Númenor

The island kingdom of Númenor is the Westernmost of all mortal realms inhabited by a nautical society divided on whether to reject Elven nature or move in a new direction.

Official Description[]

For their suffering in the wars of the First Age, these human allies of the elves were rewarded with an island, set apart from Middle-earth, where they built the great kingdom of Númenor. The men and women of Númenor were granted a longer lifespan than other humans, and were enriched with knowledge and many gifts by the elves – but it has been centuries since the elves were last welcomed on their shores.

History[]

Following the wars of the First Age, Valar gifted Númenor to their human allies as a divine gift. The half-eleven savior Eäriendil the Mariner was a savior of Middle-earth in the Eldar Days and the progenitor of Númenor's royal line. A towering statue of Eäriendil towers over the central wharf of Númenor's capital city in his honor him.^[2]

The half-elf Elros, under the name Tar-minyatur,^[2] became Númenor's first King. The Elves helped the humans build and design the city, with Elvish carved into statues and taught in their great Hall of Lore, built by Elros himself. The Elves brought gifts for the humans and shared knowledge with the Númenóreans, though with time, more Elven ships were turned away.^[3]

Eventually, the crown was passed to Tar-Palantir, who was loyal to the Elves.^[3]

Locations[]

The men and women of Númenor are advanced in their usage of the Sea, and as such, have systems of canals and water-locks that crisscross the city. There is always access to a boat.^[4]

Capital[]

The capital of Númenor is at the center of the island and includes robust markets and the rulers court.^[5] The capital is built up, rather than out like most capitals. The achievements of the Edain are built upon foundations the elves helped create - foundations they replace in their constant push toward progress.^[4]

King's Tower[]

Following his exile from the throne, the king Tar-Palantir retreated to his tower where he spent much of his time. He became a recluse in his own kingdom.^[3] In the tower were many artifacts, including scrolls and helms.^[6] The scrolls in the King's tower are elven, or else influenced by the elves, and stored there for safekeeping. There are other artifacts in the tower that date back to the First Age and the heroes of the Edain.^[7]

The Western Shores[]

The Western Shores of Númenor are the absolute westernmost point of all mortal lands. The shores face the Undying Lands. Elves from Eressëa visited these shores with gifts and knowledge for their Númenórean companions.^[8]

Succession[]

According to Númenor law, the eldest child of the King, regardless of gender, will be their successor.^[4]

Smithcrafts[]

The people of Númenor pride themselves on being self-sufficient and experts at their many crafts, which lends to their exemplary teachings.

In terms of smithcraft, the advancements of Númenor are the pinnacle of human achievements in the history of Middle-earth. In later days, their works will seem to not be built by craft, but to be carved from the bones of the earth by the hands of giants.^[4]

Each child of Númenor is encouraged to join a guild to hone their skills and build professions. One cannot practice any trade in Númenor without a guild crest, and earning the crest is done with immense teaching and schooling from a guild master. The crests are metal emblems that are adorned on the wearers sash to represent their guilt.^[3]

The Guild of Weaponsmiths was comprised of skilled forgers of steel. Their task in Númenor was to create weapons such as axes, swords, knives, and other bladed weaponry. The crest for the weaponsmiths features individual people standing around a forger.^[3]

The Builder's Guild featured incredibly talented architects whom were skilled at crafting buildings.^[3]

The Horseman's Guild is comprised of skill horse wranglers.^[3] Their crest features two horse heads.

The Merchant's Guild is another guild.^[9]

Appearances[]

Season One
- "Adar" (First appearance)

Trivia[]

Númenor is also called "The Land of the Star"^[3] and Westernesse.^[10]
Númenor uses books instead of scrolls to pass information from one generation to the next. They originally wrote in the elven script, Tengwar, but it evolved over time to accommodate their own language and became a unique script of its own.^[4]
Númenor's arms and armor reflect their island. Their armor is scaled like the sea-life that surrounds their island, and horses adorned their sword-hilts, with horse-tail on their helms.^[4]