Thread: Complete bio of my 6,000 year old Sindar noble minstrel, Rindalagan Tinnufal

For those who didn't think my Wyndelleu bio was TL;DR enough!:

Character Name:

Sindarin - Rindalagan Tinnufal (Crowned Harper of the Twilight Shores)
Quenyan - Rinandaro Falundómë

Gender: Male

Age: 6,248 years

Description:

Ever has the light of Elbereth reflected in the midnight pools that are the eyes of Rindalagan Tinnufal. Even in fair Imladris are they likened to the endless seas of Varda, for along with the light of the kindling stars, within lies the wisdom of the first born, the compassion of the exile, and the strength of the guarded warrior. Framing an ever youthful, moonlit face, is a long silken flow of raven hair, unfettered save for a single circlet of pure silver upon a noble brow. He is a true child of the second age, old beyond measure of mortal man, whose race he watched rise to greatness, only to fall spectacularly amid the ruins of foolish pride. He has loved and lost countless times in his many years, and has become quite encumbered by unending millennia in mortal lands.

His voice is resonant and clear as a mountain stream, and mere spoken words, even in the melodic Sindarin tongue of his homeland, seem a misuse of it. His long smooth hands are more well at ease cradling his beautifully crafted silver and horn harp, than his equally fine sword. He is typically clad in a silken tunic of silver gray, over which a fine dark blue cloak is fixed.

Rindalagan is skilled with both the sword and long knife, and competent with the bow, but his abilities with weapons are more a reflection of necessity than any true calling. He has known turbulent periods of nearly constant warfare, and long stretches of tranquil peace in his long life. As most elves do, he prefers the latter. But although the millennia have tempered his once youthful rashness (for an elf) he will not hesitate to forfeit the millennia to come should it be required of him by homeland or kin.

Strengths:

Rindalagan has lived most of his long life surrounded by noble Sindar and Noldor alike. As a child of the early second age he has long since passed the restlessness of elven youth, and as such has gained wisdom and perspective. Even among the clear voiced Eldar, Rindalagan's voice is noticeably moving. This, combined with his skill with the harp, make him an inspiring companion for those of all backgrounds. He has a keen mind for puzzles and riddles and loves the study and creation of maps, even if it saddens him to see them change so often.

Weaknesses:

While the passing centuries have given Rindalagan a perspective to discount most base emotions as hindrances to rational thought, Rindalagan’s family history as the child of the Sindar of Doriath has left him with an inherent mistrust of other races, especially Dwarves. He does not hate or even particularly dislike individuals of other races of free people, but he sees them as too easily bending to the temptation of power in all its forms. He came of age during the time of Annatar, the benevolent mask of Sauron, and he holds as a matter of pride that though the lesser races were easily swayed by the Lord of the Ring’s silken words, his king, Gil-Galad, saw him for what he was and bared him from Lindon (He typically overlooks the fact that the Noldor of Eregion welcomed Annatar with open arms.) However, the shame that haunts Rindalagan still, stems from his brief experience with the One Ring at the end of the Second Age. Although he never came close to possessing the ring itself, he believes that it called to a part of him that he never wished to acknowledge - a part of him he still doesn't want to admit actually could exist in the hearts of the Eldar.


History:

To understand the history of the elf known as Rindalagan Tinnufal, one must first understand the history of the much larger events preceding his birth. He was born into a new age, intrinsically linked by blood and culture to a vanished land. While his deep blue eyes never saw the glories of Menegroth and Gondolin, the spirit of those ancient bastions of elvish culture is nonetheless reflected therein. The story of Rindalagan is greater than he is. To understand it we must look back to the end of the First Age, before the changing of the world.

