User:Faenor of the Silver Laurel



Mae govannen. I am Faenor Celebrî, your friendly neighborhood admin both here and on the server. I lead the Dúnethrim Elves of Nivrim, and while I may not be the banning type I am not afraid to kick you if necessary. As long as you follow the rules, especially concerning language, we'll get along.

At the Waters of Cuiviénen and the Great Journey:
At Cuiviénen, in the third group awoken, was Ringelen. Woken by Enel himself, Ringelen wandered far and wide about the trees and dells of Cuiviénen before the Sundering and the March. He was among the first to see the Hunter, Oromë upon Nahar, and greeted him by the waters where he had been woken. He persuaded many of the then-called Nelyar to follow Oromë, and was counted high among the Eldar and low among the Avari for this.

While on the Great Journey, Ringelen asked many questions of Oromë, and became much wiser than many of his kindred. When Lenwë led the Nandor away from the new-called Teleri, Ringelen foretold under hs breath that he and his kin would meet again. When they passed through the Hithaeglir, later called the Misty Mountains, Ringelen was not at all afraid of the sheer mountains, and in fact loved them for the cold beauty that they gave to the world. Ringelen was not like the other Eldar in that he loved ice, winter, and the works of frost, more than he loved fire and the making of things both beautiful and practical. Only in the Stars and the Sea were his love of cold surpassed.

When they reached Eriador, Ringelen became content to wander far and wide through the great forests, learning to love trees and number them among the things he loved best. But, when the time came to cross the Ered Lindon, Ringelen gave them a reason to call them the Mountains of Music. It is said that Ringelen's voice in those days was the third-fairest among his people, and for this he was called one of the foremost among the Lindar, the Singers. His lilting voice often echoed through the wide and airy valleys and mountains as they journeyed through them. When the Lindar reached Beleriand, however, Ringelen was one of those who did not wish to go on without Elwë his king. He searched by the Falas, and became hardly distinguishable from the Falathrim for many years. He then searched all throughout the then-unpeopled land of Nargothrond. When Elu Thingol was found again, with Melian the Maia his queen, Ringelen immediately left the search and went to Eglador, serving faithfully as one of the marchwardens of the Elvenking for many thousands of years.

Of Beleriand and the Wars therein:
Over time, as the Sindar language split and developed from the original Quenya it had once been, Ringelen gradually became Faenor, and became known as the swiftest and deadliest servant of the Greycloak King due to his skill with his bow, Aegros, and his sword, Glânlass. For many years, Faenor served tirelessly as one of Elu Thingol's finest wardens, only surpassed by Beleg Strongbow and Mablung the King's Captain. When Morgoth's creatures began to prowl Beleriand, Faenor drove them back almost single-handedly, oftentimes facing twenty or thirtyYrch by himself. Even the dark forest of Nan Elmoth was open to Faenor as he leapt from one twisted tree to another, disdaining walking. This stood him in good stead three millennia later, in Lothlóriën's mallorn forest.

Of the First Battle:
Faenor then participated in the First Battle for Beleriand, personally leading a small group of Doriath's finest archer-scouts into the fray on Amon Ereb, reaching and nearly rescuing Denethor, king of the Laiquendi(Green-elves). Denethor had fallen however, and Faenor and his archers were surrounded with the rest of the Green-elves, valiantly fighting a Orc-host six times their number until Thingol arrived with the main body of Doriath's army. Upon the arrival of the Sindar host, Faenor, seeing that his king had arrived, cried out in a loud voice "Lacho calad! Drego morn!("May light shine! May the Darkness flee!")" At his voice the Doriathrin army, charged with hatred for the yrch and thirsting for vengeance attacked and destroyed the Orcs like leaves before the storm. After the battle's end Faenor mourned the loss of Denethor along with the Laiquendi archers who had fought alongside him.

Of the Second Battle:
But there was little time for mourning. Faenor, with a severely depleted force, was sent to relieve Círdan of the Havens from the Orcs besieging him. Faenor was unable to break the yrch with the remains of his archers, however, and thus the Havens of Eglarest and Brithombar were left besieged. Faenor had to retreat with the remains of his archer-scouts towards Eithel Sirion, hoping to cross the river there and escape back into Doriath.

