My story
I am Ecthelion, and my story is one of great joys and great sorrows, of great victories and ultimate defeat. In short my story is the story of any great or noble elf who has done his best to do something to help his kind to strive.
Ecthelion of the Fountain
I am Ecthelion, Lord of the Fountain; loyal servant of Turgon my king to the last. I fought valiantly side-by-side with Tuor, and saved him from the blow of Gothmog by sacrificing my own life. I now reside in the Halls of Mandos awaiting the end of days, when my fate will be determined by Illuvitar himself.
I am known as the fairest of the Noldoli, for I have a fair voice and am the most skilled in singing of all the Gondoladrim. My name means “the point of a spear that never errs”, which is evidence of my descent from the lineage of the Noldor. I share the chief lieutenantship with Glorifindel. My duty is to protect the seventh, innermost gate of Gondolin with my people, the people of the fountain. My people delight in silver and diamonds, and because of this, our house colors are black and white. My men bear long swords with great skill into battle with me at their forefront.
I fought side-by-side with my king at Nirnaeth Arnoediad, where the great lord Fingon was slain by the vile wretch Gothmog. Our king kept us hidden for long ages from the wrath of the evil one, but in the end a traitor, the lord of the House of Moles, one of the houses of Gondolin, betrayed us to a horrible end. Maeglin was his name, and his betrayal shall go down in time as one of the most contemptible deeds ever envisioned by an elf. Many a fair and noble elf died because of his treachery.
In the battle that ensued because of the treachery of Maeglin, my house was held in reserve, while the houses of the Golden Flower and the Harp were to take the forefront. The House of Harps was held back as their leader was in league with Maeglin, but when they discovered this; they left him and fought fiercely to make up for the sins of their leader. The host of Morgoth was not going to be deterred, however, by such a small force, and the House of the Hammer of Wrath was entirely destroyed before they ever reached the king’s inner halls where we elves made our last stand. Tuor of the House of the White Wing and I fought together when we were needed at the final gate of Gondolin. I have never seen such an endless number of creatures, and yet they all wanted to see me die. These orcs were driven mad by the will of their master, but I was not willing to give up without a fight. I slew two goblin chieftains as well as their greatest champion named Orcobal. I am remembered in the songs of all Noldor because of my strength and courage at the Battle of Gondolin. I killed innumerable orcs on that day and my valor is said to be unmatched throughout the ages. But I did far more than mindlessly massacring orcs; I killed 3 balrogs before I was injured. I fought off two of the vile demons of terror, the great pride of Morgoth, before I was hit by the whip of a third on my shield arm. I fought through the death blow and killed mine enemy, but I was left without the ability to hold my own shield. Tuor placed me on his shoulders and brought me to the court of the king, where we were to make our final stand, and I was to die.
My battle with Gothmog was of magnanimous proportions. Gothmog was a balrog who had taken the lives of countless noble elves, and he would have killed Tuor had it not been for my aid. I had taken a blow to my shield arm from one of the other balrogs I faced in the battle for my city, but I was not going to let Tuor, my dear friend, and my savior from the previous battle, die at the hand of this monster. I mustered all of my strength, and with the pride of the Noldoli rushing through my veins; I stabbed at his sword arm, and I forever took its usefulness away. My war cry has gone down through history as a cry that stuck fear into the hearts of the very veins of Morgoth himself. To this day, my name is a war cry of my people as it still strikes fear into their hearts. I then used my helmet, which was pointed on one end, thrust it into his abdomen, and wrapped my legs around him to make sure he plummeted into the fountain. My armor was too heavy to swim with, and thus I perished.
I now wait in the Halls of Mandos for my ultimate judgment by Illuvitar, but I fear not, for I am one who has given everything, even my life for the good of my king, and my kind. The scourge of Morgoth may not have been stayed by my hand alone, but without the valor of elves like me, none could have the will to fight against such a powerful foe. My life had a meaning, but I now mean much more in my death, because what does one gain by winning a battle? A victory? I tell you this, the life of one means nothing unless others can see it, and none would ever have given as much thought to my story had I lived. I am an elf whose life meant something because I was willing to give it all up for something far greater than myself. This is why I am known, not for my courage and strength on the battle-field, but for the sacrifice I, one of the most powerful warriors the world has ever seen, was willing to make.
