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Gondorian Theme
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Of all the realms of Men in Middle-Earth, Gondor is the only nation where the customs and traditions of the Edain of old are preserved. Gondorians trace their descent from the mighty fallen kingdom of the Second Age, Numenor, and as such, they have perhaps one of the oldest cultures to exist at the end of the Third Age. Also, Gondorians are conscious of the vastness of their realm and the important role it has played on Middle-Earth through the centuries. As a result, they tend to revere their old institutions and protect traditional laws and power structures.
The ethos of Gondor and Numenor has also been described in great detail in the Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and other books by Tolkien. All this means that there are distinct and specific thematic boundaries in Gondor which must be observed by all players.
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Physical Appearance
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Gondorians are descended for the most part from the people of Numenor. Due to this, they tend to almost uniformly exhibit certain physical characteristics, which holds especially true for the folk of Anorien, Belfalas and Ithilien. People from these regions are tall and fair, with black hair and grey eyes.
Those from fiefs such as Lamedon, Lebennin and Anfalas can, however, be somewhat shorter and swarthier than the average Gondorian, with brown hair and eyes. The reason for this is their blood is mingled with that of the hill folk who lived there before the coming of the Dunedain.
Please keep the above mentioned guidelines in mind while writing a description for your character. While a rare few Gondorians might stray from the norm and have blonde hair and/or blue eyes due to mixed Rohirric ancestry, anything else such as red hair, green eyes and the like are unlikely to the point of not being acceptable. Also keep in mind that this is an important factor when a player is being considered for Dunadan status. For instance, it is highly improbable that a character with blonde hair would have Dunadan blood in him.
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Speech
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Gondor was founded by the Faithful of Numenor, who had adopted the ancient elven tongue of Sindarin as their own. Although much has changed from that time, the elven tongue is still held in high esteem in Gondor. Nobles have a fluent knowledge of Sindarin and use it in daily speech, while some of them might also know Adunaic, and in rare instances, Quenya.
The common folk of Gondor retain a working knowledge of Sindarin, which they interperse with Westron in everyday life. Due to this -- and because Westron originated in Gondor, and is thus preserved in its purer and higher form here with Adunaic influences -- the speech of the Gondorian people, even those from the lower sections of society, is cultured and courteous.
A point to keep in mind while RPing is that due to the above mentioned reasons, speech in Gondor is generally somewhat archaic in form. This does not necessarily mean the use of 'thee' and 'thou', but can manifest itself in many other ways. An example given by Tolkien himself is that while we might say 'They also had spears and helms', in archaic form it would be 'Spears and helms also they had'. Another point to remember is that players should refrain from using modern swear words or oaths in RP, because they most likely wouldn't exist in Gondor. E.g. Instead of saying 'Damn!' or 'Oh my God!' to indicate surprise and startlement, a Gondorian might say 'By the Valar!' or "By the One!'
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Feudal Structure
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At one time, Kings appointed a Steward to watch over the kingdom in the absence of the king himself. Gradually this became a semi-hereditary office, and all Stewards were chosen from within the House of Hurin whose descendants ruled Ithilien from Emyn Arnen. When the line of Kings failed, the office became directly hereditary, passing from current Steward to his nearest relative. Now in theory, the Ruling Steward stands in place of the king, and all the other nobles have varying degrees of power. But theory is seldom what is practiced.
Strictly speaking, the greatest noble is Imrahil, by virtue of his old title and distinguished bloodline. In a traditional hierarchy he would have ranked slightly above Denethor, who would have been Lord of Emyn Arnen and, most probably, Steward. However as a Ruling Steward Denethor is preeminent, though it must be remarked that after the line of Kings failed, Belfalas became a semi-autonomous fief under its old line of tributary Princes. In all cases the Stewards strove to maintain a firm, brotherly relation with the Princes, acknowledging their power by according them separate status, even in situations where Gondor had to deal with other peoples or nations as a single unit (as with Cirion and Eorl, for example).
