The civil-war in Gondor

Kinstrife in Gondor

Third age 1432

The kinstrife in Gondor arose from the marriage between the oldest son of king Rómendacil, Valacar, and one of the daughters of king Vidugavia of Rhovanion, Vidumavi. The Gondorians were already at unrest because of the large numbers of Northmen in Gondor, and a marriage between the King to be and a daughter of a lesser or alien race was not a popular decision. Nevertheless, they came to love Vidumavi, who became known in Gondor as Galadwen. But as is fate among lesser Men, those who are not in the line of Elros, she died young but not before she had given birth to a son, Vinitharya. The Dúnedains were afraid that the mixing of blood and the majesty of the crown would fall due to a King of half alien blood. Many were unwilling to accept the heir to the crown, even though he had taken the name Eldacar. Furthermore, he was born in Rhovanion and not in Gondor.
When Eldacar ascended the throne after his father in the year 1432 of the Third age, a civil-war broke out in Gondor. Castamir, the grandson of King Rómendacil II`s brother, Calimethar, became his worst enemy and lead the confederates against him.

Castamir was Captain of Ships and had the support of the people at Pelargir and the people along the coasts, Umbar and Haradwaith. Eldacar, meanwhile, had the support of the people in the cities and the in-lands. He opposed the confederates to the uttermost of his strength, and at last he was besieged in Osgiliath. For long he held out, but great hunger and the stronger forces of Castamir and his supporters at last drove him away. He fled to Rhovanion and his mothers kin in the year 1437, while Castamir seized the throne in Gondor. In those battles, Osgiliath was burned nearly to the ground. The Dome of Osgiliath was ruined and the Palantir found there was lost in the waters of Anduin.

But Castamir only held the Crown of Gondor for ten years, for he proved himself to be a cruel and ungenerous man and had caused the son of Eldacar, Ornendil, to be put to death. The peoples of Ithilien and Minas Tirith remembered the cruelty of the war beyond what was acceptable. They also remembered the haughtiness of Castamir and his little care of their land, thus his popularity diminished. Many of the Northmen in the service of Gondor and people of the Northern and Western territories of Gondor joined Eldacar in Rhovanion.

Eldacar was waiting in Rhovanion, while many people gathered to him there until he saw his time come.When the time was right, he returned to Gondor with a great army, which was swollen with people out of Ithilien, Calenardhon and Anórien.

A great battle was fought at the Crossings of Erui, where Eldacar slew Castamir. Castamir`s sons, however, escaped and fortified themselves in Pelargir. Pelargir was ruined in these battles. At last in 1447, the defenders took what ships they could and escaped by sailing away. They established themselves at Umbar, where they made a refugee at the fort and the haven there for the enemies of the King. They destroyed the Globe of Pharazôn and were joined with the rebelling Haradwaith, and thus remained at war with Gondor.