The eldest son of Elros Tar-Minyatur, born in the first century of the kingdom of Númenor. He was a lover of scholarship and lore, collecting knowledge of ancient times from the Men of Númenor and from the Elves of Eressëa that would visit the island. For this reason he gained the surname Nólimon 'learned one'. Vardamir's grandson, who would later rule as Tar-Elendil, shared his grandfather's love of lore, and would later create books containing much of Vardamir's work.
Vardamir's father Elros lived to the exceptional age of five hundred years. On his death, Vardamir - then three hundred and eighty-one years old - had no desire to succeed as King of Númenor, but the law of the land demanded that he do so. On receiving the Sceptre, he therefore immediately passed it on to his own eldest son, who became KingTar-Amandil. Nonetheless in official records Vardamir was held to have reigned as the second King of Númenor for an entire year, the year II 443. After his abdication, Vardamir lived on for a further twenty-eight years, until he died at the age of four hundred and ten.
Notes
1
Vardamir did not take up the Sceptre, and instead passed it directly to his son Tar-Amandil. From a legal standpoint, however, he was considered to have ruled as King for a single year.