Rivendell
Rivendell, or (S.) Imladris, had long been a place of refuge in the inhospitable lands of Rhudaur that surrounded the valley. Situated between the north and south forks of the Bruinen (Loudwater) in the Pinefells, the haven's safety derived from the innate power of Elrond Half-elven and his Ring of Power: the mightiest of the Three Elven Rings, Vilya, Ring of Air. Evil things could not pass within the confines of Elrond's realm. The spies of Angmar and even the stronger minions of the Dark Lord, the Nazgûl, dared only sniff round the borders of the enchanted vale.
Hidden in a ravine west of the Misty Mountains, the vale of Rivendell was a haven to all of the Free Peoples seeking shelter from the Shadow. The Elf-lord Elrond Half-elven provided counsel and healing to those who fought the forces of Darkness. Imladris also acted as a base for those who wished to make forays into Angmar, Rhudaur, and the Misty Mountains. It's location was known to but a few. Casual travellers passed right by the narrow path which led to the sheltered valley, and evil folk had also to fight the elements of the region, which were under the command of Elrond.
The Elves of Imladris were, for the most part, refugees from the ruin of Eregion and Ost-in-Edhil. Determined to avoid the mistake of their predecessors, the people and lodgings at Imladris were humble and comfortable, rather than proud and majestic. The House of Elrond was a place of feasting and song. The best poets and artists of the Elves made their homes here. Also, those among Dwarves and Men who were recognized as Elf-friends retreated to this haven when they found the dwellings of the mortal folk too earthly for them.
The few caravans permitted to rest at Imladris did so only with the explicit permission of Elrond. He did not readily permit strangers into his home, unless they had already proven themselves to be allies of the Elves. Those that were granted the Elves' hospitality received welcome in the Last Homely House West of the Wild. While other rest stations provided physical aid for travellers, Elrond supplied spiritual comfort as well. Aiding travellers is a significant role of Imladris, but it was by no means the most significant. As a haven free from the eyes of all forces of Evil, it was a place where the Wise met to take counsel with one another.
History
The fells, the western foothills of the Misty Mountains, were the domain of Giants and Trolls in the Elder Days, until the Dwarves of Moria began working their way north along the range seeking mineral wealth. The trail they cut, the Men Ered (S. "Mountain Road"), eventually reached the Fords of the River Bruinen; here a track crossed the river at the last point along its course where carts could be brought easily down to the banks. The Dwarves planned to make a small fort, to protect the crossings; but they met, as they later told King Dwalin, an ancient Silvan Elf, who claimed to be the guardian of the fords. He said that the track, the Len Romen, which crossed over the Misty Mountains, was sacred to the Elves, and he swore that if the Dwarves left the fords and the neighboring valleys untouched, he would see that nothing evil ever troubled wayfarers traveling the vale. The Dwarves felt compelled to accept this offer.
A century or so later, the Dwarven King sat with Celebrimbor of the Noldor and made agreements that laid the bounderies of the Elvish kingdom of Eregion. The old tale surfaced during the negotiations. Both monarchs agreed that the story was peculiar, particularly since the description of an "ancient Silvan Elf" was a contradiction in terms, and no one had seen or heard of the guardian since that initial meeting. The fords, certainly, had been safe since then, and a reading of the omens suggested that the "Riven Valleys" between the fords and the Misty Passes should be Elvish territory. A few Noldo mystics dwelt in that area ever after, and it was suggested that the "Elf" of the story was a Maia, a servant of Ulmo and the spirit of the Bruinen itself.
Elrond Half-elven, the Herald of Gil-galad, had been one of the Elvish visitors to the Riven Valleys. He came eventually to Eregion, in S.A. 1695, to aid in that realm's defense against the forces of Sauron. When the Noldor were defeated, two years later, Elrond led a large group of survivors north along the Men Ered to the Fords of Bruinen; there he dramatically summoned forth all the powers of the river and the hills to protect the refugees from the army pursuing them. To the shock of the pursuers and the surprise of many of the Noldo refugees, Elrond's spells were effective, scattering Orcs and Trolls over the hills and into the rivers to drown, while the mannish and Undead leaders of the army were blinded and staggered, many wandering for days before being gathered up and questioned by their master. The Dark Lord wasted no more time on the refugees and turned his armies westward into Eriador. Elrond led his followers to build a haven above the Fords of Bruinen, calling it Imladris (S. "Deep Dale of the Cleft" or "Rivendell"). No servant of Darkness dared to approach it. After Sauron was driven out of Eriador three years later, Elrond made Imladris his permanent home, weaving spells about the valley that would literally drive the knowledge of it from the minds of passing travellers while leaving powerful evil creatures shivering in fear at the thought of its existence.
The lands east of the Bruinen changed little over the next three millennia. The Kings of Arnor maintained good relations with Master Elrond and did not push the stone-paved portion of the Menetar Romen, the road they built on the ancient trail, beyond the Fords. The Elves of Rivendell long enjoyed friendships among the King's Rangers, first those of Arnor, then those of Rhudaur.
Type
Ward
Population
3300
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