Eärendil the Mariner, finally joined by his beloved wife and the hunted Silmaril she bore, at last had reached shining shores of Aman. This epic quest, culminating in the rousing of the hosts of the Valar, and the Great War of Wrath, reshaped the world and ended an age. Although the shining forces of the West were successful in their endeavor, crushing the armies of Morgoth once and for all, the cataclysmic forces unleashed in the final conflict had resulted in the utter destruction of Beleriand as it vanished beneath the uncaring waves of Belagaer, the Sundering Sea. As is so often the case in the histories of elves, men, and all that are a part of the earth, the exercise of unspeakable power, even when it is the vanguard of justice and nobility, carries with it a terrible price. So it was that the First Age of the world ended with the elves of Middle Earth a scattered and war ravaged people.

It was thus that Rindalagan Tinnufal came to be born a refugee. His mother, Elenath Celon, kinswoman of Nimloth of Doriath, had quit the fabled city of Menegroth after the betrayal and murder of King Elu Thingol by the Silmaril obsessed dwarves of Nogrod. She wed Rindalagan's father, the Noldor Aer-Alagos, at Nan-tathren (the flower filled meadows near the southern most borders of the forest) the same year that Melian, the queen of Doriath, stricken by grief, returned across the sea. It was clear that Elenath's beloved homeland was diminishing, as the girdle of Melian no longer protected the ancient forest kingdom, and the threat of Morgoth loomed ever nearer.

After these events and the tragic fall of Gondolin, it was with heavily laden hearts that the pair left the willows of Nan-tathren and relocated to the Mouths of Sirion to the South, joining the exiles of Gondolin and a large contingent of fellow refugees from Doriath. They did not tarry long though, as their grief was compounded when the unthinkable occurred. The remaining sons of Fëanor, bound by the ill-conceived oath to their father, attacked the Havens of Sirion, seeking the Silmaril born by Elwing, wife of Eärendil. Elenath and Aer-Alagos were forced to flee yet again, this time at the hands of fellow elves. The pair fled to the East and the valleys of Ossiriand, becoming, for a time, separated from those of their kin who settled under the Noldor king, Gil-Galad on the Isle of Balar. When the cataclysm created by The War of Wrath destroyed nearly all of Beleriand and their homeland was irrevocably removed from the face of the world, the couple reunited with their people and settled under the leadership of Gil-Galad in the land now called Lindon.

It was in Lindon that the couple finally found some semblance of peace, reminding them of their brief, but joyous time in the glades of Nan-tathren. As deep as their despair had been for the loss of their homeland along with countless companions, in the year 32 of the Second Age, their joy outstripped it with the birth of their first and only child, Rindalagan. In Forlindon, nearest the sea, they dwelt in peace for many years among the people of lost Beleriand. Under the benevolent rule of Gil-Galad, they found some measure of stability out of the chaos of the previous age.

In the waking dreams of elves, where ancient memories are relived, Rindalagan still sees, through the eyes of a child, the somber march of dwarves leaving the Ered Luin for parts unknown (Moria). He recalls the stern face of his mother, as near to anger as her fair countenance could reflect. When he was older, she passed on to him the bitter tale of betrayal, at the hands of those same dwarves, whereby Alu Thingol, The Sindar King of Doriath, who led his people from the banks of Cuiviënen, was murdered out of greed and pride. It was a tale that would stay with the young elf throughout the centuries.

Several centuries passed, with Rindalagan living in fair Lindon with the likes of Círdan and Elrond. He remembers well the fateful departure of Celebrimbor and his Noldor followers, later to found the realm of Eregion to the east, where the three great rings would be formed. Some time after Rindalagan had passed his first millennia, the insidious Annatar, the fair form of Sauron, the lieutenant of Morgoth, reached Lindon. The vivid memories and tales of the chaos resulting from the wars of the Silmarils led the people of Lindon under Gil-Galad to rebuff the offers of glory and power, a defining moment for the elves of Lindon and young Rindalagan. Unfortunately, their predominantly Noldor brethren, now in the realm of Eregion, were not so cautious. Sauron captured their curiosity and played on their desire for strength. Soon the One Ring was forged, the betrayal unveiled, and war was again upon the elves of middle earth.

