Celebrían

Celebrían has some minor telepathic abilities (they aren't as powerful as those of her mother Galadriel, but they still exist). While they are most effective with other Elves of Noldorin descent (a general description of how it works can be found here), she does have the ability to intuitively understand the minds, hearts and intentions of those around her and send (and receive, too!) telepathic messages, though her missives would largely be brief (a sentence or two at a time) and short-range (over the distance of maybe a couple miles, tops), generally regardless of the race/species with which she's communicating.

To be clear, all she can really do is pick up impressions (sometimes very accurate ones, like a name or image of something specific on someone's mind, or general feelings/intentions, like malice in someone planning to hurt somebody or whatever) and relay short messages. She can't do mind control or telepathically force anyone into anything. However, it does make it difficult to sneak up on her. Not impossible, but very difficult.

Please comment with how (or if!) you'd be comfortable with her using these powers on/with/toward your character(s)--and vice-versa if you're playing someone with similar abilities!

Player Name: Ardruna
Player DW: mirisa_ardruna
Contact: email: ardruna@gmail.com, AIM: Mirisa Erato, Plurk: Ardruna
Character Number: 3

Character: Celebrían
Source: Tolkienverse (Lord of the Rings, Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales)

Appearance: Celebrían's appearance is never actually described by Tolkien, and so must be inferred from various clues and knowledge about her, and those who are her kin. Celebrían is descended from the Noldor on the side of her mother, Galadriel, and the Sindar on the side of her father, Celeborn.

By human standards, she is a creature of surpassing, even haunting, loveliness and grace, as are most Elves of Middle-Earth. Even among her own people, she would be considered a fine beauty.

The Noldor, in particular those with Vanyarin blood (most prominently, the House of Finarfin, who was Celebrían's grandfather), are noted for being tall, strong and fair (in fact, Galadriel was so tall that her mother-name translates to "Man-maiden"), and it is likely that the same is true of Celebrían, with pale skin, eyes of blue-grey, and a slender, willowy frame with statuesque height. Although an exact height is never given for her, she is likely at least six feet tall.

Although Galadriel and Amroth (who, for our purposes, is her brother) are both said to have hair of gold, unique among the Noldor to the descendants of Finarfin, Celebrían's is presumed to be silver-blonde. Her name is literally translated as "silver crown-gift," or "silver queen," in Sindarin, and since she was not born to rule (though she is of noble birth), her name is most likely derived from her hair color, which she inherited from her father. She wears it long, usually at least partially fastened back.

She was kidnapped, imprisoned, tortured and wounded by orcs (including a poisoned wound that could never fully heal so long as she remained in Arda), and though Elrond did his best to heal her, she still bears the scars from the ordeal, mainly on her limbs and torso.

Chosen PB is (a heavily-Photoshopped) Catherine McCormack

History:
Wiki up, kids

As little is actually mentioned of Celebrían, we must draw her history from a variety of complex and sometimes contradictory sources to paint the clearest picture of her experiences.

The time and place of Celebrían's birth are not specified, but it is referenced in the Unfinished Tales that Galadriel and Celeborn's first child, listed originally as a son named Amroth, was born at some point between the years 350 and 400 of the Second Age during their sojourn near Lake Nenuial in Eriador (not far east from what would later be known as the Shire). Whether Amroth and Celebrían were twins, or if her birth came later in Eregion, or possibly even later still in Lórien, is unclear. Later versions give Amroth a different parentage, however, and since someone was born to them at this time, if it is not him (though in my interpretation of the canon, the two are, in fact, twins), then this date and place of birth must be hers.

