Lord of the Rings

Boromir was the eldest son and heir of the Ruling Steward of Gondor, Denethor II, and his wife, Finduilas of Dol Amroth. He was Faramir's brother and Captain-General of Gondor. He was one of the nine Companions of the Fellowship of the Ring. Boromir's appearance reflected his Númenórean heritage: tall (193 cm), dark-haired, and gray-eyed. Boromir resembled his father in face and pride, but little else. He was more reminiscent of King Eärnur: he did not wish to marry and found pleasure in practicing with weapons. Boromir was distinguished by his fearlessness and strength. He had no interest in the tales of the ancient days, except those that told of battles.

Gimli was a dwarf of Durin's royal line, the son of Glóin and nephew of Óin. He was the only member of his people in the Fellowship of the Ring. Gimli was known to have dark eyes and, like all dwarves, was short in stature. He had a long, reddish beard and moustache, and his hair was the same color. He wore armor and chainmail, and carried an axe.

Legolas was a Sindarin Elf, the son of Thranduil, King of the Wood Elves of Northern Mirkwood. He was one of the nine Companions of the Fellowship of the Ring, participating in the quest to Mount Doom and the War of the Ring. As the only Elf in the Fellowship, Legolas befriended the Dwarf Gimli, a remarkable feat for both peoples. He was the only Elven member of the Fellowship. He disliked tobacco smoke. Legolas was tall and lithe. He wore green and brown robes. His shoes were light and leather. The exact color of Legolas's hair is unknown, although his father, Thranduil, was golden-haired (though careful study suggests he was more likely to have been dark-haired). Legolas was noted for his tirelessness and keener vision than anyone else in the Fellowship. The deep snow did not cave in under his light steps.

Aragorn, crowned Elessar, was a Dúnedain Man, son of Arathorn II and Gilraen, sixteenth Chieftain of the Dúnedain of the North, a direct descendant of Isildur, the eldest son of Elendil and the last High King of the Dúnedain, and the sole legitimate heir to the throne of Gondor. Aragorn was dark-haired (gray-streaked), gray-eyed, and of slight build. He stood 6 feet 6 inches (198 cm) tall. Overall, Aragorn's appearance strongly resembled Isildur's eldest son, Elendur, who died in the defeat at the Gladden Fields.

Gandalf was of the Ainur race by nature and was considered one of the lesser (in power) angelic spirits, the Maiar, among whom he was considered the wisest. His mission, entrusted to him by the Valar, was to aid the Free Peoples of Middle-earth in their fight against the Dark Lord Sauron, one of the powerful Maiar who had turned to evil. Gandalf, alone among the Istari messengers, succeeded in this task, and at the end of the Third Age, he returned to the Undying Lands. Gandalf was stooped with age, of strong build, broad-shouldered, but shorter than the average male height. He had long, graying hair, a silver beard, thick, snow-white eyebrows, and dark eyes. In his hunched position, he stood approximately 168 cm tall. He wore a wide-brimmed, pointed blue hat, a long gray cloak, a silver scarf, and enormous black boots. Gandalf also carried a staff, which he leaned on.

Pippin Took was a hobbit from the Shire, a friend and companion of Frodo Baggins and one of the nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring, later the 32nd Thane of the Shire. He was the youngest of the four hobbits who joined Frodo on his quest. Pippin was the youngest son of Thane Paladin Took II and his wife Eglantine Banks, and his three older sisters were Pearl, Firstbloom, and Firstbloom. His cousin and best friend, with whom he was inseparable, was Meriadoc Brandybuck, the son of Paladin's sister Esmeralda. The hair on Pippin's head and legs (which was unusually hairy, even for a hobbit) was almost golden and curly. Pippin wields a short sword from the Barrow-down. Pippin can use stones to hit opponents from a distance.

Meriadoc (Merry) Brandybuck, nicknamed the Magnificent, was a hobbit from the Shire, a friend, comrade, and relative of Frodo Baggins and one of the nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring, later the twentieth headman of Buckland. He was the only child of Saradoc Brandybuck and Esmeralda Took, born in T.A. 2982. His mother was the younger sister of Paladin II, the Thane of the Shire, whose son Peregrin was thus Meriadoc's cousin, and the two were inseparable friends. Merry enjoyed boats and ponies, and had a keen interest in the history and cartography of not only the Shire but the rest of Middle-earth. Merry wielded a short, enchanted sword from the Barrow-down. Merry could use stones to strike enemies from a distance.

