Gondorians of Pelargir

What is known of the Gondorians of Pelargir is that they hale from the famous city of Pelargir on the river Anduin, a central-based city used as the primary port of southern Gondor and the home base of Gondor’s fine Royal Navy who protects the city and the interests of Gondor out in the Bay of Belfalas. Pelargir is on the southern, or lower, reaches of Lebennin at the meeting of the river Anduin and the river Sirith, south of the White Mountains and north of Harondor. The city is surrounded by rings of thick, protective walls affording it much of its reputation for standing up against the tides of Corsairs with whom the Navy often battles. 

Playing a Gondorian of Pelargir: Quick Tips

-Check out accents Accents of Middle-Earth Cultures.

-Founded in 2350 of the Second Age, Pelargir was built by Númenórean hands and occupied by their descendents (the Dúnedain nobility) and the common men of Gondor ever afterwards. It is thus said to be one of the oldest and longest standing holdings of the Kingdom of Gondor, and is thus defended bravely and fiercely by the Royal Navy for both strategic and cultural importance.

After the Downfall of Númenór, those Númenóreans who aligned with Sauron (who came to be known as the Black Númenóreans) remained nestled into their settlement at Umbar and became tyrannical Lords and nobles over the local Haradrim peoples. They were reinforced in the Third Age by the defected forces of Castamir the Usurper and his sons Angamaitë and Sangahyando and their mixed-blood descendants and loyal forces became the ancestors of the feared Corsairs of Umbar. Though the true line of Númenór is long gone in Umbar, the Gondorians of Pelargir and the Corsairs of Umbar have been heated, bloodborne enemies for over an Age, and it is an enmity that shows no signs of slowing or stopping.

Though this long and tragic history is usually much more watered-down for the common-born man or woman who does not directly serve the Navy, it is a long history that everyone of Pelargir understands, even if not in dates and details. For those that do serve the Navy, even the name Corsair or Umbar can, at times, make one feel as though they’re chewing sand for the countless generations of brethren at arms they’ve lost to their adversary.

- Gondorians of Pelargir are commonly light-brown haired with pale-brown or blue eyes, of a middling height somewhere between 68 to 72 inches and are naturally fair-skinned. There are veins of black haired, black-eyed and swarth-skinned Gondorians in Pelargir and they usually are suspected of being the result of some battle won or lost with the Corsairs and all that such might entail. Though given the ship-based nature of employment for most common born men of Pelargir, the larger majority of working men develop a sailor and working man’s tanned skin that leaves the question of a tan from labor or a tan from birth an enigma to be pondered.

Where generations ago such a question of bloodline could result in serious issue in Pelargir, it is now so very commonplace that it is rarely an issue amongst the common-born and just quietly accepted. It can, in some areas, still cause issue such as with higher positions in the Merchant Guilds and any higher office in the Navy, but as these higher positions are usually filled by nobility or higher-born Men of Pelargir and Dol Amroth, it rarely becomes an issue.

- The common clothes worn in Pelargir are generally cotton and linen, lighter weaves of the famed canvas and dowlas which make the sails of the Navy ships and are exported for fishing ships, tents, and padded armors. Women dress in feminine attire such as shifts, chemises, skirts, over-dresses and flowing dress-like surcoats of calf-length or longer with tall boots. Men dress in masculine attire of such things as chausses (single-leg hose) or leggings beneath long vests, tunics, jerkins or tabards. Most clothing in Pelargir is of a long-sleeved and rounded-collar nature, adorned in toggles and lacing more often than buttons or buckles. Bodices are rarely the fashion in Pelargir where instead the women sport wide, girdle-like belts which are adorned in any number of embroidery styles, intricate paintings on cloth, or embossed leather. Heels upon boots or shoes are not worn by the common man or woman, due to their livelihood a constant use of boats between areas of the city or upon the rivers themselves. Hooded mantles, hats, and snoods are a common fashion for all of Pelargir.

