. When J.R.R. Tolkien created The Lord of the Rings, he created an entire universe in the process. This entailed several languages and a full history of Middle Earth that started long before the events of the Lord of the Rings trilogy or even its predecessor, The Hobbit. For those of you who are well versed in Tolkien, this background guide should not be an issue for you and you can skip the sections labeled with an asterisk for the most part. Though, you should note that I used book canon while writing the background guide, not movie canon, so some details are slightly different. So, if you are not well versed in the books as well as the movies, I would recommend carefully reading this background guide to learn the differences. For those not well versed in Tolkien or unfamiliar with Lord of the Rings in general, I would highly recommend carefully reading this background guide and watching the original movies of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I recommend the curious consider reading The Hobbit, Tolkiens first book. Though a predecessor of our committee, this giant of the fantasy genre was Tolkien s first book and is a very easy read. If you (somehow) have the time, you could also read the Lord of the Rings books. Be warned, they are dense and long -- but well worth it. This background guide does contain information from outside the Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, mainly concerning the history of characters and the kingdoms of Middle Earth. For more information on these topics (or anything you don t understand in the background guide for that matter) you can go to and put the name of the topic after the slash. Even if you know The Lord of the Rings well, I would still recommend watching the movies before the committee as a quick review! I will hold a quick question and answer session at the beginning of committee to answer any questions you have about the background guide (as I know it may still be confusing) and the history of Middle Earth for your convenience. 6

7 List of Important Individuals Aragorn II See the background section The Three Kings Arwen Arwen is the half-elvish daughter of Elrond and the wife of Aragorn, making her the Queen of Gondor. She and Aragorn had been engaged for 67 years (since Aragorn was 20 years old) and Elrond only gave his blessing to Aragorn once he became the King of Gondor and Arnor. She is a fierce warrior, though she has not often been given the chance to prove herself. She inherited the gift of foresight from her father, but the scope of her ability is not known. Bilbo Baggins Bilbo Baggins is a good friend of Gandalf, upon whom Gandalf called to join in the journey of Thorin Oakenshield to reclaim Erebor. While on this journey, he stole the One Ring from the creature Gollum and kept it for seventy years before leaving it to his nephew Frodo, per Gandalf s request. He then left the Shire (home of the Hobbits) and went to Rivendell to stay with the Elves, where he currently resides. Boromir Boromir is the older son of the last steward of Gondor, Denethor II, making him Faramir s older brother. He was a famed warrior and one of the Captains of Gondor who reclaimed Osgiliath from the Orcs before he went to Rivendell for the first Council of Elrond. Boromir was the second man on the Fellowship of the Ring, with Aragorn. He was killed by three crossbow bolts from an Uruk-hai while defending Merry and Pippin. In life, he had never recognized Aragorn s claim to the throne of Gondor, but in his dying moments, he called Aragorn his King and set him on the path towards becoming the King of Gondor. Elrond Elrond is the Lord of the great Elven city of Rivendell. He is one of the bearers of the three Elven rings (specifically, Vilya, the greatest of the three rings), which gives him extraordinary healing and preservation powers and the ability (supposedly) to control minor elements. Elrond has the gift of foresight and was one of the Elvish Generals in the War of the Last Alliance (second-in-command only to Gil-Galad, the King of the Elves, who perished in the War). He founded the town of Rivendell, which was the last great House of Elves in Middle Earth, and remains its lord to this day. He is the father of Arwen and the son-in-law of Galadriel. Eomer See the background section The Three Kings 7

8 Frodo Baggins Frodo Baggins is the nephew of Bilbo, who raised him after Frodo s parents died. When Bilbo turned 111, he gave Frodo his magic ring, which then was found to be the One Ring. After the Nazgul found out from the creature Gollum that a Baggins of the Shire was in possession of the One Ring, Frodo was forced to leave with Samwise Gamgee. At the first Council of Elrond in Rivendell, he volunteered to take the Ring to Mount Doom and destroy it. He and his companions in this journey made up the Fellowship of the Ring. The One Ring was destroyed, so their quest was completed, but the journey took its toll on Frodo because he held the Ring for so long so close to Mordor. The quest nearly claimed his life and changed him forever. Galadriel Galadriel is one of the oldest and most powerful elves in Middle Earth. She is incredibly wise and beautiful in addition to being the bearer of one of the three Elven rings (Nenya, the ring of air). She can communicate with people across great distances by communicating directly with their minds, speaking to them inside their heads. She can also see the future and protect her mind from Sauron. She is powerful enough to have destroyed Sauron s fortress of Dol Guldur and keep the forces of Sauron at bay, ensuring the safety of Lothlorien, where she resides with her husband Celeborn. She is a great friend of Gandalf and wished for him to head the order of the wizards instead of Saruman. Gandalf Gandalf, or Olorin as he was originally called, is a Maiar (essentially an undergod). He is regarded as the wisest of the Maiar, so it was only natural that he was sent to Middle Earth as an Istar (wizard), but kept his true identity secret for some time, masquerading as an old man. Upon arriving at Middle Earth over 2,000 years ago, he was gifted the third Elven ring (Narya, the ring of fire). He was second-in-command of the Istari (after Saruman) while he was Gandalf the Grey. However, over time he grew more knowledgeable and powerful than Saruman as he spent time with the Elves and roamed Middle Earth while Saruman remained in his tower at Isengard. He was the one who initiated the Dwarves quest to reclaim Erebor and was also the one who discovered that Bilbo Baggins s magic ring was in fact the One Ring, setting in motion the War of the Ring. He died (physically) while fighting the Balrog in Moria, allowing the rest of the Fellowship of the Ring to escape. He was resurrected as Gandalf the White, taking his rightful place as the head of the order of Istari, rendering Saruman powerless. He led the free people of Middle Earth in the War of the Ring, coming to the rescue of Rohan at the Battle of Helm s Deep, aiding in the defense of Minas Tirith, and leading the charge at the Battle of the Black Gate, giving Frodo and Sam the time to destroy the One Ring. 8