There he met a rearguard led by the Ñoldorin prince Celegorm, fighting a large army of Orcs the Ñoldor forces had successfully ambushed. With nowhere else to go, and the entire Orc army on their heels, Faenor and his troops made hasty introductions with Celegorm and fought alongside their kindred who were still empowered with the Light of Valinor. Being so close to them, Faenor felt something odd from Celegorm, as if a darkness surrounded the Elf. At the time he said nothing, thinking it was a deception of Morgoth, but in actuality it was the guilt of the Kinslaying that Faenor felt pouring from Celegorm, and indeed nigh-all of the Ñoldor.

Called Ñaltanáro by the Ñoldor for the light they had only ever before seen in the Vanyar and themselves, Faenor pressed onwards with Celegorm, fighting alongside the Sons of Fëanor until they came within sight of Thangorodrim. While all of Fëanor's sons were dismayed and awed by the terrible majesty of the fortress, and even Fëanor himself trembled inwardly at the thought of the terrors beyond the Iron Gate, Faenor(Having seen the fortress many times before) told them it was folly to attack so soon after they had entered into Middle-earth.

When rebuked by Fëanor for what the Ñoldo deemed cowardice, Faenor left with his archers, only to return a short while later when the Balrogs entered the fray. Faenor, battling through the Orc-hosts, came upon Fëanor besought on every side with the forces of Morgoth. With the help of the Sons of Fëanor he cut a path through to the Ñoldo and defended him, personally duelling Gothmog with Glânlass, costing him his sword when Gothmog trod on it. Faenor, untroubled by this, caught up a spear from one of Fëanor's fallen guards and threw it at the Balrog-lord, wounding him and causing him to retreat.

With only his bow left to him, Faenor and his scouts(Later called the "Sindar Archers") fought a guarding action until the Orcs also retreated back to Angband, thus ending the Dagor-nuin-Giliath(Battle under the Stars). That selfsame battle had begun when the Ñoldor had destroyed a force of orcs at Lake Mithrim, freeing up the pressure on the Havens, and to a lesser extent on Doriath. As Fëanor died, the Moon rose, and Faenor took it as a sign that the battle had not been in vain. And far away, at Lake Mithrim, horns were blowing.

Of the Third Battle:
After the fall of Fëanor, the establishment of the Elf-realm of Mithrim, and the coming of Fingolfin, Faenor often traveled among his Ñoldorin kindred, until the Kinslaying was revealed and the Sindar were banned from the use of Quenya. Then he spoke only to Finfarin and his sons, Fingolfin, and Galadriel. Faenor became known as Celeb Rochon in those days, the Silver Rider of Doriath, for he rode like the wind on Nimroch his horse and he was clad in silver-and-cerulean armour when he rode into battle, for he had become the foremost commander of Doraith's Sindar forces. Faenor also had not borne a sword for many years, but this was soon to change.

In the Dagor Aglareb Faenor had no part, for it was forbidden by Elu Thingol that the Sindar of Doriath should march to war on behalf of Kinslayers and decievers. He did, however, recieve consise accounts of the battle from the Ñoldor who were still trusted by the Sindar. It is said that when he heard that the Ñoldor had destroyed the armies of Angband utterly he said "Nan aear adh in elin!(By the sea and stars!) They actually did it." With that began the Siege of Angband, lasting four hundred years.

Of the Fourth Battle:
It began when Morgoth broke the Siege of Angband, which had been held by the Ñoldor for many hundreds of years. Faenor had been informed mere hours before it happened that the scouts stationed about the edges of Northern Doriath had seen great smoke coming up from Angband, as if the Enemy was beginning a attack. Faenor immediately sent a messenger to Fingolfin, heedless of the fact that Fingolfin could never get there in time and even if he did, he would be caught and destroyed by what happened next.

Great rivers of fire, conjured by magic or by the Dragons, poured forth from Angband, killing many of the sentinels stationed there. Faenor, himself now at the northern posts, watched in horror as the fire consumed many Elves, some of whom he knew well. While East Beleriand was overrun by Orcs, and West Beleriand was powerless to help them(Being barely able to stem the yrch themselves), Fingolfin came like a storm out of the south. Faenor, leaping upon Nimroch, overtook him and asked him what the blazes did he think he was doing. Fingolfin told Faenor that he planned on ending Morgoth once and for all, and together the Sindar and the Ñoldor rode across Angfauglith.

