The Line of Kings after ROTK

Just out of curiosity. If Arwen is (more or less) ¾ Elf, and Aragorn is Dúnedain, does that mean that their son would be immortal? Or does the destruction of the One Ring and subsequent failing of the other rings cancel Elvish immortality? Supposing that he is immortal, I wonder how the Gondorians will react to the realization that Aragorn’s heir will (as far as any of them are concerned) reign forever. Especially considering the general Gondorian mistrust of Elves, compounded by the apparent absence of Elvish participation in the war. I’ve never slogged all the way through the Appendices or the Silmarillion, so I’ll have to address this to the true Tolkien Geeks. What happens to Gondor and the line of the kings after the War of the Ring?

I would guess that Aragorn’s son would be given the choice between being Elvish and being human (much like Elrond). Seeing as how both Mom and Dad would prefer him to be Human, he’d be mortal.

Elros and Elrond were given an irrevocable choice of which kindred to which they would belong. Elrond chose to be numbered among the Firstborn, while Elros chose to become mortal, although he was granted a lifetime many times longer than ordinary men.

The Appendicies state that Elrond’s children were also given this choice. Arwen chose to be mortal, in order to marry Aragorn. This would seem to end the matter, as the choice was given to Elrond’s children, not his decendents in general.

Therefore Eldarion was the children of two mortals, and hence is himself mortal.

The original poster is confusing the book & the movie elves. Quote …“the apparent absence of Elvish participation in the war…” The elves were quite involved in the war of the ring - there were battles involving elves near Mirkwood, Rivendell and Lorien, if I recall correctly. It was more of a World War than was shown in the movie.

Anyway, I think Aragorn’s descendents were basically mortal. And that years later they decided Gondor should be a democracy, along the lines of the Shire.

Cite?

Is PJ gonna do a sequel called The Fellowship of Congress?

Sorry, Engywook. I was just being a little facetious with the last line of my post there.

The way it seems to work is this: if one of the parents is an elf (or a half-elf who has chosen immortality, like Elrond), then the children have the Choice. Once you’ve chosen to be mortal, you and your descendants are stuck with it.

Re: slogging through the appendices: It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. Really. Give it a try.

Of course Tolkien wouldn’t use the word ‘stuck’. One is no more ‘stuck’ with mortality than the Powerball winner is ‘stuck’ with $100+ million. In Tolkien’s creation mortality is The Gift of Men. They alone are allowed to leave Arda and discover what lies beyond. The Elves and Gods are tied to Arda and will still be here in 10 billion years, tired shells of their former selves and yet unable to truely die.