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Bar Airlossiel
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Location of ruins of Bar Airlossiel (MERP)
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Type
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Stronghold/Fort (Ruin)
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Region
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Bar Airlossiel (S. "Home [of the] Lonely Snow-maiden"; Os. Mbar Erelossuil), also known as Ost Dínen (S. "Silent Castle") or Barad Perinluoss (N. "Tower [of the] Half-whisper"), was the tower of an ancient elvish haven in southern Sîrgala, an independent community of Silvan Elves and Arthadan religious refugees. They had pledged fealty to a Half-elven mage known as Airlossiel the Quiet, a descendant of Silivnir, the lord of Caras Celairnen. She had transformed into one of the Houseless as a result of a morgul-wound in T.A. 1409. Her spirit however was not consumed by evil as were others of that kind, though she still fed off the life-force of living beings. She tried to bring peace to the people living near her home, though her presence could weaken the Fëa of her charges, and the haven became almost alarmingly peaceful. Few Men or Elves visited the place.
In later years Perinluoss, lost in a forgotten corner of Eriador, eventually became a simple mannish settlement ruled by a Thain elected by the local farmers. The Rangers of the North sent crippled warriors there when the wounded could get no other relief from their affliction. The top of the tower of the Silent Castle was barely visible from the highest points of the South Downs of the Shire. It was said to loom more largely for those with troubled hearts or chronic pain. Periodically, a Hobbit afflicted in head or heart simply disappeared into the forests—to return, if at all, years later, cured but confused, and telling stories of fairy castles and dreams of a beautiful Elvish lady.
Unbeknownst to the Arthedain or Sîrrandrai Elves of Perinluoss, Airlossiel—while dying of the magically-inflicted wound—had imbedded her soul in the foundation stones of her tower.
Notes[]
- Original forms in MERP: Bar Irlossiel → Bar Airlossiel; Barad Perilussi → Barad Perinluoss; Iralussiel → Airlossiel
- In the 2012 version of his article Population and Urbanization in Eriador, Thomas Morwinsky names the place clearly identified as "Bar Irlossiel" in MERP as "Firaen", a name he previously located in the North Downs (published in Other Minds Magazine #13).
References[]
- MERP: Arnor
- MERP: The Shire
- MERP Fan-modules: Jeff J. Erwin: A Traveler's Guide to Lindon (Lindon Gazetteer 2.rtf) (.RTF)