III. Summary of the Fourth Age

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III. Summary of the Fourth Age
Topic Started: Nov 3 2009, 07:48 PM (36 Views)
heatherbee.	Nov 3 2009, 07:48 PM Post #1
Andrea's Grasshopper Posts: 646 Group: Admin Member #2 Joined: Apr 6 2009 Time Zone (GMT +/-) GMT -5 Realm of Arda Blog http://tinyurl.com/ydhajbt Thread Tracker http://tinyurl.com/ya6dcce Fiction Tracker http://tinyurl.com/yc2oed2	Summary of the Fourth Age This is a very brief introduction to the Fourth Age, which is the setting for this RPG. For more in depth description and analysis, I recommend reading at some of the online Encyclopedias linked in this forum. End of the Third Age The Third Age of Arda concluded when the One Ring was destroyed, therefore ending the War of the Ring. The precise date varies, and some realms (such as the Shire) don’t recognize a change in the dating system at all. March 25, 3019 is the date Sauron was defeated. In Gondor, this day is the beginning of the Fourth Age. The New Year is celebrated on March 25th every year. However, Tolkien considered the true ending of the Third Age to be September 29, 3021, the day Elrond left Middle-earth. That is the date used in this RPG.¹ The Age of Men The Fourth Age marks the time when Men ascended as rulers of Middle-earth. The Elves take ships to the Undying Lands or fade and are forgotten by Men. However, this transition is not immediate. As this game begins in the first decade of the Fourth Age, there is plenty of room for races besides Men. The Return of the King The return of the High-King and reunification of Gondor and Arnor is the beginning of the ascent of Men. Under King Elessar and Queen Evenstar (Aragorn and Arwen), this kingdom becomes the dominate force in the world. The oath of friendship between Gondor and Rohan is renewed, and thus Rohan remains the second strongest realm in Middle-earth. Tolkien wrote a brief description of the politics in the Fourth Age in Lord of the Rings: “For though Sauron had passed, the hatreds and evils that he bred had not died, and the King of the West had many enemies to subdue before the White Tree could grow in peace. And wherever King Elessar went with war King Eomer went with him.”² The Fading of the Elves Although the Elves were fading, not all were willing to depart immediately after the War of the Ring. There was still some good to be done in Middle-earth. Celeborn and Thranduil stayed to heal the damage done to Mirkwood, and Legolas founded an Elven colony in South Ithilien to cleanse the forest poisoned by Mordor and Minas Morgul. However, when Elrond left Middle-earth, Rivendell emptied. Very few remained, except Elladan and Elrohir. Sometime later in the Fourth Age, Celeborn came to live there with his grandsons.³ The Unknown Fate of the Dwarves The Dwarves have always been part of Middle-earth, but more concerned with themselves than others. They certainly remained in the Fourth Age, although what happened to them afterwards is unknown. After seeing the beauty in the Glittering Caves (Aglarond), Gimli established a Dwarven colony there with permission from King Eomer. Most of the Dwarves who live there followed him from the Lonely Mountain.⁴ Hobbits and the Shire After the Hobbits drove the ruffians out of their home, life returned mostly to normal. They are more aware of the outside world, but still the rustic and simple people they have always been. Merry and Pippin, largely responsible for expelling the ruffians, became leaders in their own rights. Sam was elected Mayor, a title which he would hold for most of his life.⁵ Timeline Tolkien did not give detailed timelines of the Fourth Age like he did with previous Ages. However, the first century or two are fairly well described. We have played around with some of these dates IC (partly due to oversight, partly to simplify), but they mostly stand as Tolkien intended. Timeline of Arda (scroll down for the Fourth Age). ________ ¹ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B ² The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, II. The House of Eorl ³ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B ⁴ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, III. Durin’s Folk ⁵ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B
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