9 Gimli Gimli is the son of Gloin, one of the dwarves who journeyed with Thorin Oakenshield to reclaim Erebor from the dragon Smaug. Gimli is a dwarf known for his skill in combat and relentless nature. He was the sole dwarf in the Fellowship of the Ring and journeyed with Aragorn and Legolas after the splitting of the fellowship, fighting in the same battles as Legolas. Grima Wormtongue Grima was the chief advisor to King Theoden and was secretly employed by Saruman to poison the King. In doing this, he essentially gave control of Rohan to Saruman and used Theoden as his puppet. After Gandalf freed Theoden, Grima was banished and now sits imprisoned at Isengard with Saruman. Legolas The son of King Thranduil and a highly skilled warrior. He was the sole Elven member of the Fellowship of the Ring and traveled with Aragorn and Gimli after the breaking of the Fellowship and the death of Boromir. He fought alongside the men of Rohan during the Battle of Helm s Deep and in the Battle of Pelennor Fields and the Battle of the Black Gate during the War of the Ring. He and Gimli became close friends during the War and he has been close friends with Aragorn for a long time. Meriadoc Brandybuck (Merry) Merry is a cousin of Frodo that often gets into shenanigans with Pippin. He ended up joining Sam and Frodo as they journeyed out of the shire to meet Gandalf. He journeyed all the way to Rivendell and became one of the four Hobbits in the Fellowship of the Ring. He, along with Pippin, was captured by Uruk-hai and was subsequently rescued by the Ents (and the Rohirrim, indirectly). Merry and Pippin led the attack on Isengard with the Ents and afterwards went to Rohan, where Merry served in the service of King Theoden. At the Battle of Pelennor Fields, Merry assisted Eowyn in killing the Witch King (the greatest of the Nazgul). Peregrin Took (Pippin) Pippin is also a cousin of Frodo that often gets Merry into trouble with his shenanigans. He ended up joining Sam and Frodo as they journeyed out of the shire to meet Gandalf. He journeyed all the way to Rivendell and became one of the four Hobbits in the Fellowship of the Ring. He, along with Merry, was captured by Uruk-hai and was subsequently rescued by the Ents (and the Rohirrim, indirectly). Merry and Pippin led the attack on Isengard with the Ents and afterwards went to Rohan. Pippin went to Gondor with Gandalf and served Denethor to repay his debt to him, as Boromir had saved his life. When Denethor attempted to burn himself and Faramir alive (because he believed Faramir was dead), Pippin intervened and saved Faramir, though Denethor still perished. 9

10 Radagast Radagast is one of the other three Maiar sent to Middle Earth as an Istar, along with Gandalf and Saruman. When he arrived at Middle Earth, he chose to reside with the animals in nature rather than live among the elves. He is a great friend of all the creatures of Middle Earth and only uses his magic when necessary. He faced Sauron with Gandalf, Saruman, Galadriel, and Elrond when he first made his presence known again in Dul Guldur but has not openly fought against evil since. Gandalf searched for him after the conclusion of the War of the Ring, but Radagast was nowhere to be found. Samwise Gamgee Samwise was Frodo s gardener who happened to be lurking under the window while Gandalf and Frodo discussed the One Ring. As such, Gandalf made Sam go with Frodo on his journey. Sam became the second Hobbit on the Fellowship, soon followed by Merry and Pippin, even though none of them were invited to the meeting. Same accompanied Frodo on the entire journey and protected him through it all. He even carried Frodo up the slope of Mount Doom when Frodo was too weak to do it himself. Since returning to the Shire, he got married and is now the Mayor. Saruman Saruman was a Maiar who was originally the head of the order of the Istari. He was known as one of the most knowledgeable beings in Middle Earth and resided in Isengard, lands gifted to him by Gondor. He grew jealous of Gandalf in their time spent in Middle Earth, especially when Gandalf was gifted Narya, even though Saruman was the head of the order while Gandalf was not. While Gandalf refused positions of power so that he could retain his freedom, Saruman was all too eager to accept what Gandalf declined. Saruman conducted much research into dark magic, corrupting his mind and turning him away from the light. Eventually, Saruman came to desire the One Ring for himself and hatched a plan to ally with Sauron, only to betray him and take the Ring as his own. He betrayed Gandalf and the rest of the free people of Middle Earth, openly declaring war on Rohan with his Orc-Goblin hybrid (Uruk-hai) and poisoning the mind of King Theoden and corrupting Grima Wormtongue, the King s chief advisor. After Gandalf s resurrection, Saruman was rendered powerless and his staff was broken by Gandalf. His entire army was destroyed at the Battle of Helm s Deep by the Rohirrim and the Ents. He is now imprisoned at Isengard under guard of Treebeard. Sauron Sauron was originally a Maiar, like Gandalf, Saruman, and Radagast. He was the strongest of the Maiar and came to worship the first dark lord, Morgoth (who was himself a fallen Valar, or a god of sorts). After his master was captured by the other Valar, he declared himself the new Dark Lord of Middle Earth and aimed to take dominion over the entire world. To do this, he created the One Ring in the 10

