Pelargir

**Pelargir** was a great city on the river Anduin, and the main harbor of Gondor.

## History

### Second Age

Pelargir was built in SA 2350 as a haven of the Faithful. The King's Men established havens farther South. It had in its early days been a city only a few miles away from the coasts, but after the Downfall of Númenor the coasts along the Bay of Belfalas had retreated a great distance and the city was left far inland. Pelargir was one of the cities that assembled Gondor when it was founded in SA 3320 by the Faithful.

It became an even greater haven in the days of the Ship-stewards. Tarannon Falastur built a great house there, with its roots in the water which he so dearly loved. His wife, Berúthiel, did not, however, and preferred to live in Osgiliath with her cats. Tarannon's nephew Eärnil I, who succeeded him, rebuilt Pelargir and built a great navy to conquer Umbar.

Castamir was highly loved in the shore regions of the land, and when he usurped the throne, he purposed to move the throne from Osgiliath to Pelargir. Though he did not do so, he did move his base there. Eldacar turned the tide in the Kin-strife at the Battle of the Crossings of Erui in TA 1447, and Castamir's family, supporters and ships retreated to Pelargir. Eldacar besieged them by land until they were driven out, making their way to Umbar. Castamir's great-grandsons Angamaitë and Sangahyando eventually retook Pelargir in 1634, and slew king Minardil.

Like his namesake, the great general Eärnil took up residence in Pelargir. His Army of the South was stationed there during the long war with the Balchoth. News of the Disaster of the Morannon reached him on 9 July 1944, and he set out to battle. He returned victorious, and with the steward and his sons slain, the general (of royal blood) became steward Eärnil II.

### Third Age

Pelargir was built around the meeting of the rivers Sirith and Anduin, on the eastern border of the Lower Lebennin area and the Central Gondor region, west of Upper Lebennin and Eastern Gondor. Aragorn's retaking of Pelargir was featured in an Epic Battle and served as the climax of Book 2 of Volume IV. The city's emblem was a blue anchor on a white background, with gold trim. The city was divided into the West-garth, the East-garth, the Market Ward, the Shipwrights' Ward, the Court of the Ship-Kings, and Tol Ciryarani, though the latter was rendered inaccessible by a collapsed bridge by the time Aragorn liberated the city. Argillond, the Harbor of Royal Ships, was partitioned from the rest of the Great River by two sea-gates, one on the east and one on the west.
Sirgon was Lord of the city during the War of the Ring, and was captured and spirited away by Haradrim slavers when the city was captured. Sirgon's son Faltharan and his captain Thandor took command of the city following its liberation. Faltharan managed to rescue his mother and siblings, only to soon discover his brother Lorvegil had betrayed the city to the Corsairs, allowing it to fall. After apprehending Lorvegil, Faltharan discovered and rescued their father at the beacon Sirthanc in Upper Lebennin.
#### The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

During the War of the Ring, Pelargir was overrun by Corsairs once again. Their fleet of some fifty great ships and many more smaller vessels laid in dock, ready to sail to Harlond. It was not to be: Aragorn and the Dead Men of Dunharrow stopped them. After manning the Black Ships and taking them to Harlond where the Army of the Dead gave victory to Gondor, Aragorn released the spell that had haunted the Dead Men since the day of Isildur.