House of Telcontar

The House of Telcontar, previously the House of Elendil, was the Royal House of the Reunited Kingdom of Arnor and Gondor. The House was founded by Aragorn II during the War of the Ring, who was the last surviving Heir of Elendil, and took the throne under the name Elessar.

History

The name of the House finds its origin in the Quenya version of Elvish. During the War of the Ring, Peregrin Took, a companion of Aragorn's in the Fellowship of the Ring, became a member of the elite Guard of the Citadel at Minas Tirith, capital of Gondor. When Lord Aragorn entered the city, Peregrin persisted in referring to Aragorn by the nickname he had garnered as a Ranger of the North: "Strider", even in front of nobles such as King Éomer of Rohan. Aragorn was amused, and decided that the name of the lineage he founded would be "Telcontar", which translates as "Strider" in Quenya. Members of the House of Telcontar are referred to as the "Telcontari", because Telcontari (Striders) is the plural of Telcontar in Quenya.

With Queen Arwen, King Elessar reigned for 122 years, before finally surrendering his life and was laid to rest in the Houses of the Dead. This long reign is attributed to Elessar's descent from the Men of Númenor, who were blessed with long life (he was 87 when he took the throne). Elessar had one known son, Eldarion, and an unspecified number of daughters. King Eldarion (his name meaning "From the Elves" in reference to his mother Arwen) was "full ripe for kingship" at the time, and ruled for an unspecified amount of time well into the Fourth Age of Men. Little is known of Eldarion, save that he left heirs to continue the House of Telcontar after him. Their Kingdom endured for many generations and the Telcontari were the ancestors of many dynasties in the ages to follow.