11 fires of Mount Doom, which was used to control the other rings of power (including the three elven rings, the seven dwarven rings, and the nine rings of men). Sauron used the One Ring to corrupt the ringbearers, causing the men to become his undead servants (the Nazgul) and the dwarves to desire gold beyond measure. The elves realized Sauron s influence and took their rings off, so he could not corrupt them. In the second age, he was defeated by the alliance of Elves and Men in the War of the Last Alliance, led by the Elven King Gil-galad and King Elendil of Gondor and Arnor. His physical form was destroyed when Isildur used his father s sword to cut the One Ring from Sauron s finger. Sauron spent several hundred years regaining his strength and amassing his army until the end of the Third Age, when he openly declared war on Middle Earth from his realm of Mordor. He was destroyed forever when Gollum fell into Mount Doom with the One Ring, as most of Sauron s power was bound to the Ring. Theoden Theoden was the King of Rohan during most of the War of the Ring. He is the uncle of King Eomer and Eowyn, having raised them as his own children since their parents died. He had been King for almost forty years by the time the War started. As such, he grew tired and fell under the influence of Saruman through Grima Wormtongue. He was freed of Saruman s spell by the resurrected Gandalf the White and evacuated the people of Rohan to the fortress of Helm s Deep in order to protect them from the coming host of tens of thousands of Uruk-hai. During the siege of Minas Tirith, Theoden led the Rohirrim into battle on Pelennor Fields, coming to the aid of Gondor. He was greatly wounded in battle by the Witch King (the leader of the Nazgul and Sauron s most powerful servant), but was defended by Eowyn. He died shortly thereafter, making Eomer the new King. For his valor in battle and his actions during the War of the Ring, he was given the title King Theoden the Renowned. Thranduil See the background section The Three Kings Treebeard Treebeard is the leader of the Ents (a species of trees that can walk and talk; officially translated as Tree Herders ). They normally do not involve themselves in the matters of men and elves, instead keeping to themselves. However, after Saruman destroyed an entire forest to fuel his production of Uruk-hai, Treebeard and the Ents went to war with Saruman and destroyed his production of Urukhai and imprisoned him in his tower. Historical Background The backgrounder will mainly cover the history of the kingdoms of Gondor, Rohan, and the Woodland Realm, along with a brief overview of the War of the Ring. The backgrounder will start at the inception of The Woodland Realm 11

12 in the First Age and end in the year 3019 of the Third Age, when our committee starts. This is mere months after the One Ring was destroyed and only days after Aragorn II was crowned King of Gondor. The Kingdom of Gondor was greatly decimated in the War of the Ring by the forces of Mordor and the Kingdom of Rohan faced similar destruction at the hands of Saruman the White and lost many men in the defense of Gondor. The Woodland Realm, however, was not as directly involved in the War, but is included in the Council for it is one of the last remaining kingdoms in Middle Earth. The War of the Ring The Last Great Kingdoms of Middle Earth The War of the Ring was fought between the dark lord Sauron and the free people of Middle Earth in the years 3018 and 3019 of the Third Age. The War officially began when the forces of Saruman invaded Rohan and began the process of burning the Westfold, killing villagers who resided there and pillaging as they went. King Theoden was advised by Gandalf the White to move his forces to the fortress of Helm s Deep. A battle between over 10,000 orcs and the Rohirrim (aided by Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli) ensued, with Rohan taking great casualties throughout the night. In the end, Gandalf rode in to save the day with the rest of the Rohirrim and the orcs were utterly destroyed. The Ents, led by Treebeard, overtook Isengard and destroyed Saruman s war processes, but Saruman was able to escape. Gondor had been fighting the forces of Mordor for thousands of years, keeping the orcs at bay throughout much of the Third Age. In 3019, the forces of Mordor overran the city of Osgiliath on the border of Gondor and laid siege to the capital of Minas Tirith. With the aid of the Rohirrim and the dead army summoned by Aragorn, the forces were defeated and Gondor was saved. After this, Aragorn, Gandalf, Eomer, Legolas, Gimli, and a host of Rohirrim and Gondor soliders marched on the Black Gate of Mordor, distracting Sauron and his remaining forces so that Frodo and Sam had time to destroy the One Ring. They were successful and the One Ring was destroyed, which led to Sauron dying once and for all. The Woodland Realm In the First Age, the Woodland Realm referred to the wooded area between the Misty Mountains and the Far East Lands. These dense forests were populated by Nandorin and Avarin Elves, who produced offspring together and came to be known as the Silvan Elves (Wood-elves). Wood-elves are typically known to be more dangerous and less wise than the rest of their kin, with shorter tempers and less interest in the history of the world. In the Second Age, a Sindarin prince named Oropher came with his company to reside in the Woodland Realm and live among the Wood-elves, who soon named him their King. In the first war against Sauron (The War of the Last Alliance), the Woodelves suffered heavy losses due to their lack of experience and arms, and Oropher was killed. Oropher s son Thranduil was named the new King of the Woodland Realm and chose to practice isolationism from then on, having little involvement 12

13 with the outside world, especially when the dragon Smaug came down from the North in 2770 of the Third Age. In the year 2941 of the Third Age, the Woodland Realm was forced to ally with Dwarves and Men in the Battle of the Five Armies, The Halls of the Woodland Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons however reluctantly as they were just about to go to war with the dwarves over stolen jewels. After this, the Wood-elves retreated back into their forest and typically did not stray from it until now. Gondor Gondor is the most prominent kingdom of Men in Middle Earth, with fertile soil and a formidable military force. It is located in Southern Middle Earth and was founded in the year 3320 of the Second Age by Anarion, the younger son of Elendil. The older son of Elendil, Isildur, founded the kingdom of Arnor, which was an allied kingdom. In the War of the Last Alliance, Gondor allied with the Elves to defeat Sauron. Elendil, then the King of Gondor and Arnor, was slain in battle. Isildur took up his father s sword, which had been broken by Sauron, and cut the One Ring from Sauron s finger. After the battle, it was discovered that Minas Tirith, the capital of Gondor Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons 13