Samwise (Sam) Gamgee (Gardner) was a hobbit from the Shire, one of the nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo Baggins' servant and most trusted friend, sharing the hardships of his journey to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring. He later served as Mayor of Michel Delving seven times. Along with Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, he was one of three hobbits honored to leave Middle-earth along the Straight Path to the Undying Lands. Sam seemed like an ordinary hobbit—a simple gardener, he didn't make fine speeches, and he harbored no empty illusions. However, his love of elves and poetry, as well as his conviction that the world held far more wonders than the average Shire resident would ever see in a lifetime (of course, all of this was learned from his mentor, Bilbo), made Samwise far from an ordinary hobbit. Moreover, it was Sam who first touched upon the subject of the elves' departure from Middle-earth—this sounded like a subtle foreshadowing of Frodo and Bilbo's upcoming final journey with the elves to the Outer West.

Frodo Baggins was a distinguished hobbit from the Shire, the only son of Drogo Baggins and Primula Brandybuck, and nephew of Bilbo Baggins. Frodo became the keeper of the One Ring, which the Dark Lord Sauron sought to use to attain full power. Frodo carried the Ring from the Shire to Rivendell and volunteered to carry it further to Mordor to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom.

Men are the younger Children of Ilúvatar, who, unlike the Elves, were mortal, meaning they were doomed to lose their bodies and leave the confines of Arda. According to Eru Ilúvatar's original plan, the human lifespan was to last approximately 300 years, and Men themselves were destined to learn from their elder brothers, the Elves (the Firstborn), who, inevitably fading, would eventually yield Arda to Men. However, Darkness penetrated the hearts of Men even at the dawn of their awakening far in the east of Middle-earth: at the instigation of Melkor, the First Men rebelled against Eru, beginning to worship the fallen Vala as their god and creator. Although Eru did not renounce Men as his Children and still loved them, as punishment he nevertheless shortened their lifespans by a third, and due to the pernicious influence of Morgoth's corruption, Men began to suffer and die from disease, wounds, cold, and heat. Over time, some Men saw the true nature of their new "god" and renounced the worship of Darkness, embarking on a path of repentance. These Men were the ancestors of the Three Houses of the Edain and set out on a long journey to the West, where, according to the tales of the Avari Elves who befriended them, one could find light and meet the gods. At the beginning of the First Age, Men and Elves were similar in stature, build (up to 2 meters), and strength. But Men were susceptible to disease, and their bodies, compared to those of the Elves, regenerated poorly, were more fragile, responded poorly to treatment, and were more likely to perish from weapons or accidents. Humans were also inferior to the immortal elves in wisdom, beauty, and art. The Light Elves, those who dwelt in Valinor, were as superior to the Dark Elves in everything as the Dark Elves were to mortals.

Most dwarves who didn't die in battle or accident lived to be around 250 years old, though some reached 300 years of age (most notably among Durin's Folk). A dwarf under 30 was considered too young for war or work. Having reached adulthood around 40, dwarves were in their prime until 240 (they usually married around 90). The price for this long life was a precipitous old age: upon reaching 240, dwarves quickly became decrepit, losing strength, and lived no more than 10-15 years. In old age, dwarves never went bald, but merely turned gray. Women are few among dwarves, less than a third, and they rarely leave their underground dwellings. Furthermore, the naked eye cannot discern any difference between them and male dwarves in clothing or appearance. Dwarves grow very slowly. Although the Elves were the very first race of Middle-earth, it was the Dwarves who achieved the greatest mastery of ironworking and, consequently, the crafting of weapons and armor. This is likely because the Dwarves were created by the smith Aulë, and working with inanimate materials, especially stone and metal, is ingrained in their nature. Already in the First Age, the Dwarves far surpassed the Dark Elves in their skill.

