Aulë's Creations (Setting background)

[Old Duergar]

Rhudaur - "The easternmost of the three kingdoms created by the division of Arnor, lying beneath the Misty Mountains in the northeast of Eriador. The line of its original rulers, the Dúnedain, quickly came to an end, and it was taken over in 1349 T.A. by a tribe of Hill-men who allied themselves with the Witch-king of Angmar..."

R1.jpg (161.9 KiB) Viewed 932 times

The year is 1348 T.A. and the foul workings of the Witch-King of Angmar have reduced Rhudaur's wilds and its rugged landscape to a chaotic domain, slowly succumbing to the evils, great or small, set loose upon it. Fierce Hill-men resenting the rule of their Dúnedain masters and harbouring ancient rivalries amongst themselves, a smattering of crafty Dunlending merchants eager to trade with Angmar and Tharbad alike, vile Trolls and sly agents of the Witch-King pursue each their own agenda. Tying Rhudaur only in name to the influence of the remaining Three Kingdoms of Arnor (Arthedain and Cardolan) are the few Dúnedain lords, their feeble rule expanding only to the limits of their stout-walled keeps. They try in vain to stem the Banes of Angmar, the rebellious and ever more unruly Hill-men and the very land itself, from the feet of the Misty Mountains to the southernmost plains and bogs, which have become treacherous and full of dire danger.

R2.jpg (46.85 KiB) Viewed 932 times

In the Ettenmoors, to the northernmost end of the Kingdom, the keep of Lord Angbor lies in defiance of the growing evil around it.

R3.jpg (123.26 KiB) Viewed 932 times

Lord Angbor, a stalwart, aging Dúnedain, he has slowly come to terms with the impending doom of Rhudaur. Yet within the walls of his fortress lies a prized trophy, the culmination of the Lord's decades-long struggles against the villainy of Angmar. Angbor can only stall for time and he is aware of it. Time preciously won in bloody toil so that the trophy itself might be carried away to safer, much more welcoming lands: the Hidden Valley of Imladris, or Rivendell, where Lord Elrond lies in the Last Homely House, ever-vigilant for the machinations of the Enemy across Arda.

Now is the time for loyal Free People to shine: fleet of foot, strong of arm and of iron will, they must outwit the lurking dangers of a beleaguered land, beset by the Banes of Angmar, where terrain, inhabitants and evil will can provide a formidable challenge. Will you rise to the daunting task and emerge victorious from the Treachery of Rhudaur?

[Old Duergar]

Rhudaur

Rhudaur Map 1.png (124.73 KiB) Viewed 926 times

Rhudaur is by no means a vast land, but for its size it offers a great deal of geographic diversity. Landforms range from huge hills edging the Misty Mountains to flat ex­panses of plains and deep forests as tall and ancient as any in Middle-earth. Rhudaur can be divided into three zones: the highlands, the Trollshaws, and the lowlands. The highlands are composed of the foothills of the snow-capped Misty Mountains and the crests of the Famera-Grish or the Great Spur, which form the northern border of Rhudaur. The northern highlands are divided into the Ettenmoors, at the foot of the mountain spur, the Ettendales, along the River Mitheithel, and Cold or Pinefells, south and eastward towards the Misty Passes.

The Trollshaws form the central part of Rhudaur, between the Rivers Mitheithel and Bruinen. This area is primarily woodlands, scattered over rugged hill country. The largest continuous stretch of woodland, and the only one distinct enough to carry a separate name, is in the south, the Coed Drug (BI. "Evil wood"). The lowlands form the southern and eastern borders of Rhudaur. South of the Coed Drug and between the rivers lies the broken but still arable region known as the Angle. To the west of the River Mitheithel stretches the Oiolad, the flat "End­less Plain" of the Eredoriath, over which the Rhudaurrim and Hillmen have raided more favored regions time and time again.

[Old Duergar]

The Highlands of Rhudaur

Ettenmoors.jpg (411.49 KiB) Viewed 926 times

The highlands of Rhudaur comprise an area of large hills, some rising to over fifteen-hundred feet above their bases. The hills, which run in irregular curved lines from the southwest to the northeast, are classic fells; that is, they are relatively "young" hills, created by the violent uplift­ing of the Misty Mountains in the deeps of time. They are jagged and little-weathered, holding very little topsoil. These features are particularly true of the northernmost hills, the Ettenmoors, also known by their Hillman name, the Mor Ithvaen (Bl. "Granite Sea")' The name does not derive from the many hills, but from the landscape itself, which is strewn with boulders and outcrops of granite. The rocks range in size from that of a child's ball to that of a large villa, and they are often grouped in crazy jumbles through which passage is impossible for anything larger than a rabbit. To the south of the Ettenmoors, the hills are smaller and the granite less profuse, forming the region called the Ettendales. The Ettendales hold many springs that feed the River Mitheithel; however, the region suffers from poor drainage, especially during the spring melt. In the vales between the hills lie many stagnant bogs. The highlands immediately to the south and east are much like the Ettendales, except that they are well drained and heavily wooded. Most of the trees in this area are evergreens; thus, the region is called the Pinefells. Some call them "Coldfells," for the cool winds and waters of this locale are legend.

