Over two thousand years after the destruction
of their homeland, the Kingdoms founded by
the surviving Dunedain of Numenor were severely
weakened and surrounded by enemies.
Winning a few decades of peace between wars,
King Ondoher of Gondor married his daughter
Firiel to Prince Arvedui, son of the King
of Arthedain in Arnor, hoping their renewed
bond of friendship might increase their defensive
capabilities.
Yet this alliance ultimately did little good,
as the Dark Lord Sauron plotted in the shadows
to undermine their efforts and destroy both
kingdoms.
Still weak from his defeat at the end of the
second age, Sauron recovered his strength
in Dol Guldur, while his servants carried
out his will, with some moving east to visit
the Wainriders who failed in their most recent
attempt to invade Gondor.
Encouraging them to build up their forces
once more, the Wainriders travelled South
of Mordor to befriend the men of Khand and
Near Harad, other enemies of Gondor with their
own scores to settle.
Coordinating their efforts, the Easterling
and Southron alliance attacked the Kingdom
of Gondor from both the North and South in
1944 TA.
Fortunately, the Lord of the Eotheod, an ally
to Gondor, spotted the enemy approaching and
sent a warning to King Ondoher, who around
the same time also heard about an invasion
in the south and so prepared to face the enemy
on two fronts.
Splitting up his forces, General Earnil, a
relative of the king led the smaller army
south, while Ondoher and his eldest son Artamir
took the larger host North.
Wishing to secure the succession in case they
did not return, the King ordered his youngest
son Faramir to stay behind as regent, while
the rest marched to the Battle of Morannon,
where Ondoher led the Center, his nephew Minohtar
commanded the right wing, and the noble prince
Ardrahil was in charge of the right.
Yet the men of Gondor were not expecting the
Wainriders to be so eager for vengeance, riding
their chariots and horses with all haste to
unexpectedly descend upon the King’s army,
cutting them down in a savage attack.
Destroying their center ranks, both King Ondoher
and his son Artamir were killed, leaving Minohtar
of the right flank in command of their forces.
Despite being on the verge of defeat, the
news somehow got worse, when the Lord of the
Eotheod informed the General that Prince Faramir,
youngest son of the King and Regent of Gondor,
who was supposed to be safe in Minas Anor,
was killed in the fighting.
Unwilling to remain behind while his family
went to war, Faramir disobeyed his father
and wore a disguise to infiltrate the army,
fighting with the Eotheod, and dying during
an attack in the dead marshes.
Finding little time to mourn, the Wainriders
soon fell upon and slayed General Minohtar,
leaving the last of their forces under the
command of Prince Ardrahil, though they too
were defeated, allowing the Easterlings to
proudly declare victory, and begin a raucous
celebration.
Losing the greater part of their forces in
the north, Earnil and his host faced difficult
odds in the south, as the men of Khand and
near Harad swept in from the east to capture
Umbar, thereby cutting off any possible support
from their remaining allies in the region.
The enemy then moved north to attack Ithilien
and at last there advance was halted and forced
into retreat by the army of Earnil.
Hearing about the loss of their king in the
Disaster of the Morannon, Earnil wasted no
time after their victory and immediately marched
to face the Wainriders in the north, only
to find them drunk, merry and utterly distracted.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Earnil
charged against them in the Battle of the
Camp, vanquishing the enemy and ending the
immediate threat.
Despite their alliance, no aid came from Arthedain
during the invasion of Gondor, as the last
realm of Arnor was busy trying to keep the
forces of Angmar in the North from overrunning
their defenses.
Though the Kingdom of Arnor was once a large
and powerful realm, centuries of division
and war left them a shell of their former
selves, relying on military aid from the Elves
of Lindon and Rivendell to survive.
Yet their monarch Araphant, was not only the
ruler of Arnor, but as a direct descendant
of Isildur, was also High King of all Dunedain,
and so had some sway over all their people.
Therefore when the question of succession
arose in Gondor, following the death of the
king and his sons, Araphant’s heir Arvedui,
who was married to Firiel, last surviving
child of Ondoher, submitted himself as a candidate
to rule Gondor and one day unify the kingdoms.
But the people of Gondor rejected his offer
as they recognized the weakness of Arnor and
no longer considering them an equal power,
instead choosing the war hero Earnil as their
new King.
Ruling with wisdom and humility, Earnil sent
a letter to Arvedui upon his ascension thanking
Arnor for their friendship and promising to
send aid when possible.
As the soldiers of Arnor continued to struggle
in holding back the Witch King of Angmar,
events finally came to a breaking point in
1974, when the enemy army overran Arthedain’s
defenses, and conquered the capital of Fornost.
Bringing whatever heirlooms he could, King
Arvedui, who inherited the throne upon the
death of his father, gathered his people and
fled to create defensive position in the North
Downs.