Dwarves are one of the races of Arda, created from rock by the Vala Aulë. They are short creatures (averaging 120-150 centimeters) with long beards. They are renowned as great masters of metal and stone. Throughout the ages of the world, the appearance of the Dwarves has been the same. They were short and stocky; their chests were broad, their arms were strong, their legs were sturdy, and their beards were long (Dwarves had beards from birth, both men and women). Neither man nor elf ever saw a beardless Dwarf—unless he had been shaved in mockery, in which case he would have been ready to die of shame. Dwarves were created strong and resilient, impervious to most diseases and as tough as stone. They endure hard labor, hunger, and physical wounds better than any other people gifted with speech. The Dwarves loved mining and lived underground. They found gems, diamonds, gold, silver, and mithril, crafting them with great skill, jewelry, and weapons. All Dwarves have long preferred metal and workable stone to living creatures. By nature, Dwarves are stubborn and secretive, long-remembering both good and evil, never forgetting grievances (but also friends), and always taking revenge on enemies. Of all the tribes and clans of the Children of Eru, the Dwarves were most friendly with the Noldor Elves, who were the friends and students of Aulë in Valinor; the Dwarves valued the gems of the Noldor more than any treasure. The Dwarves always desired to increase their wealth, hoard it, and store it, but they used it only for trade and to increase their wealth more profitably. In ancient times, the Dwarves preferred to work with iron and copper rather than silver and gold; and they excelled in weapons and wargear. The Dwarves were the first to learn how to craft chainmail, and even the Noldor could not match their skill in crafting it. The Dwarves were not immortal, though their lifespans were comparatively long.

Elves were capable of exchanging thoughts—osanwë. In everyday life, they used it far less often than ordinary speech, as osanwë itself requires great effort. However, in times of need and over long distances, osanwë could serve as a rapid means of transmitting information. Humans were endowed with the same ability as elves, but it was weaker and less effective due to the power of hróa, over which most humans have little willpower. Elves became intoxicated, but only if the alcohol was very strong. Elves were ambidextrous. Elves were distinguished by a special love for the beauty of the world, which they were destined to perfect with their art. Elves far surpassed humans in wisdom due to their immortality, and their wisdom only grew with age. Elven art far surpassed that of humans. Music and poetry, Literature, Weaving, Architecture, Linguistics, Jewelry, Shipbuilding, Metallurgy, Cooking, Medicine, Relationship with nature, Magic.

The Elves are the eldest Children of Ilúvatar, called the Firstborn and chosen of the Valar. Unlike Men, Elves are immortal beings, but with the caveat that even their immortality is finite, for the Elven lifespan is equal to the existence of Arda. Furthermore, in Middle-earth, the Elven bodies wear out and decay over time, leading to a ghostly existence. This process can only be slowed in Aman or with the help of the Three Rings of Power, but with the destruction of Sauron's One Ring, the power of the Three Rings was completely exhausted, so during the Fourth Age, the Elves left Middle-earth forever. Elves resembled Men, but were far more beautiful. The most handsome of the Elven men was Fëanor, and the most beautiful of the Elven women was Lúthien. Elves by nature did not physically age, but when subjected to torture or backbreaking labor, they resembled mortals exhausted by the weight of years. During the Great Journey, Eldar women rarely stood shorter than 183 cm (six feet), and men taller than 198 cm (six and a half feet), though some kings and chieftains were even taller. Elves were fair-skinned and varied somewhat in hair color. The Noldor were predominantly dark-haired, though there were also individuals with red, chestnut, and silver hair. In the beginning, Elves and Men were endowed with equal stature and strength. But Men were more likely to perish from weapons or accidents, were more difficult to heal, were susceptible to disease and many other harms, and grew old and died. Elves had far greater control over their bodies, as the soul of the Firstborn is naturally destined to remain in Arda and clings to its shell from birth. Thus, elves were invulnerable to any disease and quickly healed wounds, even those that would be fatal to humans. However, if an elf lost a limb, they, like humans, became crippled. Elves were distinguished from humans by their supreme nobility, but not all were able to retain it.

Hobbits, also known as Halflings, are a small and inconspicuous, yet very ancient people. They were nicknamed Halflings, or shorties, by humans due to their small stature (about 120 cm), although the hobbits themselves never called themselves that. Hobbits are sedentary, living in well-appointed burrows or in small houses built on the ground. Wealthy hobbits have very well-appointed burrows. Hobbits do not settle in cities, but live in small groups in villages or alone. Hobbits place a high value on family ties. Many families draw family trees with the utmost care. Anyone wishing to deal with these people must know exactly who is related to whom and how. It is reliably known that hobbits are engaged in agriculture, growing tobacco (hobbits love to smoke), grapes, and barley. Hobbit beer is highly prized throughout Middle-earth. Hobbits also had many inns. Hobbits were not fond of newly invented things, and they crafted only household items or structures. Although hobbits were not known for their warlike nature, they were quite capable of handling weapons when necessary, and they were also excellent archers.