Celebrían and her family came to Eregion proper from Eriador around the year 700 of the Second Age, and stayed there for quite some time, presumably building and subsequently residing in the city of Ost-in-Edhil by SA 750, with her parents serving as its rulers. While residing in Eregion, they enjoyed a robust trade with the Dwarves of nearby Khazad-dûm, exchanging a number of finely-wrought crafts and knowledge, which Galadriel welcomed, both as one of the Noldor (said to be of similar mind with the Dwarves, with a natural sympathy with their minds and passionate love of crafting) and having known the Dwarves on East Lindon who had transferred their power to Khazad-dûm. As one of the Sindar, Celeborn, however, had no love for Dwarves of any kind, never forgiving the part of their race in the destruction of his homeland, Doriath. It was also during this time that Celebrimbor, the famed "Silverhand" and renowned Noldor craftsman, forged the Rings of Power, along with the help of a mysterious man who called himself Annatar ("Lord of Gifts") and claimed to be an emissary of Aulë. Only the three Elven rings--Nenya, Vilya and Narya--were created solely by Celebrimbor without the aid of Annatar, later revealed to be Sauron, and so they remained untainted. One, Nenya, the White Ring of Water, was given to Celebrían's mother, Galadriel. However, with the creation of the Rings of Power, Sauron's influence in Eregion grew, causing disquiet to Celeborn and Galadriel, until they willingly ceded Eregion's leadership to Celebrimbor approximately around 1350 in the Second Age and brought their family into the valley of Lórinand, later to be better remembered as Lothlórien.

It is in regard to Lothlórien that the history becomes difficult to follow. Galadriel (and possibly Celeborn) is said to have had contact with its people as early as SA 1200 through her connections with the Dwarves of Moria, but with precisely whom she spoke is unclear. The area had been settled during the First Age by the Nandor Elves, the forerunners to the Silvan Elves which populated the great Woodland Realm, which included everything from the northern Greenwood to southern Lothlórien. Later during the First Age and early Second Age would come the Sindar Elves, many fleeing from the destruction of Doriath, including Oropher, the father of Thranduil, whom the Silvan accepted as their king and Lord of the Woodland Realm. Later-written stories also say that an Elf named Amdír, a prince of Doriath (just as Celeborn was), became the king of Lothlórien and was named as the father of Amroth by an unknown mother. Yet, it is also written that when Celeborn, Galadriel and their family arrived in Lothlórien, Oropher was displeased by their intrusion into the area, which makes little sense if Amdír was already in place as the king of Lothlórien. For our purposes, we are assuming Galadriel's contact with Lothlórien was with the local Nandor/Silvan residents and still part of the Oropher's holdings until their arrival in SA 1350, at which point Galadriel and Celeborn became the rulers of the valley. It's most likely that Amdír is a close kinsman to Celeborn among the Galadhrim and granted regency over Lothlórien until Amroth was of an age to rule on his own, although his name does not appear on the lineages of Doriath's royal houses. It may be possible, in fact, that Celeborn and Amdír are one and the same, especially seeing as Amdír is not otherwise mentioned among the descendants of Thingol or his brother.

As Celebrían's parents became the leaders of Lothlórien, a feat made easier by Oropher drawing his power further northward and away from the valley in response to increasing threat by enemy forces, including the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm, there is no mention of them returning to Eregion for over 300 years. Yet, in SA 1693, having realized Annatar/Sauron's treachery in forging the One Ring, Celebrimbor begins his revolt, leading to the War of Elves and Sauron and the Invasion of Eriador. While Celeborn led a sortie into battle and fought alongside both Elrond Half-Elven and Celebrimbor (who would be slain during the conflict in SA 1697), presumably leaving Amroth in charge otherwise until he arrived with additional forces, Galadriel and Celebrían are said to have fled Eregion through Khazad-dûm and the Mines of Moria into Lothlórien... even though they'd been living there all that time already. The likely explanation is that, while the battles raged, Galadriel and Celebrían came to the aid of their people by helping the civilian population flee Eregion for the safety of the valley.