- Much like others of Gondor, those of Pelargir adhere to a length of hair to which they can financially support. Those of poverty keep their hair short, no matter the gender, to ward off pestilence such as lice while those of nobility keep their hair, no matter the gender, long and clean. Beards are wholly kept at bay, and if present is kept very short so as not to be confused with the thick, dense beards of the Corsairs. Most hair is kept up, women wear snoods or wimples to keep their hair unmolested by the winds common amongst the city. Men often keep their hair tied back when upon water but loose and flowing when not. Mustaches are never in fashion in Pelargir, believed to be a Corsair favorite. Likewise having piercings is much akin to proclaiming yourself a Corsair, something which has caused traveling Dorwinions some interesting encounters.

- The common livelihoods of Gondorians of Pelargir are water-faring folk, whether river boats, barges, sea-faring vessels as shiphands, fishermen, traders, and movers of products and men.
Service to the Navy is very common. Other pursuits of those of Pelargir are vintners down from Lebennin, weavers of canvas and dowlas, linen and cotton growers, farmers and more. The pastoral fields north and east of Pelargir in Lebennin are well known for being lush, green farmland for many crops and herds of livestock.

- The wines that are found and exported out of Pelargir from Lebennin are said to be very good, for wine-flavored water, and while popular amongst those of Pelargir – it is suspected that this is only so because they have not tasted real wine out of Dorwinion. There are a couple famous ales that come out of Pelargir, known to put even the best of drinkers on the floor quickly. Due to these, it is said that none but a dwarf can outdrink a man or woman from Pelargir.

- Boxing, fighting with bare fists, is a common sport as well as a means to settle many arguments in Pelargir and used readily in both common and nobility castes (though the latter are rare to let such spectacles occur in public among common men.) It is generally a social taboo to make wagers on boxing in terms of the settlement of an argument but arranged bouts of boxing for sport, or entertainment, is acceptable means for wasting someone’s coin. The taverns of the city are known to host regular bouts. The most highly praised tend to be the annual bouts between the swain of the Navy’s various ships as a means of morale and fellowship within the crews who cheer for their third mate and is the only time that pugilance between Navy men on land is accepted by the city’s authorities within the boundaries of the contest. The annual event tends to be a boon in business for taverns and inns in the city, and births tend to have a sharp rise each year in the ninth month follow the event as it’s the longest time of leave for most Navy men.

- Card, dice, and board games, in general, are a much-loved sport of those in Pelargir and are heavily used on the docks and ships alike as ways to pass the time. The line between friendly wagering and hardcore gambling tends to be a delicate consideration, as unfair, overly inflated, and cutthroat gambling is associated with uncouth and Corsair-like behavior.

- Pelargir being a naval city is run similar to a vast ship. The laws are simple but very black and white, and to break them, to flout the law, is to suffer the harsh extent of justice. Mutiny, theft, murder and adultery are the most cut-and-dry crimes within Pelargir.

Mutiny/Treason: A conspiracy with oneself or others to rebel against rightful authorities through word (sedition) or action (rebellion). On board ship this action taken against one’s Captain or superior officers is called mutiny, and is the most serious form of oath-breaking and disobedience a man of the Navy can commit. It is an action that soils not only the good name and reputation of oneself but of one’s entire crew, family, and lineage. It is treated as a heinous and appalling act and is seen as the willful choice to fall into the ranks of Corsairs and Black Númenóreans. While in times of peace (relative as they are with the constant Corsair threat) such an action will likely see court-martial and punishment, during times of active battle, mutineers are likely to simply be hung from the yardarm rather than risking keep them aboard to assist the enemy or provide distraction.

On land, amongst civilians the same action is called treason. As loyalty is very important in the survival of a crew, the city takes the same expectation of it’s citizens at large. Speaking out against Gondor in public generally will get some teeth broken or worse, often with no need for the authorities to get involved, as another annoyed loyal citizen is likely to impose the punishments themselves, and others are unlikely to interfere or somehow manage to see or remember the crime in question later. The official legal comeuppance for mutiny, sedition and general rabble-rousing ranges from fines and times in the stocks, branding and whippings, and exile. Exile tends to be a ritualistic affair wherein as they guilty you are placed upon a small boat, hands tied behind your back and left to the fate of the river and sea beyond. Treason that leads to the active taking up of arms against authorities or other citizens (rebellion) is viewed as an attempt towards murder and is treated thus as seriously - it usually ends in hanging.

