User:Casandir

Casandir
Order of the Tower Guard
World:	Landroval
Vocation:	Historian
Class:	Lore-master
Race:	Elf
Region:	Edhellond
Age:	421
Height:	6'
Sex:	F
Skin:	Fair
Hair:	Black
Eye:	Green

Biography and Lore

Casandir is a Sindar Elf of the Laurelin area, who hails from the port-town of Edhellond. She is descended of Amdir's line, through Amroth. Since the beginning of the Third Age, she has been the leader of the Order of the Tower Guard.

From the Register of Rhovanion Edhil Lords, Vol.3

... And in the record of the Sindar Malgalad, father of Lord Amroth and first king of Lórien, we find register of Amroth's descendants, though little is known of either: the warden Amdonir, heir to Lórien, resided peacably in Edhellion following his father's departure; Casandil was called Varaldatar the wandering "tree-warden", a lore-master, mystic, and steward of Nimloth's scion during the years of the war at Dagorlad.

It is written that Malgalad, who is called Amdir, journeyed in 3430 of the Second Age to the refuge Imladris for the gathering of the council of the Last Alliance, and that Casandil and Amdonir did join him. At the council, care for the scion of Nimloth that Isildur had salvaged from Minas Ithil was charged to Varaldatar, who had gained renown for nurturing the Laurelindórenan forest in its early centuries - gift of Gil-Galad that Galadriel had planted. Song tells of regular retreats to secure locations around Eregion and the Hoarwell during the ten and four years of the War of the Last Alliance, to escape clandestine attempts to destroy the scion.

In the years following the War and the dawning of the Third Age, the lore-master designed the Ecthelion Guard's charter to protect the scion at Minas Arnor, and to this day one can read the engraved script at the courtyard fountain composed by Amroth's descendant. The mystic insight of the charter was embodied in a newly formed Order of the Ecthelion Guard which maintained a small size through the next two millennium.

In the year TA1980 the Hadhodrond fire-demon awoke beneath Moria and a great Silvan exodus from Lórien followed. Beloved of Amroth, Nimrodel departed Lórien amidst the exodus. Having ruled in Lothlórien for 1,988 years, Amroth ventured forth to the Gondoran haven Edhellond in pursuit, and eventually drowned in the Bay of Belfalas, chasing visions of his beloved in bouts of madness. Little beside remains in the record of the ancient king, outside of Sindar oral traditions. One song follows,

"An Elven-maid there was of old, A shining star by day: Her mantle white was trimmed with gold, Her shoes of silver-grey.

A star was bound upon her brows, A light was on her hair As sun upon the golden boughs In Lorien the fair. Her hair was long, her limbs were white, And fair she was and free; And in the wind she went as light As leaf of linden-tree.

Beside the falls of Nimrodel, By water clear and cool, Her voice as falling silver fell Into the shining pool. Where now she wanders none can tell, In sunlight or in shade; For lost of yore was Nimrodel And in the mountains strayed.

The elven-ship in haven grey Beneath the mountain-lee Awaited her for many a day Beside the roaring sea. A wind by night in Northern lands Arose and loud it cried, And drove the ship from elven-strands Across the streaming tide.

When dawn came dim the land was lost, The mountains sinking grey Beyond the heaving waves that tossed Their plumes of blinding spray. Amroth beheld the fading shore Now low below the swell, And cursed the faithless ship that bore Him far from Nimrodel.

Of old he was an Elven-king, A lord of tree and glen, When golden were the boughs in spring In fair Lothlorien. From helm to sea they saw him leap, An arrow from the string, And dive into the water deep, As mew upon the wing.

The wind was in his flowing hair, The foam about him shone; Afar they saw him strong and fair Go riding like a swan. But from the West has come no word, And on the Hither Shore No tidings Elven-folk have heard Of Amroth evermore."

And at the haven of Edhellond, Casandil and Amdonir encouraged the culture of Amdir's son at Dol Amroth, dwelling there for many years and coming to call the Gondoran port-city home. It is known that the son of Thranduil spoke of Dol Amroth, upon meeting the prince Imrahil, "It is long since the people of Nimrodel left the woodlands of Lórien, and yet still one may see that not all sailed from Amroth's haven west over water." Thus in the descendants of Amroth, the values and line of the ancient lords of Lórien survived even after the arrival of the ring Nenya at Caras Galadhon.

Long before the Lórien sundering however, the Sinda Casandil was like to the Silvan among whom she had lived, "turning-back", as far as anyone in the written compendiums of Middle-Earth. Departing from the Golden-wood and turning again and again to the sunrise and moonrise, it is said she delved the eastern expanses, far beyond even Rhun's eastern frontier. Song tells of her studies among the magic-cult of the Blue Istar Alatar, the obscure wanderer called Casandir. It is written that she returned to the easterly lands in the middle Third Age to continue work with the the fifth Istar Pallando, further developing the work of the Order and mastering the wild elements.

In the later Third Age, the Order of the Ecthelion Guard began expanding to meet the increased activity of Mordor's forces, and the grand-child of Amdir works to the day in league with the Captains at Minas Tirith and commanders of Ecthelion's Guard. Here ends the known register of the descendants of Malgalad who is also called Amdir, the first lord of Lórinand, now called Laurelindórenan or Lothlórien, who ruled there in the Second Age.

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