It was also in SA 1697 that Elrond, having escaped the siege when his forces were decimated by Sauron's army, was forced northward and established a refuge and stronghold at Imladris (a.k.a. Rivendell). It is not entirely clear whether Celeborn, Galadriel or Celebrían were present for the actual founding of Imladris, but it seems that Celeborn, having refused to enter Moria to escape back to Lothlórien, may have headed north following the aftermath of the war, since in SA 1701 Galadriel and Celebrían came to Imladris seeking him (again leaving Amroth in charge back home) and evidently found him there. This was the first meeting of Elrond and Celebrían, and while sources say he loved her from that very moment, Elrond said nothing of his feelings to either Celebrían or her parents. Rather, his attentions were occupied by the first meeting of the White Council (which likely included Celeborn, Galadriel and Celebrían all), which determined that Eregion would be abandoned in favor of maintaining a stronghold in Imladris, and his receipt of Vilya, the Blue Ring of Air, from Gil-galad, who also named Elrond his vice-regent of Eriador.

For many years following the Council meeting, Celeborn, Galadriel and Celebrían continued to reside in Imladris (though not once did Elrond admit his love during this time). At an unspecified date later, because Galadriel's sea-longing had become so intense, Celebrían and her parents departed from Imladris and went to the sparsely-inhabited lands between the mouth of the Gwathló and Ethir Anduin, dwelling by the shore in Belfalas at the place that would later be called Dol Amroth, in honor of Celebrían's brother. Amroth often visited them there, along with a large company of Nandorin Elves from Lothlórien. Although it is said they made at least two return visits to Lothlórien prior to the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, and late in the Second Age, Celeborn joined in the Last Alliance along with Elrond, Oropher and Thranduil to battle the forces of Sauron in the Battle of Dagorlad (some references claim that Amdír, also called Malgalad, was slain in this battle, thereby passing the crown to Amroth, which Celeborn obviously was not. It's more likely that, if they are one and the same, as we're assuming, he simply dropped the name, but still did officially make Amroth the King of Lothlórien, since he had been left in charge all this time. Had Amdír been a separate person serving as regent, he may well have been slain, and without Celeborn stepping in, the crown thus passed to Amroth.), Celebrían never did return to a permanent residence in Lothlórien. Her parents only did so following Amroth's death by drowning in the year 1981 of the Third Age.

After Sauron's forces were defeated at the end of the Second Age and happier times came to Middle-Earth, Elrond finally was in a position to confess his love to Celebrían after nearly 2,000 years of silence on the matter. The couple was wed at Imladris in the year 109 of the Third Age. 21 years later, Celebrían bore Elrond twin sons, Elladan and Elrohir in TA 130, and a daughter, Arwen Undómiel, in TA 241. They led a happy, peaceful life there for many years, protected by the power of Vilya.

However, it seemed that Celebrían continued to travel at regular intervals to visit her family, usually with nothing more than a small entourage. In TA 2509, she was making one such journey to Lothlórien when she was waylaid by Orcs in the pass at Caradhras, and subsequently kidnapped, imprisoned and tortured, even to the extent of receiving a poisoned wound. Precisely where she was held, for how long, and why is never stated. The most likely reason is that those serving the Enemy were trying to use her to obtain information regarding the Elves and their strengths and weaknesses, though it does not seem that Celebrían ever gave them any information that could be used against her people. Nor is it said how they managed to find her, but she was rescued by her twin sons and brought back to Imladris. Although Elrond was able to heal the vast majority of her physical wounds, he could not undo the psychological trauma she endured, nor entirely rid her body of the poison. Celebrían continued to suffer, no longer able to find any joy in Middle-Earth, despite her love for her family. Within a year, in TA 2510, she chose to go into the west and sail for the Undying Lands of Valinor to seek healing and peace. Many centuries later, she would eventually be reunited there with her parents, husband and sons, but as Arwen chose to remain in Middle-Earth as the mortal bride and queen of Aragorn, Celebrían was forever sundered from her daughter.

Timeline: She is being pulled from the year 2510 of the Third Age, just as she is sailing for the Undying Lands.

Personality: Again, Tolkien doesn't give us any direct insight into her personality or behavior, so we have to infer from what we do know about her nature.

