Castamir

Biography: Castamir
Birth - Death	Third Age 1259-1447
Race:	Man
Gender:	Male
Ancestor(s):	Calmacil ⁞
	Castamir
Child(ren):	Unnamed
Info:	22^nd King of Gondor

Castamir the Usurper was a nobleman of Gondor who seized the throne during the civil war known as the Kin-strife. He ruled as the 22^nd King of Gondor from T.A. 1437 to T.A. 1447 before being slain at the Battle of the Crossings of Erui by the rightful king, Eldacar of Gondor. His brief and controversial reign left a deep and lasting scar upon the kingdom, and the consequences of his rebellion would trouble Gondor for centuries afterward.

Lore

Castamir was born in T.A. 1259 and belonged to a cadet branch of the royal house. He was descended from Calmacil, the eighteenth King of Gondor, through Calmacil's younger son Calimehtar. Though not in the direct line of succession, this descent placed him among the highest nobility of the realm and gave him a credible claim to leadership among those dissatisfied with the royal line. In time Castamir rose to become the Captain of Ships of Gondor, commanding the powerful fleets based in the southern havens such as Pelargir. His authority over Gondor's maritime forces and his popularity among the seafaring provinces gave him considerable influence.

Political tensions grew during the later years of the reign of Valacar. Valacar had married Vidumavi, a princess of Rhovanion, and their son Eldacar inherited both Gondorian and Northman ancestry. While the marriage strengthened Gondor's alliance with the Northmen, many of the proud Dúnedain of the southern provinces viewed the union with suspicion and resentment. When Valacar died in T.A. 1432 and Eldacar ascended the throne, this discontent erupted into open rebellion.

Castamir emerged as the leader of the rebels. Because of his noble descent and his command of the fleets, many among the coastal lords and southern provinces rallied to his cause. The conflict quickly escalated into a full civil war remembered as the Kin-strife. Castamir led the rebel forces that marched upon Osgiliath, the ancient capital of Gondor, where Eldacar had established his defense.

The siege of Osgiliath lasted for several years and proved catastrophic for the city. During the fighting the rebels stormed the capital, and great destruction followed. The famed Dome of Stars, which had housed the palantír of Gondor, was burned and ruined amid the chaos. Castamir's conduct during the siege revealed the harshness of his character; he ordered the execution of Ornendil, the eldest son of Eldacar, after the prince was captured when the city fell. Eldacar himself escaped and fled north into exile among the Thíuda, his mother's kin in Rhovanion.

With the fall of Osgiliath in T.A. 1437, Castamir seized the throne and proclaimed himself king. His reign lasted ten years, but it was marked by cruelty and arrogance that alienated many of his subjects. Though a capable commander and a skilled mariner, Castamir proved an unpopular ruler. He favored the coastal regions that had supported his rebellion and even proposed moving the royal seat from Osgiliath to Pelargir, a decision that outraged many in Minas Anor and Ithilien who regarded the ancient capital as the rightful heart of the kingdom.

Meanwhile, Eldacar gathered strength in exile. In the north he forged alliances with the Northmen of Rhovanion and rallied many Gondorians who had grown disillusioned with Castamir's rule. When the time came, Eldacar marched south with an army bolstered by forces from Calenardhon, Anórien, and Ithilien. In T.A. 1447 the opposing armies met in Lebennin at the Battle of the Crossings of Erui. The battle was fierce and costly, and much of the nobility of Gondor perished in the struggle. In the midst of the fighting Eldacar personally slew Castamir, thus reclaiming the throne and bringing the Kin-strife to its end.

Though Castamir himself was defeated, his legacy endured. His sons escaped the battlefield and retreated to Pelargir with many of their followers. From there they sailed south to Umbar, where they established an independent lordship beyond the reach of Gondor. These exiles and their descendants became the notorious Corsairs of Umbar, bitter enemies of Gondor who would harry its coasts and shipping for generations.

The Heirs of Castamir

The Heirs of Castamir are four brothers who lead the attack of the Corsairs of Umbar on Gondor. They claim to be the direct descendants of Castamir. The eldest of the brothers is called Balakhôr the Scourge, who is the commander of the entire attack. The other three are Azgarzôr, Azruthor and Dolgimil.