[Culture] The Númenedain | The Redeemed Harrenites

[SimplySeo 5241]

Spoiler

This is the first in a series of several posts going up establishing the Numenedain as a culture, after much thought I've decided to release this post a few days early in order to generate hype and interest for the new map! Look forward to its companion pieces, the Quenta Númeniad and the Númenaranyë, Conquest of the Sharadûn coming out on the third!

 

 

The Númenedain

The Redeemed Harrenites

[music]

 

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OVERVIEW

The Númenedain (singular, Númenedan) are a distinct ethnolinguistic group of Adunians specifically descended from the Adunians known as the Harren’hil of Almaris, who later Canonized, and intermingled with several tribes of Orenized Harrenites, and later went on to colonize a region marred by mysticism and necromancy known as the Barrowlands. Successfully conquering the land, the Adunians under their first ruler, Tar-Númenatâr (then called Tar-Uriel) underwent a cultural rebirth, forming the first truly independent Adunian Kingdom among the greater descendant races in over five hundred years. Ancient traditions of lost Idunia were reclaimed, while new traditions in honor of their mixed heritage began. To enshrine this cultural ‘rebirth’, and to distance themselves from the ancient Harrenites, who though powerful, were wicked men, Tar-Númenatâr named his people anew as the Númenedain, Men of the West, a name used by the Harren’hil who dwelt within the west of Almaris, now lost.

 

Martial in spirit, though tempered by half an age of sorrow and kinstrife with the other races of men, the Númenedain turn their swords not on conquest, but in defense of the realms of men against foreign invaders. In war, they are a  fey folk, fearing neither death nor torment, for they are a faithful people, who hold that in either life or death they find peace in the Seven Skies, so long as they have behaved admirably and righteously. This does not mean they waste their lives meaninglessly however, and they prefer to remain out of the wars between faithful men, for too few are the Adunians to die in petty squabbles, rather than battles worthy of admiration.

 

In peace, the Númenedain strive to make good a realm worth protecting, they are a charitous folk, ever to give a lended hand in need. A traveler will rarely go hungry or without shelter among the Númenedain, and those who have found the friendship of a Númenedan will have it for decades to come, and perhaps even pass that friendship on to their descendants. Though wanton avarice is a thing frowned upon, mercantilism is a respected route nonetheless, however it should be said to unfairly deal with someone is a taboo indeed, for chief among the values of the Númenedain are honor, integrity, truthfulness, courage, and chivalry.

 

 

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CULTURE AND CHARACTERISTICS

Cultural Traits

The Legacy of the First Conqueror | Though little remains of the legacy of the Adunians of elder days, that which has ever been ingrained into their culture is an unparalleled martial spirit. Harren was the first Conqueror in the history of man, and although the Númenedain reject the legacy of their tyrannical progenitor, they maintain the skill-at-arms which allowed their ancestors to subjugate and enslave, instead turned towards nobler causes. In battle, the Númenedain rely on  spear-and-shield wielding infantry to pin their foes in place, while their heavy cavalry, composed of knights and men-at-arms lay waste to the enemy’s flanks. Those who flee and break are spared little, for also has it been said that the Adunians are the most skilled archers among the mannish races, likely akin to their Elvish ancestors.

A Repentant Race | The Oath of Tar-Númenatâr, more commonly known simply as ‘the Oath’ was a declaration sworn on the Creator’s name upon Mount Alkayaban after the conquest of Sharad'et'alkayaban by Tar-Uriel, who adopted his third and final name writ in the Adunic tongue of yore, Tar-Númenatâr. The Oath is a declaration to forever stand steadfast and unwavering against the Forces of Darkness, and to also defend Mankind from external threat in penance for Harren’s conquests. The Oath sees the Númenedain take up an almost paternalistic role among their fellow men, to guide them away from their darker, more scheming and ambitious nature, just as the Adunians were guided towards redemption. This Oath is sworn anew upon one’s induction into Númenedain culture, before a place of either religious or cultural significance, according to one’s preference, the Oath is also sworn anew by a newly crowned monarch during coronation. [Click Here] to read more about the Oath of Tar-Númenatâr.