Faenor watched helplessly as Morgoth and Fingolfin fought, for even with all his might Faenor had not the Light of Valinor in him, and thus could not stand against Morgoth alone. After Morgoth killed Fingolfin, Faenor retrieved Ringil, the High King's sword, and was told by a dying Fingolfin to use it to avenge its former owner. Faenor agreed and bore Fingolfin's dead body to the highlands of Dorthonion and buried him there, marking his grave with a stone, on which were inscribed the words Gwannas Vae(He died well.)

Then Faenor took up the sword Ringil, the sword he uses to this day. Many names it had had: Ringil, Aeglos, Icicle. But the sword remains the same.

Of the Fifth Battle:
Faenor's bow was soon to change as well. When the League of Maedhros was made and Beleriand was cleared of the foul yrch that had been prowling it for twenty years, Faenor, Beleg Cúathlion, and Mablung the King's captain rode together to fight alongside their Ñoldorin kindred and Edain friends. At first, the three Sindar were suspicious of the Dwarves(With the exception of Beleg, who knew of the Dwarves) and Easterlings, but Beleg and Mablung learned to trust them, a fact that would lead to ruin later. Faenor himself never trusted the Easterlings, for though he kept silent he knew that these Men would ultimately bring trouble. He did however trust the Edain who had come to fight alongside the Ñoldor forces.

When it came time for battle, Faenor had placed himself with the armies of Fingon, standing close by the Elven-king. So it was that he met Turgon, the King of Gondolin, when he opened his leaguer and marched forth with ten thousand well-armed Quendi, ready to do battle. Turgon had heard of Faenor through the Great Eagles who served as his messengers, and gifted him with a new bow, made of the silver-wood from the Gardens of Irmo and strung with Elf-hair, making the bowstring stronger and more durable than normal. It was named Hesinormë in the language of Valinor, Winter's Fury. Faenor called it Rhîwrûth in his own language, which means the same.

When Gelmir the brother of Gwindor was slain Faenor and the Elves of Nargothrond leapt into the fray with zeal, driving their enemies before them. Gwindor had gone mad with battle-rage though, and Faenor halted before they reached Angband's great gate and called for them to pull back. His cry was not heard and thus Gwindor's company was slain and he himself was captured. Faenor, surrounded by the Orcs, did the only thing he could: He charged them. Moving through the shattered great gate, Faenor used Turgon's gift to shoot down every Orc, troll, and warg he could see. Morgoth himself stood forth to do battle in his hall, Grond his mace in his hand, ready to crush Faenor. The fallen Vala slammed his mace into the ground, nearly making his mark and killing the Elf. But before he could raise his hammer for the fatal strike, Faenor leapt up, landing on the great black mace's haft and ran up it, jumping off and kicking Morgoth full in the face. The dark Vala reeled back from the shock of the blow, dropping Grond and clutching at his head. This gave Faenor a chance to escape.

With Morgoth now thoroughly enraged at Faenor the Sinda made his retreat, continuing to empty his quiver at a prodigious rate. When he was twenty meters from the shattered gate, Faenor drew Fingolfin's blade, his arrows being spent. The yrch leapt back in terror, for Ringil was known to them. Faenor then scrambled like mad for the gate, for he knew that his blade-skill was lacking and without his arrows he would be slain.

Upon his exit from the horror-filled hall which would darken his memory ever after, Faenor saw that many Orcs were now loosed upon the plain, Fingon's army was in retreat, Turgon's Elves were moving to fight a rearguard, the Easterlings were attacking Maedhros's forces, and Glaurung and his then-few kin were rampaging on the battlefield.

Faenor scavenged a few arrows from the dead Quendi around him, refilling his quiver, and then went after the biggest threat: The dragons. He emptied his quiver again shooting at them, bringing two down and scattering the rest. Glaurung himself came forth to do battle with the Eldar who would dare kill his kind, but before the golden dragon could get far he was severely wounded by the Dwarf-king Azaghâl, who fought with the dragon to buy Faenor some time, time well-spent restocking his quiver in a effort to be able to fight the great wyrm.

Glaurung fled the field after he was dealt his wound, however, and so Faenor went to help Fingon, arriving just as Fingon was killed by treachery from Gothmog. Faenor, coming up behind, stabbed Gothmog's calf with Ringil, causing the great demon to stumble. This nearly cost the Balrog-lord his life, were it not for one of his compatriots who attacked Faenor, forcing him to defend himself. By the time the demon was dead, slain by a thrust from Ringil, Gothmog had escaped again.

