Eol,
Elrond and Elros were brothers born of mixed races, Elf and Man. Each was given an irrevocable choice: to become either of the race of Elves, or of the race of Men. Elrond chose the Elf pathway of immortality, and Elros chose the gift of Men, mortality. Elros and his heirs, the Numenoreans, were granted lifetimes thrice that of other men, but still mortal in fact they were. They also were given an island upon which to dwell in sight of Elven Home and the Undying Lands, but they were forbidden to ever set foot or to assail it. It was the decision of Elros to be mortal which eventually was the downfall of Numenor, as their wish for more life ensued. It was this wish for longer life which was used by Sauron to entice the Numenoreans to usurp the Undying Lands for their own, thereby breaking the Ban of the Valar. The Valar called upon the help of the One, Eru, who then changed the shape of the world, and destroyed Numenor and the followers of Sauron in a great flood.
However, not all Numenoreans were unfaithful. A remnant of the faithful escaped the wrath of Eru and were bore upon great ships, eventually landing upon Middle-earth. Elendil, a descendent of Elros, was their king, and with his sons, Isildur and Anarion, established a new kingdom in exile. Elendil and Gil-galad, Lord of Elves, were later killed in a great battle with Sauron at Orodruin in the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, but Isildur was able to cut off the One Ring from Sauron, ending that guise of Sauron, and claimed the ring for himself. Elrond, the banner bearer of Gil-galad, tried in vain to persuade Isildur to throw the ring into the Fire of which it was made, but Isildur in his pride would not be gainsaid, and he took the ring as weregild for himself and his heirs in honor of his fallen father, proclaiming the ring to be a precious thing of beauty, the only thing of value of which Sauron made.
Elrond was alllowed the privilege of returning to the undying lands once he wearied of Middle-earth and his labors, and his children, of which Arwen was his daughter, were given the option of following their kindred over the Straight Seas to Elven Home, or to choose to become mortal and live their lives in Middle-earth. Arwen chose the latter, proclaiming it as her only choice due to her great love for Aragorn, Isildur's heir. After Aragorn lay down for his final rest in Rath Dinen, Arwen left and returned to Cerin Amroth where she and Aragorn had years earlier betrothed their lives together when there was no hope that either of them would ever be together, and she lay down and died at the foot of the hill.
I hope this helps.
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"If I yawn again, I shall split at the ears!"
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