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Faramir (T.A. 2983 - F.A. 82) is a Steward of Gondor and first Prince of Ithilien.

The second of Denethor's two sons, Faramir was a Steward of Gondor after his father's death. Upon the arrival of the true king, King Elessar, he laid down his office as Ruling Steward, but Elessar renewed his hereditary appointment as Steward and advisor to the King. Faramir was also appointed Prince of Ithilien.

Faramir continued to lead his men in the desperate struggle against the forces of Mordor&mdash;they were the Rangers of Ithilien, harassing Sauron from right outside his walls. During a battle with Southrons, Faramir encountered the Hobbits Frodo and Sam, who were on a mission of great secrecy and importance: the destruction of the One Ring.

The Hobbits brought news of the appearance of Isildur's heir, but they were not aware of Boromir's death, which Faramir himself had seen in a vision. He guessed at the cause of the estrangement between his brother and the two Hobbits and through intelligent questioning and intuition he determined that Frodo was carrying some great weapon. At this point, he showed the crucial difference between him and his proud brother: "I would not take this thing, if it lay by the highway," he declared. Later, when he discovered that the weapon was the One Ring, he repeated this statement. He released the Hobbits, enabling them to speed on their quest to destroy the Ring.