Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

When the Realm of Arnor ended long ago, the Dúnedain of the North did not abandon their struggle against the Enemy, but passed into the shadows and out of the history of most Men and Elves. Severly diminished in number, they became a secret people, wandering in disguise among crumbling walls and ruined towers. For almost a thousand years they dwelt in hidden places, in lonely woods and silent hills, but they never ceased to keep watch over the borders of their former kingdom as Rangers of the North.   While the years have lengthened, the task of the Dúnedain has always been the same: to keep the folk of Eriador free from care and fear. They tirelessly patrol the region's many paths and roads and protect those who journey across them. They labor secretly, keeping to themselves while in the wild, and rarely giving their names to the travelers they save or to the countrymen whose farms they guard at night, when evil things come out from dark places.   There is little glory to be gained as Rangers of the North, as their valor cannot be rewarded with honor, and their deeds are seldom sung. The memory of their long heritage is preserved in Rivendell, where their long strife against the Shadow is remembered and recorded. Since the days of their last King, the sons and chieftains of the Dúnedain have been fostered in the house of Elrond, and it is there, in Imladris, that the heirlooms of their lost kingdom are treasured.