Faenor then met at the impromptu war-council with Turgon and Húrin, and he advised Turgon escape with what remained of his forces. Faenor himself would fight with the rearguard until he could escape back to Doriath and carry the news to Elu Thingol, as well as to see if Beleg and Mablung had survived the carnage.

During the rear-action, he saw the greatest of the courage of Men, and he never forgot what the Edain were capable of when fighting for their friends. When Húor fell from a poison-arrow, Húrin told Faenor to escape. Faenor initially protested, but Húrin told the Elf to carry the news of what the Men of Dor-lómin had done, and so Faenor went. However, he did not go quietly. As he retreated he would turn at regular intervals and rain death upon any Orc foolish enough to try and cross the ford, showing the power of the Gift of Turgon. Only when Faenor was five leagues away did he cease firing. When Gothmog came forth again, with his retinue, Faenor nearly turned to deal with the Balrog once and for all, but kept his word and went his way, cursing the demon and foretelling that a Elf would be his doom.

When Faenor returned to Menegroth, he found Beleg and Mablung, wounded and beaten-up in contrast to Faenor's near-perfect condition, but living. Faenor's own body was only marred by three injuries, all of which were major: A deep cut on his leg, where a shard of Grond had pierced him; A long slash on his arm, where the Balrog had cut him with a ensorcelled weapon designed for maximum pain; And a cut extending from his hairline to the left side of his jaw, nearly reaching the chin. That wound had been from a dragon, who had flown down and attempted to catch Faenor in its claws. It failed, but its back-claw had caught the barest nick on Faenor's face, tracing a neat line from hair to jaw. Other than those wounds, the grime of war, and the mud from the Fen of Serech, the blood on him was not his own.

While healing from his wounds, he told Elu Thingol most all that he had seen and knew whenever the Greycloak King came to visit him. Thingol was impressed by the accounts of Mablung and Beleg as well, which described a slightly different tale than the one Faenor told: Namely because Faenor had left out his own exploits, the slaying of the Balrog, the wounding of Gothmog, the killing of the two dragons, and the humiliating of Morgoth. For those deeds King Thingol named Faenor Dragon-killer and Shadeslayer. He did however instruct that these titles were not to be said in the presence of Faenor, so that Faenor would not feel embarrassed.

With that came the end of the War for Beleriand. The Ñoldor's power over Angfauglith was broken, Hithlum had been destroyed, and the Laiquendi were in hiding. Things would not change until several years later, when Ëarendil sailed to Valinor to speak of the Quendi and Atani's plight.

Of the War of Wrath and the war before it:
Faenor was lauded for bravery, but his wounds were so grievous that it was said he would ne'er again wield a sword or bow with the same skill he had once possessed. Faenor, at the will of Thingol, was also constrained from leaving Doriath. Oftentimes he was unable to leave Menegroth itself, the pain of his wounds being so great as to render him immovable. However, Faenor would not be dissuaded from the trees, and so with a single escort Faenor would walk with the aid of a staff through the fair woods of his homeland. That continued for twenty years, during which time Faenor's wounds(which would have killed a Man and caused a Elf to fade) only festered, causing ever more pain.

During one of his agony-filled moments during his daily walk, Thorondor the Eagle-king, flying over Doriath, saw him as he lay writhing upon the ground, his escort trying to give him some pain-numbing salves. Thorondor then carried this news to Turgon, who was dismayed at the low Faenor had been brought to on his account. Thorondor then flew back to Doriath and caught up the Sinda, leaving his escort quickly behind. However, the escort did flee back to Menegroth and told the tale, and Thingol was also dismayed at what Faenor had suffered defending Turgon.

Thorondor brought Faenor to Gondolin, where Turgon, Glorfindel, Ecthelion, and Tuor greeted him. Faenor attempted to return their salutations, but being weakened even further by the height to which Thorondor had flown and already half-dead with pain, he fell to the ground, the wounds given him by Grond and the Balrog bursting. Turgon ordered that Faenor be taken to the houses of healing, where the apothecaries and healers there told the King that a shard of Grond, as malicious as its master, was still within him. Also, splinters of the Balrog's blackened and torturous axe were also lodged within Faenor's arm, and it was these two, forged in darkness and made by foul hands, that hurt Faenor so. Turgon ordered the removal of the splinters and the shard, and so it was.

