Over a Week without my favorite Characters 
Ok, hereâs the DrL, hopefully get around to the FK soon.
cheers
Matt
Again taken from Lords of Middle Earth Vol II - The Mannish races.
KHAMUL THE EASTERLING
Born at Laeg Goak in easternmost Endor in 1744, Second Age, Komul was the eldest son of Mul Tanul, the High-lord(Wm. âHionvorâ) of the Womaw. His mother, Klea-shay, was popular despite her Shay heritage, but died while the young heir was only seven; Tanulâs Elven consort Dardarian reared Komul and served as his principal advisor until he assumed the throne of Womawas Drus in S.A 1844. Komulâs relationship with the manipulative Dardarian corrupted his outlook and led to his incessant longing for immortality.
As Hionvor and Mul(Wm. âKingâ) of the Womaw kingdom, Komul I presided over the strongest realm in eastern Middle-earth. His people had descended from the remnants of the First Tribe of Cuivienen (Q. âAwakening Waterâ), the same lineage that produced the Edain of western Endor. Elven blood coursed through the veins of Womaw Hiona (Wm. âLords;â sing. âHionâ), and their mastery over other Men was spurred in part by their longevity. Heavily influenced by the Avari, the Womaw of Komulâs day practiced both Wood and Word magic and enjoyed the benefit of a rich and practical cultural tradition. Their political and military sophistication enabled them to dominate the eastern coasts of Middle-earth for thousands of years. This hegemony withstood its stongest test during the middle of the Second Age, but Komul I was lost in the struggle.
The distant Numenorean cousins of the Womaw comprised the only group of Men who could challenge the supremacy of Womawas Drus, and as early as S.A. 900, the Dunedain established trade embassies in Womaw influenced territories. During the next 650 years, the Numenoreans swayed many of the Womawâs southern neighbours and built fortified colonies in the isles of southeastern Middle-earth. The Men of Westernesse forced Womaw concessions and threatened the stability of the eastern kingdom. By the one hundred and fiftieth yearof Komul Iâs stormy, militaristic reign (S.A. 1994), Womawas Drus appeared resigned to outside domination and many of the Womaw Hiona had disclaimed their allegiance to the High-lord. Proud and desperate, Komul sought help elsewhere and turned to his age-old ally Dardarian.
Dardarian met Komul at the Isle of Sunrises, at the easternmost point in the Middle Land. There, the Elf-queen seduced her stepson, using her exceptional beauty and charm and, most importantly, an offer of immortality. Komul agreed to an alliance between the Womaw and Dardarienâs Avar kingdom of Helkanen. This union led to Numenorean concessions (under the First Acknowledgement) the following year, preventing any outright conquest and relegating Dunadan interests to centres of commercial rather than strategic value.
Unfortunately for the Womaw, Dardarienâs pact led to the downfall of the Hionvor. Unbeknownst to Komul I, Dardarien served Sauron of Mordor. In S.A. 1996, only a year after the First Acknowledgement, Komul accepted the instrument that conferred the gift promised by his lover. Taking one of the Nine Rings of Men, Komul became the immortal slave of the Lord of the Rings. His reign over Womawas Drus ended abruptly.
Komul I disappeared from Laeg Goak in the spring of S.A. 1997, after nearly seven months of virtual isolation from his people and his court. These seven months were marked by palace intrigue and a bloody transition to a new order. Over three dozen of the Hionvorâs trusted advisors perished in a purge that nearly ruined the kingdom. The outer Hiona gathered in preparation for a revolt, and Komul departed in favour of a Numenorean supported faction led by his cousin Aon. Almost no one in Womawas Drus realised the critical nature of their Kingâs abdication, but Komulâs dethronement probably saved the Womaw from the Shadow. The deposed monarch could do little more than swear a vengeful oath, a curse that he would act upon millennia later.
KHAMUL THE RINGWRAITH
Komul appeared at Barad-dur in Mordor around S.A. 2000. He was known thereafter as Khamul, in accordance with the Black Speech pronunciation of his given name. While at the Dark Tower, he served Sauron as the Master of the Hold, and his responsibilities included administering the maintenance of the citadel and its garrison. This wardship remained in his capable hands until S.A. 3350, when Urzahil of Umbar became the Mouth of Sauron and the Lieutenant of the Tower.
Khamul fled Mordor when Sauron was captured in S.A. 3262. Retreating into the East, he first went to Nurad and, after a brief stay, he proceeded into the Shay lands of his motherâs people. He remained among the Shay until S.A.3319, cultivating a network of servants whose greed fomented a sundering of the Five Tribes. This corruption continued after Khamul returned to the Black Land, and by S.A. 3400 Khamulâs agent Monarlan brought three of the tribes under the Shadow.
The Easterling remained in Mordor during the War of the Last Alliance (S.A. 3429-3441), sallying forth only during the campaign in Ithilien that opened the conflict. During the first four and a half years, he resided at Lug Ghurzun(BS. âDarkland Towerâ) in eastern Nurn(BS. âGhurzunâ); but in S.A. 3434 the army of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men forced its way through Udun, so Khamul returned to his Masterâs side. The Ringwraith stole into Barad-dur during the night before the outset of the long siege.
When the Dark Tower fell in S.A. 3441, the Nazgul met the vanguard of the Elven host and fought a long, brutal melee. Unprotected, Sauron was forced to engage his foes in personal combat. This proved to be his undoing for, although he slew both Elendil the Tall and Gil-galad, the Evil One lost his One Ring(and his ring finger) in the fray, and his spirit passed into the Shadow World.
THE THIRD AGE
With the departure of the Lord of the Rings, the Nine lost the ability to maintain form. They followed the Dark Lord into Shadow as the Second Age ended. Their exile coincided with Sauronâs and lasted over a thousand years. The first to return reassumed form in Endor around T.A. 1050, some fifty years after the reappearance of the Evil One.
Unlike his brethren, Khamul briefly took up residence with Sauron at the citadel of Dol Guldur in southern Mirkwood. The Dark Lord hid behind the guise of the âNecromancerâ and slowly rebuilt his strength. Then, about T.A. 1300, he renewed his struggle against the Free Peoples, sending the Witch-king to Angmar in the northwest Misty Mountains in hopes of crushing the successor states of Arnor.
Khamul left his command of Dol Guldurâs garrison upon the departure of the Witch-king, and for the next three hundred and forty years the Easterling lived at Sart and Mang in the Mountains of the Wind. From these two rocky strongholds, he sought to gain sway over the peoples of southeastern Middle-earth. Often working in unison with Dwar of Waw, Khamul fought the influences of the Istari Alatar and Pallando and vied with the Blue Wizards for control of the region. His success was only partial but, by T.A. 1635, the Dark Lord was satisfied and ordered the Second of the Ulairi back to Dol Guldur.
Khamulâs arrival coincided with the advent of the Great Plague that ravaged northwest Endor, so for the next four years he stayed in Rhovanion as Sauronâs chief servant. He was keeper of the Hill of Sorcery and remained in residence there until the end of the Watch on Mordor in T.A. 1640. Late that year, he entered the Black Land and began work on rebuilding the Evil Oneâs domain. Three hundred and sixty years later he accompanied the other Nine in the surprise assault against Minas Ithil. Two years later, the Ulairi took the surrounded city for the Dark Lord, capturing the Palantir. Minas Ithil became the home of the Ringwraiths and was henceforth called Minas Morgul.
After Gandalf threatened to uncover Sauronâs deception as the Necormancer of Dol Guldur, the Dark Lord went into the East. Residing in Chey lands, the Lord of the Rings bided his time and expanded his dominion over the Men of eastern Middle-earth. These so-called quiet years in the west constituted the era of the Watchful Peace(T.A. 2063-2460). During this time, the people of Khamulâs mother, the Shay, fell under the Shadow. Khamulâs fatherâs people opposed the Evil One, but they lost most of their kingdom in the series of dire wars. Finally, Khamul the Easterling left Minas Morgul and returned home to Goak in northwestern Endor. He entered the defeated realm of his forefathers after crushing the Womaw in the snows of Yule, T.A. 2400.
Sauron returned to the West three years before Deagol found the lost One Ring at the Gladden Fields. Khamul followed, having decimated the strength of Womawas Drus. He left the once splendid lands east of the Orocarni(S. âRed Mountainsâ) in the hands of Sauronâs brutal nomadic vassals, and he returned to Minas Morgul. During his frequent trips to Dol Guldur, the Easterling continued his close association with the Hill of Sorcery, as well as his relative independence from the Lord of Morgul. On one such visit during Sauronâs last stay at Dol Guldur(T.A. 2460-2941), Khamulâs warriors captured the Dwarf-lord Thrain II and took his Ring of Power. From T.A. 2845 to T.A. 2850, the Easterling tortured his Dwarven captive, but during the last year of his imprisonment Thrain II gave Gandalf the key to the side entry into Erebor(S. âLonely Mountainâ). The failure of the citadelâs guard to stop the Grey Wizardâs covert entry â coupled with Khamulâs inability to derive concessions from the Dwarf-king â led the Dark Lord to chastise the Ringwraith, but the Easterling remained one of Sauronâs four most powerful servants(the others being the Witch-king, Gothmog and the Mouth of Sauron).