Pride of the Adunians | Unwavering in pride, those Adunians who survived the destruction of the Barrowlands during the fall of Almaris have tasted independence for the first time since elder days, and are unlikely to accept servitude ever again. The names and lineages of the middlemen carry little weight (though are not disrespected) among the Númenedain, who have sworn to never again bow before a foreign monarch, a fierce streak of resilience brought on by centuries of turmoil.

The Doom of Harren | Though they fight to be free of it, and ever-seek to repent from it, the Doom of Harren runs fiercely in the Númenedain, that is Ambition. The same ambition which turned Harren the destined firstborn into the decadent, selfish, unworthy and covetous kinslayer runs also through the Númenedain, albeit within them is the ambition to do good, it can still be said that men are capable of wicked things in thinking themselves just, and it is as true now as it was nearly two thousand years ago- The hearts of men are easily corrupted.

Always Outnumbered | Though the largest remnant of the already waning Adunian race, the Númenedain are only a part of it, and many more still remain in wandering nomadic clans, or deeply ingrained within Heartlander or Highlander spheres. Fierce though they may be, the Númenedain are few in number, and should Númendil itself fall, that people- And perhaps the future of the Adunians as a whole will fall with it.

Physical Traits

The Blood of Idunia | Though not all Númenedain are Adunians (as middlemen may be adopted into the culture) and not all Adunians are Númenedain, Númendil itself is the first truly Adunic kingdom in five hundred years, and this is reflected in its denizens. Here, in this corner of the world, the remaining blood of Harren gathers the most in number. Adunians live longer lives then middlemen on account of their Elvish ancestry, oftentimes living anywhere from 180-200 years of age, while among the lines of kings, it is not unheard of for that number to even be exceeded, such as the case of Tar-Nauthon, called in life John Marsyr, who lived to nearly be two hundred and thirty. They do not have pointed ears.

 

Fair and Strong | There has rarely ever been a descendant of Malin who was not fair to look upon, and the Mali’valah (Adunians) are no different. This, combined with their predominantly mannish blood and natural inclination towards martial lifestyles, means that most Númenedain, as well as being easy to look upon, possess great strength (though never exceeding that of a peak human). Númenedain who descend from Harren’hil stock are typically shorter and more lithe than those who descend from more Mannish kindred. They do not have pointed ears.

Eyes and Hair | Adunians look mostly like most other men, with a few notable exceptions. Mostly possessing pale skin and hair in the range of black to auburn, Adunian hair can also turn white-gray exceedingly early, though this is not always so, and is regarded as a sign of more recent Elvish ancestry. This is also the case for their eyes, with grays denoting Elvish heritage, greens and browns are also common. They do not have pointed ears.

Few in Number… | The Númenedain, as with all Adunians, suffer partially from the curse of Malin, that being infertility, this is especially true for the Harren’hil-descended Númenedain, who are of greater elven heritage than those descended from the Aduno-Heartlander or Aduno-Highlander stock. Most Adunian couples will never have more than three biological children at most, because of that, adoption is prevalent. This is lessened only slightly if only one partner is an Adunian. They do not have pointed ears.

 

Languages of the Adunians

The Adunians among the descendant realms prior to the founding of the Exilic Kingdom of Númendil were a notably nomadic people, deeply divided over vast distances, and divergent as the centuries went on. Among the Númenedain, three languages are spoken chiefly, (including the common tongue), with mainstream Thaudian as it is spoken elsewhere having fallen out of use among the Harren’hil centuries ago, and is therefore seldom used by the Númenedain who descend from them.

