House Arannon

                 Our story begins, as many are wont to do, with a sword. In an era before the Dwarves and Elves warred over greed and death, they forged marvels of magic and steel. One such marvel was a sword so great it couldn't be held by any man, elf, or dwarf but with two hands to bear its weight. Its edge so keen that it sundered any foe it was set against. It was named Gwestcyl for the oath it bore and kept to slay any foe it was set against.  After the Dwarves and Elves fell to bickering and bloodshed, the Elves of Lothlorien took the sword with them, believing no Dwarf was honorable enough to wield it.

                   Years passed, the seasons changed, generations were born and died before our story could continue. After Sauron forged rings and gave them to the Elvish lords in a bid for power, Numenor, a Mannish kingdom of the west, rose to aid their Elvish friends against the Dark Lord. One such Westerman was Tharivael, a sea captain, who swore an oath that he wouldn't rest until the conflict was resolved. Fighting in several battles in attempt to divert Sauron from the wood, Tharivael and his men perservered until the conflict of the rings was thought to be over. Munireth, a loremaster of repute, offered Tharivael the sword in honor of his friendship.

               Tharivael returned to Numenor and bore children, passing Gwestcyl to his eldest son, Nessaden, who passed it to his eldest, Arnaude. By this time, the men of Numenor grew to covet the immortality of the Elves and Arnaude was of no exception. He took his family and sailed to the north east, to Eriador, disembarking near what is now Forochel. They traveled west and found themselves in the Ettenmoors. The children of Arnaude stayed in the Ettenmoors, braving beasts and worse, until four generations had past. Alain, known as the Lion for his bravery and ferocity, struck north and discovered a cave that lead to a snow capped valley, with a defensible mountain peak. Gathering up all they had, they struck north and built in the valley, but Trolls and worse followed.

              After the deaths of two thirds of his men and his first born son, Alain lead a purge into the Ettenmoors, slaying any and every beast they found, but it wasn't enough. Seeing the insurmountable beasts hiding in the moor, Alain constructed a gate at the entrance to the mine - Arannon, he called it - the Noble Gate. As trade prospered over the years, Alain the Lion's family became known as the House of Arannon, as they never failed to exact their toll and no beast, nor goblin, nor demon passed their gate.

            House Arannon prospered for many years even after Alain fell. It wasn't until the rise of Cevinus, called the Hewnrock for his massive height and broad shoulders, that the House became a power. Cevinus brokered trade with the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain who bore the Banner of Flames in the Dark by offering up a mine that he'd found some leagues east of the valley, but had no power to work it. With a fresh income, it was thirty years before Cevinus constructed Castle Hawkswarren at the mountain peak above the valley, bearing an orange banner with a white lion's head.

          In two-thousand years, House Arannon never failed to exact their toll, but the doom of the House was never in the south. With the rise of the Witch King of Angmar came the downfall of Hawkswarren. Goblins, Orcs, Trolls, and worse raised the keep and a great many northron souls fell - including the House patriarch, Vanar the Pridelord and his sword. Only a hundred escaped the slaughter brought by The Enemy, and nearly they died, if not for the Dwarves. Over the years they'd bore the mine Shalestone, they'd stripped it of all precious minerals save for iron - which was plentiful - and they offered the fallen House the fortresses inside. For, if House Arannon is to reclaim Hawkswarren and defeat the Witch King, they needs Repose before Victory.

House Arannon is a Medium-Heavy RP guild.