A BOOK OF SCROLLS: The Watchers

THE BOOK OF REQUIEMS:

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HEREIN lies the requiem of Eriduah's parting gnomes, those Holders of Knowledge, and the days that followed thereafter. I Adoromeir do give an account of those who stayed behind after the great departure of that vast fleet of swan-carved ships that sailed beyond the twin peaks of the bay of Shruna.

Of all the true-born elves who refused to forsake Middle-Earth, twenty-one chose to remain on the shores of men and watched their loved ones sail away on that last night.

THESE are the names of those who forever became known simply as The Watchers.

Be.ir.dan and his wife the Lady, Hol.math, and three of their eight sons: A.dor.o.meir, Fin.o.mal, Nath.veir.en, and Kiel.meth their only sister. Their five other siblings chose to leave aboard the swan-carved ships of Cirdan the III.

With them were: Ga.la.dir and his wife the Lady, Va.lin.ada. Seven years after the great departure, Na.dan was the firstborn, among, that new era.

With them were: El.huron and his wife the Lady, Lill.i.kiss, and her unborn child which, later died in the pangs of labor. Elhuron grew dark and hardhearted against having stayed behind. He took his own life by dagger’s blade after the passing of his wife and child.

With them were: Sy.mo.dare, Sear.i.fym, and Ly.reah. Symodare was counted as the oldest, being one hundred twenty years of age! He had been born in the golden woods of Lothlorien, and arrived at the grey seaports; later renamed Mith.ar (mean Forgotten). At the last moment, it was he who first refused to go aboard those awaiting ships. Symodare was counted as the First of the Watchers. It was Symodare who convinced Ven.du.mar that a presence of elvendom should remain somewhere in the realm of men; even if it was only to be as a reminder of the Ancient ways.

Searifym and his younger sister, Lyreah stayed behind with their grandfather, Lord Symodare. Lyreah was most distraught over the darkness that fell upon her mother, Sha.linda after their father Harth.mane was slain before the very gates of the Ashlands during the Great War. Searifym himself had been a scribe taught at the hidden dwelling and was trained to be the head caregiver at its Hall of Records. Searifym stayed behind at Mithar with his grandfather, strongly desiring to craft a new age for elvendom as well.

With them was: Fay.lorin Cele.greth who stood alone on that grave day called the great departure. His wife and three daughters went aboard those swan ships, yet bade him to come into the west as well. But he refused, just as they rejected his pleas of staying behind with him. Faylorin was the first to stay on the side of Symodare, long before he had publicly made his convictions known.

With them was: Sal.Gil.van the fair. SalGilvan stayed behind for many of his family had perished during the Great War. Gilvan found it too painful to leave the memory of his lost loved ones behind. For, as he said, “Flights of fancy will never bring the dead back to me.”

With them was: Ba.al.yick the black hair. Baalyick was the half-brother of SalGilvan, and likewise felt the depths of sorrow for his kinsman too deep to forsake. Baalyick and Symodare were longtime friends and shared many of the same beliefs and attitudes. Though Baalyick was much younger they were brothers in spirits.

With them was, Le.gan.driel and Nuth.cor.lan; warriors noted in song, and tales for their heroisms during the war. Legandriel and Nuthcorlan, both stayed because they agreed with the senior Symodare, and were among the first to call him Lord before many; due to his wisdom and standing among the growing gathering. The elves had been known for their long life; yet, it seemed that with the great majority of their kinsman having departed, their grace of longevity had run its course.

LEGANDRIEL and Nuthcorlan had been warriors from Greenwood and had fought nobly at Fort Deep; therefore, they felt it their calling to remain and protect those about Lord Symodare. They upheld the principal of Nolmithlon, Baalyick, and Vendumar. It was they who first proposed that Vendumar be made the rightful King of Mithar if any should hold such a title.

With them was: Nol.mith.lon the sailor. Nolmithlon was a shipbuilder and had been apprenticed under the guidance of Cirdan, the master of the grey seaport himself. Nolmithlon had been greatly distressed by the fleet’s departure and strongly desired to rebuild or at least pass on the craft to lesser men among the growing numbers of the Nasil. Agreeing with Symodare and Vendumar, Nolmithlon stayed in order ‘to build a grand society and new Brotherhood.’ This was but a foreshadowing of what indeed was to come to pass.

With them was: Vethdema the large. Vethdema was a councilman from the old gray seaports and was the first to call for a gathering of leadership and make plans the next day after the great departure. They renamed the city and thought it best to stay among themselves before the grand gates were opened to outsiders. Vethdema also called for the crown of leadership to be placed on Vendumar’s brow. As king, he would represent them before the encroaching numbers that grew beyond the gate.

A Blue wizard, named Mere.ith seemingly had cursed us all by pronouncing the doom of men upon us. But in time we came to see that he had only stated what would surely come to pass. We lost our foresight and desire for the West, due to the depths of our grief. Symodare retained his foresight and blessed his grandson, Searifim with its talents. Lyreah was gifted with shapeshifting.

As true-born gnomes, we knew our limited numbers and grace of life were fading. Yet it was Vendumar we came to name as king, after the great departure. The Great Departure of elvendom from the world of men marked the beginning of our new era. For we who stayed behind were of like-mindedness in desiring that our time would not fade from Eriduah, The Land was our world too.

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