Also wherever there are rich areas, focused around a alternative geography, there arise other Lords who pay homage to the lords of the larger fiefs but are powerful enough to be recognized separately. This makes for a tangled web of power which in other circumstances might be destructive. Bound by tradition and unified by a common threat, this potentially divisive situation seems to have caused little trouble since the reign of the Ship-Kings. Generally, men serve under the Lord who rules the area in which they live.
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Society: Nobles and Commoners
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There is great respect for the lords among those beneath them; even in its waning, most of Gondor's lords are powerful and noble, in the truest sense of the word. Though our idea of 'Nobility' in the twentieth century depends largely on action, there is an additional factor in Tolkien's world dependent on bloodline. In almost all cases, nobles and lords have their position by possessing a greater strain of blood, which translates in most cases to higher intelligence, greater stature or strength, and more capable will.
Gondorians, even the lower class, are not land bound and kept slavishly in servitude to these lords, as was the case in the Middle Ages, where the lord could decide who his land-tied serfs could and could not wed. There is greater freedom of movement between the fiefs and a greater prosperity; simply put, Gondor is a rich nation with much fertile land, more than enough to support its people. Your average Gondorian is honorable, loyal (sometimes to a fault), and respectful towards superiors.
Thus we see that while Gondorian society, on the surface, resembles medieval European society in some ways, there are many basic differences between the two, because of which the cliches of arrogant, cruel nobles and villanious, cheating commoners are not feasible here. In fact, nobles and commoners share a very strong bond of loyalty, trust and respect. Please keep this in mind while RPing.
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Society: The Roles of Men and Women
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The society, like most societies of Middle-Earth, is patriarchial. But just as the peasants have more freedom of movement, so do women. Men and women act in certain prescribed roles -- for instance, men may serve in the military, while women may not. However, almost all other positions in society are open to women, and neither sex represses the other.
Gondor is a simpler country than any in Europe during their Dark Age, and the predetermined roles reflect this simplicity. Men, when they interact with women, tend toward the respectul. Love, too, is simpler and less courtly, but there is a definite air of chivalry.
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Law
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Gondor is essentially an honourable and law-abiding society. Crime as such is scarce here, with instances of petty thievery and the like being very rare. Due to this, law in Gondor is at once lenient and harsh. In less serious matters, the punishments are usually confined to a fine, while for grave offences, the guilty person may be exiled from Gondor. This punishment is worse than death in many ways for a Gondorian. The system of sentencing a person to jail does not exist in Gondor, and all people have the right to appeal to their fief lord for a final judgment. His decision is considered binding.
Law in the military is somewhat stricter than that for civilians. Minor offences may be punished with fines and/or extra guard duty and the like. More serious cases may result in the offender being sent to serve in one of the most hazardous outposts of Gondor until such time as he has proved himself, while crimes such as treachery, betrayal and oath-breaking will result in exile or execution. In the second instance, the accused is judged in a formal hearing before his direct superior and the commander of that branch of the military, and the final decision rests with the latter. In the last instance, the Fief Lord is present in addition to them, and the final verdict is his. Again, in all cases, the accused may appeal to his fief lord as the ultimate authority. However, if the accused is found guilty by his commanding officers, appeals to his fief lord and is found guilty by him as well, then the resulting sentence may well be harsher than the original one.
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Religion
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The general sense of religion in Gondor, so far as it exists, is Hebraic in sentiment and even more Puritan than one might expect. The religious conflicts, conversions, and politics that plagued the Middle Ages and indeed most of the history of Western society do not exist in Gondor. There are no overt religious places, acts, or ceremonies in existence here - they live their religion in a quiet, unassuming manner through their everyday lives. The only truly religious ceremony is the performance of 'Grace before Meat' and even it is meant as mainly a commemoration for the departed. Theology itself is reduced to 'that which is beyond Elvenhome and ever will be,' which is to say the world which existed before, the world of unfallen bliss. Gondor is a place that is sometimes overburdened with sadness and nostalgic regret. For these descendants of ancient Numenor, their only true hallows are their tombs.
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