In anticipation of the White Councilâs attack on the Hill of Sorcery, the Evil One briefly abandoned his hold in southern Mirkwood in T.A. 2941, retreating home to Barad-dur. From that time onward, he stepped up his search for the Ruling Ring and laboured to prepare for the conquest of the West. Ten years later, Sauron felt comfortable enough to openly declare himself once again and, following his proclamation, he ordered his minions to reopen Dol Guldur. Khamul went northward to the Hill of Sorcery with Adunaphel, where he kept watch on Rhovanion and, more importantly, Lorien. He communicated with the Dark Lord via Uvatha, the ninth Nazgul and the Easterlingâs chosen envoy. The Witch-king and the other five of the Nine stayed in Minas Morgul, awaiting the coming conflagration.
War clouds gathered quickly and loomed ready to break by T.A. 3017. Then came the catalyst â the capture of the Stoor Gollum(Smeagol) in Mordor. Sauron learned little of immediate value, but realised the worth of the fallen Hobbit, knowing that Gollumâs insatiable quest for the One Ring would eventually lead him to his long lost prize. The Dark Lordâs plan went awry, though, when Gollum fell into the hands of the Ranger Aragorn. Seeing the threat presented by the enemiesâ discovery of the Ruling Ring, Sauron resolved to act before a rival could come to the fore.
In the late spring of T.A. 3018, the Witch-king and the Nazgul occupying Minas Morgul led an army down the Ithilduin Valley and into Ithilien. Their foray swept away the few Gondorian defenders that stood vigil over the ruins of Osgiliath, and the servants of Mordor broke the giant bridge that spanned the mighty Anduin. Despite the surprise and fury of the onslaught, however, Gondorâs army gathered on the western side of the Great River, standing firm against any further advance.
As the battle raged in Ithilien, Khamul and Adunaphel led the Orcs of Dol Guldur against Thranduilâs Elf-kingdom in northern Mirkwood. Their plan was to crush the Silvan Elves and capture Gollum, but the scale of their assault proved too modest to afford any significant victory. As the Elves melted northward through the wood, they inflicted tremendous losses on Khamulâs underlings.
Sauron tested his enemies with this two-pronged offensive, but his ultimate purpose was to conceal the further exploits of his Ringwraiths. The Evil One hoped to tie his armiesâ movements to those of the Nine, thereby misleading the leaders of the Free Peoples. Within weeks, the Nine gathered for their principal mission and set out across the Anduin in search of the Hobbit that held the Ruling Ring.
Khamul rode with the other eight Black Riders up the Nan Anduin in hope of finding the Shire near the Gladden Fields. Unfortunately, their quest proved to be a time consuming detour, for they found only ruins of an ancient Stoor settlement, together with a few abandoned homes that had enjoyed recent use. They failed to find the Shire, but realised that it must be in Eriador. Turning southward they skirted Lorien and rode through Rohan and past Isengard. Their search took them to Tharbadand up the Greenway to the crossroads that served as the junction with the road to the land of the Hobbits. There, Khamul, Adunaphel and Hoarmurath split from the main party and rode toward the Iach Sarn(S. âStone Fordâ; also âAthrad Sarnâ) and on to Sackville. The Witch-king and the other Riders went directly north toward Andrath and Bree.
Khamulâs party crossed paths with the Hobbits in the Green Hill Country and the Easterlingâs keen sense of smell nearly uncovered Frodoâs hiding place below the road, but the Halflings escaped and the three Riders did not see them again until the encounter at the Bruinen Ford. Although Khamul and his companions tracked them through Buckland(where they entered the Bolger yard in Crickhollow), they failed to run down the elusive Hobbits.
The Easterlingâs party joined Uvatha on the road east of Bree and rode toward the Lone Lands, where they met the other five Ringwraiths. Racing the Company in hope of cutting them off from the safety of Rivendell, the Riders found their prey at the banks of the Bruinen. There, Khamul avoided the initial rush of the waters summoned by Elrond; however, his horse panicked like the others and died in the gushing stream.
Following the debacle near Rivendell, Khamul and Adunaphel returned to Dol Guldur and prepared for the war. Their orders were simple, but their mission was ambitious: Sauron charged the Orcs of the Naked Hill with the task of crushing the Elf-kingdoms in Lorien and northern Mirkwood. Both assaults failed, forcing Khamul and Adunaphel to retire back to Mordor just before the Battle of Morannon.
The Witch-king died on the Pelennor Fields, and Khamul assumed leadership over the Fell Riders during their airborne attack against the Army of the Free Peoples. Battling the Great Eagles above the chaos that gripped the barren slag-fields outside the gates of Mordor, Khamul faced Gwaihir himself â only to turn in apparent retreat. Sauronâs orders to stop Frodo and Sam from destroying the One Ring in Mount Doom took precedence over any challenge, and the Easterling was force to lead his fellow Ringwraiths on a fruitless flight to save the Lord of the Rings. Gwaihir gave pursuit but, with the destruction of the Ruling Ring, there was no need for further combat. Khamul and his brethren passed out of Ea with their fallen Master.
Hereâs the FK, LR next then a huge type up for the WK and Iâm done!!
Taken from Lords of Middle Earth Vol II - The Mannish races.
cheers
Matt
REN THE UNCLEAN
Ren the Unclean was born in Ulk Jey Ama in the eastern Ered Harmal in S.A. 1969. The son of Sen Jey the Illusion-weaver, he grew up near Heb Aaraan, amidst the enchanters who taught beside the magical Springs of Fog. His apprenticeship ended in S.A 1987, when the eighteen year old Illusionist went east to visit his uncle Ul Fen Jey, a lord who held sway over the Ahar of the Numahar River vales. There, near the legendary Grass Tombs, Ren met the woman he married in S.A. 1992, Elyen.
Ren and Elyen returned to Ulk Jey Ama in S.A. 1994. Raising two children â a son Fen and a daughter Fyen â they remained in the cool mountain town for four years. The Illusionist composed a tome of enchantments while his wife raised horses and sheep and mastered the Cheyâs favourite instrument, the multi-chambered drum.
This idyllic repose ended in S.A. 1998, when the worst of many plagues swept through the central plains and struck the Jey households. Overwhelmed by fever, Ren barely survived the year. He prevailed, though, and briefly returned to his work. All seemed well, for the Illusionist was ostensibly healed.
Sadly, the illness twisted Renâs mind, instilling him with delusions that slowly eroded his sanity. He began to fancy himself as superior to other Men, and spoke of himself as the Fire King â the son of the exalted Volcano, Ulk Chey Sart(Ch. âHome of the Chey Nationâ), that stood in the centre of the southern Chey plateau. Horrified, Elyen attempted to restore her husbandâs mind and sought the aid of healers from lands as far away as Rycolis and western Khand.
Renâs lucidity eventually disappeared and the Illusionist left home on a pilgrimage to his purported mountain home. He gathered a cult of followers throughout the winter of S.A. 1999-2000 and declared himself Overlord of the Chey. As Fire King, he plunged into a campaign of ruthless subjugation that played on the themes of nationalism, prosperity and terror. Variag and Nuriag warlords who held sway over the northern Chey territories fled as the tribes quickly fell under Renâs control. By the end of S.A. 2000, the Illusionist was truly King of the Chey.
Sauron of Mordor watched Renâs march across Chey Sart and saw great potential in the insane enchanter. He sent his agents to the Fire Kingâs refuge at Ulk Chey Sart, offering greater prospects for conquest, wealth and power. Ren agreed to a coalition and exchanged gifts. In S.A. 2001, the Illusionist accepted a Ring of Power from the Dark Lord and became the eighth of the immortal Nazgul.
REN THE NAZGUL
The transition that gripped the Chey brought terrible forces to the forefront of their society, since many of the superstitious herders embraced the religious fervour that elevated Ren to the throne. Unbelievers(the so-called âUncleanâ) died in countless purges and many, including Renâs family, had once been close to the Fire King. The Jey clan suffered dearly, for the Illusionist refused to protect those who resisted his quest. Between S.A. 2001 and 2102, the already weakened population of the thirty six tribes fell in number by a full third. Their count stood at half of what it had been before the plague of S.A. 1998.