Thaudian (Thd) is the more Traditional, less ‘diverged’ form of the language spoken by the Adunian peoples of Al’Ildic between the fourth and the fourteenth centuries, and unlike the Almaric dialect, has remained mostly unchanged from the Al’Ildic exodus, preserved chiefly by the ‘settled’ and later Imperialized Adunians, such as House O’Rourke, the Napier Family, and the Imperial Elendils.

 

Almaric Thaudian (ThdA) is the most common of the three languages, and is the every-day ‘informal’ tongue of the Númenedain, and the Harren’hil before them. Originally a dialect of Thaudian, Almaric Thaudian diverged from that tongue many centuries before the founding of Cartref Mor where it was originally spoken. It is a musical language, complicated and difficult to learn to those who did not already speak it. It is even worse to read, as it was not intended to be written in the common script.

 

Adunic (Adn) is the language of Idunia of old, and is the ‘formal’ language among the Númenedain. Adunic is a creole of Harrenite Flexio, and the ancient Elvish of Sarai’s tribe, the Wildewynn, and draws from both, though Elvish far more so. The ‘formal’ names of the Númenedain are taken from Adunic, including the regnant names of the Kings and Queens. Adunic is also used in the naming of cities and geological features, and is rarely used in every-day speech, and even then only truly among the upper-class. To further complicate matters, Adunic could, if the author was particularly masochistic, be separated into Early and Late Adunic, with earlier Adunic remaining truer to the Flexio routes of the language, while Late Adunic ers far more towards being an Elvish tongue.

Lexicon

Though by no stretch of the imagination a ‘full’ Lexicon, (for such would need to account for the multiple linguistic phases and evolutions of the Adunian languages over the last two thousand years, an impossible task.) the following is a list of common words and phrases in both common and the various Adunian dialects.

 

Spoiler

●  Tar- / Ar- (Adunic) = The royal prefix, meaning ‘King’ or ‘Monarch’. Traditionally added to the Flexio or Adunic name of the monarch, but never Common. Specifically denoting the regnant monarch, male or female, but never taken by a consort.

 

●  Tári- (Adunic) = The royal prefix referring specifically to queen consort and never queen regnant.

 

●  Hîr (Adunic) = The Adunic word for Lord, pertaining only to Lords of the Adunians, not used when referring to foreign rulers. The feminine form is Hîril.

 

●  Númenedain (Adunic) ‘Men of the West’, originally one of several uncommonly-used poetic terms used to refer to the Harren’hil, now used specifically to refer to the Adunians of the Kingdom of Númendil. The singular form is Númenedan.

 

●  Númenaranyë (Adunic) = ‘The Royal Realm of the Númenedain’, used as a poetic name for the Kingdom of Númendil, but refers specifically to those lands directly administered by the Crown, ie, the Crownlands. One of the Administrative Regions of the Kingdom of Númendil.

 

●  Aran-în-Eryn (Adunic) = ‘The King’s Forest’. Used in reference to the protected forests which are the direct property of the royal house, wherein hunting and logging both are limited. One of the Administrative Regions of the Kingdom of Númendil.

 

●  Númenost (Adunic) = ‘Fortress of the West’. Capital of the Kingdom of Númendil, seat of House Arthalionath.

 

●  Aurë entuluva! (Adunic) = ‘Day shall come again!’ informal battlecry of the Adunians during the fall of Almaris, remains popular to this day. Sometimes answered by “Utúlie'n aurë!” meaning ‘the day has come!’

 

●  Caladhril (Adunic) = ‘Radiant Tree’ the name of the White Tree of Númenost, the first of its kind since the fall of Fai’O Thauid. An ancient symbol among the Adunians, the White Tree once represented the Kingship of the Elendils, but with Caladhril’s seed having been found by Tar-Númenatâr at the summit of Mount Alkayaban, such was interpreted as a sign of divine favor, and thus has come to represent the divine right of the King of the Númenedain.