Ecthelion of the Fountain
I am Ecthelion, Lord of the Fountain; loyal servant of Turgon my king to the last. I fought valiantly side-by-side with Tuor, and saved him from the blow of Gothmog by sacrificing my own life. I now reside in the Halls of Mandos awaiting the end of days, when my fate will be determined by Illuvitar himself.
I am known as the fairest of the Noldoli, for I have a fair voice and am the most skilled in singing of all the Gondoladrim. My name means “the point of a spear that never errs”, which is evidence of my descent from the lineage of the Noldor. I share the chief lieutenantship with Glorifindel. My duty is to protect the seventh, innermost gate of Gondolin with my people, the people of the fountain. My people delight in silver and diamonds, and because of this, our house colors are black and white. My men bear long swords with great skill into battle with me at their forefront.
I fought side-by-side with my king at Nirnaeth Arnoediad, where the great lord Fingon was slain by the vile wretch Gothmog. Our king kept us hidden for long ages from the wrath of the evil one, but in the end a traitor, the lord of the House of Moles, one of the houses of Gondolin, betrayed us to a horrible end. Maeglin was his name, and his betrayal shall go down in time as one of the most contemptible deeds ever envisioned by an elf. Many a fair and noble elf died because of his treachery.
In the battle that ensued because of the treachery of Maeglin, my house was held in reserve, while the houses of the Golden Flower and the Harp were to take the forefront. The House of Harps was held back as their leader was in league with Maeglin, but when they discovered this; they left him and fought fiercely to make up for the sins of their leader. The host of Morgoth was not going to be deterred, however, by such a small force, and the House of the Hammer of Wrath was entirely destroyed before they ever reached the king’s inner halls where we elves made our last stand. Tuor of the House of the White Wing and I fought together when we were needed at the final gate of Gondolin. I have never seen such an endless number of creatures, and yet they all wanted to see me die. These orcs were driven mad by the will of their master, but I was not willing to give up without a fight. I slew two goblin chieftains as well as their greatest champion named Orcobal. I am remembered in the songs of all Noldor because of my strength and courage at the Battle of Gondolin. I killed innumerable orcs on that day and my valor is said to be unmatched throughout the ages. But I did far more than mindlessly massacring orcs; I killed 3 balrogs before I was injured. I fought off two of the vile demons of terror, the great pride of Morgoth, before I was hit by the whip of a third on my shield arm. I fought through the death blow and killed mine enemy, but I was left without the ability to hold my own shield. Tuor placed me on his shoulders and brought me to the court of the king, where we were to make our final stand, and I was to die.
My battle with Gothmog was of magnanimous proportions. Gothmog was a balrog who had taken the lives of countless noble elves, and he would have killed Tuor had it not been for my aid. I had taken a blow to my shield arm from one of the other balrogs I faced in the battle for my city, but I was not going to let Tuor, my dear friend, and my savior from the previous battle, die at the hand of this monster. I mustered all of my strength, and with the pride of the Noldoli rushing through my veins; I stabbed at his sword arm, and I forever took its usefulness away. My war cry has gone down through history as a cry that stuck fear into the hearts of the very veins of Morgoth himself. To this day, my name is a war cry of my people as it still strikes fear into their hearts. I then used my helmet, which was pointed on one end, thrust it into his abdomen, and wrapped my legs around him to make sure he plummeted into the fountain. My armor was too heavy to swim with, and thus I perished.
I now wait in the Halls of Mandos for my ultimate judgment by Illuvitar, but I fear not, for I am one who has given everything, even my life for the good of my king, and my kind. The scourge of Morgoth may not have been stayed by my hand alone, but without the valor of elves like me, none could have the will to fight against such a powerful foe. My life had a meaning, but I now mean much more in my death, because what does one gain by winning a battle? A victory? I tell you this, the life of one means nothing unless others can see it, and none would ever have given as much thought to my story had I lived. I am an elf whose life meant something because I was willing to give it all up for something far greater than myself. This is why I am known, not for my courage and strength on the battle-field, but for the sacrifice I, one of the most powerful warriors the world has ever seen, was willing to make.