Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Only a half-elf can choose. Arwen had fully elven blood, she did not become mortal really, she lived for as long as Aragorn lived, then she kicked the bucket.

''The choice was only open to the descendants of Elves that saw the Two Trees, which included Thingol, even though he was part of the Moriquendi.

Recall that there were two human-elf unions, Beren + Luthien and Idril + Tuor. Elrond and Elros traced their descent from all of them, which is how the choice continued.

In addition, the children of Earendil were descendants of Melian, which imparted special grace.

Arwen was not only the child of Elrond, but also the granddaughter of Galadriel, who was the granddaughter of Finwe, thus only four generations removed of the founding High King of the Noldor. Finally, she was the last of her line, the Evenstar of her people. All of which contributed to her choice.

Because elves do not age, there is no chronological deadline, but instead the decision is linked to marriage and having children.

It is important to note that the Prince of Dol Amroth also had elvish blood, but because his ancestor was of the Moriquendi (who never saw the light of Aman), no such choice was offered to her descendants.''

Off the cuff I'd say that is incorrect, with the extreme exception of Lúthien - who was half-Maia, and chose to share her husband Beren's mortal fate.

That choice was further given to the Half-Elven Eärendil and Elwing in Valinor. Eärendil left the choice to Elwing, and she chose (for both) to be counted among the Firstborn. Neither of them ever returned to mortal lends, at lest never set foot on them again.

Then their sons Elros and Elrond were allowed to (had to?) choose for themselves, with the well-known result. Apparently Elrond's children also had to choose, but their choice seemed to hinge on Elrond's presence in mortal lands (he had never lived anywhere else), so the choice seemed to boil down to accompanying him to the undying lands, or to become mortal by default - in the case of Elladan and Elrohir, that is; Arwen had made a similar choice as her paternal great-great-grandmother Lúthien. I never quite understood the bit about Elladan and Elrohir, to be honest.