14 Anarion was too slain in battle. So, Isildur then became the King of Arnor and Gondor. After the War, Gondor prospered much during the Third Age, having great military might and wealth that allowed its Kings to expand the borders far beyond where they had first been set. After some time, the decadence of the kings of Gondor led to its downfall, which started with a civil war between people with different claims to the throne, a great plague, and the line of the Kings failing. This led to Stewards ruling in place of a King, with Denethor II being the Ruling Steward during the War of the Ring. His younger son Faramir was the last Ruling Steward of Gondor. In 3019 of the Third Age, Aragorn II was crowned King of Arnor and Gondor, with Faramir retaining his post as Steward to the King. Rohan Edoras, the capital of Rohan Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons Rohan is a great kingdom of Men, situated between the Misty Mountains in the North and the White Mountains in the South. Rohan was originally part of the Realm of Gondor, but gained its independence in the year 2510 of the Third Age. The people of Rohan are referred to as Rohirrim, meaning Horse-lords. As such, the men (and women) of Rohan are skilled fighters and are trained to fight on horseback. This makes their armies formidable to their foes and gives them significant advantage in battle, as they always ride into battle on horseback while their enemies remain on foot. Their cavalry is second-to-none in Middle Earth. The land that makes up Rohan was gifted to the men that lived there by the Steward Cirion of Gondor, for their service to Rohan in battle. The first king of Rohan, Eorl, swore and oath of friendship to Gondor. The Rohirrim and the Men of Gondor are the closest allies in Middle Earth. King Theoden the Renowned was the King of Rohan during the War of the Ring. He was slain in the Battle of Pelennor Fields and was succeeded by his nephew, Eomer. Eomer renewed the oath of friendship to Aragorn and Rohan prospered under once again under his rule. Eomer and Aragorn fought many battles together during the War of the Ring and their friendship has continued in peacetime. 14

15 The Three Kings King Elessar Telcontar of Gondor and Arnor Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons Aragorn II (King Elessar Telcontar) Aragorn II, son of Arathorn II, was born March 1 st in the year 2931 of the Third Age. When he was only two, his father, the Chieftain of the Dunedain Rangers, was killed while hunting Orcs. From that point on in his childhood, he was raised in Rivendell by Lord Elrond. Elrond kept his destiny and his real name secret from Aragorn until he was 20 years old. At this time, Aragorn learned that he was the heir of Isildur and was destined to become the King of Gondor and Arnor. He also met Arwen, daughter of Lord Elrond at this time. At this time, Aragorn assumed his post as the Chieftain of the Dunedain and met Gandalf the Grey, with whom he became close friends. After serving as the Chieftain for some time, he spent 23 years fighting in the armies of Gondor and Rohan, helping them win many wars and restore hope when the forces of Sauron were wreaking havoc across Middle Earth. After this time, he returned to the elven lands and became engaged to Arwen. However, Lord Elrond forbade their marriage until Aragorn had reclaimed his throne and became the King of Gondor and Arnor. At Galdalf s request, Aragorn tracked the creature Gollum through the Misty Mountains and imprisoned him in the Halls of the Woodland Realm, but he was freed in an orc raid. Aragorn was one of the nine companions in the Fellowship of the Ring, often leading the group to safety or victory through many perilous adventures. During the War of the Ring, he fought alongside the Rohirrim to defend the people of Rohan during the Battle of Helm s Deep and emerged unscratched from the battle of Pelennor Fields where he defended the city of Minas Tirith from Sauron s forces. At the final battle in front of the Black Gate, he decapitated the Mouth of Sauron (one of Sauron s servants that Sauron spoke through), gave an empowering speech to the men of Gondor and Rohan, and was the first to charge in to battle against the full strength of Mordor, giving Sam and Frodo enough time to destroy the One Ring and Sauron forever. In this battle, he even went toeto-toe with an armored troll and survived. After the Ring was destroyed, he was crowned King Elessar Telcontar of Gondor and then reclaimed the kingdom of Arnor as his own. Shortly afterwards, he and Arwen were finally married and now reign over Gondor and Arnor as King and Queen. 15

