Elves of a far northern dale, where Elrond the
Halfelven dwelt, greatest of lore-masters. Two months and six days since the horror of Carn Dum was unleashed.
The valley known as Imladris (Elvish for “deep valley of the cleftâ€) is one of the many gullies and ravines dug by the waters of the river Bruinen, the Loudwater, as they tumble down from the Misty Mountains to the east. Elrond the Halfelven came here in another age of the world, looking for a refuge for the High Elves of Eregion fleeing from the destruction of their land.
For centuries, the Elves dwelt in peace in the hidden valleys of the region, but their Lord always kept a watchful eye on the manoeuvres of the Enemy. The hosts assembled for the Last Alliance of Elves and Men mustered in Imladris before they were ready to move against Mordor, and Elrond was always a steadfast ally of the Dúnedain of Arnor in their wars against Angmar.
In the Third Age, Elrond chose to give protection to the Heirs of Isildur, and since the end of the North-kingdom the sons of the Chieftains of the Dúnedain have been raised in Rivendell, and the heirlooms of their house left in the keeping of its Master.
But five thousand years are a long time even for the Elves, and the sorrows they endured were many. With the passing of the centuries the number of the Elvenfolk of Rivendell dwindled, as more and more left Imladris to return West over the Great Sea. The house of Elrond became a sanctuary for the weary and the oppressed, and a safe haven where the memory of all that had been fair could be preserved from the injuries of time.
All those who are in grave need of good counsel or protection come looking for the Last Homely House. But the path to Rivendell is not for everyone to find...
Many weeks ago a company of men and dwarves and elves dared to travel to Carn Dûm on a fools errand and many of them paid for their folly. None the least was Aravule son of Arafae, Dúnedain of Cardolan. For months now he has been in the care of Elrond Half-Elven as his chief adviser Erestor. Long has the recovery been for the Man of the West, and great has been the effort put forth to save his life since the exploits among the vaults of the dead in the North of Rhudaur.