Dol Amroth Lore

While briefly mentioned in Return of the King, and therefore not technically a "custom faction", Dol Amroth has been arranged and tweaked by High Prince Imrahil into a culture all its own.

History: Dol Amroth, as a fiefdom, was founded by Herendil son of Eldacar just after the fall of Numenor. Many Avari elves and men of Dor-winion fled evil Rhun and escaped to Gondor. These men were given the lands between the Gilrain and Ringlo rivers to settle. Herendil formed these refugees into the fiefdom of Dor-en-Winion-Ernil (Land of the Wine Prince). But as the blood of the Avari wained into the third age, many Galadrhim came to settle. Thus the name was changed by Herendil's great-grandson Imrazor to Dor-en-Ernil, the Land of the Prince.

Government: Dol Amroth is ruled formost by the prince, secondarily by the Council of the Swan. The Council consists of twelve individuals, each coming from a different city in Dol Amroth. The council can veto the prince if they vote unanimously against him, and they act in stewardship when the prince is away or on campaign. The government of Dol Amroth meets in Tirith Aear, the Sea-Ward Tower, in Dol Amroth City.

City of Dol Amroth's defences: The city itself is a vast fortress set upon lofty cliffs, and embattled by mountains on all but the northern side which borders the sea. The northern beaches are easiest to attack if Dol Amroth should come under an assault, thus it is the beaches that are fortified the most. The Sea-walls that protect the ships in the harbour from the raging waves of the ocean are also defensive fortifications of strong battlments and lofty towers. The sea-wall is level with the other walls of the city so that the defenders can easily run between in case the city should be attacked on multipule different sides. The greatest masterpiece of all is the "Swan Gate" a mighty sea-gate that can actually block ships from coming into the harbour.

City of Dol Amroth's layout: The City of Dol Amroth is an architectual masterpiece, designed and built by the fine dwarven engineers of Glosur Darloc. The base of the city is carved directly into great cliffs and the city is only accesable by the winding "Sea-Ward Road" that goes along the cliffs with sea on one side and a steep slope on the other. Needless to say, most visitors and merchants arrive by ferry.

Feasts and High Days: The men of Dol Amroth celebrate many high days that the rest of Gondor does not. The Feast of Travious takes place mid-winter and was established by Herendil a few years after the founding of Dol Amroth in honor of his long-dead squire. The Feast of Herendil was established by Imrazor and is the grandest feast of all. It lasts an entire week, starting on the day Herendil was born. (Fourth Age) The Feast of Imrahil was established shortly after his death by his son Elphir and takes place on the day Imrahil married princess Miriel of Umbar.

Diplomacy: Dol Amroth tends to follow Gondor in its wars and alliances, but there are a few cases where they differ. The men of Gondor, for instance, hate Umbarians, but the men of Dol Amroth respect the Black Numenoreans for their prowess in battle. In fact, Imrahil son of Starious actually wed a Umbarian princess, Miriel sister to Veauntur the Mighty. While the Gondorians are untrusting of dwarves, the men of Dol Amroth have forged a number of alliances with the sons of Durin, most notably with Glosur Darloc, lord of Ered Nimras.

Military: Dol Amroth holds the greatest cavalry in all Middle-Earth, save the fine Rohirric knights. Because, or perhaps in spite of their excellant cavalry forces, they also have excellant, though sparcely available, pike forces. Overall, Dol Amroth, like their Galadrhim ancestors, have an incredably elite but very sparse military force

Knights of the Silver Swan: The Knights of the Silver Swan are a highly elite group of warriors and champions that meet in Tirith Aear, the sea-ward tower. The order was established by Imrazor, and being a Swan Knight is the highest honor in perphaps all of the West. They seldom go with the prince on campains, but rather, accomplish quests and do great deeds in their on their own.

Tirith Aear: The Sea-Ward Tower serves as the epicenter of Dol Amrothian government, military, and history. Even if the city had other defences, the tower alone could hold out for weeks against a seige. The base tower was built by Herendil when the city was first founded and was added to by each prince thereafter until its final completion by Imrazor. The tower is guarded by the Wardens of Tirith Aear, a branch of the Order of the Silver Swan that bear large pikes and huge shields and also serve as the personal guards of the prince. The tower is larger then even the Tower of Ecthelion, though not as tall, and contains stables, museums, barracks, palaces, and much more.