16 Eomer, King of Rohan Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons Eomer Eomer was born in the year 2990 of the Third Age and was the nephew of the King of Rohan, King Theoden the Renowned. When he was only eleven years old, his father was slain in battle and his mother died of grief shortly thereafter. Theoden then took him and his sister, Eowyn, in as his own and raised them as his children. Eomer became the third Lord of the Mark in Rohan and was a famed warrior, prized especially by his uncle the King. He was an essential member of the Battle of Helm s Deep, taking many risks to ensure the safety of his people and eventually helping to drive the Uruk-hai into the Fangorn Forest, where they were crushed by the trees residing there. He also helped to rally over 6,000 soldiers to ride to Gondor s aid and charged into the Battle of Pelennor Fields, where he slew many foes and ensured the safety of Minas Tirith. However, King Theoden was slain in this battle and so Eomer became the next King of Rohan, as Theoden had named him his heir before they rode into battle. After Aragorn was crowned King of Gondor and Arnor, Eomer swore to fight by his side whenever necessary and Aragorn promised to do the same, until all their foes were vanquished from the lands of Middle Earth. Thranduil, King of the Woodland Realm Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons Thranduil Thranduil was born sometime in the First Age of Middle Earth and was the son of the King of the Woodland Relam, Oropher. In the year 3434 of the Second Age, Oropher was slain in battle and Thranduil was named King of the Woodland Realm. Thranduil has been known to be a cautious King, often choosing to not put his forces into risky battles but instead stay within the safety of his halls. However, his lands were greatly affected by the War of the Ring and the growing power of Sauron, so he was eventually forced to join in the War by battling the forces of Dol Guldur, against which he was victorious. His son Legolas is known to be much less risk-adverse and relishes in the freedom of roaming the lands of Middle Earth instead of being stuck in the Halls of the Woodland Realm. Legolas was a member of the Fellowship of the Ring and was essential in winning the battles of Helm s Deep and Pelennor Fields during the War of the Ring. 16

17 Thranduil is very protective of Legolas and prefers to keep him in the Woodland Realm whenever possible to ensure his safety. Topic A: Reclaiming Lost Lands and Rebuilding Gondor seeks to reclaim the kingdom of Arnor, as King Aragorn has the right to rule it by his blood. While he has already laid claim to it, they must first drive out all of the enemies that currently reside within. Gondor also wants to reclaim the city of Osgiliath, which was once a very prosperous city, the shining jewel of the Realm. Osgiliath was taken over by Orcs during the War of the Ring and it is possible that many still reside there in the ruins, so its reclamation will not be so easy. Rohan seeks to reclaim land lost to Saruman s forces surrounding Isengard, which may still contain people loyal to Saruman or Uruk-hai. Treebeard is located in Isengard and may be willing to help reclaim these lands in exchange for retaining control of Isengard, a land that once belonged to Rohan before it was gifted to Saruman. Throughout the past several hundred years, the Woodland Elves have been forced to reduce their territory from the entire forest of Mirkwood to just a heavily guarded capital, due to the threat of Sauron and the evil that was drawn to the forest because of its proximity to Sauron s fortress of Dol Guldur. They will want to reclaim this land so that they can openly dwell in the entire forest and not be forced to live within the capital. To do this, they will need help defeating the giant spiders that now dwell there and any remaining orcs from Dol Guldur. Much damage was done to the cities of Osgiliath and Minas Tirith in Gondor during their besiegement by the forces of Mordor. Much of these cities will need to be rebuilt, especially the lower levels of Minas Tirith and the vast majority of Osgiliath, as it was a warzone for the past two years. In Rohan, the burning of the Westfold destroyed the homes of many people, so their homes will need to be rebuilt. The Westfold is home to mostly farming villages, so it is necessary to rebuild these homes and restore these farms so that Rohan can become self-sufficient with food once more. As it stands now, the vast majority of the grain stores were burned by the Uruk-hai (orcs) in Saruman s campaign against Rohan and the people will soon starve without aid. Topic B: Dwarves The Dwarves were also involved in the War of the Ring, but in the Northern Theatre instead of the Southern Theatre (which is the primary focus of the films and the books). The King of the dwarves, Dain II Ironfoot, was slain in 17

18 the War of the Ring and now the surviving Dwarves are lost and confused. 10 Some have been seen plundering cities destroyed in the War, while others have retreated back into the mountains in an attempt to return to their former lives. Some dwarves, however, have decided to follow in the footsteps of Gimli and are now choosing to dwell outside the mountains, interacting with Men and Elves freely, no longer solely seeking riches within their caves. There is talk among them of turning the caves beneath the fortress of Helm s Deep in Rohan into a Dwarf Colony, so that the Dwarves may more freely interact with the other races of Middle Earth. Some dwarf colonies were destroyed during the War of the Ring, causes many dwarves now to be homeless. Many have taken refuge in Erebor, but it cannot support anymore. These dwarves will need a place to live and create new dwarf colonies if they are to remain peaceful and not start plundering villages in desperation. The Dwarvish Questions threatens to rapidly descend into a major refugee crisis. As populations shift, care must be taken lest the changing cultural norms give rise to radicalism. Topic C: Old Foes and the Spoils of War While Sauron and Saruman have been defeated, not all their forces, nor their allies, have been vanquished from Middle Earth. Middle Earth cannot be truly safe until all these enemies have been destroyed. There have been sightings of these enemies in the forests of Mirkwood and in the lands surrounding the Shire, known as Bree. These foes could be preparing for a final assault against the Shire and the Woodland Realm, to finish their fallen masters work. It will take more than the might of just one kingdom to stop them, for it is rumored they are working together and may have help from inside one of the remaining kingdoms in Middle Earth. Now that the War is over, it must be decided what to do with the lands captured during it. The land of Isengard, for one, once again belongs to Rohan, though it lies on the edge of Fangorn Forest, the home of the Ents. Much of the forest was burned by Saruman to create his army of Uruk-hai during his campaign against Rohan and the Ents would like to see it restored to its former statue, without risk of it ever being burned or cut down again. It also must be decided what to do with the land surrounding Gondor that used to belong to the men who pledged their service to Saruman and are longstanding enemies of Gondor. These people harbor ill will towards Gondor, but the grievances of the past can be reprimanded, for they were told many lies about their enemies and their minds were poisoned by Saruman, making them hate their enemies more than one could think possible. 18