 

●  Carnowindil (Adunic) = ‘Red Pale-Tree’ the name of the Heart Tree of Númenost, and regarded as a sibling to Caladhril. Heart Trees are alleged to be inhabited by aggressive and territorial land-spirits which are said to ward off mischievous fey and unwelcomed Druids, so long as proper respect is owed, for this reason, they are often kept in the center of a Godswood. Carnowindil is the child of the unnamed Heart-Tree kept in Barrowton by Tar-Númenatâr (then Tar-Uriel) prior to the fall of Almaris.

 

●  Foroduin (Adunic) = ‘North-Flow’, a river running through eastern Aevos which Númenost sits at the headwater of.

 

●  Pendraic / Pendraig (ThdA) =  ‘Warlord’ or ‘Dragon-Like’, a term among the Harren’hil to refer to chieftains and warriors of prominence. Pendraic was an epithet granted to Tar-Númenatâr during his youth, and was the name of his informal band of warriors when dwelling within the Heartlands. It was later used as the House-Name of Tar-Númenatâr’s family until the house was renamed to Arthalionath meaning ‘descendants of the Warrior-King’. Pendraic is still occasionally used to refer to the Arthalionath, primarily by their non-adunic subjects.

 

●  Caledfwlch (ThdA) = ‘Hard-Cleaver’. A Carbarum broadsword wielded by Tar-Númenatâr after the slaying of a Cold Drake, has since become the ancestral weapon of House Arthalionath, and associated with the Kingship of that house.

 

●  Trugaredd (ThdA) = ‘Mercy’ A famous battleaxe which is the ancestral weapon of House Glennmaer.

 

●  Ar Led (ThdA) = A military formation, a horizontal line with the commander in front.

 

●  Syth (ThdA) = A military formation, a straight line with the commander at the head of the formation.

 

●  Lletem (ThdA) = A military formation, a wedge with the commander at the point.

 

●  Blwch (ThdA) = A military formation, a box with the commander in the center.

 

●  Elder Men / Redeemed Men (Common) = A name for the Adunians, referring to their seniority among the human civilizations.

 

●  Middlemen (Common) = A name for Highlanders and Heartlanders, referring to their junior nature in comparison to the Adunians.

 

●  Men of Darkness (Common) = A name used in reference to any and all humans who practice or accept the practice of Dark Magics, also used to refer to human xionists, followers of Azdromoth, and occasionally non-canonists.

 

 Númenedain Names, Epithets, and Naming Conventions

The Exilic Kingdom of Númendil (called also ‘the Númenaranyë’, meaning ‘The Royal Realm of Númendil’) is a new nation, reborn from the long-lost culture of Idunia, and melded with more modern trends among the mannish kindreds. Because of this, the Númenedain have adopted the practice of dual-naming, possessing a name in the common-tongue, or Flexio, which is used while in the company of the Middlemen, or while abroad, and a ‘formal’ Adunic name, writ in the tongue of Idunia. House names are also translated, and given equivalents when able, and Kings and Queens are encouraged to take Adunic regnal names if they do not already possess one. Younger Númenedain, born during or after the unification of the Harren’hil with their Eastron cousins often possess only one name, an Adunic name, which is used both in private and abroad.

 

As well as possessing two first-names, two last names, and sometimes a middle name, a Númenedan may also earn an epithet through great deeds, which may be placed before or after the name of the Númenedan, depending on preference.

 

For non-Númenedain wishing to be inducted into the culture, such as Adunicized Middlemen, or foreign Adunians, the final trial which they must undergo is a naming ceremony, during which, the Oath of Tar-Númenatâr is to be recited in the presence of an elder Númenedan before a center of worship or cultural importance, after which, a name from the Adunic tongue is granted to them by the monarch or a representative of the monarch. A specific name may be chosen prior to the ceremony by those undergoing it, or it may be left as a decision for the one observing the Oath to decide upon, this is again done by preference.