When Elrond was dispatched from Lindon by Gil-Galad to assist Celebrimbor and beleaguered Eregion, Rindalagan's father, the Noldor Aer-Alagos, marched with them. The yet untested Rindalagan hoped to join them, but the council of his father swayed him to remain in Lindon to protect his Sindar mother, Elenath, should Lindon be threatened. When news of the rout of Eregion and Elrond’s forces by the armies of Mordor reached Lindon, Rindalagan was overcome with grief and guilt, the first time he had personally felt the power of those terrible emotions. He vowed that when the elves marched to war for vengeance, he would be among those bitter legions. Unexpectedly though, it was not only the hosts of Lindon that marched to war, but the vast and powerful forces of Númenor that turned the tide in occupied Eregion. They were brought forth on shining ships from the West, and with them came, unexpectedly, a figure out of legend - Glorfindel of Lost Gondolin! This time Rindalagan marched with them, fighting alongside men, the likes of which he had never before seen - for they were the Dúnedain. Bright were their swords and noble their deeds. Together, they pushed the forces of evil from the pillaged lands of the Eriador, aiding the newly besieged haven of Elrond at Imladris and the remnants of his ill-fated campaign.

In Imladris, Rindalagan learned the story of the fall of his father, Aer-Alagos. Relatively young by the reckoning of the Eldar, Rindalagan was not familiar with death, and the demise of his father left him confused and distraught. He remained in Rivendell, unable to leave the tomb of his father. It was there that he vowed to remain in Middle Earth as long as the evil that claimed the life of his father yet threatened his people. While he tarried, some semblance of peace returned to the world for a time. But the lurking evil had not been destroyed. In Imladris, though, time passes differently. Many centuries pass like the falls of the Bruinen themselves. Rindalagan, deeply affected by the violence and loss of the short war, turned his hands and spirit to the harp and the song. News of the ever-growing might of the Edain reached even the hidden ears of Rivendell. But in the eyes of elves, the rise of Númenor was both glorious and swift, but its folly and demise, even more alarming. When the refugees of Númenor arrived in the North, Rindalagan finally departed from Imladris. On his way back to his homeland in Lindon, Rindalagan tarried for a time among the Dunedain in Annuminas, where he became known as Talagan (The Harper), a name by which he was still known by men of the north in the late Third Age. In Annuminias, he met with Elendil, personally thanking the lord of the northern exiles for his ancestors’ part in the war of Eregion. He also regaled the new court of the West Tower with songs of the fall of Beleriand and the scattered Eldar. While he was not sure what the future held for these people, so promising, yet so easily swayed to darkness, he unknowingly helped lay a foundation that would be vital in only a few short years.

His path soon returned to Lindon, after many centuries abroad. There his reunion with his mother, Elenath, was bittersweet, for while her physical form remained the same; the passing of millennia and the grief of her loss had made her weary of the mortal world. Living so close to the haunting call of the sea, Rindalagan knew that she would soon be leaving him. But, barely nine short years after his audience with Elendil, the nascent kingdom of the Dúnedain, and indeed all of the free people of Middle Earth faced the renewed might of Mordor, and Rindalagan, sworn to honor his father, answered the call to arms.

In the next year, The Last Alliance of Elves and Men was formed, and the call went out far and wide for all who would see the last remnant of ancient Morgoth’s might destroyed. When Gil-Galad himself marched with Elendil to Imladris, Rindalagan was among his ranks. The forces mustered and trained in Imladris, and shortly thereafter rode forth to challenge the gathering wall of darkness to the Southeast. When the battle was finally joined at Dagorlad, north of the gates of Mordor, an army second only to the great forces unleashed in the War of Wrath, fought in a series of raging melees that lasted the better part of four years. Many flames yet flicker in the land ever after known as the Dead Marshes - solemn monuments to lost companions.

