Originally posted by Ushgarak
-"This is indeed a Palantir," says Arvedui. "I would be careful about looking too closely at it. I do not know what effect it has on Elvenkind but it always gives me a headache...
"There are three such stones in my charge. One is of limited use; it only looks West; my forefather Elendil used it to look back from the direction he had come form to these lands. Then there was the stone at Arnor's capital, Annuminas, the city founded by Elendil himself. This we brought here after Arnor became split. I feel sorry for Annuminas, it seems shameful to no longer use Elendil's capital, but this is my ancestral seat of power now, and Annuminas is just a small town.
"The third and greatest stone is this one, which we used to keep at Amon Sul, that the Common Men call Weathertop. Amon Sul was destroyed in battle some five centuries ago; my forefathers rescued the stone first but abandoned their fellow armies of Cardolan and Rhudaur to defeat." He sighs. "People are slow to forget such betrayal of trust. The wedges are deep.
"It shows me many things, when I have a mind to use it. I used it also to open contact with the Kings of Gondor. Amazing, almost two thousand years of no contact between Arnor and Gondor and the solution was right in front of every King since Isildur all the time. No-one cared any more, that was the thing. A grave state of affairs- the world should be uniting, not dividing.
"This, then is my seeing tower. Quite aside from the Stone, from here I can see much of the city and a good deal beyond. Do you like the view?"
Quite happy to discuss more pleasant things, Aiwendil turned away from the Palantir. The seeing stones sent a shiver down her spine - you could never be sure who was looking back.
"Yes, sire. The beauty of nature apart, I can see how this would be a most valuable look-out post."
(Luckily, the only person likely to be looking back is Gondor's King. Only when Sauron captures a Palantir do they become dangerous)
Arvedui leads you to the eastern window and points slightly to the left.
"Sadly you cannot see it from here," he says, "but in about a week's travel in that directin, over the Rhudaur border, there is a small Grove of great beauty." Arevedui smiles.
"Many thousands of years ago, your kind ruled these lands, you see. It was in this part of Middle-Earth that you battled your most ancient enemy, Morgoth, the master of Sauron himself. In fact, Morgoth's headquarters were not too far from here; certainly less far from here than you have comer to be here! Though the Geography was... somewhat different in those days.
"So yes, Elves once ruled these lands, and they built great things. And some of what they built has endured, like their Groves such as the one I just mentioned. Such Groves are beautiful. They are filled with fine and beautiful greenery that parts to let visitors through, so long as they do not come to cause harm. Sweet running water flows through it, refreshing all those who drink from it. And the animals and birds there have been taught in Elvish fashion, and are intelligent and friendly. Would you like to see such a place?"
Arvedui nods and turns to you.
"Well, I am afraid you cannot. It does not exist any more. When the Dunlendings came, their master the Witch-King of Angmar directed them to that place. They burnt the trees and poisoned the water and killed the animals. Some of the animals they ate, some they just tortured and killed for fun. The hung the skeletons on the burnt-out trees. They are still there I think, if you ride out to see them. But if you did, you would not return. It's behind the lines of the Witch-King's dark army. Half a million strong at our last count, larger than anything we could really comprehend. And growing every day."
Originally posted by Ushgarak
Arvedui nods and turns to you."Well, I am afraid you cannot. It does not exist any more. When the Dunlendings came, their master the Witch-King of Angmar directed them to that place. They burnt the trees and poisoned the water and killed the animals. Some of the animals they ate, some they just tortured and killed for fun. The hung the skeletons on the burnt-out trees. They are still there I think, if you ride out to see them. But if you did, you would not return. It's behind the lines of the Witch-King's dark army. Half a million strong at our last count, larger than anything we could really comprehend. And growing every day."
Aiwendil shed bitter, silent tears of remorse. Of all the races, Elves were the most attuned to Nature, and hearing of this senseless destruction caused her almost physical pain. Muttering an excuse, she ran down the steps, seeking solace with the bushes and tree-dwelling creatures below.
Unfortunately, the lower door of the tower is closed and locked, leaving you there only to rage ineffectually about it. Your hear footsteps as Arvedui follows you down.
"Something has to be done, I hope you agree," says Arvedui, softly. "If the Witch-King is not checked his armies will spread over the whole of Middle-Earth, and do the same things to all greenery they find."
"Good," he says, walking you back to his throne room. "I am afraid overthrowing the Witch-King militarily could be difficult. Arthedain is strong, but Arnor has never really recovered from being split into 3. We can resist the Witch-King, but whether we can defeat him... his army is growing fast, If it grows faster than our capacity to defend ourselves then all is lost.
"And fate is aginst us. My name speaks a truth- Arvedui, last King. I shall be the Last King of Arthedain, and Arthedain shall cease to exist after me. So said Malbeth the Seer, and he was never wrong."
"Malbeth saw no battle, only a certainity inherent to my nature- I am the Last King of Arthedain." Arvedui turns to you with bright, active eyes.
"But we may yet shape the fashion in which that happens. Many have taken it to man that we shall fall nd perish, and despaired, hopoing only that Malbeth was wrong. But after consultation with the Wise- I do not know if you have heard of them, there are two named Saruman and Gandalf, who come to visit me from time to time- I have a different plan.
"See, we cannot destroy Angmar ourselves. Only an Alliance of ALL the free peoples of Middle-Earth- Man, Dwarf, Elf, even Hobbit- can do that. At least with any certainty. All my life I have strived to build alliances and pull peoples together but it has not been easy. The Elves and Dwarves stand by, and mankind reminds divided.
"I tried to beat the Prophecy of my name by unification with Gondor. I had a rightful claim to its crown. Malbeth prophecised that this could happen too- he told my father at my birth," says Arvedui, starting a quote he knows well:
"Arvedui you shall call him, for he will be the last in Arthedain. Though a choice will come to the Dunadain, and if they take the one that seems less hopeful, then your son will change his name and become King of a Great Realm. If not, then much sorrow and many lives of men shall pass, until the Dunadain arise and are united again."
"If I had gotten the Gondorian crown I would have fulfilled the happy ending of that Prophecy, but they ignored my claim and chose another insterad. I guess I can not blame them for it.
"but now I have a new plan. To the South lies Cardolan, half ruined by the Witch-King, half shattered into hundreds of small Lordships. Long Cardolan and ourselves have stood wearily apart from each other. But that shall now end. I plan for Arthedain and Cardolan to unite into one Kingdom. I shall cease to be the Last King of Arthedain. Arthedain will indeed cease to exist. I shall change my name and become the FIRST King of a new Kingdom, a Kingdom born of unity and hope, and a demonstration that the people are unifying together against the Witch-King!
"You can help me with this, Lady Elf. If you so wish."