Eradan

Eradan son of Baranor was one of the Rangers of the North during the late Third Age.
He is a Dúnadan and was born before T.A. 2988 in the Angle. He was both a skilled swordsman and archer, and a great tracker.
== History ==
=== Youth ===
The ancestors of Eradan were members of a noble family from Númenor, who served Elendil. After the Downfall of Númenor they went in exile to Middle-earth and lived in Arnor, where they served the heirs of Elendil. After the fall of that kingdom they continued to serve the Chieftains of the Dúnedain.
Eradan spend his youth in a small Dúnedain settlement in the Angle, while his father, Baranor, served Aragorn as an Ranger. While Baranor and a company of Dúnedain patrolled the Misty Mountains he didn't return. After the loss of his father, Eradan was fostered by his uncle, Dunhir.
=== Life as a Ranger ===
After he was grown up he started his training to be a Ranger. After only two years he completed his training and started to fight the Orcs of the Misty Mountains and Trolls who roamed the east of Eriador. Eradan gained a high reputation as swordsman and archer, and his skills as outdoorsman and tracker were exceptional high.
When Aragorn doubled the defenses of the Shire Eradan served as one of the guards of Sarn Ford for many years under the command of Halbarad. In T.A. 3016 Aragorn became more active in the Shire's defense. In this time Eradan impressed Aragorn with his skills and bravery. Eradan accompenied Aragorn on many of his travels, on which Aragorn taught him even more about tracking. In T.A. 3018 he met Farin and Andriel as they joined the guards of the Sarn Ford.
=== War of the Ring ===
When the Nazgûl attacked the Sarn Ford all three fought under the command of Halbarad in an attempt to prevent them entering the Shire. They were defeated and most of the rangers were killed. After the attack, Eradan, Andriel and Farin saw and overheard a meeting between the Witch-king and Agandaûr. Agandaûr told the Witch-king he had assembled an army of Orcs and Goblins in Fornost. Halbarad sent the three to Bree, where they meet with Aragorn in the Prancing Pony. They tell Aragorn what happened, who sends them to Fornost, where they have to stop Agandaûr's army before it attacks Bree.
After arriving in Fornost they are attacked by several groups of Orcs and Goblins and find a chained eagle. After Eradan and his companions helped him to escape, he introduces himself as Beleram and explains how he has been captured. In regards of his rescue, Beleram decides to help them stop Agandaûr.
In the inner wards of Fornost the companions meet with Elladan and Elrohir, who've been sent by their father to scout Fornost. Andriel introduces Eradan and Farin to Elladan and Elrohir. After finding out they're appointed to deal with the same task, the two groups decide to work together. Firstly Elladan and Elrohir lead Eradan and his friends to the citadel, but latter on they take seperate roads. But meet again - after surviving several ambushes - at the gate of the citadel. The gate of the citadel has been protected by Agandaûr with magic. As the sons of Elrond use all their power and concentration to remove the magical protection, Eradan, Andriel, Farin and Beleram protect them against an attack of Orcs and a Troll.
Inside the Citadel tower the group overhear a conservation between Agandaûr and Tharzog, who informs the earlier about intruders. Here, Eradan, Andriel and Farin are again seperated from the sons of Elrond. The earlier fight and kill Tharzog and his guard. After which they proceed to the top of the tower, where they find Agandaûr fighting the sons of Elrond. Agandaûr - seeing he is outnumbered - flees on a Fell Beast. Although Beleram chases him, he has to give up after Agandaûr creates a thunderstorm.
Eradan, Andriel and Farin return to the encampment at Sarn Ford, where they tell Halbarad what had transpired at Fornost. As Eradan and his companions make ready to leave for Rivendell, at the elf twins' behest, Halbarad asks them if they could search for two of his missing rangers: Luin and Kilaran, who ended up lost in the Barrow-downs. Eradan politely agrees. Once there, however, they are attacked by the Barrow-wights, the undead spirits that haunt the tombs of the Downs. As they venture through the tombs, they eventually find Luin, who tells them that the wights have taken Kilaran. They eventually find Kilaran, who is possessed by a Barrow-wight Lord. Despite Eradan's protests of killing a fellow ranger, he eventually kills him, thereby killing the Wight Lord, as well. Eradan and the others offer to help Luin bring Kilaran's body back to Sarn Ford and bury him, but Luin says he will take care of himself. And so, Eradan and his companions can continue on their way.
They eventually arrive at Rivendell, where they meet Lord Elrond and Aragorn, as well as Gandalf the Grey. They tell Eradan and his friends about Aragorn's quest, which was to bring four Hobbits from the Shire here to Rivendell, one of them carrying Isildur's Bane (the One Ring). To that end, they told them that they had a plan to form a fellowship of Nine Walkers who would journey to Mordor and destroy the Ring; Gandalf and Aragorn are already members. Eradan and his friends wish to join as well, but Elrond tells them that the choices have already been made. Elrond does, however, tell them that they could help him with a problem arising in the Ettenmoors, to which Eradan and his friends gladly accept.
Before leaving for the Ettenmoors, Eradan meets Frodo Baggins, the Hobbit who carries the One Ring. He also meets Legolas, one of the wood-elves; Gimli the dwarf and his father Gloin; Bilbo Baggins, Frodo's uncle; and lady Arwen Evenstar, Lord Elrond's daughter, who has promised herself to Lord Aragorn. Eradan and his companions also bring to Elrond a scroll they found in Fornost made by a group of dark sorcerers called The Cult of the Lidless Eye, which contain writings of the Black Speech. They also give him a tome, which is revealed to belong to Malbeth, the seer of Arthedain.
As they soon arrive at the Ettenmoors, they are swiftly attacked by orcs and mountain-trolls. They soon are met once again by Beleram, who tells them he has come to the Ettenmoors to help his kin track down a renegade stone-giant named Bargrisar. After killing many orcs, Eradan and his companions eventually find Bargrisar and, with Beleram's aid, defeat him. After the giant is killed, Beleram's master, Lord Gwaihir, arrives. He thanks the heroes for their help, and agrees to let Beleram journey with them, along with two other eagles, Baranthor and Armenel.
When they return to Rivendell, Eradan and his friends bring to him war gear they had taken from their fallen enemies, which bare Agandaûr's black raven emblem. They also tell Elrond that Agandaûr is marshalling an army, to which Elrond believes that if he were to build an army, he would have gone to Mount Gundabad.