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Kin-strife

Kin-strife

Battle of the Crossings of Erui


Date
T.A. 1432 - 1448
Loyalists
Northern Gondorians, Northmen of Rhovanion, mercenaries from Dale and Dorwinion
Confederates
Southern Gondorians
Leaders of Loyalists
Eldacar, Orendil†, Ithilbor from Rhovanion
Leaders of Confederates
Castamir†, Castaher, Castandor, various Númenórean nobles
Loyalists Number
30,000
Confederates Number
25,000
Victory
Loyalists of Eldacar
Notes
(N) = non-canon † = killed in action

The Kin-strife was a devastating civil war in the Kingdom of Gondor during the Third Age, lasting from T.A. 1432 to 1448 and pitted the forces of Castamir 'the Usurper' against King Eldacar. The strife would continue onward through Castamir's descendants and extend into a conflict known as the Corsair Wars that would go on until T.A. 3019.

Battles during the Kin-Strife:[]

History[]

Prelude[]

The seeds of the Kin-strife were sown during the reign of Rómendacil II, the 19th King of Gondor. Rómendacil, seeking to solidify Gondor’s influence over its northern allies, arranged for his son, Valacar, to wed Vidumavi, the daughter of Vidugavia, the self-styled King of Rhovanion. While this union strengthened ties with the Northmen, it alarmed many of the Gondorians of pure Númenórean descent. They viewed the Northmen as "lesser men," despite their long-standing alliance with Gondor, and feared the mingling of their bloodlines would weaken the royal line of Anárion.

The marriage produced a son, Eldacar, originally named Vinitharya after his mother's people. Eldacar inherited traits of the Northmen, including their lighter complexion, which further alienated him from the Númenórean elite of Gondor. While Rómendacil reigned, the unrest was kept in check, but when Valacar ascended to the throne in T.A. 1366 and later passed it to Eldacar in T.A. 1432, discontent exploded into outright rebellion.

The Conflict[]

The Rise of Rebellion[]

When Eldacar assumed the throne, factions within Gondor rejected his legitimacy, calling him a "half-breed" unworthy of rule. Chief among his detractors was Castamir the Usurper, Eldacar's second cousin and the Captain of Ships. As a member of the royal family with pure Númenórean blood, used his position to rally support from the coastal provinces of Gondor, particularly Umbar, Pelargir, and the maritime strongholds of Lebennin where loyalty to the traditions of Númenor remained strongest. These regions held strong ties to Gondor’s naval power and had grown dissatisfied with a king they saw as favoring the northern provinces.

The discontent soon turned into open rebellion. Castamir and his allies, now called the "Confederates," raised armies against Eldacar. The unrest spread through the provinces, with factions aligning themselves either with the king or the usurper. Castamir leveraged this dissent, uniting noble families, wealthy merchants, and disaffected lords under his banner. His rhetoric emphasized Gondor’s Númenórean heritage, portraying himself as the rightful protector of its purity. Many mercenaries and discontented adventurers, particularly from Harondor and even the fringes of Harad, joined his cause, swelling his ranks.

The conflict began with a series of brutal skirmishes in Ithilien, where loyalists clashed with Castamir’s forces in guerilla-style engagements. At the Battle of Tirith Anduin, Castamir secured control of the river crossings, cutting Eldacar off from reinforcements from western Gondor. With much of southern Gondor rallying to Castamir, Eldacar was forced to retreat to Osgiliath. Soon after, in T.A. 1437, Castamir's forces marched on Osgiliath, Gondor’s capital with a vast host. Eldacar, outnumbered and caught unprepared, defended the city but was eventually besieged. The siege lasted months, during which Osgiliath was ravaged. The Dome of Stars, a marvel of ancient Númenórean craftsmanship, was destroyed, and the palantír housed within was lost forever in the Anduin. Eldacar was forced to flee north to his mother's kin in Rhovanion, while his eldest son and heir, Ornendil, was captured and executed on Castamir’s orders, an act that earned Castamir the undying hatred of Eldacar and his remaining supporters.

Exile and Resistance[]

Eldacar fled into exile, seeking refuge among his mother’s kin in Rhovanion, where he rallied his allies. The Northmen, long loyal to Gondor, flocked to his banner, drawn not only by blood ties but by Eldacar’s reputation as a just and honorable leader. Meanwhile, many of Gondor’s northern provinces, including Calenardhon, Anórien, and Ithilien, simmered with discontent under Castamir's rule. Castamir’s reign was marked by cruelty, arrogance, and neglect of Gondor’s inland regions. His obsession with naval power and his attempt to move the capital from Osgiliath to Pelargir alienated much of the population.

Eldacar spent a decade in exile, carefully planning his return. The Dúnedain of Gondor’s northern territories secretly supplied him with arms and intelligence, while the dwarves of Ered Nimrais and Khazad-dûm contributed weapons and provisions. Among Eldacar’s supporters were Mardil Voronwë, a young steward of the royal household, and the charismatic Northman general Framgar, whose fiery speeches inspired loyalty among the Northmen.

The Reign of Castamir[]

Meanwhile with Eldacar driven into exile in Rhovanion, Castamir seized the throne. However, his reign quickly became a source of discontent. Despite his military prowess, Castamir's rule was marked by cruelty, arrogance, and disregard for the inland territories of Gondor. His love for the navy and intention to move the capital from Osgiliath to Pelargir alienated much of the population, especially in Ithilien and Anórien, where loyalty to Eldacar ran deep.

Morover Castamir’s brutal sack of Osgiliath alienated many Gondorians, as did his decision to execute Ornendil further undermined his claim to the throne. Many saw him not as a savior of Gondor’s heritage but as a tyrant whose ambition had plunged the kingdom into chaos. The Dúnedain of Gondor's northern provinces, many of whom respected Eldacar's leadership and valor, began to rally to his cause.

The Battle of the Crossings of Erui[]

In T.A. 1447, Eldacar launched his counteroffensive, leading a great army southward. His forces included contingents of Northmen cavalry, Gondorian loyalists, and mercenary companies hired from Dale and Dorwinion. Castamir mustered his armies to meet him at the Crossings of Erui, a strategic river crossing in Lebennin.

The battle was one of the bloodiest in Gondor’s history. Both sides suffered heavy losses, and much of Gondor’s nobility fell, their blood mingling with that of common soldiers in the waters of the Erui. Eldacar fought with the ferocity of a man avenging his son and his throne. In a climactic duel, he slew Castamir with his own hands. However, the victory was not absolute; Castamir’s sons and many of his supporters retreated to Pelargir, where they regrouped and fortified themselves.

The Siege of Pelargir[]

Eldacar pursued the rebels to Pelargir, besieging the city by land. Castamir’s sons, including Castaher and Castandor, held out for a year before finally escaping by sea with much of Gondor’s fleet. They fled to Umbar, where they established an independent lordship that would plague Gondor for centuries as the Corsairs of Umbar.

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