any are the tales told in Middle-earth of Númenor, of Westernesse beyond the sea, and of how it was sundered from this world. Most of Númenor's folk were lost in the tragedy of their homeland's destruction but, given warning by the foresight of their lord Elendil, many escaped to the shores of Middle-earth. There the exiles founded the twin realms of Arnor and Gondor. Both kingdoms were built in the image of lost Númenor and ruled by High King Elendil and his heirs. Gondor prospered after her founding, and before long, the nascent kingdom stretched between the Misty Mountains in the west and the Mountains of Shadow in the east, and north from the borders of Mirkwood southwards to the River Harnen.

auron, long a deadly enemy to the Men of Númenor, perceived the threat that Gondor's burgeoning greatness held for his designs. Without warning, the Dark Lord unleashed his legions upon an unready Gondor, routing her armies and despoiling many of her cities. When tidings of the war reached Elendil he knew that even the armies of Arnor and Gondor united as one could not stand against the terror that Sauron had unleashed. But hope was not lost for Elendil was fast friends with the Elven High King Gil-galad. Thus was born the Last Alliance of Men and Elves. Thousands perished in the following conflict but, after long years of war, Sauron was defeated on the slopes of Mount Doom.
 

ondor had suffered much in the struggle against Sauron, and her armies were greatly diminished. As the glory of Gondor's domains began to recede, so too did its noble lineage falter. The span of kings died out, leaving rule of Gondor to Stewards.They did not claim the throne, seeking only to maintain the authority of the king and the strength of his armies in the hope that one day the regal line would arise once more. At the end of the Third Age, Gondor is a shadow of her former glory yet remains a dominant power in Middle-earth. Sauron has risen anew and his armies assail Gondor's borders with renewed hatred. However, Gondor does not stand alone in this hour of darkness. Allies exist in the Rohirrim and in the north an heir of Elendil survives, one day to return to Gondor and rekindle all the glories of the past.