[Teaser] LOTR- Gondor Fountain Guard

Coming soon, Lord of the Rings: Gondor Fountain Guard, premiering later this week.

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Without further or do, here's a portion of the script!

Intro

The White Tree was the physical embodiment of Gondor’s ancient Numenorean heritage. Yet while it had died awaiting the return of the King, by its side remained the living, breathing guardians of the realm who too could trace their proud heritage to the days of Numenor and had dutifully passed on the torch of the throne’s vigil for countless generations. These walking monuments to the glorious past were known as the Guards of the Fountain Court. Today let us delve into their hallowed history.

Origins

The Guards of the Fountain Court, known interchangeably as the Citadel Guard or the Tower Guard, can trace their origins back to the long tradition of men who have defended both the great Kings of the Númenórean line and the White Tree which came to symbolize their rule. This would have begun in the early years of the Second Age when the ancient Dúnedain had followed the star of Eärendil to make their home upon the newly raised Isle of Elenna. Here they would found a series of cities which together rose to become the Kingdom of Númenór.

It's long-lived monarchs would reign for generations, carefully guiding the Númenóreans from the capital of Armenelos. It is in the king's court that the first White Tree was planted. Known as Nimloth the Fair, it had been given as a gift of friendship by the Elves of Tol Eressëa. For much of the Second Age, the Kings of Númenór tended to it as carefully as they did their own realm. Yet they did not manage such affairs alone. At their side was an entire court of advisors, administrators, and commanders. It is likely that from among these close companions were a chosen few who were given the honor of serving as the first Royal Bodyguards. Duties for such units would have ranged from securing the White Tree, to protecting the Palace, the Royal Family, and the Monarch themselves. Most time was therefore spent in the various power centers of Númenór. However over the centuries, the reach of the kings, and therefore his guard, would extend far into the sea and beyond.

Such was the strength of Golden Age Númenór for instance that its armies came to dominate much of Middle Earth and even forced Sauron into submission without a single battle. Yet while they appeared indomitable by external foes, it would be from the inside that the strength of men would falter. Increasingly the line of Eärendil fell away from the light of the Valar, neglecting the White Tree and their people. This culminated in the reign of the 25th King, Ar-Pharazôn. Corrupted by Sauron and turned to the worship of Morgoth, he would have the White Tree felled. This madness would ultimately lead to the fall of Númenór. However, owing to the courage of Isildur and the foresight of Elendil,  the Faithful managed to escape this cataclysm with both their lives and a fruit of the White Tree. Guided by the winds they would set foot upon the shores of Middle Earth. It is here that the survivors of Númenór regrouped and planted the seeds of a new future.

In the year 3320 of the Second Age these survivors joined with other Númenóreans, earlier colonists, and local peoples to form the Realms in Exile, known as  Arnor and Gondor. Elendil would serve as the High King of the Realms in Exile and rule them from his seat in the north of Arnor whilst his sons, Isildur and Anárion, jointly governed the south as the Kings of Gondor. Within a century this new realm would rise to great heights with the White Tree once again finding itself planted in the court of Númenórean kings. It would be tended to in the Gondorian fortress palace of Minas Ithil by a new set of Royal Guards who took up their vigil over the dark lands to the east.

Yet Sauron too had regained his strength. Now, fresh armies poured out of Mordor. In 3429 of the Second Age, these overran the borders of Gondor, taking Minas Ithil, and destroying the White Tree along with its guard. However Isildur managed to escape with a seedling and would soon return with the vast Armies of the Last Alliance. This mighty host pushed back Sauron at the Battle of Dagorlad and finally defeated him following a grueling 7 year siege of Barad-Dur. Though this was a great victory it had come at a heavy cost. Many brave men fell and the realms of Arnor and Gondor would be crippled by the losses which claimed both of their kings and many of their heirs.

Thus the Dawn of the Third Age saw both realms struggling to recover and ultimately split apart following the Disaster of the Gladden Fields. Each would slowly heal over the following centuries. However despite a promising recovery, Arnor suffered from long term trends which led to its decline. In 861, the North further fractured into three petty Kingdoms. Weakened by infighting, these would fall one by one to the armies of the Witch-king of Angmar. Meanwhile, the more populous and prosperous Kingdom of Gondor endured. The 3rd White Tree was re-planted in the Court of the Fountain at Minas Tirith, thus inaugurating a new watch for the Royal Guard of Gondor which would last over a thousand years. Let us now turn to a description of these forces.