Theft: Like in Dol-Amroth, theft, known as ‘stealing from the tide that feeds you’ is not tolerated. While elsewhere in Middle Earth (most notably among Dorwinions) some thieving is considered an artform, in Pelargir there is zero tolerance and those caught are treated with the harshest extent of the law. The desire to take from the work of others is seen as the base motivation of the barbarous Corsairs, and thus any action that might encourage sympathy to their cause is dealt with harshly. It is not common that fingers and hands are cut off as supposedly is the tradition amongst the Corsairs or more brutish peoples, but branding as a thief is often done. Where a missing digit or hand could be excused as an accident and their crimes hidden – being branded is something that is forever. Something that will haunt all your years and this practice generally deters even the most desperate. To assist in the prevention – Pelargir is one of the few cities in Gondor where the common man is still actively provided for in times of need. The city’s Council of Ships provides soup kitchens for the hungry as food is often the root of theft issues, and reminds that work with the Royal Navy is always available to those without other employ.

Murder: Considered the harshest of crimes next to mutiny and treason, murder is effectively treated as a cut and dry crime. If you commit murder, even in the act of self-defense, it is taking the life of another and you are held culpable for the crime. Thus why petty issues between citizens are settled by weaponless fisticuffs rather than a more formalized dueling like is common elsewhere. There are superstitions amongst the docks of Pelargir to commit murder and not in the name of King and kingdom is to be wasting life, and therein stealing from Mandos. Those who commit murder against other citizens of Gondor are generally hung. The only acceptable life taken by a man of Pelargir is in service to the Navy fighting the Corsairs or when the Prince of Dol Amroth or the King’s Steward calls for volunteers for the Army of Gondor to fight threats by land.

Adultery: To lay with another’s legal spouse is to be trespassing on their union and to be ‘stealing’. The price for such crimes generally are quite costly, in coin, being fined by the Council of Ships as a crime against public order. Should a base-born child be born of a union where adultery is committed, the fines grow vastly. Like many lands, inheritance amongst the common and nobles of Pelargir falls to first-born male and then continues down the line through males.

Uinen, Lady of the Seas - The common-born Men of Pelargir have a culture that is long tied to Númenór and the Dúnedain, and they remain one of the few settlements of Gondor (along with Dol Amroth and Minas Tirith) where the common-born retain a working knowledge of the Valar, including Sauron, the Great Enemy. Given their livelihood attached to the sea and the waters, Men of Pelargir who find themselves in faithful focus on such otherworldly things settle their
attention on Uinen, Lady of the Seas much as the mariners of Númenór did in Ages of old. They pray for her assistance and mercy in calming the rages of her husband Ossë and their master Ulmo, Lord of Waters. The common-born tend to wear trinkets and tokens in her image and offer supplications during their tests and trials at sea, while the upper classes tend to work motifs of her image into their homes in tasteful remembrance.

- White cats are considered bad luck in Pelargir. A white cat to look at you means coming misfortune though to harm one would bring a lifetime of ill-wrought luck. White cats are avoided completely. On the flipside a black cat to look at you means coming fortune, though to harm one would not give anything but a lifetime of sorrows. To leave a black cat a saucer of milk is said to be ‘fishing for luck’. Cats in general are not to be trusted nor are they kept as pets as they’re deemed unclean and full of mischief and are never-do-wells.

- Hunting dogs and dogs in general are not a common companion for citizens of Pelargir as there is little to hunt that is not water-born. Instead, it is a common sight that weasels, generally stoats or ferrets, though the brave might keep a trained polecat are domesticated for household pest control in city and on ship alike. It is a treat of the very wealthy to keep as a pet a trained mink or ermine, or if they want to seem even more exotic a mongoose imported from across the Poros.

Pelargir Gondorian Reference

- Pelargir lies at the meeting of River Anduin and River Sirith which thereupon flow into the Bay of Belfalas. It is known to be located some ways south and eastwards from Dol Amroth.
- Pelargir is laid out much like a half circle with a man-made isle shaped like a triangle in the middle. In the center is known to be a great lighthouse, a mournful remembrance of Calmindon.