Rindalagan, though, had little time to grieve, as the Alliance pushed forward to lay siege to Barad-dûr. In Mordor, Rindalagan was sent from the Noldor force led by Glorfindel to act as a liaison to the main Nandor force out of Lindórinand led by Amdir of the Golden Wood. It was in this brief time that Rindalagan formed a bond born out mutual sacrifice with his Silvan brethren. When the call came for him to retreat to the rear, Rindalagan decided to stay, and pushed forward at the vanguard of the attack. Before the gates of Barad-dûr, he fought in the final battle in which his own King, Gil-Galad, perished. Also doomed to fall was Elendil, the lord of the Northern Dúnedain. Both fell at the hand of Sauron himself, brought forth from his fell keep by the temerity of the free people of Middle Earth. Although he was far removed from that great contest when the ring of power made its entrance onto the field of battle, Rindalagan’s heart ran cold with bitterness and desire. He fought with a ferocity previously unknown to the gentle elf, his grief and anger spilling forth like so much blood upon the field. All the while he worked his way closer to the towering figure of Sauron. Visions of power to restore and protect the elven strongholds of Middle-Earth filled his thoughts as he fought with similarly driven companions through hordes of orcs and evil men. He paid little heed to the fact that many similarly affected men and elves, having broken their ranks in bloodlust or terror, were hewn down by Sauron and his strongest minions. He was saved from a similar fate by the final confrontation that was the bane of his King, and Elendil. Thus it was that as he witnessed Isildur cut the Ring of Power from the hand of Sauron, part of him envied and reviled the man even in their collective victory. This, the shame of Rindalagan, haunts his waking dreams still.

Out of the great victory of the second age, Rindalagan emerged as a weary and nearly broken elf. His physical wounds were grave, but the emotional trauma of losing so many companions and the sundering of the hasty brotherhood that can only be formed in such moments of strife, seemed nearly overwhelming. His friend and captain, Glorfindel, decided that in his condition, Rindalagan should not travel the long road to Imladris with his companions. Instead, the Silvan elves took him, and many other wounded, to the golden forest of Lindórinand where they mourned the loss of their lord Amdir, and many other brave souls in the great war. Despite their own sadness, they received the wounded from other lands with grace and compassion. It was there, in the ancient forest, under the rule of Amroth, Amdir's son, where he was nursed back to health, both physically and emotionally. He quickly found himself falling in love with the Golden Wood with it's soaring mallorn trees, and the Silvan people who cared for them, in particular, his chief healer, Nimuwen (Nimue) Harthoniel (Maiden of the lake the kindler of hope). In her, he saw an obviously compassionate and healing patience, but beneath that, smoldered a fierce spirit and carefree independence that seemed to chase away the darkness with it's very presence. Under her care, Rindalagan quickly recovered, and soon after, he and Nimue were wed on the flower-strewn hill of Cerin Amroth in a ceremony echoing that of his own parents, Aer-Alagos and Elenath, in the glades on Nan-tathren in lost Beleriand millennia before.

Rindalagan and Nimuwen spent centuries in peace amid the golden trees of Lorien, under the rule of the Sindar, Lord Amroth, and his consort, the Nandor, Nimrodel, but when word arrived that Rindalagan's mother was now dwelling in Imladris, he felt a longing to see her, and the home he had left behind, again. Nimue, who had never lingered far from the forest of Lorien, was herself ready for a change. So it was that the couple bid farewell to the forest and friends they had loved for so long and set out for Rivendell together. They arrived in Imladris to find that the Lord Elrond had himself had wed Galadriel's daughter, Celebrían, and that the two had been blessed with three beautiful children. It was a joyous reunion, and there was much celebration as the house of Elrond welcomed back one of its own, and a new member of the family in Nimue.