Once secure as master of Chey Sart, Ren pursued the goals that most pleased the Lord of Rings. Attacking to the northeast and south, the Fire Kingâs mounted warriors overran the lands of Dalpygis, part of Khargagis Ahar, Heb Aaraan and Orgothraath in the First Chey Expansion(S.A. 2155-2693). Ren built an empire rooted in the Shadow, establishing an elaborate system of horse-roads and garrison holds in order to insure the consolidation of his conquests. Then came the Second Chey Expansion(S.A. 2899-3261), when the kingdom of Chey Sart grew to its height. Vaag, Acaana and western Gaathgykarakan fell in the first few decades, and Renâs armies turned northward to concentrate on the incorporation of the Kargagis Ahar and the rich territory of Rycolis. These wars raged for two centuries, until the Variags of Uvatha joined the Chey and turned the tide of resistance. Ren was at the apogee of his career when Ar-Pharazon of Numenor landed with his Adan army at Umbar and captured Sauron.
During the Dark Lordâs imprisonment in Numenor, the Illusionist remained at Ulk Chey Sart but, after the Akallabeth of Westernesse, the Ringwraith left his domain and joined his Master in Mordor. Ren stayed in the Black Land throughout the War of the Last Alliance(S.A. 3429-3441), fighting on behalf of the Evil One in Ithilien(S.A. 3429) and at the great battle of Dagorlad(S.A. 3434). This period marked the last portion of the early years of the Fire Kingâs glory. When Barad-dur fell after the seven year siege and Sauron fell before Isildur, his One Ring cut from his evil hand, Ren and the other Ulairi passed into the shadows outside Arda. The Illusionist did not return to Middle-earth until T.A. 1050.
THE THIRD AGE
After his long exile, the Dark Lord stirred again and resurfaced in Endor around T.A. 1000. He summoned his Black servants from his covert throne in Dol Guldur fifty years later. Like his brethren, the Illusionist re-entered Middle-earth, arriving at his old volcanic hold of Ulk Chey Sart. There, he began rebuilding his strength and plotting a renewal of the Chey Kingdom. Ren expanded his lair into a great underground citadel and laid the foundations for his future capital on the wide ledges surrounding the fiery mountain. He marshalled an army of disenchanted Chey warriors and began subjugating the neighbouring tribes in T.A. 1235, all the while concealing his identity behind his guise as the âFire Kingâ.
Ren unified the six major tribal groupings in T.A. 1264. As Al Chey Sart, he ruled his kin through 1640 and again between T.A. 2062 and 2941. These eras constituted periods of relative prosperity for the thirty-six Chey tribes, for they frequently extended their rule into the grasslands of the Kargagis Ahar and they avoided the oppressive spectre of Variag or Nuriag dominance that haunted them during other times.
The Fire King stayed in Mordor(1640-2000) or at Minas Morgul(2000-2063 and 2941-3019) throughout the other years of the Third Age. Ren rode with the Witch-king on the search for the Ruling Ring in T.A. 3018, and was one of the five Ringwraiths to assail the company on Weathertop. Later, he was swept away in the magical flood that determined the skirmish at the Bruinen Ford.
During the last part of the War of the Ring, the Fire King helped organise Mordorâs main army. Ren stayed at Barad-dur while the Lord of Morgul led the grand but doomed assault against Minas Tirith. Following the routs at Pelennor Fields, at Lorien and in northern Mirkwood, he joined the remaining seven Nazgul for the aerial attack at the Battle of Morannon, where the Ulairi fought the Great Eagles. In the end, however, Ren the Unclean perished with the Dark Lord and the other Fell Riders in the wake of the cataclysmic unmaking of Sauronâs One Ring.
Hereâs the LR.
cheers
Matt
Taken from Lords of Middle Earth Vol II - The Mannish races.
UVATHA THE HORSEMAN
Uvatha the Horseman, the Ninth and most undisciplined of Sauronâs Ringwraiths, was born in the caves of Olbamarl as Uvathar Achef in S.A. 1970. His father Kionid Achef was an exiled Variag Prince from Laorki in eastern Khand. The young warrior shared the pain and uncertainty of his familyâs continual flight, and the nomadic life that he led throughout his early years hardened him for the trials to come. Uvatha rode a horse earlier than any Variag thought possible, and he killed a man before he reached the age of seven. When he was nearing the age of eighteen in S.A. 1988, he led the light cavalry wing of his fatherâs rebel army at the battle of Noz Peka(V. âKnife Riverâ), where his gallant charge against the Variag Kingâs Guard decided the war that restored his family to the throne of Upper Khand.
Kionid Achef died at Knife River, so his brother Mionid took the second most powerful throne among the Variags. Kionids son, in keeping with Variag tradition, was ordered executed; but young Uvatha escaped and rode westward to Sturlurtsa Khand, the capital of Lower Khand. There, the Horseman earned his nickname and garnered the support of King Urig Urpof, the Lord of two thirds of the Variag people. He was appointed Warlord of the main army of Lower Khand in S.A. 1999 and deposed the Urpof Dynasty the following year. Turning on his uncleâs domain, he crushed the horse-warriors of Upper Khand in S.A. 2000, uniting Khand for the first time in recorded history. Two years later he accepted a Ring of Power as a gift from the King of Mordor, becoming the ninth of the nine Wraith-kings in the service of the Lord of the Rings.
UVATHA THE NAZGUL
Mordor was always an important ally of Khand, and the Dark Lord knew the Variags quite well. His evil influence perverted their already brutal culture well before the rise of Uvatha. After the unification of Khand under the Horseman, though, the harsh Variags became one of Sauronâs most useful and most heinous tools of conquest. They assured the security of Nurnâs open eastern border and decimated the peoples that threatened Adunaphelâs rise in Near Harad. For the next twelve hundred and sixty years, Uvathaâs people preyed on their neighbours and extended the Shadow to the south and north of their plateau kingdom. Variags controlled the trade along the Ered Harmal, and vied with the powerful Numenoreans for the hearts of Haradâs Merchant princes.
In S.A. 3259, the Horseman led his main battle army across Relmether and over the Talathrant. For the next two years, the Variags fought beside the Chey warriors of the Ulair Ren the Unclean, leading to the Chey conquest of the Khargagis Ahar. Uvathaâs warriors received half of the booty exacted from the defeated Ahar and then returned home to Khand. Just as they arrived, however, the first armada of the Numenorean King Ar-Pharazon arrived at Umbar. Their invasion and the subsequent overwhelming show of Adan arms led to the surrender of Sauron of Mordor a year later(S.A. 3262). As the Lord of the Rings resided as a captive on the island continent of Numenor, the Variag King hid from the forces of Westernesse in his secretive hold at Olbamarl in the mountains of northern Khand.
The Dark Lord resumed his reign in Mordor in S.A. 3319 after the Downfall of Numenor. Uvatha came out of hiding and went into the Dark Land in order to serve his Evil Master. Acting as Sauronâs Messenger, the Horseman participated in the campaigns waged by Sauronâs troops in Rhovanion and Ithilien beginning in S.A. 3429. Uvatha was at the Dark Tower in S.A. 3434 when it was besieged by the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, and he passed into the Shadows when Barad-dur fell and Sauron lost his Ruling Ring at the end of the Second Age(S.A. 3441).
THE THIRD AGE
Uvatha reappeared in Middle-earth around T.A. 1050, returning to his old abode at Olbamarl in the southwesternmost spur of the Ephel Duath. Fifty years later, he crowned himself King of the Variags while he stood over the bloody body of his predecessor Uonid Irbo. A five hundred and forty year(T.A. 1100-1640) reign of terror followed, as Uvatha unleashed the unforgiving Variag tribes on the unfortunate lands to the south and north. The Empire of the Kingdom of Khand expanded rapidly across northeastern Harad and southern Rhun, and gradually extended to the western banks of the great river Talathrant and the southern shores of the Sea of Rhun. Tribute came to the Court of Uvatha from the Nuriags of Nurad and the Asdriags of eastern Rhun, the Variags closest kin. Only the presence of two other Ulair kingdoms â the domains of Adunaphel of Near Harad and Ren of Chey Sart â prevented the Lord of Khand from laying claim to all of central Middle-earth.
Uvatha administered his holdings through a loose but ruthless system of patronage, and his departure from Sturlurtsa Khand in T.A. 1640 marked a steady decline in Variag fortunes that lasted until his return in T.A. 1854. While the Variag King joined seven other Ringwraiths and laid the foundations for Sauronâs re-emergence in Mordor, his own minions began carving out their own fiefs. Peace settled over the Kingdom of Khand and the subject peoples gradually broke away from the Variag yoke.
The erosion of Variag power incensed Uvatha and worried the Lord of the Rings, so the Horseman rode back to Khand and resumed his rule. This act set the Evil Oneâs plan in motion, for it served as the catalyst that stirred the chain of events resulting in the first Easterling migration into Rhovanion. Uvatha quickly re-ordered his elite retainers, crushed the local Lords who appeared self-serving, reassembled his cavalry army, and began a vicious campaign of reconquest.