- There are three social castes within Pelargir that slightly set them apart from other cities within Gondor:

Common

The common-born caste is by far the largest in numbers for Pelargir and fill out the so-called Labor, Market, and Dock districts of the city.

The Labor District is the largest of the common districts both geographically and in terms of population. The Labor District takes up much of the western bank of the encircled city and is responsible for organizing or holding the manual labor within the city. Here laborers weave and dye the canvas and dowlas linen the city is known for, process farm goods brought in from the farmsteads outside the city, cut the planks to maintain the Navy, and fish the rivers or into the Bay. Here lives the sweat and muscle that keeps Pelargir in ship-shape order. The houses of whose who live here tend to be small and their work is hard, but they have a respectable living. Even here where the “poorest” live, the city is kept clean and the citizens fed. Anything else would be a shame against the sacrifice and hard work of the Navy who has long kept the city free.

The Market District takes up the eastern bank side of the encircled city and is made up of a collection of Guilds.

These Guilds are responsible for the various factions of labor. While being responsible for keeping the Labor District functioning and in order (and the populace gainfully employed) – the merchants and leaders of the Market District are also responsible for all land-based import and export flowing through their guildhalls. **Note to players: these are not Fellowships nor to be treated as thus. The guilds are broken up into the following by rank of present power:

Shipwright’s Guild  – This is the largest of all the Merchant Guilds and oversees everything to do with the construction, repair, and moving of all non-naval ships. All business which traverses water, be it river or sea, through Pelargir ultimately occurs in one way or another by the blessing of the Shipwright’s Guild. They are not unknown to hold a ship for weeks at a time to weasel out every coin they so seek from its Captain by arguing about a ship’s safety or seaworthiness by failing it’s official inspection. While being a Guild, there are still smaller outfits within the Guild that pay into being part of it – these smaller outfits, mostly called Companies are still rather large and are no one-man show. These Companies within the Guild often pander to the Shipwright Council to get the best bidding allowances for shipbuilding or repair contracts. Only the very few prestigious Companies get to touch the Navy.

Guild of Venturers - While smaller in numbers compared to the other Guilds, the Guild of Venturers is like the Shipwright’s Guild a tradition of the Ages, held over unbroken from Númenór and thus maintain a position based on prestige and heritage. They maintain the tradition of training mariners and seamen for commerce and trade, and work to establish and refresh trading contacts with the furthest reaches of the realm. Many men who eventually join the Royal Navy get their first experience on a ship with the Guild of Venturers. The most tradition-minded of the Guilds, they work to maintain the Great Lighthouse of the central triangle and perform various rituals and rites throughout the year to continue to maintain the good blessings of the Lady of the Seas.

Being responsible for a great deal of the import and export trade within the city, the Guild of Venturers has a fair amount of political strife with the Shipwright’s Guild, something that is said to hold over from times far earlier than the city itself. Of the Guilds, the Guild of Venturers tends to be the one that

Laborer’s Guild – The second to largest of the Guilds, the Laborer’s Guild oversees the labor of Pelargir from its docks to it’s farming fields and the raw, unfinished goods therein. Like the Shipwrights, the Laborer’s have a plethora of smaller outfits within the Guild’s dominion and all are separated by their individual doings and those that provide the laborers themselves vie for the contracts of ships and farms alike for the best bid. The Laborer’s Council is not opposed to creating shortages of certain raw materials to increase their cost as well as to put a heel on the throats of the other Guilds to negotiate for the best contracts and profit. Nothing of a raw nature is exported from Pelargir or sold within it without the Laborer’s Guild’s allowance.

Artisan’s Guild – While the smallest of the Guilds, the Artisan’s Guild is certainly not the least active. The Artisan Guild is composed of dozens and dozens of different Companies all producing the finished products of the town city: furniture, clothing, weaponry, armaments, etc. The Artisan Council is said to be the most ruthless of all the other Guilds, whispered to grease the proverbial wheel in many colorful ways to keep their power and to keep themselves as elite as they are. Nothing ‘crafted’ comes and goes from Pelargir (or at least they’d like to believe) without the Artisan Guild allowing it and taxing it to no end to ensure they’ve a piece of the pie.