The homecoming, however, soon became bittersweet, as Rindalagan learned that his mother, who had long lived near the temptation of the sea in Lindon, had decided that soon she would depart for the Grey Havens and take the ships west out of the circles of the world. He and his wife said their farewells, and in only a month's time his mother departed with a host of like-minded Eldar. Rindalagan remained in Imladris, not possessing the courage to travel to Lindon and the sea, for though he was not yet old as elves measure, he felt the first stirrings of the West in his weary heart. For the love of his wife, he would not yet mention it.

Outside of Imladris, the world was changing. He had lost much faith in the strength of men at the end of the Second Age, as Isildur had failed to destroy the One Ring. The elven view of man seemed to be justified as the younger children of Ilúvatar’s realms rose to power only to tear each other asunder with dizzying swiftness. However, Rindalagan’s own disappointment in the heirs of Elendil was all the more poignant as he recalled the hateful sway the mere presence of the One Ring had had upon his own heart. Would he have acted differently than Isildur? Were his millennia of experience and learning any more effective against the power of the Dark Lord than the might of the impetuous and shortsighted children of Númenor? Thus it was that Rindalagan fell out of history for some time, remaining in Imladris with his wife in an attempt to ascertain the meaning of his own weakness in Mordor and his continued purpose in the fading mortal lands.

He did not leave Imladris for any significant period of time until the fractured Northern Kingdom was fatally besieged. The Witch King of Angmar had overrun the remaining holdings of Arnor. But it was the news of the rousing of the elves of Lindon that persuaded Rindalagan to finally take up his sword again. He passed to the Northwest with the small band led by Glorfindel; there they fell upon the last forces of Angmar, which was by that time retreating from the dogged pursuit of Eärnur of Gondor. Glorfindel himself battled the Witch-King, and forced him to flee into the shadows once more.

Rindalagan, long removed from his homeland of Lindon, returned after the Battle of Fornost. His father had fallen at the first siege of Imladris, and his mother had long since passed over the sea. Few of the elves of his youth yet lingered in the land by the misty shores, as the call of the West was strong there. Galadriel and Celeborn had long since traveled through Eregion and Imladris and settled in Lorien, where even Amroth had vanished with his Nandor wife, Nimrodel. There, Galadriel used the power of her ring to keep what was now called Lothlórien preserved from the ravages of time. Of the great leaders of the Eldar in Lindon, only Círdan remained. Yet in this time, even he seemed to have diminished. So it was that Rindalagan’s homecoming to his birth-land was bittersweet, and for the first time in his long life he truly felt old. He tarried in Mithlond for many years, unable to tear himself away from the sea. He could be heard for many years singing verses to the uncaring waves:

Á linda lírë,
an órenya yerna.
Aurë oantie, lómë ringa
Ar nixë utúlië.

Sing a song, a lovely song
for my heart is old;
The day has gone, the night is cold
And the frost has come.

Although the temptation was great, he could not yet leave his beloved wife. His path did not yet lead over the sea. But it was not just the love of his wife that kept him from departing Middle-earth. Since the fateful battle in Mordor, Rindalagan knew that his life was bound to Middle-earth as long as the one ring yet survived. His role in fighting the darkness that again plagued the lands of elves and men might be minor in the annals of history, but his role in thwarting the darkness that threatened the heart of Rindalagan Tinnufal was paramount. Only when the darkness of Middle Earth was purged and his father’s sacrifice redeemed, would his sundered heart be whole.

So it was, that after many bitter years dwelling in that place of temptation and heartache, Rindalagan finally mustered the strength to return to Imladris. On his journey he noted yet again the changes of the world. In a twist of fate, a strange and childlike people, the Perian (Hobbits), now dwelt in the land of Eregion where his own people, and later the Edain of the ravaged North Kingdom of man, had once lived. He tarried for a short time, unseen, yet observing these quaint people. He came to think that perhaps they, with their small unassuming lives and peaceful ways, just might be the perfect caretakers for a land that had long wept under the ravages of the great powers. Soon, though, he was on his way again, sadly passing the ruins of Arnor and the splintered kingdoms and on to Imladris.

