Culufinnel, or “Flame-colored locks,” is a Silvan elf from Mirkwood. He is nine hundred and thirty-three years old and was born in the Third Age, year 2085, during the period known as the Watchful Peace. He is the older brother of Parnard, but the two brothers were separated early in Parnard’s life, and time and distance apart did nothing to help overcome their estrangement and restore the fraternal friendship of their youth. For a short time, they were reunited in Southern Mirkwood while Culufinnel was serving in the forces of the Malledhrim led by Commander Rodelleth. However, this reunion led to a violent argument, and Culufinnel was forced to leave Thangúlhad, disgraced and stripped of his rank.

Culufinnel spent the past five years and all of his money searching for Parnard. His trail took him through Mirkwood to lands in the East, where it grew cold, until he discovered a camp of Woodmen. They told him that Parnard left their company a season ago and headed southwest towards the tower of the Necromancer.

He is not much like you, the Woodmen said to him. Culufinnel, mistrustful of Men and loath to speak Westron, but never an elf of many words to anybody on the road, be it Elf, Man, or Dwarf, only replied bitterly, I know it.

The trail led Culufinnel through the black woods and across the rotten swamps, along the shore of the great river Anduin, over the Mountains of Mist, and ended in the valley of Imladris. There, to his great surprise, he learned that Parnard had been appointed Ambassador to one of the noble houses and with a small group of elves from this house had departed the Valley; none knew where they had gone. Late winter was come, and game was scarce, much scarcer than it should have been, even at this time of year. Culufinnel thought that he might find the trail again and head off starvation for a time, but he had grown weary of wandering, and weary of the attacks by those monsters which began to inhabit the earth even as soon as the days when the half-gloom was upon the world. What use would his spear and shield be to him, if he were too weak to hold them up?