The difference between Companies and shops are composed of the simple facts; numbers, money and position. Companies often have a founder or proprietor from amongst the upper or noble classes, a job for a son not bound for the Navy, or for a daughter to show skill at business and politics to find a more suitable match. A Company generally has a dozen or more employees and can produce ten times what a shop can produce, if not more. A Company, like a shop, focuses on a certain area within their Licensure, similar to the Artisan Union of Rhovanion or the Fellowships of Minas Tirith. There are rumors that this is where the likes of the Union were born as many great things in history have been known to come out of Gondor.

Companies will, with any of the Guilds, have more clout in terms of gaining contracts and better bids than the one-man or one-woman shows, which are what Pelargirians refer to shops as. Shops generally get the lowest means of profit on a bid and get the contracts that Companies either don’t want to touch, are too small to bother with, or there is some societal issue with the contract such as the owner of the contract could have a very poor reputation. Each of the Companies and shops can only take contracts and bids from the Guild they have joined. Joining a Guild is generally for life unless they oust you and even then, getting another to take you might prove quite difficult. For the Guilds of Pelargir, they do not forget slights or sedition on their name or power. The only exceptions for the acceptance of switching Guilds tends to be for people who might begin by informally working in the Guild of their parents and then find a more fitting outfitting elsewhere, or for servicemen returning from the Navy who take up a position on their retirement.

The Dock District: The Dock District is a triangular man-made formation in the centre of the city that is the major causeway in and out of the city. In the center of the Dock District through it’s many canals and byways sits the Great Lighthouse, built from time immemorial as a remembrance of Calmindon the fallen lighthouse of Númenór. Here sits the seat of the Royal Navy, the Courthouse, and the other buildings of government and the esteemed households of the Dúnedain nobility who maintain positions in the Navy and the government.

Pelargir Etiquette

- Common men who greet a Naval Officer or Nobility are expected to remove their hat, if wearing one.
- If being introduced to a member of the Navy caste or Nobility, a commoner is expected to dip their head, keep their eyes down and speak when spoken to. Slang and swearing are social suicide when speaking with the Navy or Nobility unless given freedom to do so.
- If in in the presence of, but not being introduced to, one of the Navy or Nobility, it is expected a commoner will not approach unless welcomed to do so as to approach unwelcomed is considered a slight.
- Touching one of the Navy or Nobility without offer to do so is a punishable offense. If using your right hand, it is even more so.
- When greeting one another, bidding one another farewell or confirming some verbal agreement, Commoners generally clasp each other’s left bicep with only their left hand, never with the right. They will do this simultaneously.
- It is socially rude to eat with your right hand. The right hand is deemed as your ‘privy using hand’. It is believed that only Corsairs would eat from the hand they wipe with.
- Commoners generally work in some sea-faring terms into their language such as: tides, its all under the waves, its all over the waves, sails, its all a matter of listless sails, strong as a mast, tight as a sail, loose as a sail, drunk as a rudderless boat, firm as a captain’s wheel, etc.

Note for RP: Remember, Middle Earth is not as a collective in a gunpowder age. Gunpowder is something of mystery and magic and understood by Wizards and Dwarves for fireworks or mining. It is not known and understood by Men, particularly not Free Men (IE, those free from service to Sauron), and thus they have no references to the understanding of canons. When one in the Navy refers to the concept of tactical fire, they quite literally mean setting something on fire.

The Royal Navy

The Navy is, like many other military outfits of Middle-Earth, combat oriented and combat minded. The uniforms of vary in only two forms which is for male or female. For male, the standard issued uniform is made up of knee-high boots, fitted knee-breeches, hose beneath, smallclothes, high-collared and long-sleeved tunic, sleeveless jerkin, high-collared surcoat and a hat. For female, the standard issued uniform is made up of knee-high boots, hose, shift, a calf-length and long-sleeved kaftan, high-collared surcoat and a hat. For the Navy, armor is not as ideal as the ability to be mobile and unhindered on a ship.