Returning to the house of Elrond, Rindalagan realized that more than any place, Rivendell was truly his home. He had been born in Lindon, but the former glory of that land was now only vaguely echoed in Cirdan’s Grey Havens. His wife’s homeland of Lorien had been dear to him as well, and he would always have a special place in his heart for the land of the golden trees where he was wed, but both he and his wife had made a home for themselves in the hidden vale. When he was reunited with the one who had long been dear to his heart, he knew that no matter how strong the call of the sea, he would never leave the mortal lands without her. Therefore, he remained in Imladris, crafting verse and song, and, for a time, forgetting the call of the West. He was there when the Dunedain child, Aragorn was brought to Elrond for safekeeping. And eventually, when rumors of the One Ring surfaced in the North, he began aiding the Rangers, as well as Elrond's sons, Elladan and Elrohir, in their work.

In the year 3002 of the Third Age, a remarkable event occurred that would eclipse all others in a long life full of remarkable events. Nimue gave birth to a baby girl. As an elf birth is never something that occurs lightly, much thought and soul searching had gone into the decision to bring a child in a world that, even by Nimuwen’s eyes, was obviously diminishing. Rindalagan, in his heart, knew that even Nimue and her Silvan people, who were more resistant to the call of the west, would not dwell long in the Mortal Lands, but he could not deny her this wish. He was easily swayed himself, as he could think of no other place where he would want his child to be born than in the vale of Imladris that he and his wife had come to call home. So it was that their daughter was born amid much celebration, as even in the time before the diminishing, the birth of an elf child was a rare and special event. Many emissaries and friends from the sundered enclaves of elves in Lorien, Greenwood, and Mithlond (as well as an old hobbit of some importance) arrived to greet the new child who was named Calenhiril Dînigaer (Green Maiden, may she silence the sea). When Rindalagan looked into his daughter’s bright green eyes, all weariness left him, and he knew that she was more than aptly named.

So it is, the War of the Ring has come upon Middle Earth. For Rindalagan Tinnufal, it is the final chapter, but if ever his commitment to the safety and security of the free peoples of Middle-earth had wavered, all he now has to do is think of his young daughter and spirited wife. He knows that he will either perish in darkness, returning to the Halls of Waiting to reunite with the spirit of his father, or aid in the great rebirth of a land that is no longer his and, at last, willingly pass, with his family, over the sea. Whichever end comes to pass, Rindalagan Tinnufal, The Harper at Twilight, knows that as the song of his struggles reach their coda, the refrain of his long life will echo in the mortal ages to come.

Wow, this was excellently done.

I am glad you liked it. I don't expect many to actually read all that, but it certainly helps ME keep things straight. I find it quite challenging to RP someone or something so ancient in a manner that seems...substantial enough. But it is a fun challenge.

One thing in particular you might want to fix:

"She wed Ilúviel's father, the Noldor Aer-Alagos, at Nan-tathran (the flower filled meadows near the southern most borders of the forest) the same year that Melian, the queen of Doriath, stricken by grief, returned across the sea. It was clear that Elenath's beloved homeland was diminishing, as the girdle of Melian no longer protected the ancient forest kingdom, and the threat of Morgoth loomed ever nearer.

After the Nirnaeth Arnoediad (Battle of Unnumbered Tears), it was with heavily laden hearts that the pair left the willows of Nan-tathran and relocated to the Mouths of Sirion to the South, joining the exiles of Gondolin and a large contingent of fellow refugees from Doriath."

The Nirnaeth Arnoediad had taken place thirty years prior to that (472 FA). Melian left Doriath in 502 FA.

Elenath left Menegroth after Elu Thingol was killed (1 502). She and Aer-Alagos were eventually married at Nan-tathren the year Melian left (1 502), and sometime after those events and the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, they departed for the Mouths of Sirion. They likely left for Ossiriand in 1 538 - though perhaps they spent some time on the isle of Balar first, as that's where Gil-galad was.

