Faithful Numenoreans

The Faithful emerged as a result of the division that occurred in Númenórean society by the middle of the SECOND AGE during the reign of TAR-ANCALIMON. The Númenóreans had become split between the ELENDILI and the KING'S MEN, a faction centered around the King that rejected friendship with the Elves and allegiance to the VALAR. With Númenor reaching the apex of its might, the King's Men eventually espoused open defiance of the Valar. This split would eventually precipitate the Fall of Númenor.
The Elendili, however, not only preserved their ancient friendship with the Elves, they also regarded the burgeoning arrogance of the King's Men as blasphemy, but the King's Men became more powerful, and by the end of the Second Age had begun to persecute the Elendili as rebels and dissidents.
As use of Elven-tongues and respect for the Valar began to wane, the Faithful became the only ones to preserve these traditions unto themselves. In SA 2350 to escape persecution, the Faithful founded the haven of PELARGIR on the shores of Middle-earth as opposed to UMBAR which became a haven of the King's Men. As the King's Men's influence grew and the people and their rulers became more and more greedy of wealth and power, the situation of the Faithful worsened dramatically with the accession of AR-GIMILZOR in SA 3102. Being one of the King's Men, he openly persecuted the Faithful, forbidding the teaching and speaking of the Elven tongues nor was meeting with Elves permitted. The Faithful were then forced to move from the west havens (away from possible contact with the Elves) to ROMENNA where they were carefully watched. In these evil days, many of the Faithful emigrated to the friendly havens in Middle-earth.
Some relief came to them in SA 3177, when Elf-friend TAR-PALANTIR took the sceptre and began to turn Númenor back to the ways of the Faithful. He repented the ways of his forefathers, stopped the persecution of the Faithful, and tried to amend the corruption of Númenor, but his policies were rejected by the majority. On his death, Tar-Palantir's nephew AR-PHARAZON, son of GIMILKHAD forcibly usurped the throne and the Elendili were more vigorously oppressed. He defeated Sauron, the Dark Lord and took him prisoner to Númenor. It was not long before the King listened to his evil words and took him deep into his counsels, Sauron playing off his fear of death. The Dark Lord established an evil cult on the island, introducing dark practices such as human sacrifice to corrupt and eventually destroy Númenórean society.
It was during these dark times that the Faithful endured their most grievous woe for the King. The Faithful were hunted, killed and even sacrificed in Sauron's temple to the cult of Melkor. When the King prepared the GREAT ARMAMENT, Amandil, the leader of the Faithful attempted to sail to Aman to beg for forgiveness and mercy from the Valar. Before doing so, he entrusted his son, ELENDIL with the task of preparing a fleet of ships to depart to Middle-earth to escape the coming darkness. As Ar-Pharazôn led his grand armada to Aman to challenge the BAN OF THE VALAR , Elendil and the remaining, Elf-friends were warned by the divine powers to leave Númenor forever. They were thus spared the downfall of Númenor when, as punishment for the attempt to defy the Ban, ERU ILUVATAR sank the island kingdom into the sea.
When Númenor was destroyed in SA 3319, the fleet reached the shores of Middle-earth and were welcomed by the Elves and Faithful Númenórean colonists, founding the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor and a lineage leading down to King ELESSAR.