It is important to note that there are three different attack-style ships built and outfitted for the Royal Navy. There are the Rams, the ships outfitted to beat their adversaries into submission with a massive lance-styled ram built at either end of their ship so as to pierce the enemy and therein seriously disable their hull and either sink them or pin them for boarding. There are the Birches, the ships outfitted to best their adversaries on brawn alone. It is said that their name is derived from having used birch rods as a means to best a Corsair ship in their early days, a battle still told in great infamy by bards. Often too, outfitted with a ram, the Birches are meant mostly to board and beat back the enemy with their might. The last of the three ship styles is called the Dragon. Known for delivering oil to the waters around an adversary, the Dragon then spews flaming arrows at it, engulfing the opposing ship in a ring of flames that steadily ebb towards its hull. When the Dragon emerges through the Navy ships, it is generally known no survivors will be taken. No mercy will be granted. And the enemy ships will burn.

The ranks of the Navy are as follows:

- Private – (Private) New Soldier for the Navy
- Corporal – (Corporal) Soldier for the Navy
- Boatswain AKA Swain or Bo’sun- (Sergeant)
- Crew’s Shipwright and Wardmaster (Physician) - Second Mates
- First Mate – (Lieutenant) First Mate of the Navy
- Captain – Crew Captain of the Navy
- Lord Commander – Naval Commander
- Prince of Dol Amroth *
- Steward – Steward of Gondor

* Technically, the Navy does not directly answer to the Prince of Dol Amroth, but communication directly to Minas Tirith and the council of the Steward can be slow in a time of emergency. As many of the Prince’s own citizens and nobles work take positions with the Navy to secure the vital Bay of Belfalas, it is accepted tradition that in time of dire haste the Prince has the authority to make decisions in the Steward’s stead should the Naval Commander be unable to decide on a course of action by his own mind.

- To salute their betters, Naval Officers touch a fist to their sternum lightly, hold it there and dip their head until they’re acknowledged.
- When in the presence of Nobility, Naval Officers stand at ready, hands behind the small of their back, right wrist held in their left and do not approach unless bid welcome to do so.
- When introduced to Nobility, a Naval Officer will salute them as they would a higher rank within the Navy.
- It is considered appalling manners for a Naval Officer to swear in public unless on their ship, out to sea.
- Like their Commoner brethren, Naval Officers too appeal to use of their left hand as well as the use of sea-faring terms.

Nobility

Nobility in Pelargir is similar to that of Dol-Amroth in that its ranks and blood-lines are made up for the most part of Dúnedain. Like all of their bloodline, the nobles of Pelargir are primarily tall, slender-built and fair-skinned with black hair and grey eyes.

The noble houses of Pelargir are as follows:

House Cairhir – Highest and most prominent of the Nobles of Pelargir, House Cairhir’s history puts them as a strong descendant of Ship-Kings and is one of the oldest bloodlines in Pelargir. The coloring most common amongst House Cairhir is midnight-black hair, dark grey eyes, and a skin-tone described as fair though peach-pink. They are of very tall stature, slender of build, and have a very distinctive straight, sharpness to their eyebrows as well as having a dimpled chin. The symbol of the House is a four-sailed ship superimposing a green triangle.

House Cairhir tends towards a strong involvement with the Navy.

House Miaulin – Second in prominent amongst the Nobles of Pelargir, House Miaulin’s history puts them as a strong descendant of Ship-Kings. The coloring most common amongst House Miaulin is coal-black hair, pale grey eyes, and a skin-tone described as beige. They are of very tall stature, willowy in build with broad shoulders common in their males and a distinctive feature of curly hair amongst them. The symbol of the House is a white cat superimposing a green triangle.

Given the viewing of white cats as ill-luck illicit rumour abounds about the connection of House Miaulin to such an ill-fated symbol. The most vile of whispers report that those of House Miaulin have Corsair or worse Black Númenórean blood. Though to report that outloud ever is an assured level of social suicide and blatant stupidity. That those of House Miaulin tend to favor politics and commerce in the Guild of Laborers rather than higher-minded pursuits doesn’t tend to particularly help with the rumours.