Yet once again the armies of Angmar were upon
them, and so the monarch led his people to
take refuge in the blue mountains, while his
son Aranarth, having been cut off from his
father during the fall of Fornost, went west
to seek assistance from Lord Cirdan of Lindon,
who immediately sent a ship to search for
his ally.
Running out of supplies, Arvedui had no choice
but to leave the Blue Mountains and find the
Lossoth, also known as the snowmen of Forochel,
an ancient tribe of humans descended from
the Forodwaith of the First Age, who adapted
to living in the cold.
When the threat of Angmar arose in the third
age, the Lossoth migrated to the cape of Forochel,
where the enemy could not follow.
Desperate for food and shelter, King Arvedui
approached the primitive people and offered
jewels of great value for their aid.
But the Lossoth had no interest in such things,
and instead helped them out of pity and fear
for their weapons.
When the Elves of Lindon at last arrived on
a great ship to rescue the King, the Lossoth
were astounded, as they knew nothing of sailing
technology.
Hoping to convince Arvedui to stay until the
Witch King was defeated, the Chieftain warned
that boarding this sea monster would bring
about calamity, but the ruler was determined
to return south and continue the struggle.
To thank the Lossoth for their assistance,
the King gifted them the Ring of Barahir,
a priceless heirloom from the First Age, passed
down through the noble houses of the Edain.
Unfortunately, the Lossoth were correct in
their prediction, and the Elves were struck
by a terrible ice stormh on the return journey,
resulting in the destruction of the ship,
death of the king, and loss of great Numenorean
heirlooms like two of the Palantiri.
Learning that his father was lost, Aranarth
inherited the rule of Arnor, only to realize
his kingdom no longer existed.
Therefore, he did not take the title of King,
and instead, as a descendant of Isildur through
his father, and Anarion through his mother,
declared himself Chieftain of the Dunedain,
gathering whatever soldiers of Arnor remained
to create the Rangers of the North, a band
of elite warriors dedicated to waging a long
term war against the dark armies throughout
their former lands and beyond.
The children and families of these Rangers,
along with the heirlooms they still possessed,
went to Rivendell, where they lived under
the protection of Lord Elrond, who shared
kinship with the royal house of the Dunedain.
Hearing about Angmar’s invasion, King Earnil
of Gondor started gathering a great host under
the command of his son Earnur to march north
and help his allies, but they arrived too
late, finding Arnor destroyed and their King
dead.
Making contact with the Elves of Lindon and
Rangers of Aranarth, Gondor formed a coalition
army that even included a company of hobbit
archers from the shire, and marched upon Angmar,
hoping to claim vengeance for the loss of
Arnor and finally end the northern threat.
Meeting at the Battle of Fornost, the Witch
King was confident in victory, and initiated
the attack, only to be overwhelmed by the
enemy and forced into retreat.
Falling back to Angmar, the Witch King was
further troubled when an army from Rivendell
arrived, led by the powerful Glorfindel, to
aid the alliance.
With his forces destroyed and his realm beset
by enemies, the Witch King stepped forth to
personally do battle with Earnur of Gondor.
But his look and presence was so terrifying,
Earnur’s horse frightened and fled with
the Prince on his back.
Laughing and mocking the flight of his adversary,
the Witch King was soon silenced by Glorfindel
who charged and attacked with such fury, he
too fled the battle, disappearing into the
shadows.
Though Earnur wished to pursue him, Glorfindel
claimed it was useless as his death lay elsewhere,
saying “He will not return to this land.
Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand
of man will he fall.”
Though he suffered a defeat and was unable
to permanently establish the realm of Angmar,
the Wtich King succeeded in his primary mission
of destroying Arnor, thereby leaving a weakened
Gondor as the last Kingdom of the Dunedain.
Now ready to focus his attention on the south,
the Witch King journeyed to Mordor where he
reunited with the other Nazgul and formed
a new army which they used to besiege Minas
Ithil in 2000 TA.
Within two years they captured the city and
its great treasures, including another of
the Palantiri.
Changing the name to Minal Morgul, it became
the home of the Witch King, while Gondor’s
capital of Minas Anor was renamed Minas Tirith,
meaning Tower of the Guard.
After the death of Earnil in 2043, his son
Earnur inherited the throne, and while he
was known as a warrior of great renown, this
also meant he felt deeply embarrassed that
his horse made him flee from combat against
the Witch King.
Taking advantage of his warrior’s pride,
the Nazgul leader sent out a message following
his capture of Minas Morgul, challenging Earnur
to single combat.
Realizing this was a terrible idea, the Steward
of Gondor convinced the king to refuse.
But when the Witch King issued the challenge
again 7 years later, Earnur could not be restrained,
riding with a small party of companions into
Minas Morgul, never to be seen again.
Before his departure, he visited the Hallows
where Nobility was buried, and left the crown
of Gondor upon the lap of a statue of his
father, and there it remained, as no new king
was chosen, with power instead given to Mardil
Voronwë of the House of Hurin, who was named
ruling Steward, meaning he and his descendants were to rule over Gondor until the return of the king.
