From Library of the Randirim

Here follows an account of the history of Gondor, such as is necessary:

Now between the Northmen of Rhovanian and the Men of Gondor there was, at first, little love; for the Gondorians looked upon the Northmen as "lesser" and did not stoop to treat with them.

Yet during the reign of Romendakil II, the foes to the East rose up in great numbers; and it came to him that an alliance might be to his benefit. His son Valacar he sent as emissary to the king of the Northmen; and Valacar came to love greatly the ways of this people, and took his wife from among them.

His son, Eldacar, claimed the throne upon the death of his father; but it was rejected by those in Gondor who did not wish the blood of Numenor to be "tainted", led by Castamir. This was the war known as the Kin-strife; and though Eldacar with the help of his mother's kin took his rightful crown, much evil was done. For the sons of Castamir fled south and founded Umbar in their exile; and many still looked with disfavor upon the Northmen and liked not the mingling and waning of their population.

Far from vanishing over the later years, such feelings grew strong and ingrained among certain Gondorians, especially those of the noble houses; and they thought ever and with unhealthy obsession of preserving the pureness of their own blood.

So it was with Beledor, who in 1990 of the Third Age became the lord of one such noble house; he looked upon the Northmen with scorn and contempt, as did the rest of his house, save one: his eldest son, Tareon.

For Tareon was of a mind unlike to any of his family. He disliked the stone of Minas Tirith and gave his heart to the fields and forests, and was a great lover of beasts; and in all this he found that it was the Northmen, not his own people, who shared his thoughts. And indeed, when the time came for him to wed, his first choice was a North-woman.

Beledor was filled with wrath at his son's request, and denied the troth in no uncertain terms. But Tareon, defying the will of his father, married the woman in secret; and ere two years had gone by she bore him a son.

At this, Beledor's rage seethed; and he rejected his son, saying: "No more shall one such as you say to others: 'I am the son of Beledor'. From this moment forth you are not of my house--you who have stooped so low as to stain the blood of Numenor."

But Tareon replied: "You need not cast me forth, father, for I reject your house and its principles. May its remnants be consumed with vain pride and fall, even as Numenor of old."

And turning, he departed; and from then onwards scribes of the City spoke of a new line: the House of Tareon.

The House of Tareon

a history of the eldest sons of its main branch, as recorded by the scribes of Minas Tirith.

Tareon I (1970--2002)

Founder of the House; his heritage and inheritence were denied by his father, Beledor, due to the fact that he married a North-woman. Beledor used his political influence to ensure his son was stationed away from his relations in the garrison of Minas Ithil. Unluckily for Tareon, the Nazgul had long-planned their assault, and he was killed sometime during their two-year siege.

Tareon II (1996--2093)

He was named after his father but also bore a name in the tounge of the Northmen (which has since been forgotten). Following the death of Tareon I at Minas Ithil, his mother was unshielded from the spite and scorn of Beledor, and fled back to her own people. Here Tareon II was raised, with all knowledge of his father practically forgotten; he took to the ways of his mother's people and took his wife from among them.

Beleron I (2027--2105)

He, too, was named also in the language of the Northmen, and his proper name used only by his father. Upon the death of Tareon he cast it aside like an unwanted cloak; yet the waning of the Numenoreon blood proceeding swiftly, he died only a few years after his father.

Darath I (2060--2140)

In body, Darath appeared one of the Northmen indeed, and it seemed as if the blood of Gondor had passed away completely. Yet in mind he was more like his grandsires than any before, a man both wise and masterful. He desired to live closer to the land of his father's kin, and taking a great many Northmen with him, settled along the northermnost border, very near to Rhun.

Tareon III (2103--2166)

By all accounts rather unremarkable, in sharp contrast to his charismatic father; he held leadership of Darath's Northmen through mere inertia.

Hyron I (2134--2207)

A man of immense girth, Hyron was said to have cared much more deeply for food and drink than the wellbeing of his people. During his leadership the watch to the East waned completely.

Hyron II (2168--2238)

In contrast to his father, this man was a skilled commander and beloved leader; but he could not undo what had been done, or rather not done. Easterlings discovered at last the Northman settlement upon their borders and attacked it. Hyron fell in battle, and his people were driven back with great losses.

Orogon I (2230--2315)

He was but a child when his father Hyor died; the leadership of the Northmen-group was held by one of his uncles. For many years they wandered aimlessly, nomands without a purpose. Upon coming to full manhood Orogon took control and, by the force of his will, carried them westwards; he had heard of a strong and numerous North-people, the Eotheod, and desired to dwell with them in safety of numbers. Ere he died, he brought his own following to the Eotheod's homeland.