 

Examples of Adunic names include: (M) Anardil, Anborn, Angbor, Aragost, Arahad, Barannor, Belecthor, Beleg, Belegorn, Beregond, Beren, Bergil, Celepharn, Cirion, Damrod, Denethor, Derufin, Dervorin, Dirhael, Duilin, Duinhir, Eldacar, Eredan, Forlong, Golasgil, Halbarad, Hallas, Hirgon, Hirluin, Hurin, Ingold, Iorlas, Mablung, Malbeth, Malvegil, Ohtar, Oredreth, Thorondir, Thorongil. 

 

(F) Baraheth, Barahiel, Canneth, Conuieth, Coruweth, Darthoriel, Derthoril, Faeleth, Faeliel, Gilraen, Ioreth, Ivorwen, Morwen. 

 

Note: Names beginning in ‘Ar’ or ‘Aran’ are typically reserved for those of royal or noble blood. Many names can be made to denote royalness or nobility by adding such into the name, ie: Baraheth into Aranbareth, or Beleg into Arbeleg. The names of ruling monarchs are prefixed by Tar- Meaning King in the Adunic language, ie: Aranbareth or Arbeleg into Tar-Aranbareth or Tar-Arbeleg respectively.

 

Examples of Epithets includes: Hyarmendacil (South-Victor/Conqueror) Rómendacil (East-Victor/Conqueror) Alcarin (Glorious) Branhereg (Long-Endured/Old Glory) Foronathor (Savior of the North).

Númenedain Cultural Traditions

The Crown of the Númenaranyë, centered within the Radiant Star of Malchediael. Royal Standard of Númendil, and sigil of House Arthalionath

Values

A new people, the Númenedain carry a legacy of lost traditions going back over a thousand years to Idunia of yore, and while much is gone, never to be recovered, newer, better traditions have been made, honoring the legacy of the Harrenite homeland, while disavowing the corruption and decadence that brought it to ruin. Even in wealth, Númenedain are encouraged to err towards humility and charity, though that is not to say the acquisition of wealth is discouraged, far from it, only the misuse of it. In times of peace, the Númenedain trade happily with their neighbors, chiefly in alchemical goods, for in the last century, such they have come to specialize in, but raw materials also flow from the White City. 

 

Furthermore, though having long abandoned the woodland life of their Harren’hil ancestors, the Númenedain maintain a keen connection with their natural surroundings, viewing nature as an unmarred facet of creation, and thus, a thing worthy of protection. Though they possess the same skill in it as all men, the Númenedain are not quite so industrious, believing that such aught be tempered with a healthy respect for the natural world that the Creator made for them at the dawn of time. Because of this, animal husbandry is also a well-respected profession among them, as is hunting. Most Adunians keep pets of some form or another, typically horses, large dogs, and the occasional hunting-bird, for falconry is a common pastime also.

 

Herbalism and healing are also seen as favored skills among that folk, not only in keeping with their woodland roots, but also simply for practicality’s sake. Númenedain Rangers will often spend many months, if not years beyond the white-walls of the capital, and as such, identifying what plants are safe, and what plants are not safe has become a matter of some importance, as has healing injuries accrued in the wilds, a skill that doubly serves well, as a folk so prone to battle are also prone to injury.

 

In keeping with the belief that the natural world is an unmarred example of the Creator’s work, many landed Númenedain will keep a sacred grove in their fiefdoms known as a Godswood. A Godswood is a meditative tree garden, either walled within a keep, or kept outside of it. It is maintained by the ruling family instead of servants, in the belief that something as simple as gardening focuses the mind, keeping one humble, and strengthening their connection to the world around them. Most typically kept in a Godswood is a grove of native trees, dominated in the center of the grove by either the silver-leafed Adunic White Tree, or the red-leafed Almaric Heart Tree, however, other plants may be kept and grown at the base of these trees. It is not uncommon for alchemical reagents or berry-bushes to be grown in the Godswood, primarily though it is a place of quiet reflection.