The Noldor were a proud, restless and ambitious people, and indeed, all the descendants of Finwë save Finarfin himself were said to be "proud, strong and selfwilled." Celebrían's mother, Galadriel, was a particularly prominent example of the pride and willfulness of the Noldor, though she was also tempered by the gentleness and insight of the Vanyar, the fairest of the High Elves, and whose bloodline was passed down through the marriage of Finwë and his Vanyar bride Indis, the mother of Finarfin and Fingolfin. It is sure that these traits have been inherited by Celebrían as well. She travels a great deal with her family in her youth, and in her adulthood seems to travel regularly between Imladris and Lothlórien, seemingly proof of her natural restlessness. The fact that, even after a great deal of fear, torture, torment and injury at the hands of the Orcs, she continues to survive and chooses to sail westward to be healed rather than succumb to her pain and grief and eventually go to the Halls of Mandos (where dead Elves go to await their final fate) speaks of her immense force of will and inner strength. Although she is well-mannered, ladylike, gracious and demure when appropriate, Celebrían is often willful and determined, with twin streaks of stubbornness and independence. She may come across at times as being haughty or arrogant in her own way, and she does not take kindly to having her pride injured.

The Noldor were the finest craftsmen among the Elves, and easily as fond of their craft and the materials required for it as any of the Dwarves, giving them a certain predisposition to greed. Celebrían, too, has no small love for items of great beauty and fine wrought. She enjoys luxury where she can find it, and rarely goes without adornment in some fashion. But the Noldor did not limit their craft strictly to the workings of metal and jewels--they were known as the Deep Elves for their passion for knowledge of smithing, warfare, lorecraft and language and everything else and that "great became their knowledge and their skill; yet even greater was their thirst for more knowledge, and in many things they soon surpassed their teachers. They were changeful in speech, for they had great love of words, and sought ever to find names more fit for all things they knew or imagined," but also that "they needed room to quarrel in." Thus, Celebrían, like her forebears, is an intelligent, clever and logical woman, wise in many ways, curious about a number of subjects, and fond of reading, history and scholarship. She can also be competitive under the right circumstances, and, if sufficiently provoked, become argumentative or even exhibit flashes of sharp temper.

While all Eldar have a deep fondness and respect for the natural world, the Noldor, far more than any other of their Elven brethren, enjoyed the building of true cities--Celebrían even spent much of her youth in one: the Eregion capital of Ost-in-Edhil. As much as she loves the great outdoors, Celebrían genuinely enjoys the comforts of a more urban lifestyle.

But let us not forget that she is half-Sindar as well. While perhaps not as wise as their Calaquendi cousins, the Sindar had a rich and thriving culture of their own. They were especially renowned for their love of music, and Celebrían, too, has a deep fondness for music, dance, and similar cultural pursuits. The fact that Rivendell is often described as having music in it is likely due to her influence, even after her parting from Middle-Earth.

For much of her life, Celebrían was a vibrant, spirited, fearless woman, with little caution for her own well-being. All of that changed when she was ambushed and abducted by the Orcs. Although the precise nature of the horrors she endured are largely a mystery, the experience was deeply traumatizing for her, and left as many mental and emotional scars on her as physical ones. Having not yet made it to Valinor, while she has kept her elegance and dignity and thus tries to keep a stiff upper lip about it, she suffers constantly in both body and soul. The poison still in her wound will never kill her, but it is difficult for her to find joy in the world around her while she continues to be in pain, and she is prone to withdrawal, melancholy and general moodiness. If startled or caught by surprise, she may have flashbacks to her attack and reflexively lash out. She does not like to talk about her ordeal, as it brings back too many horrific memories, and will try to dismiss inquiries unless it is important for someone else to be aware of the nature of her injuries. Pressing her on the subject is likely to cause her to snap at the querent.