The Nuriags became the first victims of his vengeful wrath and, as they retreated northward into Rhun to escape their more powerful cousins, the relatively brutal tribes of Nurad drove the peoples they encountered westward. Asdriag groups migrated across the Talath Harroch(S. âSouth Horse Plainâ) of southern Rhovanion, while the Sagath and Logath confederations moved west along the shores of the Inland Sea. The latter migrated in great wagons and came to be known by the Northmen and Gondorians as the Wainriders. Pushing into Rhovanion, they battled the Kingdom of Gondor and its Northman allies for forty three years(T.A. 1856-99) before facing the Dunedain across the Anduin. Sauronâs plot to destroy Gondorâs hold on Rhovanion succeeded brilliantly, without betraying the presence of the Lord of the Rings.
Uvatha returned to Mordor in T.A. 1940, creating turmoil in Khand. Unfortunately for the Variags, his departure from his homeland coincided with a new threat from the East. A collection of fierce Igath tribes, the easternmost of the Wainrider confederations, pushed through the Gap of Khand in search of new pastures. This set the stage for the rise of Ovathar Achef(Ovatha I). A descendant of Uvatha, Ovatha laid claim to the Variag throne by solving the dilemma presented by the multitudinous Igath. He rode east and met with Avas III, the High-chieftain of the Wainriders, offering them free passage through Khand in exchange for peace. The Igath balked, citing the difficulties he would encounter if he were forced to face Gondor alone. Ovatha then proposed an alliance between the two nations and the neighbouring Haradrim. The Igath, Haradrim and Variags marched together towards Ithilien in T.A. 1944, hoping to crush the South Kingdom, while the Gondorians faced the threat of another Wainrider army in the north. It was a brilliant plan, but the undisciplined horde led by Avas and Ovatha was defeated by Gondorâs Southern Army. The tactical mastery of Earnil II prevailed, ending the threat created by Ovathaâs diplomacy.
In T.A. 2000, Uvatha joined the other Nazgul for the surprise attack on Minas Ithil. The Horseman remained for the two year siege that followed, but he returned to Khand when the marble fortress finally fell. His arrival home in T.A. 2003 marked the beginning of his last reign as King of the Variags.
Threatened by the White Council, Sauron left his fortress at Dol Guldur in T.A. 2941 and slipped back into Mordor. He made his presence known ten years later, when he announced himself as the King of Men and ordered the rebuilding of Barad-dur. As the stones began rising from the magical foundation of the Dark Tower in T.A. 2951, Uvatha and two other Ringwraiths(Khamul and Adunaphel) flew back to Dol Guldur and reopened the citadel.
The Horseman served and Sauronâs best link to the Hill of Sorcery, and he made frequent journeys to both Barad-dur and Minas Morgul. For the next sixty seven years, Uvatha acted as a tireless courier carrying message between Khamul, the Witch-king and the Lord of the Rings. This permitted the Dark Lord to plan the buildup of the two armies he assembled outside of Gorgoroth(those of Dol Guldur and Minas Morgul). Both of these forces attacked the Free peoples in mid T.A. 3018, beginning the War of the Ring. Khamul commanded the forces based in Mirkwood and gave the Variag King a command in the abortive strike against Thranduilâs Elven realm in northern Mirkwood.
Following his defeat, Uvatha rode with Khamul and Adunaphel south during their search for the One Ring. The Black Riders travelled into the Nan Anduin, where they joined the Witch-king and other five Ulairi on the quest to find the Shire. First they looked near the Gladden fields, but then they turned south, skirted Lorien and rode through Rohan and past Isengard into Eriador. Their sojourn carried them through Tharbad on the Gwathlo and into old Cardolan. Splitting at the junction with the road to the land of the Hobbits, three Nazgul(Hoarmurath, Adunaphel and Khamul) rode toward the Stone Ford; the Witchking and the other Riders went north through Andrath and onto Bree. Uvatha travelled with the main group, but broke away near Bree in order to deliver the Black Captainâs orders to Khamul and the other two Nazgul that chased the Hobbits east through the Green Hill country and Buckland.
After the Variag King rendezvoused with the Easterlingâs party on the Great East Road beyond Bree, he rode with the three Ringwraiths to En Eredoriath(S. âThe Lone Landsâ), where they met their five brethren. Riding the Hobbits down at the Bruinen Ford near Rivendell, the nine Wraith-kings found themselves engulfed in the magical floodwaters that Elrond summoned to safeguard the Hobbitsâ flight. Uvatha, the fastest and most impetuous of the Nine, was almost to the east bank when he was swept away in the torrent.
Uvatha returned to Dol Guldur after the embarrassing defeat at the Bruinen Ford. There, he mounted a Fell Beast and resumed his role as the Evil Oneâs messenger. His subsequent flights insured the coordination of the Nazgulsâ search for the Ring and the simultaneous mobilisation of Sauronâs three principal armies. Uvatha flew south to Mordor for the last time as Khamul and Adunaphel led their two columns out of Dol Guldur, beneath the dark canopy of Mirkwood.
The Horseman arrived at the Dark Tower as the Witch-king began the assault on Minas Tirith and he remained with Sauron until the opening of the Battle of Morannon. He then flew as one of the eight Nazgul that fought the Great Eagles above the parched battle plain where the vast Host of Mordor engulfed the army of the Free Peoples. His fate was not decided at Morannon, however, for Uvatha and the other Ringwraiths broke off the engagement in order to stop Frodo and Sam from destroying the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. Flying south toward the Orodruin when the One Ring was unmade, the Variag King perished with his compatriots in the epic cataclysm that ended Sauronâs presence in Ea.
And last but not least the WK!!
cheers
Matt
Taken from Lords of Middle Earth Vol II - The Mannish races.
THE WITCH-KING
The Numenorean Er-Murazor(A. âBlack Princeâ) was the most gifted and powerful of the many great Lords of Westernesse. Although only a Prince, his might outshone all but a few of Numenorâs Kings and, in the end, he lived longer than any of the Adan sons. Murazorâs tale covers over six and a half millennia and is one of Manâs great tragedies.
The Black Prince was born in S.A. 1820 in the port city of Andunie in the province of Andustar on the island of Numenor(Andor). As the second son of King Tar-Ciryatan(Q. âShip-builderâ) and the younger brother of (Tar-) Atanamir the Great, he traced his lineage to the first King, Elros Tar-Minyatur. His mother gave him the name Tindomul(Q. âTwilight Sonâ), for he was born during a solar eclipse and his hair was blacker than any she had ever seen. Those Lords of Tar-Ciryatanâs court who favoured the use of Adunaic(signifying their displeasure with the Eldar and the Ban of the Valar) called him Murazor.
Like his brother, the proud and greedy heir to the throne, the Black Prince supported his fatherâs ambitions and lobbied for the increased exploitation of Middle-earth. Tar-Ciryatan sought great wealth and sent his huge fleets to Endor in order to exact tribute, and both his sons embraced the benefits of his often ruthless policies. Both embodied their fatherâs penchant for material things and power, which was hardly surprising in light of the fact that they witnessed their father force their grandfather from the Numenorean throne.
Atanamir, however, enjoyed the privileges and attention accorded to the heir to the Adan throne, and Tar-Ciryatan showed him his prideful love in a way never exhibited to Murazor. The jealousies inherent in the family character eventually grew to frightening proportions in the Black Princeâs heart, fomenting hatred and unbounded desire. Always aggressive and fiery, Murazor resolved to leave home and found his own empire in the vulnerable expanse of Middle-earth. He assembled a small fleet and set sail for Endor in the spring of S.A. 1880.
The sixty year old Prince landed at Vinyalonde(Lond Daer) in Eriador, at the mouth of the Gwathlo in Enedhwaith. There, he debarked at the ancient haven amidst little celebration and, within weeks, he engaged in a brief struggle for dominance over the strategic port. His plans to carve out a kingdom in the fertile lands that Sauronâs hordes ravaged in the war with the Elves(S.A. 1693-1700) failed, forcing Murazor and his followers to voyage southward. In S.A. 1882 the Black Princeâs ships dropped anchor in Umbar, where the Numenorean Lord proclaimed himself âKing.â Although successful in wresting control from the local colonists, he ruled only for a few months. The Numenorean adventurerâs pretensions of rule faced an inevitable and overwhelming challenge from his father, Tar-Ciryatan, who ordered his recalcitrant son to return home to Westernesse. Murazor refused to follow the Adan Kingâs bidding, but he dared not remain in Umbar in defiance of the edict from Armenelos.