House Araspen – Smallest amongst the Nobles of Pelargir, House Araspen’s history puts them as a strong descendant of Ship-Kings and the oldest of bloodlines though due to rampant misfortune amongst them, their lines are few and their successful generations thinning. The coloring most common amongst House Araspen is shadow-black hair, silvery-grey eyes, and a skin-tone described as snow-white. They are of very tall stature, fragile-looking builds and distinctive eyebrows of a wing-shaped nature. The symbol of the House is a white hind superimposing a green triangle.

House Araspen traditionally holds high positions in the Guild of Shipwrights.

House Aewemben – One of the less prominent Nobles of Pelargir, House Aewemben’s history is not overly lengthy, rumored to have been born some time ago from small factions of both House Cairhir and House Miaulin blending together. Due to this blending, House Aewemben has not always had the fortune of the best marriage contracts and thus has, as rumor goes, branched out to accepting very profitable unions from amongst suitable matches outside of Nobility. Of course, they’d never admit this and such would still be extremely rare. The coloring most common amongst House Aewemben is jet-black hair, pale, blue-grey eyes, and a skin-tone described as fair with a hint of pink to it. They are of very tall stature, somewhat slender in build though there are rather curvaceous figures amongst them. The most notable distinction in their features to other Nobles is the blue in their grey eyes, something that to other Nobles would hint at their thinned bloodlines. The symbol of the House is a trio of knotwork white doves fashioning a triangle on a green field.

House Aewenben tends towards high positions in the Guild of Artisans.

House Dinalagos – Similar to House Aewemben, the Noble House Dinalagos of Pelargir has a rumored habit of blending their bloodlines with those not born of Nobility. Unlike House Aewemben, House Dianlagos has a rich and lengthy history with a tree and roots extending back to the Ship-Kings and beyond. Due to running into many misfortunes in ill-wrought marriage contracts and business arrangements, House Dianlagos ran out of favor amongst not just the other Nobles, but of the Steward of Gondor though none would dare speak of it. The coloring most common amongst House Dinalagos is pitch-black hair, dark, brown-flecked grey eyes, and a fair, peach-pink skin tone. Not as tall as their brethren amongst the rest of the Noble familes, House Dinalagos is of a shorter stature, slender and they’re well known to have a habit of having moles marring their skin. The symbol of the House is a stormy trio of waves across a green sky.

House Dinalagos tends towards high positions in the Navy and the Guild of Venturers.

The most common profession amongst the nobility is to be a naval officer with some other pursuits being a cartographer, star-navigator, or ship-designer. Others involve themselves in politics or leadership positions in the city’s Guilds.

- Nobility greet Commoners and Naval Officers with a polite gesture of a nod and little else though when greeting another of the Nobility they are far more formal, will grasp both shoulders and in turn kiss each other’s foreheads similar to Dol-Amroth.
- It is customary to stand and look to the west before eating a meal and remaining silent for at least five minutes before seating and before the first plate is served.
- Nobility do not touch commoners. To touch a commoner, particularly between the sexes is a shocking display of familiarity and an affair is generally assumed between the pair. The only acceptable breaks to this rule is one’s (always same-sex) body servant, between a physician (or midwife) and patient, or between the men on a naval ship in the course of their duties.
- Nobility would not employ anyone looking to bear Corsair blood or anyone with a reputation for mingling with Corsairs, it is a huge affront to their history.

What Would Other PCs Know About Gondorians from Pelargir?

- Pelargir is where the Royal Navy resides for the Steward of Gondor.
- Pelargir is often at war with the Corsairs of Umbar. The Corsairs are known to be swarthy-skinned and black haired as well as black eyed and descendants of kinslayers and Men of Harad. They have been an enemy of Gondor since the Age of Kings.
- The colors of Pelargir are white and green and the city is shaped much like a triangle set in a half-circle with a curious position between two meeting rivers.
- Blond and red hair are fairly uncommon in Gondor. Green eyes are all but non-existent. Grey eyes are only in the nobility.
- Their nobility like throughout Gondor are Dúnedain
- The mighty ships of the Navy and the Guilds of Pelargir can be seen on ship-bearing rivers and seas and arriving in ports throughout Gondor.
- Pelargir is where most canvas, dowlas, and ship-building materials come from.
- Wine from Lebennin is exported from Pelargir, known competition for the wines of Dorwinion.
- Touching in Pelargir has some social taboos.
- Sedition is said to be mutiny and treated as a very harsh crime in Pelargir, chief amongst their other crimes such as: theft, murder and adultery.