19 Delegate Positions Gondor: Faramir, Steward of Gondor Arathalion, Captain of Gondor Balcardil, Captain of Gondor Ilrigar, Chief Advisor Faramir is the younger son of the last Steward of Gondor, Denethor II, who lit himself on fire and jumped to his death, effectively giving Faramir the title of Steward of Gondor. He was allowed to keep his title after Aragorn was crowned King of Gondor and is one of the King s most trusted advisors. All of his life, Faramir s older brother Boromir was favored by their father and Faramir lived in his shadow. Faramir is now engaged to Eowyn of Rohan. He is a skilled warrior and a master of stealth in battle, though he sustained many injuries during the War of the Ring and will likely not return to battle for some time or by the request of his King. His father was a centurion in the Gondorian army and highly favored by the previous Steward, as was his grandfather and great-grandfather before him. They all perished in battle, but he was rescued by one of his soldiers after losing both of his legs to a warg attack at the battle of Pelennor Fields. He feels guilty for having lived through the battle but is slowly coming to terms with his fate. For all his life, he believed that his destiny was to die a glorious death in battle, but now that he can no longer ride into battle, he has decided to use his time to create new weaponry for Gondor by studying the remnants of Mordor and Isengard. Born into a lower-caste family, he was fourteen years old when he first saw battle in Osgiliath. He was called to battle because his father had died when he was young, and every family was required to send a man to join the army. In battle, he saved the life of Boromir, son of the Steward of Gondor and from then on was mentored by him. The Steward looked highly upon Balcardil for saving his favorite son and promoted him at an accelerated pace through the Gondorian army. In the War of the Ring, he killed a troll in single combat and was promoted to Captain after the conclusion of the War. He is known to be a bit of a hot head and often disobeyed the orders of his superiors to protect his fellow soldiers. Bastard son of Denethor II, Ilrigar was never claimed as a child and was not raised in the house of the steward, so he was always resentful towards Denethor and his sons. There were rumors towards the end of Denthor s life that he had been slowly poisoning the Steward s food, making him go mad. However, nothing was able to be proven, as Gandalf made it known that Sauron was corrupting the mind of Denethor as well. He is not a very highly-skilled fighter but is the best intelligence agent in all of Gondor and seems to know what is going on always. His loyalty is to the well-being of Gondor and to no man, though he seems to be loyal to the current King, despite his actions toward the former ruler. 19

20 Ruindil, Minister of Defense Bonirun, Chief Architect Cugwelion, Minister of Trade Durduilorna, Minister of Labor The son of a highborn woman and a lower-class man, Ruindil has always had trouble finding his place in the world because he was not accepted in the highborn circles due to his father and the low born children would avoid him because of the status of his mother. He was the top of his class all through school and was asked to join the Gondorian military after as a strategist. His strategy was unparalleled on the battlefield and led to many Gondorian victories. He worked under the previous minister of defense, who failed to keep the forces of Mordor at bay during the War of the Ring and mysteriously disappeared during the siege of Minas Tirith. Ruindil is obsessed with Minas Morgul and wants to see the city reclaimed for Gondor. Bonirun is the daughter of a nobleman and went through schooling with Boromir and Faramir, with whom she was close friends. Supposedly, she and Boromir were going to announce their engagement when he returned from the first Council of Elrond, but he was sadly slain in battle during the quest to destroy the One Ring. Since hearing of his death, Bonirun has become even more dedicated to her work and was tasked with rebuilding Osgiliath and Minas Tirith by King Aragorn. She wants to place statues of her one true love, Boromir, in Osgiliath, as he valiantly defended the city against the forces of Sauron. Bonirun also hates the Uruk-hai more than most Gondorians and wants to see them suffer for what they did to Boromir. Cugwelion was raised as an orphan in the city of Minas Tirith after his father was killed in battle and his mother died giving birth to his younger sister. He learned much of his skills from Ilrigar and is well connected across Gondor, Rohan, the Woodland Realm, and in some of the Dwarven cities. He is a master swindler and always manages to get what he wants from other people. Despite his somewhat shady reputation, Gondor and many other realms would fail without his skills, so he is a highly valued and respected member of the Gondorian elite. The sister of Cugwelion, whose mother died giving birth to her. Cugwelion has always blamed her for the death of their mother (usually in a teasing manner, but not always). This led to Durduilorna constantly annoying her younger brother while they were young and eventually to great competition between the two in their later years. Durduilorna was always fond of the elves and went to stay with them for some time after the conclusion of her schooling. She is always a welcome guest in the Halls of the Woodland Realm and Rivendell. As such, she had no trouble negotiating on behalf of the steward of Gondor for the assistance of the Elves in many undertakings of Gondor, especially in building structures and maintaining the land, as long as Gondor was willing to help in exchange. She readily worked her way to her current post shortly before the start of the War of the Ring and is eager to prove herself in her new role. 20