 

All that having been said, one would be wise not to confuse a Númenedan’s love of nature as heathen aspectism, indeed, the Númenedain are deeply suspicious of druids, who they view as a meddling folk that serve the Fey, nature spirits who at best are mischievous, and at worst, outright malicious. While not so superstitious as to believe the Druids themselves as Faeries, they are thought to be in league with them, and thus avoided unless one wishes to court fate by dealings with the fey. To ward off these spirits, lines of salt and iron-dust are often drawn along the edges of a Godswood, or the property of a Númenedain living out in the wild.

Cultural Trials

One is considered one of the Númenedain from the moment of birth, should one or both of their parents be a Númenedan themselves, but it is a mantle one cannot claim without at least having begun their trials. Beginning at the age of eleven, the Númenedain trials prepare the youth to be contributing members of their fledgling society. Likewise, any foreign or Adunians or Middlemen wishing to embrace Númenedain must first undergo the same trials before any position of prominence can be held. Those undergoing the trials may have however long it takes to complete them, though it is expected to be finished within a decade. A foreigner embracing the culture for the first time is not expected to complete it at the age, or in the time that a Númenedan-by-birth would be.

 

Trial of Profession: (Suggested Ages 9-12)

 The aspirant Númenedan must take up an apprenticeship in a profession deemed of service to the greater whole, something practical and worldly that they might contribute to the Númenedain Kingdom, or at the very least, provide for their family.

 

Trial of Service: (Suggested Ages 13-25)

Having now chosen a profession (or having had one chosen for them) the aspirant Númenedan must see their profession through until the end, and seek mastery of it, learning all they might learn from their teacher until there is nothing left to learn. When the apprenticeship is deemed concluded, the aspirant Númenedan must then prove their skill to their mentor in a test as applicable to their profession, i.e. The Smith must forge a masterwork and unique craft, the warrior must show their valor in battle, physicians must display their ability to heal and mend, and one groomed for diplomacy or to command must show themselves able to resolve disputes.

 

Trial of Naming: (Suggested, on completion of Trial of Service)

Having proven themselves an independent and contributing member of society, the aspirant Númenedan swears the Oath of Tar-Númenatâr anew in the eyes of a member of the Royal House, the Ruling Steward, or a member of the local clergy. Thereafter they take upon themselves a new name in the ancient Adunic tongue, or have one granted to them by those overseeing the ritual.

 

Religion

The Númenedain are Canonists of strong piety bordering at times on zealotry, and while other faiths are tolerated among the other descendant races, it is expected for the children of Horen within Númendil to be followers of the Canonist Church. This was not always the case, for among their Harren’hil predecessors, there was in fact a strong distaste for the Canonist Church, whom the Adunians of Almaris regarded in opposition and as a foe. They among themselves favored simple ancestor-worship, or among those during the reign of Aurelion the Black, Occultic Xionism. This changed when Ser Uther assumed chieftaincy of that folk after the brief and woeful reign of Oliver Black, which saw Adunians driven from the west entirely on account of machinations of revenant undead, Aurelion. Ser Uther’s chieftaincy saw proselytization and the conversion of many of the Harren’hil even before the colonization of the Barrowlands, and by that time, many if not all of their number were devoted and repentant Canonists at heart, with the remaining Harren’hil who remained at odds with Canondom choosing exile over conversion.