I'll agree that doesn't flow particularly well, with the mention of the earlier Nirnaeth Arnoediad after the later events of Thngol's death and Melian's departure, but it's technically still correct. I was trying to make the point that things hadn't been all that rosy in the last few decades. Thank you for your microscopic attention to detail though. I will likely go back and smooth that transition out.

"The little lights aren't twinkling, Clark."

Originally Posted by Wyndelleu

I'll agree that doesn't flow particularly well, with the mention of the earlier Nirnaeth Arnoediad after the later events of Thngol's death and Melian's departure, but it's technically still correct. I was trying to make the point that things hadn't been all that rosy in the last few decades.

Might I suggest "After the Fall of Gondolin", then? That does the same and it's more immediate.

One other thing: I'm not at all clear on why anyone would have wanted to leave the Isle of Balar and Gil-galad's protection, and go back to the mainland. The Isle was the safest place to be, then.

btw I believe it's also incorrect to refer to the Numenoreans as 'the Edain'. The first generation of native-born Numenoreans effectively superseded their Edain parents, as the blessing of the Valar made them superhuman.

Originally Posted by Radhruin_EU

Might I suggest "After the Fall of Gondolin", then? That does the same and it's more immediate.

One other thing: I'm not at all clear on why anyone would have wanted to leave the Isle of Balar and Gil-galad's protection, and go back to the mainland. The Isle was the safest place to be, then.

btw I believe it's also incorrect to refer to the Numenoreans as 'the Edain'. The first generation of native-born Numenoreans effectively superseded their Edain parents, as the blessing of the Valar made them superhuman.

Well, I never said for certain if they ever went to the Isle of Balar. Some refugees went east immediately. They could have been among them. I only mentioned Balar later as that's where we know Gil-galad went and Iluviel's parents seemed to follow him in most instances.

Fair enough on the Fall of Gondolin and the Edain. I will likely make those minor adjustments.

Couple of minor points.

1. Of what house was Iluviel's father? Given his mother is of the people of Doriath, I assumed the House of Finarfin, but didn't want to assume. It is important though, given later events, as a Noldorin elf might have some issues during the Second and Third Kinslayings. Also, was his father an Exile, or born in Beleriand?

2. You make mention of your character's parents deciding not to leave for Aman prior to the War of Wrath. Your treatment of the timing here is a bit unclear. The call to return to Aman wasn't made until after the defeat of Morgoth.

3. There is a gap in the events concerning what Iluviel's father and mother did following Thingol's death. Recall that no haven was established at the Mouths of Sirion until after the Second Kinslaying, and that Dior and Nimloth came to Doriath following the Battle of Sarn Athrad. If they were there, then they endured not one, but two assaults by the Sons of Feanor.

4. Elves were not involved with the return of Narsil to the North after the Last Alliance. It was carried by Isildur and returned to Imladris by Othar from the disaster of the Gladden Fields. No elves were involved.

5. I'm not entirely sure of your treatment of the thoughts of Iluviel regarding the Ring during the final battle of the Siege of Barad-dur. No elf was tempted by the power for mastery of the One Ring, save Galadriel (for vastly different reasons). Indeed, Annatar/Sauron did not ensnare Celebrimbor's folk by promises of power, but of knowledge and the ability to maintain their lands unstained by the ravages of time. For Iluviel to feel as he did is a bit offputting, imo. Anger over Isildur keeping the ring would be keeping in character, but not envy and desire, particularly as Iluviel never assumes any sort of power or leadership among the elves that would point to even the slightest desire for personal power.

Your character and your story, and you clearly researched and put much thought into it. These are just intended as constructive criticisms, taken or left at your desire.

I would suggest, for your naming conventions, that you read up on Tolkien's thoughts on Elven names, would let you add some depth (Mother names, Father Names, etc.) and help explain a secondary, Quenya name (his mother would likely not have approved that btw, given Thingol's order concerning Quenya...not that his father wouldn't have done it anyway).

