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Elorn Firnaithon
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Home(s)
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People
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time period
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F.A. 495 - S.A. 1697
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Gender
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Male
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Elorn Firnaithon (F.A. 495 - S.A. 1697) was a Sinda of Doriath who rose to importance among the Silvan Elves of Greenwood the Great during the Second Age. Married to Gilwen Feiredis, he was the father of Oropher and grandfather of Thranduil. He was killed by Sauron during the Sack on Eregion and his son was acknowledged as King.
History[]
Elorn Firnaithon was born in F.A. 495, a time when Morgoth held dominion over much of the Beleriand and Middle-Earth. As a young Elf, Elorn lived in the shadow of the First Dark Lord's power, within the kingdom of Doriath, under the reign of Elu Thingol. However, as the darkness spread, he and many others fled eastward to escape the growing threat.
In his travels, Elorn became one of the early settlers of what would become Greenwood the Great—later known as the Woodland Realm. Here, among the towering trees and winding rivers, Elorn established himself as a leader, though his realm was less a kingdom than a place of refuge. It was in the deep forests of this land that Elorn began to unite the scattered Silvan Elves, drawing them into his fold.
The capital of his land, Aradhrynd, was built upon a wooded hill, surrounded by clear streams and guarded by natural fortifications. Elorn’s wife, Gilwen Feiredis, became a beloved figure among the Woodland Elves, renowned for her wisdom and grace. Together, they had a son, Oropher, who would inherit both the rule and his father’s ideals.
In the early years of the Second Age, Elorn’s leadership in Greenwood the Great grew, as he solidified his position as the first true sovereign of the Woodland Realm. Unlike many of his kin who sought peace in isolation, Elorn harbored a vision greater than that of mere leadership. Inspired by his memories of Thingol, the Elven King of Doriath, he sought not only to rule but to ascend to the lofty title of King, much like his distant relative. During this time, he crossed paths with Celebrimbor, the Lord of Eregion, whose skill in smithcraft and mastery of the Elven Rings was renowned. The two forged a close alliance, with Elorn recognizing the potential of Celebrimbor’s vision and craft, though he had no inkling of the looming betrayal that would soon threaten the world.
It was during this time that Elorn, yearning for greater power and desiring to emulate the ancient kings of Elvenkind, encountered Annatar, the fair form assumed by Sauron. Annatar’s charm and promises of power through the forging of Rings of Power swayed Elorn’s judgment. Seeking to secure his legacy and take a place among the great rulers of his people, Elorn was duped by the lies of the Dark Lord and agreed to take a role in the creation of the Rings, with one of the Great Rings of Power destined for him, though unknowingly bound to Sauron’s will.
When the treachery of Annatar was revealed and Sauron unleashed his armies upon Eregion in S.A. 1697, Elorn rallied his warriors to its defense. He led a host of Woodland Elves westward, joining Celebrimbor in a desperate effort to withstand Sauron’s assault. Elorn, fighting valiantly alongside his allies and the defenders of Ost-in-Edhil, met his tragic end during its Sack of Eregion. Though the forces of Sauron proved too strong, Elorn’s death in the battle was a rallying cry for the Elves. His son, Oropher, who had fought at his side, survived the attack and was thereafter recognized as the rightful King of the Woodland Realm, who avenged his father's death in the War of the Last Alliance.
Notes[]
In the books Oropher's descendence remains obscure, only vague allusions to Legolas II Greenleaf and Celeborn the Wise possibly being akin and his name belonging to a family of "Tree-names" among the Sindar have led to presume him to be a possible descendant of Elmo.MERP however explained Legolas' kinship to Celeborn through his mother, Arhendhiril.