Darath II (2287--2364)

He was no warrior, possessing rather a silver tongue. Though it was Orogon who brought the Northmen of Tareon to the lands of the Eotheod, it was his son Darath who won them a place in the people's hearts. He himself was so beloved by the king that he became a nobleman, as were his heirs after him.

Beleron II (2332--2410)

He is said to have been a horseman of the greatest skill, and as such was well-respected by the Eotheod.

Beledan I (2377--2473)

He became known as "the Old" for he lived to be almost one hundred years of age.

Beledan II (2400--2480)

He is all but forgotten by the historians, for he lived only a few years past Beledan the Old.

Tareon IV (2445--2510)

A man of great personal strength and skill with arms, the fourth namesake of Tareon married late in life. He rode into battle with Eorl the Young and was slain fighting the Easterlings. The Eotheod returned triumphant; renaming themselves the Eorlingas they took possession of Rohan.

Tareon V (2503--2576)

He dwelt in Rohan all of his life.

Beledan III (2555--2633)

Of all the heirs of the House thus far, Beledan was said to be most resemble its founder. He won much renown as a great commander in battle, but his heart was not given to the green fields of Rohan; he looked ever eastwards to the "Stoninglands" and the fabled White City. He therefore resolved to go there; and taking leave of all of his family and friends rode away alone. Many years passed, and he explored much of Middle-Earth; but he came at last to Minas Tirith, and there he settled. Beledan was the first of the House to take a wife from the people of Gondor; but they, too, had waned over the years, and the perfection of blood that was the dream of Beledor was lost beyond recall.

[ Here follows a brief note:

Tareon's line was never counted among the noble houses of Gondor; yet it became habit for the heir to be assigned as one of Minas Tirith's ambassadors to Rohan, a tradition that remained unbroken for nearly two hundred years. ]

Darath III (2600--2690)

Served for forty years as ambassador to Rohan. Though he re-established ties with the lesser branches of the House which had remained there, he nevertheless was resolved that the heirs should dwell once more in Gondor.

Orogon II (2638--2729)

Served for twenty-seven years as ambassador to Rohan, where he died and was buried.

Hyron III (2666--2751)

Served thirty-four years as ambassador to Rohan.

Tareon VI (2702--2758)

Seved as ambassador to Rohan for ten years, but was called back to Gondor to help defend against a joint invasion by the Corsairs and the Haradrim. He was slain in battle against them.

Beledan IV (2732--2817)

Served fifty years as an ambassador to Rohan, and took his wife from among them.

Beleron III (2764--2861)

A man of extraordinary vitality who lived almost one hundred years. During his lifetime, the Steward Belecthor officially ended the office that the heirs of Tareon had long held; the Rohan and Gondor branches of the line became sundered, yet the main heir yet swelt in Minas Tirith.

Beleron IV (2800--2885)

He chose to live in Ithilien, and did so in great bliss for long years; yet he, though defenseless and old, was slain during an invasion of the Haradrim in 2885.

Sareon I (2844--2930)

Upon the death of his father, he took up arms against the southern invaders, and marched with the Gondorian force that drove them out. Yet Ithilien was no longer fair to dwell in, and he returned to the safety of the White City.

Sareon II (2887--2951)

Lived a somewhat unremarkable life as a Quartermaster of the army.

Hyron IV (2920--2980)

His greatest pride and joy were his two sons. Sareon, the elder by two years, should have become heir of the line; yet having fallen in love with the daughter of a farmer of Anfalas, he left Minas Tirith to dwell with her kin, and was slain by a raid of the Corsairs of Umbar. Hyron, broken by grief, lingered but a year before dying at the tender age of sixty.

Tareon VII (2955--3018)

The seventh and (as of the present time) the last to bear the name. He fought under Thorongil in the naval raid against Umbar and won great renown for his bravery. In an ironic reversal of the circumstances that led to the founding of the House, Tareon fell in love with a Dunadan-woman, Adaneth, though he knew not of her heritage; for she said only that she had come from the North with Thorongil. Following the disappearance and presumed death of Adaneth in 3000, Tareon raised their son alone. He was killed in June of 3018 in the Battle of Osgiliath.

Tarandil Ruincrist (B. 2991)

Only son of Tareon and Adaneth, he is the current heir of the main branch of the House, though he has not been seen in Gondor since the death of his father.