Suggested Backgrounds and Roles

These roles are limited and are restricted to Special Application, having limited availability at any given time. Do not attempt to submit a role using these without the okay of Elder Staff.

Laborer of the Labor District
Requires 3 RPP.
Strongly Suggested Skills: Farming, Gardening

Other Useful Skills: Foraging, Handle, Hunting, Dalish, Seamanship
Background: You hale from the common-born caste of Pelargir, famous birthplace of the Royal Navy. You serve a farm or a homestead upon the pastoral plains just north of the city as a laborer or inside the city, working in one of the many Company-owned warehouses overseen by the Laborer’s Guild. Whether born into said service by way of your parents or having come into your position by another relative, you, like many others around you, labor for the good of Pelargir. What you do as a laborer might depend on the farm or homestead you serve though the most prolific positions are a cotton-farmer, fruit-harvester, fisherman and shepherd. Whether by fortune or misfortune, you find yourself in Laketown.
+10 to Farming or Gardening or Handle, Sindarin at Opening Level

Artisan of the Market District
Requires 3 RPP.
Strongly Suggested Skills: A crafting skill.

Other Useful Skills: Dalish, Seamanship
Background: You hale from the common-born caste of Pelargir, famous birthplace of the Royal Navy. You work as an apprentice in a one-man-show shop or for one of the many Companies inside the city by the Artisan’s Guild. Whether born into said service by way of your parents or having come into your position by another relative, you, like many others around you, labor for the good of Pelargir. What you do as a laborer might depend on the farm or homestead you serve though the most prolific positions are boatman, woodworker, fisherman, and weaver amongst others. Whether by fortune or misfortune, you find yourself in Laketown.
+10 to a Crafting Skill, Sindarin at Opening Level

Disinherited Noble of a Lesser Noble Family
Requires 3 RPP.
Strongly Suggested Skills: Education, Tengwar

Other Useful Skills:
Background: You hale from Pelargir and were born of little consequence in the blood-ranks of one of Pelargir’s two lesser noble families: Aewemben or Dinalagos. You are not unfamiliar to the ways of Pelargir nor are you likely totally unprepared for your future, for whatever crime or argument committed, or capricious youth established, you find yourself disposed of any inheritance and claim of your family’s holdings, fortune or name. Here you are, stripped of everything you were and everything you knew, in Laketown. You are unable to carry your noble name and have been wiped from any records in Dol-Amroth with no hope of return or atoning for whatever you have done. You are not Dunedain.
Sindarin

Discharged Naval Officer
Requires 4 RPP.
Strongly Suggested Skills: Small-Blade, Long-Blade, Dual-Wield

Other Useful Skills: Brawling, Bludgeon, Sneak, Hide, Sole-Wield, Long-Blade
Background: You hale from Pelargir and were either born into or groomed for service in the famous Royal Navy whose ranks are legendary for their prowess on the water. Whether due to a crippling ailment or perhaps discharged and deemed unfit for service to the Royal Crown of Gondor – you have been removed of your service. Your rank is no more, your uniform and its reputation returned to the Navy. You would not have exceeded the rank of Corporal. Perhaps shamed by age, crippling ailment, or your dishonor you have earned a discharge and have left Pelargir and find yourself in Laketown.
+10 to a weapon skill and + 5 to a support skill though not a craft skill, Sindarin at Opening Level

Stories and Songs

Players are encouraged to submit songs and stories for Gondorians of Pelargir as they’re playing. Please respect all Copyright Laws. If it is someone’s work, heavily or loosely based on someone else’s work, or even that of work too old to maintain a maker’s name – give the source, when submitted, due credit.