The Lord of the Rings perceived the Princeâs displeasure and offered him a means to achieve his goals. Sauron realised that both Murazor and his older brother Atanamir sought to hold onto their youth, and that they feared aging more than any corporeal foe. Atanamir showed his terror of death when he later refused to surrender the Sceptre of Numenor until he died. The Black Prince, on the other hand, exhibited this fear by speaking openly of his bitterness toward the immortal Elves to whom he was related(through Elros Halfelven). Ever vigilant and perceptive, the Dark Lord sought to corrupt Murazor by bringing the dissatisfied Numenorean to Mordor.
The Black Prince went to Barad-dur during the first week of S.A. 1883 and became a pupil of the Lord of the Rings. During the next one hundred and fifteen years, he expanded his knowledge of enchantments and spell casting, becoming an exceedingly powerful Sorceror. Murazorâs knowledge of the Black Arts was second only to Sauronâs, and he quickly rose to become the Evil Oneâs most trusted lieutenant. His lessons learned, he submitted his spirit to his Master, who gave him a Ring of Power in S.A. 1998. The first of the nine Nazgul, the Black Prince was known thereafter as the Witch-king or the Lord of Morgul(S. âDark Sorceryâ).
THE LORD OF THE NAZGUL
Throughout the rest of the Second Age, the Witch-king stayed in Mordor and served Sauron by coordinating the efforts of the other Ulairi. These years comprised the period of his complete transformation into a hideous Wraith possessed of an exceptional command of sorcery. His role as the Lord of the Nazgul testified to his awesome magical skills. Ironically, Murazor was the only Ringwraith who had not presided over a kingdom of his own for a considerable period prior to accepting his Ring of Power; however, his origins as a Prince of the Edain of Numenor provided him with inherent abilities that far exceeded those of his undead peers.
The Lord of the Rings gave the Black Captain all of the trappings of a King for, aside from Sauron himself, the Lord of Morgul was the mightiest servant of Darkness in Mordorâs hierarchy. No one, not even Gothmog the Half-troll Warlord(and, later Lieutenant of Morgul) or the Mouth of Sauron, enjoyed such trust from the Evil One. Their relationship flourished throughout the latter part of the Second Age, as teacher and pupil sought to build an unassailable kingdom and establish dominion over Men.
Unfortunately for the masters of Mordor, the corruption of Westernesse that they sought for so long produced a policy of imperialism. The goals of Numenorâs Kings came to mirror, at least in part, those of the Dark Lord. Both powers sought to unite the Secondborn under one absolute monarch. Inevitably, this rivalry between Sauron and the Witch-kingâs brethren erupted into outright war.
Ar-Pharazon, the strongest of Numenorâs later Kings, led an armada to Endor in S.A. 3261 in hopes of crushing the forces of Mordor and establishing hegemony over Middle-earth. Landing at Umbar, he marched northward across Near Harad(then contested by Numenor and Mordorâs client, Adunaphel the Nazgul) and met the Host of Mordor near the river Harnen in early S.A. 3262. The Adan Kingâs army appeared to potent for the Evil One to contest, so Sauron surrendered and went to Andor as Ar-Pharazonâs prize captive.
The capture of the Dark Lord left the Witch-king briefly in control of the Kingdom of the Shadow, but the omnipresence of the Edain forced the Ringwraith and Sauronâs other minions into hiding. This prevented the Lord of the Nazgul from waging any significant campaigns in his Masterâs absence. Although the Black Captain and the other Ulairi contested Numenorean advances in certain regions of Middle-earth, the Witch-king operated very quietly until Sauronâs return after the Downfall of Numenor in S.A. 3319.
The Lord of the Ringsâ reappearance in Mordor in S.A. 3320 sparked a renewal of the wars of conquest against the Free Peoples of Endor and brought the Ringwraiths out of hiding. For the next one hundred and nine years, the forces of the Shadow regrouped, grew, and mobilised under the guidance of the Chieftain of the Nazgul. Then, in S.A. 3429, the Witch-king led an army into Ithilien and assailed Gondor, the newly founded South Kingdom(which, like Arnor in the North, was one of the Kingdoms in Exile). King Anarion of Gondor(the co-ruler with his brother Isildur) successfully defended the west bank of the Anduin, however, dealing a stalwart blow to the Black Captainâs plan to subjugate the South Kingdom before the arrival of any Dunadan relief force from Arnor.
The ensuing standoff lasted five years, until the Wraith-king was forced to retire toward Morannon in the face of an army from the North led by Gil-galad and Elendil the Tall. Joined by the Dark Lordâs main horde, the Witch-king turned on his pursuers in the fields of Dagorlad, before the gates of Mordor. There, the Last Alliance of Men and Elves vanquished the Lord of the Nazgulâs warriors and broke the defence of the Black Land. The victors chased the shattered remnants of Sauronâs army to Barad-dur, and then they laid siege to the Dark Tower for seven years. Anarion died under a stone cast from the battlements in S.A. 3440, but his death was avenged the following year. The Last Alliance finally entered the hold of the Lord of the Rings in S.A. 3441, ending both war and the Second Age. Sauron slew both Gil-galad and Elendil, But King Isildur of Gondor cut the Evil One down and sliced the One Ring from his twisted hand. Thus, the Dark Lord and his nine Ulair servants passed into the Shadows.
THE EARLY THIRD AGE
The Kingdoms in Exile enjoyed great prosperity during the early Third Age, for it was not until T.A. 1000 that Sauron stirred again in Arda. Gondor conquered a vast realm, while Arnor established dominion over most of Eriador. Despite constant wars with Harad and the sundering of the North Kingdom in T.A. 861, the Dunedain reached great heights of power.
As Gondor reached the apogee of its might in T.A. 1050, however, the Nazgul returned from the Shadows and began rebuilding their strength in Middle-earth. Their Lord the Witch-king went to Dol Guldur in Rhovanion, where Sauron hid under the guise of the Necromancer. The Black Captain remained in the Dark Lordâs hold for the next two and a half centuries. From this secure refuge, he plotted the destruction of the weaker of the two Dunadan kingdoms. The Witch-king understoon that care was in order, knowing that the loss of the One Ring at the end of the Second Age significantly weakened the forces of Darkness.
By T.A. 1300, the methodical plan to crush Arnor was complete, and the Lord of the Ringwraiths flew north to the plateau that rises between the two northwestern spurs of the Misty Mountains(Hithaeglir). This cool, high plain overlooked the wilds along the northeastern frontier of the realm the Black Captain planned to destroy. It was their that he founded his own kingdom: Angmar(Q. âIron Homeâ), the land of the Witch-king.
THE WARS IN THE NORTH
The Lord of the Nazgul ruled his new domain from the mountain citadel of Carn Dum(S. âRed Fortâ or âRed Holdâ), a giant cavern fortress built into and around the last peak in the northern Hithaeglir. Never revealing his true identity, he gathered two hosts: an army of over thirty Orc tribes commanded by the Olog warlord Rogrog; and the Angmarim, a force of over ten thousand Men drawn from the Dark Lordâs subject peoples in Eriador, Rhovanion and Rhun. These warriors deployed in holds along the ridges north of the Ettenmors and the Oiolad(S. âCool Plainâ). Holds like Morkai and Mount Gram threatened all of the North Kingdomâs upper frontier, but they initially concentrated near the sparsely populated northeastern border â above the relatively vulnerable and rude realm of Rhudaur(S. âEast Woodâ).
Arnorâs breakup on T.A. 861 left three ostensibly allied successor states: Arthedain in the northwest, Cardolan in the South and Rhudaur in the northeast. Both Arthedain and Rhudaur lay near Angmar, but the latter of the two northern realms was far weaker. Arthedian enjoyed a very large proportion of Dunadan residents and harboured both of Arnorâs capitals and most of the lost kingdomâs major castles. Rhudaur, on the other hand, contained relatively few of the Dunedain, and most of its often disgruntled population was scattered in the rugged countryside. It appeared to be a natural target for the Witch-kings hungry armies so, in the first five decades of Angmarâs rise, the Black Sorcerorâs hordes overwhelmed the East Wood and brought its surviving population under the Shadow. Rhudaur ceased to exist as an independent and free nation by the middle of the fourteenth century, T.A.
The conquest of Cardolan(S. âLand of Red Hillsâ) served as the Morgul-Lordâs next goal. While much stronger than Rhudaur, it lacked Arthedainâs military resources and natural defences. Its capital and main city, Tharbad, sat on the lowlands along the river Gwathlo and much of its border with Rhudaur was composed of a sparsely defended hedge wall. Cardolanâs strategic value also invited attack, for Tharbad straddled the road between Arnor and Gondor, and the capture of this vital artery meant the isolation of Arthedain. Just as important, the Witch-king could virtually surround Arthedainâs heartland with the taking of its southern neighbour.
