Valacar

King Valacar was the 20th King of Gondor, ruling in Third Age as King from 1366 to his death in 1432.

To strengthen the bond between Gondor and the Northmen, Prince Valacar's father Rómendacil II brought many of those people into his service, and showed especial favour to King Vidugavia of Rhovanion. Rómendacil II sent Valacar to live with Vidugavia as the ambassador of Gondor, to learn the language and culture of the Northmen.

Vidugavia's daughter, Princess Vidumavi was fair, noble, courageous and beautiful, and Valacar fell in love with her. They married and had a son, Eldacar, named "Vinitharya" by the Northmen. The family returned to Gondor after some years, but their marriage and heir were not well received by many of the lords of Gondor, who thought ill of the mixing of blood in the royal line.

As a Northman, Princess Vidumadi had a much shorter life span than the former Númenórean were used to, and she died in TA 1332 while Valacar's father Rómendacil II was still the king. Her early death sowed the seeds of the Kin-strife in Gondor, as some of the Lords worried the life span of the line of Kings would diminish similarly.

Despite these mutterings, the rule of Rómendacil remained a peaceful one in later years, as his stature as a respected war-general and slayer of Easterlings was not disputed by any. He died in Third Age 1366, leaving his crown to his son.

Valacar in turn ruled for 66 years, but his rule was plagued by increasing resentment, and finally open rebellion in the southern provinces during his last years, in refusal to let Eldacar, son of a Northman, to sit on the throne of Gondor. The Kin-strife had started, and it broke out into full bloom when Valacar died in 1432.