[Old Duergar]

Fauna & Flora of Rhudaur

The terrain of Rhudaur ranges from rank and stagnant quagmires to barren windswept hills; inviting spots arc scarce. However, especially in comparison to the rest of Eriador, these lands support a large and dynamic popula­tion of plants and animals. The lack of dense Mannish settlement has left the land wild. Although the lands of Rhudaur are cold and infertile, over the centuries its inhabitants have adapted well, and so they continue to survive. The scanty grasses and brush provide fare for vast numbers of grazing animals, espe­cially losrandir, enormous oxen-like grazing herbivores, which in turn provide food for predators, Man being not the least of these.

The open lands of Rhudaur are all dominated by a sparse mossy grass, caIled sinblas by the Dúnedain for its greyish hue. In the flatlands of Oiolad and the Angle, the sinblas is mixed with a taller grass called heblas and small patches of low coniferous bushes. Occasionally, near water, there is also a tiny stand of pines or a single lonely tree. In the higher lands, the heblas and bushes thin, displaced by large patches of thistles. Pines become more common, sometimes joined or supplanted by beeches. On the barren hilltops, only sinblas can survive. Most of Rhudaur is not open country, but is spottily covered with light to thick stands of trees. There are three separate types of woodland. In the northern and eastern highlands, tall pines and yews dominate, and most are found in small but dense clusters sheltered from the biting wind. Between them, scattered almost randomly stand much thinner groups of generally small trees. The TrolIshaws of central Rhudaur are home to mixed woods of pine, beech and birch. Here too, the trees gather in dense clumps. Usually, expanses of open, rocky land or barren stone outcrops lie between, but the edges of these woods are difficult to penetrate because of dense under­brush.

[Old Duergar]

Known Dangers of Rhudaur

Warg.jpg (123.82 KiB) Viewed 914 times

In central Rhudaur, the forest called the Evilwood holds a terrible reputation, for it is an ancient wood, dark and dangerous. Its trees have
grown tall and broad, so there is little undergrowth. In addition to Forest-trolls, the known dangers of the Trollshaws include a few rotten old trees infested with evil. Unknown dangers are legion, at least according to fearful Hillman tales.

Aside from Man and Troll, the chief predators of Rhudaur are the Brown Bear and the Wolf, both of which are common throughout the land. Their larger cousins, the Cave Bear and the Warg (or War Wolf), respectively, are common in the high hills of the north and east but rarely come down to lower lands. Many tales of the Hillmen recount the blood soaked deeds of both beasts, though the Degmoig (Wargs in Blarm, the Hillmen tongue) are held in particular dread and their depredations are often interwoven hopelessly with fantastic tales involving even more fell creatures.

[Old Duergar]

The Hillmen of Rhudaur

Hillmen of Rhudaur.jpg (36.02 KiB) Viewed 912 times

The following is considered to be common knowledge for anyone who resides or has stayed extensively in Rhudaur.

Dress and Appearance
Somewhat unimposing, the Hillmen are one of the shortest Mannish races in western Middle-earth. Men range in height from 5’4” to 5’8”; women are about 3” shorter. They are, however, a stocky, strong and hearty folk, and quite hirsute. (A slight mustache is not considered unattractive on a woman.) Men often sport grand beards, but all are neatly trimmed and most shave their chins. Hillmen are of dark complexion with dark brown or black hair and dark eyes. Both sexes dress and wear their hair alike, tied in three long braids down the sides and back. They often decorate their hair with intricately carved bone rings. Clothing is simple and utilitarian.

Origins
Hillmen first came to Rhudaur late in the Elder Days. They are clearly related to the many Dunnish peoples of the West; but being long sundered from them, they feel little or no lingering kinship with those Dunlendings who migrated northward into Rhudaur.

Society
Hillmen are hunters and thus are very dependent on the Losrandir herds of Rhudaur. They gather some plants and cultivate a few herbs, but these efforts merely supplement their hunting kills. Hillmen live in small mobile communities that loosely follow the migrations of the Losrandir. Housing is provided by a semi-circular hide house that can be quickly dismantled and packed up.

Politics
All Hillmen camps belong to one of the nine ancestral Hillmen tribes, though little else is known about them to non-Hillmen, who are often called to negotiate or barter with them on a tribe per tribe basis. To this day, Hillmen politics remain obscure and political affiliations, as well as inter-tribe relationships are impossible to track down, namely which tribe has pledged alliance to Angmar and which tribe remains loyal to the King and the Dúnedain. Hillmen dislike laws but revere customs.

Religion
Unlike the vast majority of their neighbors, Hillmen aggressively reject both the Valar and the Black Religion of Sauron. Their attitude is based on their inherent mistrust of foreign ways, coupled with some strange legends of their ancestors who claimed in ancient songs to have been “betrayed by both the Light and the Darkness”.

Language
Hillmen have their own language, called Blarm, or “Talk”. Blarm is closely related to the South Coastal Tongue of the Dunnish peoples of Gondor, notably the Dunlendings’ Dunael. It has, however, developed in isolation for centuries, and mutual comprehension between Hillmen and Dunmen is out of the question. One knowing Dunael, however, can pick up the Hillman Talk two to three times as fast as a Westron (Common) speaker. Hillmen are reluctant to learn other tongues, feeling that if someone really wants to talk to them, he can learn Blarm.