These factors led to the subsequent attack on Cardolan. Rhudaur declared war on the Land of Red Hills sometime before T.A. 1350, and fighting raged along the Mitheithel and near Amon Sul(Weathertop) for the next fifty nine years. With the help of the Arthadan army, the Dunadan Princes of Cardolan bested their old allies, however, and the King of Angmar was eventually forced to commit his own troops. After building his supply routes through Rhudaur, the Witch-king ordered his forces to join the war and directly assault the dike and hedge wall that guarded Cardolanâs northeastern bounds. The Angmarim crossed the open Lone Lands and smashed through the Dunadan defences south of Weathertop. Surrounding the great Arnorian citadel that housed one of the three Palantiri of the North, the host of Angmar cut the defending forces in half and drove the Prince and his retainers through the Barrow-downs(Tyrn Gorthad) and into the eaves of the Old Forest. The last ruler of Cardolan died as Tharbad fell.
Arthedainâs main army barely survived the battle that took place at Weathertop. Withdrawing into the surrounding hills with the Seeing-stone, they yielded the tower on Amon Sul and retreated home to Fornost. The Angmarim razed the citadel after wiping out its few remaining defenders â brave fighters who fought to cover the retreat of their brethren. Once again, the Lord of the Nazgul prevailed. Cardolan passed into his fold.
Arthedain survived five hundred and sixty six years after the collapse of its last sister state. Facing overwhelming odds, the Duneadain of the last successor kingdom doggedly drove off a number of major attacks along its eastern and northern boundaries. Many of Arthedainâs beleaguered people relocated toward the frontier and concentrated in Fornost or in manors and settlements near the kingdomâs border forts, enabling the Edain of the North to react to any significant incursions.(This shift invited the Hobbit migration into Arthedainâs Shire in T.A. 1600-40).
Nature intervened as well, for the buildup of Angmarâs forces in Cardolan prior to T.A. 1636 ended with the onset of the Great Plague. The pestilence that struck during the winter of 1636-37 devastated Cardolanâs remaining residents, but it also decimated the Witch-kings southern army. Angmarim in Rhudaur and Angmar also fared poorly â much more so than the Dunedain â forcing the Lord of the Nazgul to rebuild his shattered forces and delaying the final confrontation for another three centuries.
Arthedainâs end came in the War of T.A. 1973-75. After nearly a decade of massing on the Arnorian frontier, the Witch-king poised his armies for the killing blow and King Arvedui realised that the Host of Angmar could not be stopped without aid from the South Kingdom. He urgently appealed to Earnil but, before the Gondorians arrived, the Black Sorceror initiated his felling strike. Angmarâs armies overran Arthedain in T.A. 1974, sending Arvedui into hiding in the Dwarf mines of the Nan-i-Naugrim in the Blue Mountains of Lindon. Arvedui died in the Ice Bay the following year while seeking aid from the Lossoth of the Far North. Both of the Palantiri his retainers had rescued during the slaughter in Arthedain perished with him. Their loss fittingly symbolised the end of the North Kingdom and the completion of the Witch-kingâs primary goal.
Although the Lord of the Nazgul crushed Arnor, he faced a much greater foe. Gondorâs relief army landed as Arvedui fled northward and marched to challenge the victors. Meeting the Witch-king near the ruins of the ancient Arnorian capital of Annuminas, Earnur of Gondor and his Eiadorian allies vanquished the Host of Angmar and drove the Black Captain from the field. The Wraith-lordâs Iron Home fell later the same year, ending the saga of the Northern Wars.
MINAS MORGUL
Following the fall of Angmar, Sauron sent his exiled Lieutenant to join his eight companions in Mordor. There, the Witch-king gathered the Ulairi and planned the surprise attack against Minas Ithil, the Gondorian capital of Ithilien and the key to the valuable cleft of Cirith Ungol(S. âSpider Passâ). The Ringwraiths quietly assembled an army in Gorgoroth and unleashed its fury in T.A. 2000. Quickly surrounding their prize, they cut the town off from the rest of Gondor and settled into a two year siege.
In T.A. 2002, the Witch-king entered Minas Ithil and made the white marble city his new home. It remained the Black Captainâs abode until his death. The Men of Gondor mourned the loss, renaming the Tower of the Moon Minas Morgul â the âTower of Dark Sorcery.â From that point onward, the glow of the townâs moonlit walls signified Evil and shone like a symbol of the Witch-kingâs terror.
The Palantir housed in Minas Morgulâs Tower of the Stone served Sauron well throughout the next millennium. Itâs presence, coupled with the strategic and emotional value of the city itself, compelled the Dunedain of the South Kingdom to try to recover the fortress town. Ever deadly and always wily, the Morgul-lord played upon their desires and desperation, twice challenging Gondorâs champions to single combat. The Witch-king slew Prince Aeardur of Lond Ernil(Dol Amroth) â the last of the First Line of Princes in Dor-en-Ernil â in T.A. 2004 and he cut down King Earnur in a duel in T.A. 2050, ending Gondorâs Line of Kings. Both times the Dunadan challenger died before the silvery gates of the city. Earnurâs death marked the beginning of the era of Ruling Stewards and signified and end of any pretense surrounding the recapture of Minas Morgul and the western pass into Mordor.
THE PRELUDE TO THE WAR OF THE RING
The Witch-king oversaw the Black Land for the next eight hundred and ninety one years, until the return of Sauron from Dol Guldur in T.A. 2941. His minions multiplied, fortifying the Morgul Vale around the mouth of Cirith Ungol. Minas Morgul became a nearly impenetrable bastion haunted by the shrieks of the resident Ringwraiths. All the while, the Dark Lordâs Black Captain prepared for the coming war and guarded his Masterâs homeland.
The Witch-king only launched one attack into the neighbouring province of Ithilien during this respite, an Uruk attack against the exposed and underpopulated city of Osgiliath(S. âFortress of the Starsâ) on the Anduin. The former capital of Gondor sat astride the best route across the lower part of the Great River, and its huge stone bridge loomed as the most convenient route to Minas Tirith. In T.A. 2475, the Uruk-hai swept out of Minas Morgul and drove through the old city under the cover of a befouled night sky. Although retaken by the Dunedain, Osgiliathâs bridge â and the lofty Tower of the Stone that held the Master Palantir and rose above the centre of the river â fell into the Anduin. The Fortress of the Stars became a deserted and ever threatened stronghold as the rest of Ithilien came under the Shadow.
Work began on Barad-dur in T.A. 2951, ten years after the Evil Oneâs arrival in Mordor, and the minions of Darkness gathered in Gorgoroth and Minas Morgul for the next and ultimate assault on Gondor. Sauron was desperate in light of the possibility that the lost Ruling Ring would fall into the hands of a worthy foe. He resolved to destroy the Free Peoples before they could gather under the banner of another King. The preparations lasted sixty seven years, so it was not until T.A. 3018 that the Host of Mordor and the Lord of the Rings stood poised for the Great War.
THE SEARCH FOR THE RING
With the end of winter, the Witch-king led Sauronâs southern army against the garrison at Osgiliath, throwing the Gondorians across the river. The Black Captainâs forces pursued the defenders onto the western bank and through the west quarters, securing the city for the Dark Lordâs coming invasion. Gondorâs army reacted with greater strength than anticipated, however, and the southern horde progressed no further. As the lines stabilised, the first test of the Free Peoples ended with the Witch-kingâs departure on the quest for the One Ring.
The Chieftain of the Black Riders rode with the other eight Ulairi up the Anduin Valley in search of the Shire. Reaching the old Stoor homes at the Gladden Fields(where Deagol and Smeagol found the Ruling Ring), they routed the few residents and uncovered nothing of any import. Sauronâs Lieutenant realised that they had mistaken the ancient settlement for the real land called Suza(Kd. âShireâ), so he ordered his companions to turn south and head for Eriador. They skirted between Lorien and the cliffs to the west and rode through Rohan and past Isengard into Eriador. Taking the Greenway to Tharbad, the Nine crossed the Gwathlo and entered old Cardolan. Eventually they split into two groups, with Khamul leading two Riders through the Shire while the Witch-king took the others north toward Andrath and Bree in hope of cutting off any support or opportunity for flight.
After failing to capture their prey, the Nazgul gave chase along the Great East Road. Uvatha the Messenger broke off to deliver word to Khamul of the Hobbitsâ escape route. The Morgul-lord and his four other companions rode toward the commanding summit of Weathertop, where the view of the road and the neighbouring expanse of En Eredoriath(S. âThe Lone Landsâ) offered a means of insuring that they could intercept the fleeing Halflings. Seeing firelight on the peak, the five Ringwraiths followed the most recent tracks up the hill and attacked the resting Company in hope of attaining their Masterâs prize. Three Nazgul advanced as the Hobbits formed a tight circle around the fire. The Witch-king stabbed Frodo in the left shoulder with his Morgul-knife as Strider leaped to intercede. Luckily, the firebrand and Aragornâs bravery enabled the Hobbits to survive the nocturnal visit, as the five Ulairi retired.
