Sceptre of Annúminas
Description
The Sceptre of Annúminas is quite possibly the most ancient of works made by the Race of Man to have survived to the end of the Third Age of Middle-earth, and is one of the most precious heirlooms of the line of Elendil and Isildur. Over 5,000 years old, this remarkable silver rod was originally the mark of authority for Elendil's ancestors, the Lords of Andúnië in old Númenor, and is said to have been patterned in the image of the Royal Sceptre of the Kings. Having survived the Downfall of Númenor in S.A. 3319, it would become the badge of office for the Kings of Arnor and Arthedain (as opposed to a worn crown), passed down through each generation until the death of the last King of Arthedain, Arvedui, in T.A. 1975. With the North Kingdoms destroyed, the Sceptre was then taken in by Lord Elrond in Rivendell, who safeguarded and preserved the heirloom until the King should return...
When Aragorn, son of Arathorn would come of age in T.A. 2951, Elrond bestowed him many of the heirlooms of his ancestry, though he withheld the Sceptre of Annúminas from the young Dúnadan until he should prove himself worthy of it. This he would do, and on May 1st, T.A. 3019, Aragorn was crowned as High-King Elessar, who would reunite the north and south kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor, represented by the sceptre and the Crown of Gondor.
Adventurers only rarely come into contact with this most revered relic, although it plays a central part in a couple of quests (see below), including one of the misadventures of one certain member of the Took Family...
Quest Involvement
- [50] Vol. II Foreword: The Walking-stick - Hobbit
- [120] Instance: Only Half-Remembered