Since this character was named years ago, when I had even less of an understanding of elven naming conventions than I do now, I have renamed this character in game and here.

His new names are:

Sindarin - Rindalagan Tinnufal (Crowned Harper of the Twilight Shores)
Quenyan - Rinandaro Falundómë

Most men know him simply as Taligan or Taligand (The Harper).

Originally Posted by Aegildir

Couple of minor points.

1. Of what house was Iluviel's father? Given his mother is of the people of Doriath, I assumed the House of Finarfin, but didn't want to assume. It is important though, given later events, as a Noldorin elf might have some issues during the Second and Third Kinslayings. Also, was his father an Exile, or born in Beleriand?

2. You make mention of your character's parents deciding not to leave for Aman prior to the War of Wrath. Your treatment of the timing here is a bit unclear. The call to return to Aman wasn't made until after the defeat of Morgoth.

3. There is a gap in the events concerning what Iluviel's father and mother did following Thingol's death. Recall that no haven was established at the Mouths of Sirion until after the Second Kinslaying, and that Dior and Nimloth came to Doriath following the Battle of Sarn Athrad. If they were there, then they endured not one, but two assaults by the Sons of Feanor.

4. Elves were not involved with the return of Narsil to the North after the Last Alliance. It was carried by Isildur and returned to Imladris by Othar from the disaster of the Gladden Fields. No elves were involved.

5. I'm not entirely sure of your treatment of the thoughts of Iluviel regarding the Ring during the final battle of the Siege of Barad-dur. No elf was tempted by the power for mastery of the One Ring, save Galadriel (for vastly different reasons). Indeed, Annatar/Sauron did not ensnare Celebrimbor's folk by promises of power, but of knowledge and the ability to maintain their lands unstained by the ravages of time. For Iluviel to feel as he did is a bit offputting, imo. Anger over Isildur keeping the ring would be keeping in character, but not envy and desire, particularly as Iluviel never assumes any sort of power or leadership among the elves that would point to even the slightest desire for personal power.

Your character and your story, and you clearly researched and put much thought into it. These are just intended as constructive criticisms, taken or left at your desire.

I would suggest, for your naming conventions, that you read up on Tolkien's thoughts on Elven names, would let you add some depth (Mother names, Father Names, etc.) and help explain a secondary, Quenya name (his mother would likely not have approved that btw, given Thingol's order concerning Quenya...not that his father wouldn't have done it anyway).

These were very helpful criticisms, and I have taken them into consideration. I removed the mention of returning with the shards of Narsil as that was unnecessarily confusing.

I removed the line about Elenath not yet wishing to cross over the sea, as it appears she would not have been welcome at that time.

I changed the name of Iluviel Elvea to Rindalagan Tinnufal, which I found to be slightly more in line with Sindarin naming conventions while still sounding like a name. There was some compromise for appearance here, especially in the last name.

I have slightly altered Rindalagan's reaction to the One Ring and his thoughts about it after the Last Alliance.

I am a little unsure as to what to do about your third point. If I recall, the Battle of Sarn Athrad was a battle between Green Elves led by Beren and the Dwarves of Nogrod who stole the Silmaril (in the necklace Nauglamir). In my thoughts, Aer-alagos and Elenath Celon had already removed to Nan-tathren, and then fled to Sirion soon after the Fall of Gondolin. Does this timing not work?

Thank you for your criticism...and for bothering to read this monstrosity of a a bio lol

A few more images of Rindalagan in his more martial incarnations:




Rindalagan at the muster of the Last Alliance





Rindalagan prepared to engage the forces of the Witch King of Angmar under the command of Glorfindel

This is fantastic, really. Such work and detail into a game character. I'm in awe, really. What type of RP do you do with him?

As someone who has read the Silmarillion several times, I absolutely adored this story. A very well conceived tale.