Frodoâs wound proved unmendable without aid from a high Healer, for the Black Captainâs magical knife blade imbedded itself and slowly worked its way toward the Hobbitâs heart. Although unsuccessful in the melee on Amon Sul, the Witch-kingâs cursed weapon placed Frodo in grave danger of becoming a Wraith and falling under the Ulairâs spell. Strider realised the Halflingâs plight after finding the knife hilt and prepared an Athelas wash, but he knew that the party had little time to spare. With daylight, the Company fled toward the Bruinen Ford.
The Chieftain of the Ringwraiths watched and, after joining with Khamulâs Riders, he and the other Nazgul broke into furious pursuit. The Nine rode their prey down at the Bruinen Ford just west of Rivendell and cried for Frodo to surrender. As the Hobbit balked and summoned his last strength to finish the crossing, the Witch-king plunged into the river with two of his servants(Uvatha and Dwar) â only to find themselves engulfed beneath a torrential tide of magically summoned floodwaters. The enchanted current swept the Morgul-lord and the other eight of the Black Riders downstream, claiming their awful steeds. So ended the search for the Ring.
THE WAR OF THE RING
After the disaster at the Bruinen Ford, the Witch-king retired to Minas Morgul and returned to his role as commander of Mordorâs southern host. His goal was Minas Tirith and the defeat of Gondor. For this purpose, he arrayed his main army outside Osgiliath, planning a pincer of two wings. The other force issued out of Morannon and massed upriver by Cair Andros, providing the Ringraith with a pair of Anduin crossings and insuring that his enemies could not flee northward into Rohan.
The Gondorianâs retook western Osgiliath in early T.A. 3019, but soon thereafter the Black Captain sent his army across the river and scattered the guards in the ruined city. As the Morgul-host drove across the river from the east, smashing through the gates of the Rammas Echor that enclosed the Pelennor(S. âFenced landâ), another army came south from Cair Andros and entered the encircling outer walls from the north. The retreating defenders reached the city gates as the two attacking arms joined. Minas Tirith was surrounded.
The battle that followed took place before the walls of the city. As the ram Grond smashed the Great Gates, the main Hafhere of 6,000 Riders and the 120 Rohirrim of Theodenâs Guard struck the attacking force from the north, sending waves of Orcs into retreat. The Hafhere, led by Eomer, overran the main road and rode into the Haradrim between the ramparts and the river while Theoden and his guard skirmished with the Haradan Lord in front of the Great Gates. For the first time, the tide of battle favoured the Free Peoples, and Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth gathered the warriors in the forecourt of the city in preparation for a sally into Pelennor.
THE DEATH OF THE WITCH-KING
The Lord of the Nazgul responded by personally intervening in the fray involving the Rohirric King. Flying on the back of his Fell Beast, he dove upon Theoden. The advancing Rohirrimâs horses panicked as the Witch-king slew the Lord of Rohan with his awful mace. This act reversed the Ridersâ success and endangered the Rohirric army; but, more importantly, it enraged Theodenâs niece Eowyn, who fought disguised as the youth Dernhelm.
Fully armoured and unrecognisable as a woman, Eowyn challenged the Witch-king as he stood over the bodies of her uncle and his beloved mount Snowmane, but the Morgul-lord scoffed at her words. Proclaiming that no man was fated to slay him, the Chieftain of the Ringwraiths savoured his kill and warned her of her folly, not knowing that he faced a maiden. It was then that Eowyn shed her helm and announced:
âButno living man am I! You look upon a woman. Eowyn I am, Eomundâs daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you are not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you if you touch him.â
Silent, the Wraith-king rose on the sweeping wings of his Fell Creature, his fear and ire aroused. Eowyn stood strong, though, as the evil beast descended to attack her with its hideous claws and beak. She parried the initial foray and then sliced the monsterâs head from its long neck. The Fell Beast tumbled to the ground, but the Lord of the Nazgul rose again and advanced with his mace held high. He struck her green shield, shattering it, and raised his weapon for the slaying blow. Suddenly, the Hobbit Merry rushed behind him and plunged his enchanted sword into the back of the Witch-kingâs knee, breaking the spell that held the Morgul-lordâs immortal form together, and giving Eowyn time to recover. The Rohirric maiden gathered herself and drove the blade through the Ringwraithâs neck. As fated, no man slew Sauronâs Lieutenant; instead, he perished at Pelennor by the hand of a woman, and an ancient sword wielded by a Halfling.
Thanks Matt,
These have been brilliant to read and hopefully will be archived for future enjoyment. I also thank the other contibutors that have made this thread a truly awesome peice of ME lore and history.
Adrian
Thanks Adrian,
glad you enjoyed them, makes it worthwhile writing them up to get positive feedback, I could write up some other groups though they are not as substantial as the Nazgul reports, ie: Valar, Maia and Istari, not sure if their is interest in characters not in MEPBM thoughâŠ
cheers
Matt
Did you do, or can you do Urzahil?
Is he bound to Sauron? Or does he just chose to serve him?
Heâs not bound to the rings, does that mean his life-span is âonlyâ like that of the Numenor?
Matt,
Iâve pasted every character portrait in this thread into a Word document. I intend to standardize/organize them and will publish as pdf. No promises on a timeline, but if you are planning on typing some more, consider working in Word (if youâre not alreadyâŠ) and weâll share the file if necessary to enable a complete pdf document at the end.
Cool?
Brad
Hi Spivo
I donât have any modules containing Urzahil unfortunately, however, the website link here http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Mouth_of_Sauron has the below entry for the Mouth of Sauron, hope it is of use.
cheers
Matt
The Mouth of Sauron
The Mouth of Sauron was the Dark Lord Sauronâs servant and representative at the end of the Third Age. He had the title Lieutenant of Barad-dĂ»r, since he was so strongly devoted to the Dark Lord. The Mouth of Sauron was one of the Black NĂșmenĂłreans.
History
The Mouth of Sauron had served Sauron all his life, and had forgotten his own name. A Man of great stature, he was potentially the equal of the DĂșnedain, but had fallen into darkness. He had learned much sorcery during his time under Sauron, and knew many of the Dark Lordâs plans.
As a Black NĂșmenĂłrean he probably came from the Haven of Umbar, and it is stated that âhe entered the service of the Dark Tower when it first rose againâ. The Dark Tower rose again when rebuilding began in the year 2951 of the Third Age, which means he entered Sauronâs service shortly after that. Umbar had been defeated by Gondor under âThorongilâ (Aragornâs name in his youth) in 2980, so the Mouth might have fled to Mordor then.
If this mention of the second arising of the Dark Tower is taken literally (see below), then the Mouth of Sauron had been in the service of his master for 68 years by the time the Third Age ended. If his service began as a youth who was subsequently cowed, bewitched and indoctrinated by his new master, then the Mouth of Sauron could quite feasibly have no memory of his birth name.
During the Council of Elrond, the Dwarves of Erebor spoke of a Man who had come to tell them of the power of Mordor and persuade them to join its forces. Though the Manâs identity is unknown, it is possible that he was the Mouth of Sauron.
The Mouth of Sauron briefly appeared in The Lord of the Rings when he haggled with the army of the west in front of the Morannon, trying to convince Aragorn and Gandalf to give up and let Sauron win the battle for Middle-earth. Though he came before Aragorn and his men as an ambassador, he used quite insolent speech when he dealt with them. He tried to intimidate the army into surrendering by showing them the mithril coat of Frodo Baggins to make them think that the Ringbearer had been captured. When Gandalf turned down his proposal, the Mouth of Sauron set all the armies of Barad-dûr upon them.
The Mouth of Sauron by Alan RabinowitzThe Mouthâs fate is nowhere recorded, and it is probable he died in the assault before the Morannon. If he had survived, it is likely that he would have been one of the leaders in the retreat of Sauronâs evil servants after the fall of Barad-dĂ»r.
The Mouth of Sauronâs Age
It is possible to interpret the words âarose againâ to refer to the power of Sauron rather than the construction of his Tower. In this case, the rebuilding of the Barad-dĂ»r in 2951 was actually its second arising. It first rose again some time after 3220 of the Second Age, which means that, according to this interpretation, the Mouth of Sauron might have been at least 3200 years old at the time of the War of the Ring. Even for a NĂșmenĂłrean this was an exceptional age matched only by the Ringwraiths, and he therefore may have been a Ring-bearer, who by some magic of Sauron had not become a wraith himself. He may have worn a lesser ring, and not one of the great Rings of Power. Alternatively, he could have been granted one of the Seven Rings of the Dwarves, several of which Sauron had recaptured.