It is worth noting that the Eldar mate for life. Having been happily married for over 2,000 years, Celebrían's love for Elrond is absolute and unbreakable, and she proudly bears his ring upon her index finger. She may take pleasure or comfort in the company of others, but she is so far beyond lust at this point in her life that her affection will always be strictly platonic for anyone who is not her husband, regardless of the circumstances. Otherwise, she does her best to be polite, diplomatic and hospitable, showing kindness and generosity to those who deserve it. Those she does not feel she can trust, however, will be met with chilly aloofness.

Abilities: The short answer is, we don't fully know. Tolkien never says anything about her skills or talents one way or another, and so we must conjecture what they might be.

Like all the Eldar, she is ageless and immortal, already over 5,000 years old by the time she sails westward. She possesses the great vitality of her kind, which renders her body hardy and resistant to many physical injuries (for example, light shoes being enough to protect her feet from rocks or the freezing cold of snow) as well as toxins, hunger or thirst, and a tirelessness well beyond that of a human--like other Elves, she is light of foot, can travel long distances without leaving tracks, and can walk lightly across snow where the boots of Men would sink. She doesn't require sleep, but is able to enter a waking meditative state to regain her strength and vigor, which she can do even while walking or riding. However, it is possible for her to be slain by weapons (though the Elves can generally heal from most wounds that would kill mortal Men due to their natural resilience) or to die from wasting away (some Elves in the First Age living near Angband died from a wasting disease, for instance) or the loss of will to live.

She possesses the keen senses of her people, with extremely sharp vision and hearing, and a superhuman ability to perceive the things around her. It is likely, though unconfirmed, that Celebrían may possess a gift of insight even beyond that of most Elves, inherited in a lesser form from that of her mother, which enables her to intuitively understand (if not actually "read") the minds, hearts and intentions of those around her, and maybe be able to communicate brief messages to others through telepathy. She also would have a preternatural sense of the presence of dark creatures in her vicinity (These seem to be traits common to those of Noldor descent). As the child of two very old and powerful Elves, one Noldor and one Sindar, she may have further talent for so-called "elf-magic," but it is unclear what it would be. Such a talent would be limited only to herself and her immediate surroundings, however.

She does a great deal of cross-country traveling throughout her life, we presume on horseback generally, so she is almost certainly an excellent and swift rider.

Being of Noldor descent, she likely has some crafting skill of her own, though this would be limited to traditionally feminine arts, such as weaving and sewing. But, also as a Noldor scion, she likely possesses the ability to imbue her crafts with subtle magic, such as making a cloak that might keep out the sight of unfriendly eyes.

Her Sindar heritage indicates she likely is an accomplished singer, musician and dancer.

Elvish healing is said to be without parallel in Middle-Earth, and Celebrían's husband, Elrond, was exceptionally gifted in the healing arts and may have taught her some skill. Although it is unknown if she possesses any innate talent for it, she presumably has at least enough healing skill to handle minor to moderate injuries.

Celebrían is not a warrior by any means, but she probably knows some rudimentary techniques of how to defend herself, either unarmed or with a small blade.

Inventory: Whatever supplies she brought for her journey westward, which involves several changes of clothing and outerwear, jewelry (her wedding ring included in that), a few treasured mementos of both Imladris and Lothlórien (e.g. preserved flora, a mallorn nut, letters from her loved ones, etc.), and some provisions for eating and drinking (probably a waterskin and several packets of lembas bread). She also brings a supply of the herb athelas (a.k.a. kingsfoil) which she uses on her never-quite-healed poisoned wound in an attempt to keep the pain manageable.

Prose Sample: No more tears. Those were Celebrían's last words in Middle-Earth. It seemed to her that the last year had been nothing but tears and shadows. While a single year meant little to one of the Eldar, it was more than long enough to dwell in darkness and despair. She pressed at the knot of athelas bound tight against the wound that would not heal, trying to draw the poison from her blood. It still burned in her veins with a dark corruption that felt as if it left oil and ice in the wake of the flames, and she remembered too well the cold metal biting into her pale flesh in a starless dark.

