Mardil

In Third Age 2029, Mardil succeeded his father Vorondil as the Steward of Gondor (a tradition begun with his grandfather Pelendur)..

When Eärnil II died in Third Age 2043 and Eärnur ascended to the throne, the King of Minas Morgul (the Witch-king of Angmar) challenged him to single combat. Mardil was able to restrain Eärnur's wrath at that time, but in Third Age 2050 the King of Morgul renewed his challenge, adding taunts that Eärnur had added the weakness of age to the faint heard of his youth. Mardil was powerless to prevent Eärnur from riding to Minas Morgul; he and his small escort were never heard from again.

Eärnur had died unmarried with no heirs. Royal descendants had become few and no claimant for the throne could be found of pure Númenórean blood, or whose claim all would accept, and people were afraid of a new Kin-strife that would devastate the kingdom. Thus, by default, Mardil began the line of Ruling Stewards of Gondor.

Each new Stewards took office with the oath "to hold rod and rule in the name of the king, until he shall return". This oath would be sworn by all of the Ruling Stewards.

Mardil received the epithet Voronwë, which means "the Steadfast" in Quenya. One of his works was to introduce and establish the Stewards' Reckoning in Gondor. He inserted two leap-days in the year Third Age 2050. After Mardil the Stewards of Gondor no longer took names in Quenya (High-elven), but took names in Sindarin instead.

Mardil is Quenya for "Devoted to the House" (of the Kings), being a combination of mar(da) ("house") and the suffix -(n)dil ("friend", "lover", "devoted to").

His epithet Voronwë is Quenya for "the Steadfast". This could be the noun voronwë ("steadfastness") used as a name.