21 Rohan: Eowyn, Sister of the King Grimwald, Chief Advisor Egil, Captain of the King s Guard Beofrith, Chief Military Strategist Eowyn is the sister of King Eomer and is one of his most trusted advisors. Though Rohan has not been very open to women as warriors or in positions of power, Eowyn is on a mission to defy them all and prove that she is worthy of respect. During the War of the Ring, she killed the Witch King of Angmar while defending her uncle, King Theoden the Renowned, from the Nazgul s foul beast. She was severely injured during the fight and will not return to battle unless necessary, for she is now engaged to Faramir, the Steward of Gondor, and is eager to start a family. That being said, she still wishes to be involved in the rebuilding of Rohan and plans to start a program to train all women to fight and ride horseback so that they can fight alongside the men on the battlefield. Grimwald was a pupil of the late Grima Wormtongue, before Grima became influenced by Saruman and poisoned the mind of King Theoden. According to reports, he left Rohan to travel around Middle Earth and research the ancient kingdoms of men just before it became clear to Eomer that his uncle s mind was no longer his own. It is not clear whether Eomer trusts Grimwald and wants his knowledge and skills to help him in his role or just wants to keep a close eye on him. Either way, Grimwald has an invaluable wealth of knowledge in ancient civilizations and has many ideas for how Rohan can be rebuilt as an even better and stronger kingdom of men. Egil is the childhood best friend of King Eomer and has been his most trusted companion for nearly twenty years. When Eomer and Eowyn s mother died, his parents offered to take them in and raise them as their own, but ultimately decided that it would be better for them to be raised in the home of King Theoden instead, with the pleasures of nobility around them. Egil comes from a modest family of farmers who live just outside Edoras (the capital of Rohan) but his family was well respected in the capital city. His parents offer to take in Eomer and Eowyn touched the heart of King Theoden and they were shown much favor after this gesture. Egil was included in all the private lessons of Eowyn and Eomer, growing up with them almost as a brother. During the War of the Ring, he was always at Eomer s side and even saved his life a couple of times, though Eomer returned the favor several times over. After Eomer was crowned King, Egil was immediately appointed to his position and his parents were given positions in the royal household. It is rumored that he longed to marry Eowyn for many years and was going to ask Eomer for her hand in marriage after the War was over, but once she got engaged to Faramir, no more was spoken on the matter. Beofrith was a close friend of King Theoden and was the one who trained Eomer in mounted combat. He fought at Theoden s side for many years until he was 21

22 injured at the Battle of Helm s Deep. After his injury, he helped Theoden and Eomer strategize their attack at the Battle of Pelennor Fields, making him an essential part of their victory. The former Chief Military Strategist died in the Battle of Pelennor fields, so Eomer appointed Beofirth to his current position immediately after. Beofirth s methods have been known to be somewhat unconventional, often choosing to sacrifice men in what some might say to be a needless fashion. He is a driven man that is willing to do whatever it takes to win the battle, even if every single Rohirrim and his horse must die in order to do so. Osric, Minister of Horses and Cavalry Hrolfur, Ambassador to the Ents Ketil, Captain of the Guard at Isengard Osric grew up on a horse farm just outside of Edoras. His family was tasked with breeding horses for the Rohirrim, so the King would come to visit once a year to select new horses to be used in the cavalry. King Theoden took a liking to Osric and insisted on training him in mounted combat. Osric proved to be a natural at horseback riding, to no one s surprise, and was incredibly gifted at mounted combat, able to pull off feats that some compared to those of the elves. He quickly rose in the ranks of the Cavalry and soon became the head instructor of mounted combat for all of Rohan after he started a family and decided to leave the battlefield behind. Since his appointment to his current post, he has taken his family s horse farm to a much larger scale, turning it into the headquarters for horse breeding and cavalry school for Rohan, where he lives with his family. Though he may not fight anymore, his skills on horseback are second to none. Hrolfur ran away from home at the age of three to go live in the forest. His family searched for months, but they never found him. He was raised by creatures of the forest, including some Ents. The Ents taught him to speak both Entish and the common tongue, so that he could communicate with his kind should he ever find need to leave the forest. Hrolfur grew to be a very large and very powerful man due to the Ent-water, but is a man of peace, not war. He will only fight when necessary and refuses to harm nature in any way, so is one of the few vegetarians in Middle Earth that is not an Elf. The Ents are very close friends of Hrolfur and trust him to convey their wishes to the rest of Middle Earth. He is also friends with Radagast the Brown and Beorn due to his fondness for nature. Ketil spent much of his childhood and young adulthood studying at Isengard with Saruman and in the libraries of Minas Tirith. In his time at Isengard, he learned much about magic and the history of Middle Earth, but when he turned sixteen and his entire family was killed in an ambush by Orcs, he turned away from his studies and went to join the Rohirrim. Ketil became a fearsome and powerful warrior, capable of leading any army into victory in battle. Once known to be a calm and calculated man, his family s death forever changed him and he became dedicated to one cause and one cause only: killing all Orcs. He is known to be ruthless in battle, accepting no prisoners and killing without even the slightest hesitation. Ketil is the definition of a man with nothing to lose, but he always manages to get the job done. 22