Elrond had asked her not to go. Pleaded. Begged her. His foresight had warned of dangers on her path, but she had simply laughed and assured him that her horse was faster than any Orc mount, and promised she would return before the anniversary of their marriage day. The call back to Lothlórien had been too great to resist. She never made it that time. It was a sharp pain in her heart to think that she would never lay eyes on the golden wood again.

Celebrían could not remember how many times she had cried out in the darkness. A hundred? A thousand? A hundred thousand? But they had been answered. Her sons had come, their fury unmatched against the Orcs until the last one lay dead, and they bore her home. Her promise was kept--they arrived in Imladris on the very day she had taken Elrond as her lord husband precisely 2,400 years before. It should have been a day for merriment and celebration. But on that day there was no laughter, no music. No cherished memories, nor sweet kisses under the starlight. Just pain, and poison, and blood, and laments... and tears. So many tears. Tears she could not stop. Tears that seemed to blot out the light of sun and moon, and every star until she could only see the darkness, and sorely did she grieve that loss. They had tried so hard. Her sons had sung songs of healing. Arwen did what she could by the grace of the Evenstar. And Elrond, her beloved Elrond, who stayed with her day and night, who lent her his strength even when she felt sure he had none left to give, he had tried everything within his power. The loving touches of his hands, the soothing cadences of his voice were for the first time hers in sorrow rather than joy. And try though he might, he could not bring the light back to her as he hoped, which pained her surely as much as it did him. Too well, she remembered the grief in his eyes, watching her fade from him, the fear that he might lose her to Mandos.

Celebrían could not let that happen. If she fell to the Halls of Mandos, too soon might he follow her, and this Age, nor any Age, was not one for him to perish. So, she had fought. Fought the poison, clawed for the light to come back into her life, but she did not have the strength to win. There was but one hope left to cure her, but she could not have it in Arda. She would have to sail into the west to find the healing she so desperately needed.

And so, they had come to the western shores, all of them, to see her off. Celebrían received tight embraces from Elladan and Elrohir, both saying they wished she didn't have to leave, but understanding why she could not stay. No more tears, she had instructed them. Sweet Arwen, with her eyes great and round had whispered a last goodbye and sang one last song with quivering lips. No more tears, she had said to her daughter, brushing away one crystalline drop from Arwen's pale cheek. And lastly, Elrond. Already there seemed a hollowness in him, a void left in his soul where she could no longer stay with him. His touch lingered, not willing, not ready to let her go, and he bowed his head in sorrow as she sang him her final farewell, a song as bittersweet as the last of a swan. She granted her beloved one last kiss, a promised him that when a star shone upon the moment they would be reunited at last on the distant shores, there would be no more tears.

As the ship sailed westward and Arda faded from her sight, Celebrían thought perhaps she saw once again a star, faintly shining in the sky.


Journal Sample: [At first, she is wary. This is not what she expected of Valinor, and it troubles her that she has no memory of her arrival here when she does not sleep. The next thing she notices is that her wound still pains her, and so her movements are slow and careful as she collects herself. That should be one of her first orders of business, is to seek healing for it. It was the main reason she came to begin with.

It is then that she notices the mirror. It is a beautiful piece of workmanship, wrought in finest silver with intricate scrollwork that gracefully blossoms into the familiar shapes of the niphredil and elanor flowers she knows so well and set with exquisite gemstones that seem to have been lit from within by their own light--any of the Noldor would be proud to say they had made it. She wondered perhaps if it belonged to some of her distant kin who had crossed over before her.

She picks it up to examine it further, and gasps in surprise to see letters, then words, appear on its surface. Perhaps it truly was the work of her kin. Her mother had a mirror that showed far more than mere reflections as well, but that was a shallow font of water, not glass. And what was "Demeleier"? Her parents had never spoken of such a place in all the tales she had heard of Valinor. She supposed there was only one way to find out...]

I bid you greetings. I am Celebrían, the Lady of Imladris, daughter of Galadriel, and granddaughter of Finarfin. I have come to seek the peace and solace of Valinor, but I do not know the name Demeleier. Would someone please tell me more of this place?