Need a couple of questions answered

[Scatterheart]

Hi! I'm about to write a piece of Aragorn-related fanfiction, for which I need to have a few questions answered. I've searched everywhere and still haven't found what I'm searching for. So I remembered this forum and decided to drop by.

Firstly, are Aragorn and Halbarad related? I heard they were cousins, but I'm not entirely sure. And if they were so closely related, wouldn't Halbarad also be heir to the throne?

Secondly, how quickly do elves mature? Do they grow at the same rate as humans, or does the process take hundreds of years?

Thirdly, roughly how many elves dwell in Imladris? Where did they come from?

And lastly, does Lord Elrond offer hospitality in Imladris freely? Do you have to know him first, or recieve an invitation? Or is he like; "Yeah, whatever. Come to Imladris. We'll bung on some snags." Does he get huffy about humans inviting themselves over?
(A phone number for the Imladris Resort would be useful here, though today's a public holiday and they may not be open...)

I would truly appreciate it if I could recieve some information on these matters. I cannot begin to write unless I know.

[Memnoch]

Originally Posted by Scatterheart

Hi! I'm about to write a piece of Aragorn-related fanfiction, for which I need to have a few questions answered. I've searched everywhere and still haven't found what I'm searching for. So I remembered this forum and decided to drop by.

Secondly, how quickly do elves mature? Do they grow at the same rate as humans, or does the process take hundreds of years?

Can only help with this question with any sort of certainty, due to having not read the great works for some time.

Elves age at a much slower rate that humans and from how I understood it, about 170/200 years for them is the equivilent to 20 in human terms?! Roughly.

[Scatterheart]

Wow! I would have never expected that. Thanks heaps!

[Joel007]

For Imaldris, check this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivendell
Presumably that's all the info we have on it, so make the rest up

and halbarad:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halbarad

i only took a glance but it doesn't look like they're directly related.

[j. d. worthington]

There are also several Tolkien sites that could help with this, and the Mythopoeic society could answer just about anything you'd care to ask. For Tolkien's own sources, use the indexes to LotR, The Silmarillion, Lost Tales, and The History of Middle Earth (12 vols.) to look up each of these subjects, and that would give you all the information available publicly, without having to read the entire thing.

[Raynor]

Concerning the aging of the elves:

Originally Posted by AElfwine's Preamble, Of the laws and customs among the eldar pertaining to marriage and other matters related thereto: together with the statute of Finwe and Miriel and the debate of the valar at its making, Later Quenta Silmarillion, HoME X

Children of Men might reach their full height while Eldar of the same age were still in body like to mortals of no more than seven years. Not until the fiftieth year did the Eldar attain the stature and shape in which their lives would afterwards endure, and for some a hundred years would pass before they were full-grown.

[Scatterheart]

Thank you all for your help! You've been terribly useful and I am most grateful.
Yay! now I can write my story. *dances*

[Curugon]

Halbarad was a north Dunedain, and had Numenorian blood like Aragorn - but a direct relation is unlikely.

[Curugon]

Oh yeah, and regarding the Elven capacity of Imladris - at the time of the Council of Elrond, the last of the high Elves were either there or in Lothlorien. It wasn't many, and I assume there was a lot of empty rooms.

During the 2nd Age and the battles with Sauron, the host of Gil-Galad and Elendil were encamped in Rivendell. So I imagine thousands of Elves were under the registry at that time.