elves of arda ◆ misc. noldor ◆ headcanon disclaimer
The Cottage of Lost Play was a house upon Tol Eressëa where grand stories of the Elder Days were preserved and shared among those who came to listen. It was founded by Rúmil and Quennar in the Second Age, after Quennar returned from exile and reunited with his husband. The two loremasters spent many years compiling tales of Cuiviénen, the Great Journey, the Days of Bliss, the Flight of the Noldor, and the Lays of Beleriand, and when their work was completed they welcomed others to their cottage to share in these stories of the past. These tales were not only recorded in writing, but shared through music and mind-pictures and theatrical productions. In the mainland of Aman, much of this history was swept aside as exiles attempted to make new lives for themselves and forget the horrors of the past, but Quennar and Rúmil believed in the preservation of history and in sharing the stories of hope and woe their people endured. Thus the Cottage earned its name, for it truly was a place where Lost Play thrived, where elsewhere it would be forgotten. By the end of the Third Age, Rúmil and Quennar were satisfied with their role in the Cottage’s purpose and thus they retired to the mainland, turning over their responsibilities to their apprentices and friends Gilfanon and Evromord. Though they yet dwelt in Gilfanon’s nearby House of a Hundred Chimneys, under their care, the Cottage expanded into a school as well as a museum, and drew in more visitors than ever before. To this end, Evromord invited his nephew Lindo to become the Cottage’s keeper, while he took up the position of door-ward. With Lindo came his wife Vairilmë, and the two couples worked together in harmony to fulfill their duties as lore-keepers and teachers. In time, Evromord bore his husband a son, Ausir, and Vairilmë and Lindo had a child of their own, Vëannë. The two children were cousins, fast friends and just as firmly rivals, and their presence brought much joy to the Cottage and its inhabitants. Vëannë and Ausir’s favorite teacher was Ilverion, foster-son of Voronwë and a master storyteller in his own right. Of all the Cottage’s guests, none was more remarkable than Eriol, a mortal who was guided by Ulmo to Tol Eressëa to learn the history of the elves. Eriol learned eagerly from anyone who had aught to teach him, from Unbegotten Gilfanon to his impetuous son Ausir, from young Vëannë to Meril-i-Turiqi herself, Queen of the Isle and a personal patron of the Cottage. Eriol delighted in the company of the elves, even taking Vairilmë’s niece Naimi to wife and with her bringing forth a half-elven child, Vorindo Heorrenda, who would grow up admiring his elder cousins Vëannë and Ausir. In his old age, Eriol departed, returning to his homelands and bringing his son with him, and once more only Firstborn dwelt upon the Isle, but his mortal life left a great impact on those elves who had known him, especially his wife Naimi, who now dedicated herself to incorporating more Mannish tales into the Cottage’s programs in honor of Eriol’s heritage.