Support for this extreme old age is found in the statement that âhis name is remembered in no tale, for he himself had forgotten itâ. Even Gollum still remembered his old name after 500 years.
Brad
Yes, all the documents Iâve created so far have been in Word, if you want copies of them Iâll be happy to forward them to you, are their any other characters you are particularly interested in? Have modules for the Immortals(Elves, Maiar and Valar) and the Mannish races, so should be able to find something on them if required.
cheers
Matt
Matt, thanks for taking the time to type up the backgrounds of the Nazgul. They were a great read!
And thatâs an awesome idea Brad!
Gajendra
Hi Spivo
I did have Urzahil and have written up the below on him.
cheers
Matt
Taken from Lords of Middle Earth Vol II - The Mannish races.
MOUTH OF SAURON
The Mouth of Sauron was the Dark Lordâs special aide and his most powerful mortal servant. Although not magically immortal like the Ringwraiths, the Mouth lived far beyond his natural lifespan. As it states in LOTRIII, p.202:
âthis was no Ringwraith but a living man. The Lieutenant of the Tower of Barad-dur he was and his name is remembered in no tale; for he himself had forgotten it and he was a renegade, who came of the race of those that are named the Black Numenoreans; for they established their dwellings in Middle-earth during the years of Sauronâs domination and they worshipped him, being enamoured of evil knowledge. And he entered the service of the Dark Tower when it first rose again and because of his cunning he grew ever higher in the Lordâs favour and he learned great sorcery and he knew much of the mind of Sauron and he was more cruel than any Orc.â
The Mouth was in his prime when he entered Sauronâs service in S.A. 3320, after the Downfall of Numenor and Sauronâs return to Mordor. Afterwards, he slowed the aging process, using his sorcerous skills to artificially prolong his life without suffering any noticeable side effects. His memory, however, remained like that of any other Man and was limited in what it could retain. In the course of his thirty-four hundred and thirty-nine year life, the Mouth of Sauron forgot more than any Man could learn in four normal lifetimes. Thus, he even came to forget his name and origin, for they were not essential to his plans.
As the Lieutenant of Barad-dur, the Mouth was left in charge of all operations of the sprawling fortress city, including the garrison placement, defences and supervision of the âguestsâ. A sadistic and twisted being, the Mouth delighted in torture and relished the thought of tormenting the Hobbits once they were caught.
Surpassed in rank only by the Lord of the Nazgul himself, the Mouth was close to Sauronâs counsels and the Evil One promised his lieutenant a domain including all the Western lands, knowing that Saruman in Isengard was unsuitable. The dreams embraced by the Louth of Sauron came to naught, however, as the destruction of the Ruling Ring brought to ruin all of his subtle plans and devices.
I enjoy the reading of this posts, too
Thanks so far for the great work.
I look forward to next Charakter-Backgrounds
I recently came upon my old ICE-books again and remembered this thread and dug it out again. there are still some modules left to publish. I will see how far I get this time.
in the module âRogues of the Borderlandsâ, we find six characters, four of which do only appear in the 2950 scenario:
Gaurithoth aka the abhorrent, a lvl 18 animist, appears in 2950 as ma 40. In the module he is a undead black numenorean who was once named Arimur, a lieutenant to Murazor in the second age. He still serves the Witch King in undead form and carries a + 25 sword named Morhith that did not make it into the PBM.
Pelnimloth is a lvl 10 bard, who appears as a mostly useless em 10 ag 20 in 2950. He is the leader of a small elven community and appears as employer for the PCs.
Cirdan appears as the Lord of Mithlond and a lvl 60 animist, which was turned in a co 40, ag 20, em 40, ma 50 multiclass-monster. He carries his armor Gaerennon, a magical chain mail that is weightless and floats in water, which was interpreted in the PBM to improve command skills +20. He also carries Ossanna, bracers that are x 8 PP multipliers and allow the use of many water spells - in the PBM they are just ma +10. And Gaergil, a crystal sphere that gives bonus to sea navigation - which was quite well transformed into open seas movement by the PBM. Several other powerful items did not make it to the PBM.
Galdor, a lvl 28 animist is the emmissary of Cirdan and appears as ma 60 in the 2950 scenario, i.e. a better mage than Cirdan 
None of his several items made it into the PBM.
Thrar III, aka âThe Kindâ, lvl 21 fighter, is the leader of the Blue Mountain Dwarves, who came up as a mere co 30 ag 10. He bears his war mattock Erchmar, which is a +40 mithril weapon of slaying orcs and trolls and was transferred into a +750 cb arty.
His shield âKhazad Terenâ did not make it into the game. He also carries a âDragon Helmâ, but I guess it is not the same as the âDragon Helm of Dor Lominâ.
Thorin II, aka Oakenshield. Well known from âThe Hobbitâ and in this module the leader of the exiled Erebor dwarves, he is a lvl 27 fighter and a co 60 ag 10 em 10 in the PBM. He later retrieved the sword Ocrist during the troll encounter, a +30 mithril sword of slaying Orcs, which is a +750 cb arty in the PBM.
In the module âBrigands of Mirkwoodâ, we find three characters:
The black numenorean mage Leardinoth (lvl. 10 â co 10, ma 30) is the inofficial ruler of the town of Buhr Waldlaes, aka Strayhold. Being a town of outlaws, itâs population consists mainly of beggars, brigands and rogues. Leardinoth controls all of this fractions with the power granted to him by the Necromancer. His principal item is a jewelled circlet with a blooming rose made of ruby (can be seen on his character portrait). This is where his soul is bound, allowing him an enhanced livespan of so far 1500 years. This item did not make it into the PBM and neither did his + 25 sword called Scholarâs Blade.
The captain of his bodyguard is an orc named Pochak (lvl. 7 fighter - co 30). He is well equipped with dwarvish weapons and armor, but no items of note.
The southron Ossim Rallah (lvl. 7 fighter â co 30) is the second-in-command of the rogues guild, described as skilled but relatively dumb brute. He must have made his way quickly back to Harad for the PBMâŠ
Iâm trying to figure out my favourite character but they all seem too Tolkieny themy was there a hero of drinking too much and chasing nasty women by any chance? If so I pick him/her or miscellaneous other 
well Rob, I guess the cardolani Lanaigh comes quite close to your liking. refer to an earlier post of this thread for more info 
Right you are - Lanaigh for president! Always had a soft spot for Cardolan⊠and mud wrestlers⊠especially girlie onesâŠ
In the module âRiders of Rohanâ, we find 18 characters
Eothraim Period:
Mahrcared, lvl. 18 fighter (co 50), is the Huithyn (High-Chief) of the Ailgartas-Clan, and by no means âleaderâ of the Eothraim, which have been a rather loose organization of tribes at that time. Mahrcared is already appearing in âMirkwood, Haunt of the Necromancerâ.
The sword Herugrim is not mentioned in the module
His arch-enemy was the Easterling Lyhud (also High-Chief) of the Tros Clan of the Sagath tribe, Tros Hesnef, lvl. 15 fighter (co 40).
High Chief of the Hos clan of the Sagath tribe is Hos Harf, lvl. 12 mage (ma 30). The Hos are competing with the Tros over domination of the Town Ilanin.
More Easterlings are Rof Paku, lvl. 8 animist (co. ma 30) who disguises as Eothraim and acts as a spy for the Sagath. Kav Makow, lvl. 4 scout (co 20, ag 20), is one of his henchmen. This is odd because Rof only appears in 2950 while Kav appears in 1650.
Thuidimer is also mentioned in the module as later Chief of the Ailgartas, but not described in detail. The same goes for Athaulf, Chief of the Paraduik-Clan, Aluiric. Chief of the Gadraught-Clan, Leofigild, Chief of the Beorills-Clan and Gisulf, Chief of the Anthar-Clan. The names of this clans obviously made it into the names of the Eothraim major towns, although the Eothraim have been half-nomads that only lived in fortified settlements during winter.
Rohirrim Period:
We find most of the characters appearing in the LoTR:
Theoden is a lvl. 24 warrior (co 50, em 30), Eomer is a lvl. 10 warrior (co 30), Eowyn is a lvl. 10 warrior (co 20, em 10), Eomund is a lvl. 20 warrior (co 50), Erkenbrand is a lvl. 20 warrior (co 40, em 10). None of their items are featured.
There also are Saruman, lvl. 50 mage (em 70, ma 90) and Grima Wormtongue, lvl. 8 bard (em 30).
And we find the Easterling Meonid Ito, who is the villain in an adventure. He is a lvl. 7 animist ( ma 30) and leads a group of assassins who have the task to prepare an attack of the Balchoth tribe on Rohan.