23 Ceolwine, Weapon Master Ceolwine grew up inside of Edoras, the daughter of a town blacksmith. She started playing with knives at the age of three and could handle a sword by the age of five. Ceolwine never goes anywhere without at least three blades on her person. At her current post, Ceolwine is in charge of ensuring all Rohirrim are properly armed and are trained in hand to hand combat as well as spear throwing. Ceolwine was not allowed to join the Rohirrim because she was a woman, so she worked in the family blacksmith shop instead. King Theoden saw her promise and decided that she could help by training the Rohirrim instead of fighting in battles. Since Eomer was crowned King, she has also started training the women and girls of Rohan. Woodland Realm: Ivandura, Watcher of the Forest Soronthalion, Famed Warrior Ulrandir, Special Advisor Like Lord Elrond, Ivandura was gifted with a power of sight by the Valar. While Elrond has the gift of foresight, Ivandura possesses a different kind of sight, the ability to see past, present, and future of any place in which she stands. She is one of the oldest living elves in the Woodland Realm, having been born even before Oropher arrived with Thranduil. Ivandura has protected the halls of the Woodland Realm from many foes, as she can see them before they ever set foot there. Ivandura is also friendly with many of the creatures of the forest, so she can rely on them to gather information for her in exchange for protection from the evil that invades the forest. Soronthalion has fought in many wars for the Woodland Realm and even fought at Lord Elrond s side during the War of the Last Alliance. When Gandalf came to Middle Earth, he took a liking to Soronthalion and let him join in some of his adventures. On one of these adventures, he helped Gandalf heal an injured Gwaihir (The Lord of the Eagles). Just as Gandalf can summon the Great Eagles in times of need, so can Soronthalion for his service to Gwaihir. Soronthalion has been a great mentor to the son of the King, Legolas, especially as his combat teacher. Before the Fellowship of the Ring was formed, Legolas never ventured outside of the Woodland Realm without Soronthalion at his side. Ulrandir was one of the first friends Thranduil made in the Woodland Realm. He has fought by Thranduil s side in every battle he s ever been in, including the battle where King Oropher died. In this battle, Oropher commanded Ulrandir to leave his side to protect Thranduil. When the battle was over and Oropher was found dead, Thranduil blamed Ulrandir for his father s death and did not speak to him again until his wife died in a dragon attack. At that time, Ulrandir was the only one capable of consoling the grieving King and the two once again became close friends. After the death of his mother, Legolas looked to Ulrandir for guidance as well as his father, even calling him uncle to show the closeness of their relationship. While Ulrandir does think of Legolas like a nephew of sorts, his true loyalty will always be to Thranduil. 23

24 Felathelion, Head of the Guard Mortardura, Master of Spellbinding Carahir, Master of War Adanurion, Keeper of the Keys Felathelion was born into a family with a long history of serving in the guard was Prince Legolas s closest childhood friend. Before Felathelion was married, he and Legolas were inseparable, never going anywhere without each other. They had many adventures together as young elflings and Felathelion saved Legolas s life more than once during their crazy antics. Once Felathelion was married, he no longer accompanied Legolas on his journeys, instead choosing to stay at home while Soronthalion accompanied Legolas instead. Felathelion still wanted to be involved in the protection of the Woodland Realm, however, so he joined the guard and quickly moved up the ranks until he found himself in charge of all the guards in the capital of the Woodland Realm. Felathelion is known to be a calm and gentle presence, but those who cross him live to regret it if they even live at all. Mortardura is quite a young elf to hold such a high position of power. She is only two hundred years old and has spent much of her time outside of the woodland realm studying in Isengard and traveling with Gandalf. Mortardura has a gift for simple magic, able to influence the elements and create other small, but useful enchantments. Mortardura has been a favorite of King Thranduil s because of her gifts and has always been treated well. Mortardura has also been fond of Legolas for a long time and Thranduil approves of the two of them together. Now that Legolas has proven to no longer be fond of Tauriel, she has decided to pursue him openly. Legolas has not been incredibly responsive to the advances of Mortardura, but he has not been pushing her away. She is known to be more carefree and free-spirited than other woodland elves, often choosing to venture beyond the borders and explore the rest of Middle Earth. Carahir holds the honor of being the oldest living elf in the Woodland Realm. He was a close friend of Oropher before he died and was made the Master of War with Oropher s dying breath. Carahir is an incredible strategist and warrior, having never lost a battle, but he does not fight anymore due to his age and instead plans the attacks from the sidelines. There is no elf, apart from King Thranduil, that is more revered in the Woodland Realm. He is known to be a gentle soul and kind to all who he meets. Carahir has no enemies and rarely takes sides in any political squabbles. He is close friends with both Gandalf and Radagast, holding them in the highest regard. Despite his position as a man who causes death and destruction for his opponents, Carahir is a very spiritual elf who loves nature and peace. Adanurion is a close friend of Prince Legolas, though they were not always friends. Adanurion has always been an incredibly quiet and reserved elf, though he was quite trustworthy. As Legolas was an adventurous youth, the two did not become friends until later in life when Legolas did not journey outside of the Woodland Realm as much and started to settle down. At this time, Adanurion and Legolas became close friends and often spent time together patrolling the Halls of the Woodland Realm. Adanurion came into his current post when the 24

25 former Keeper of the Keys was killed in an Orc raid. Legolas recommended him for the job and Thranduil happily gave it to him. Adanurion is a well-respected elf in the Woodland Realm and is widely known as the most trustworthy elf in all Middle Earth. Tholrondir, Master of Arms Hirithelion, Master Healer Tholrondir is rather small for an elf, as he is only slightly taller than most hobbits, but this has never stopped him from making his mark upon the world. Tholrondir s parents were slain in the same battle that killed Oropher, so he and King Thranduil bonded over their loss and grew close. Thranduil taught Tholrondir, who was originally a scholar, how to fight and before long, the student became the master. Tholrondir became responsible for the training of all of the elves of the Woodland Realm in sword and hand-to-hand combat. Tholrondir rarely rides into battle, but he is known to be ruthless when he does. What he lacks in size he makes up for (at least) with pure rage and fury. Hirithelion is the daughter of Ulrandir, so she was always favored by the King while she was growing up. She studied under the best healers of the Woodland Realm but surpassed even their skill after only a few years of study. She eventually went to Rivendell to study under Lord Elrond and learn of superior healing techniques to those practiced by the Woodland Realm. She was the one who healed King Thranduil after the dragon attack that left his face scarred and burned. For this great service, Thranduil appointed Hirithelion the Master Healer of the Woodland Realm and gave her command over all of the other healers. Since her appointment, no elf injured in battle has ever died, no matter how severe the injury. 25

26 Map of Middle Earth Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons 26