When Faenor awoke again, he was in the House of the King. He then after served Turgon for a few months, but fell deeds were afoot that Turgon was blinded to. Maeglin, after capture by Morgoth and his return, was felt by Faenor to have a shadow of malice about him, a shadow that Faenor had felt only in the horrors of Angband. Faenor discreetly asked about it, but no-one else but Idril Celebrindal and Tuor saw it in the darkened Elf. Faenor, having recovered from the pain-filled wounds could now wield his bow and sword again. His sword was re-tempered by the Elven-smiths of Gondolin, and his bow strung with Elf-hair anew. With these weapons, and a grace and skill to match the the Galadhrim and Wood-elves of latter days, Faenor quickly became one of the most prominent of Gondolin in his short time, rising to become second in the House of the King. There he met many Elves of Gondolin, and many encouraged him to marry while there was still time. Faenor refused however, and so alone among the Gondothlim and Sindar in the city he was unwedded and childless.

And then it began, during a time of good cheer and festival. The fall of Gondolin.

Faenor served with the House of the Fountain that day(Being a excellent archer and the only one among them that fought at range) and brought many Orcs down as they came over the plain to attack the city. When the gates were breached Faenor showed his skill, cut off from the House of the Fountain he poured arrows into the ranks of the Enemy over the heads of the Houses of Galdor and Rog. Again Faenor and Gothmog dueled, but the Balrog sheltered behind the great iron contraption that had ferried the Orcs across the plain. Unable to shoot the foul creature, Faenor brought down as many Orcs as he could before a messenger from the House of the Fountain called for him to follow. As he left the battlefield at the gate, a Orc-scout attempted to shoot him in the back with a venomed dart. However, Faenor had taken to wearing the galvorn that the smiths of Gondolin were skilled in making. The shining jet metal repelled the arrow, and Faenor turned briefly to slay the archer and then continued on his way.

There he learned that the House of the Wing was fast approaching, and that there had been treacherous battle within the city itself between the Wing and the Mole. But now was not the time for vengeance. Together the Houses of the Fountain and the Wing charged into the fray, Ecthelion, Faenor, and Túor leading. They smashed the enemy lines, but ever more Orcs, beasts, and even Balrogs and Dragons were pouring over the walls and through the gate. Slowly they were beaten back, with Faenor and the few archers among them providing covering fire. Just as they were falling back to the Square of the King they saw the vanguard of the House of the Golden Flower falling back to the square as well.

Together with Glorfindel, Túor, Ecthelion(wounded by the whip of a Balrog), Galdor, Eglamoth, and Turgon himself Faenor prepared to make a final stand. Their few remaining defenses were swept aside, and Gothmog came forth to do battle. Initially, Gothmog went against Faenor, but before he could take a strike at the Sinda Ecthelion stood forth to meet the Balrog-lord. Gothmog disarmed Ecthelion, but the valiant Ñoldo stabbed the demon with the spike on his helm and wrapped his legs around the Valaraukë's body, tumbling into the Fountain where they both died.

With orcs innumerable upon them there was no time to grieve. Desperate battle was upon them all, and in their darkest hour Túor spoke of a way of escape. Turgon told them to do so, and so many left. Faenor initially wished to remain, and die fighting, but Turgon told him to carry the news of their fall to Doriath. He also told him that he had kept the Sinda far too long in his care, and it was high time he returned to the world outside Gondolin to do greater deeds than dying.

And so Faenor went. But as he did at the Fens of Serech, he did not go quietly. Of the twoscore Balrogs slain in the final stand of the Gondothlim, nine were due to Faenor's blade or bow as he slowly retreated with the House of the Golden Flower in the rearguard. Alongside him was Glorfindel his friend, who was amongst the first of the people he had met in Gondolin. Together they made sure the rear ways were clear of Orcs and trackers.

Of the flight of the Gondothlim across the plain and Cristhorn Faenor does not speak, even when questioned by kings. For this none know whether it way truly a year spent wandering before the finding of the Way of Escape, or a mere hour. Of Glorfindel's fall he will only say that had the Ñoldo not been there they would all have died.

Nevertheless, it was six months before Faenor was seen in Doriath again. Mablung, captain of the King, spied him as he entered the woods of his homeland and so was brought with honor before Elu Thingol. When questioned on where he had been, he stated the truth and told of the Fall of Gondolin. Lúthien, daughter of the King, composed a poem lost to time from his words, and for a little while it was cherished among the Sindar. But it was not to last.