In reply to Cupcake115's review: don't worry; there will be plenty of interviews from people that lived just before the Downfall, and while I won't give away their names yet, I will say that they have some really cool things to say.
Author's Note: Here's interview number two! Once again, be on the lookout for themes that either stay the same or change between the interviews. I will not be interviewing every single king, by the way; just those that had something important happen in their reign. Enjoy, and please don't forget to review!
Tar-Vardamir
Name(s): Tar-Vardamir; Vardamir Nólimon
Race: Men
Life: He was born in S.A. 61. When his father died in 381, he surrendered the throne to his son rather than taking it up, though he was counted as the second king of Númenor. He died in S.A. 471.
. . .
After several hundred years of existence, had Númenor changed much? If so, in what ways?
If we had changed, it was for the better. We no longer had to worry about the most basic necessities as we had when we first arrived: housing, discovering, and such. Therefore, we turned our attention to other things. I myself loved to study ancient lore, and I learned much about it from both my countrymen and the elves who came to visit Númenor from Valinor.
Did your fellow Númenóreans consider the elves a great help during your reign?
Definitely. The elves were looked upon as masters or teachers. When we had settled fully on the island, they taught us much that helped us make things beautiful, not just useful. We still spoke the language of the High Elves, and they were all very welcome in Númenor.
What was your people's view of the Ban and of your corporate worship to Eru? Were these things a drudgery?
No indeed! The prayers were times that everyone looked forward to, and many people went up to the sacred mountain at other times during the year just to give their own silent pleas and thanks. The Ban was no hindrance at all, for we had very few adventurous mariners who desired to go West. Many Númenóreans shared my love of lore, and there was little to no desire for the discovery or domination of more lands.
Did your people have absolute standards for right and wrong, or did they think such concepts were relative?
Relative? How can right and wrong be relative? Of course they believed that right was right and wrong was wrong.
On what is right or "good" based? What about evil?
Eru is the source of good. What He says and does is good, and when someone disobeys Him or deviates from Him, it is evil. Thus Morgoth was the most evil of all evils, for he disobeyed and deviated the most.
How did your generation view death?
Death is the gift of Eru. In fact, it is to be embraced, not shunned. It is pointless for a man to cling to life when it is past his time. Doing so only prolongs what is now misery, for men are not meant to live forever, and the consequences of such an attempt are both physical and mental. No one among the race of Men should desire immortal life as the Eldar have it, and he who denies this will find himself incorrect by one way or another. But in my day this was not a problem: death was accepted as a gift, not a curse.
What did your people hope for the future of Númenor?
We wanted our country to grow in knowledge and skill, and to eventually become a great and powerful nation. My thoughts occasionally went to the men dwelling in Middle Earth, and I think it is safe to say that we hoped that someday our descendants would return to the shores of Middle Earth to spread our wisdom and prosperity, thus unifying the race of Men.
Did you have high hopes for conquest and material gain?
Everyone likes a golden ring or silver necklace, but nobody wanted Númenor to be engrossed in the love of wealth. We desired rather to have the skill of craft than the craft itself. Although we were curious about other lands, and perhaps some wanted to have more, no one was planning to conquer any of the inhabitances of Middle Earth. We would rather be their allies than their masters.
I hope you liked this interview! Did you notice any changes between Tar-Vardamir and his father or any attributes that might evolve into something bad over time? Please leave your findings in a review; it would really help me know how I'm doing with the story. Feedback makes me happy!