 

Ser Uther’s band of Harren’hil, later forming of the Kingdom of the Barrowlands, found not only common-cause, but kinship with those previously regarded as culturally anathema to the Harren’hil, not just Canonists, but specifically Owynists, who put a strong emphasis on the second Exalted, Owyn, who was of course famous for killing Harren and fracturing the Kingdom of Idunia. Strange that it is, this symbiosis between Harrenite and Owynist stems from Ser Uther’s informal education among the Lectorate of Owyn at the Fortress-Temple of Felder’s Rock, during his reign as regent for the Barony of Acre. Barrowlander Owynism was reasoned as recognizing their progenitor as a deeply flawed individual and later tyrant who bore the capacity to do good, but turned away, and respect Owyn not for the scattering of their ancestors, but instead his redemption for this deed by undertaking a one-man siege on the city of Edel, reclaiming it from heretics and the Undead at the cost of his own life. However, rightfully so, many Adunians even among the Númenedain do not fully accept this reasoning, and so, although Owynism remains popular (specifically among the original Knights of the Barrowlands) it is not mandated. The Kingdom of Númendil avoids a sectarian stance, and instead simply identifies as broadly-defined ‘Canonist’.

Fashion and Cuisine

The Númenedain are both practical and modest people. The Harren’hil who dwelt in the Barrowlands were known for a hearty palette consisting mostly of beef, pork and venison spiced with more northernly seasonings, on account of Barrowton being far disconnected from any main trade-routes. This was not the case after the founding of Númenost, which unlike its predecessor, was a central trading hub on the continent of Aevos thanks to its key location as a crossroads between the southern deserts, the eastern jungles, and the Mannish heartlands. Because of that, regular access to more exotic and southron spices was attained, something which the Númenedain swiftly developed a strong taste for. Likewise, some preference for spice had already been attained thanks to Barrowton’s Santegio-Hyspian community. Fish is also prevalent. Notably, Númenedain hunters are careful to avoid, and do not consume bear-meat, stemming from the usage of bear meat and blood in occult rituals during the reign of Aurelion Marsyr the Faithless of Cartref Mor.

 

For fashion, Númenedain are typical, if albeit more conservative than most Canonist nations, stemming from Owynist influence. Both men and women are expected to dress modestly, with minimal exposed skin. Because of this, both gloves are common among both genders, and headgear specifically among the women. Due to Númenost’s southern climate, most clothing is fashioned from breathable, if concealing material, which thanks to the wealth of that region, is typically quite finely made and intricate. Because of this stance, sleeveless clothing, cleavage, or shirtlessness among either gender is highly frowned upon, and will often be met by vicious verbal mockery and condemnation.

Númenedain Martial Traditions

The Númenedain Colonization of the Sharadûn
 

The Adunians have ever been a martial race, oftentimes by predisposition, more often by necessity. Though few in number, one Númenedan is worth two or three middlemen, and thanks to their long-lived nature, an Adunian will have twice the time of common men to master the art of war. Compensating for their lack of numbers, the Númenedain fight primarily as heavy cavalry, as to break their enemies in one overpowering charge, or as skirmishers, releasing a hail of arrows, bolts, javelins, and war-darts towards their foe. When forced to fight afoot (something often wished to be avoided) they fight in tight-knit formations, interlocking their large kite and tower-shields to form an impenetrable wall while striking at the enemy with spear and broadsword, or hurling potions over the shield wall. Númenedain infantry are primarily a defensive force, being the anvil to their cavalry’s hammer.

The Númenedain specifically have an incredibly strong tradition of chivalric Knighthood, even among the other realms of men, owing to their beginnings as a simple Knightly Warband. Jousts are one of the more common forms of entertainment, and also serve to keep their lances sharp in times of peace. Númenedain Knights are known to be a humbler lot, truer to the chivalric ideals than many of their contemporaries. Any Knight can make a Knight, it is true, but to earn it is a far harder thing than simply currying the King’s favor, or showing a modicum of martial prowess. Indeed, Knighthoods are only given as a reward for deeds of the utmost valor, and even then, only to those who embody the chivalric ideal.

 

Númenedain Knights are not traditionally landed, instead serving as the bodyguard or retinue of a Lord until they themselves prove worthy of being granted land through leal service and piety. Hedgeknights, or Knights-Errant made up the original companions of Ser Uther (later known as Tar-Uriel, and then Tar-Númenatâr) during his time among the Heartlanders, these men (and later women) are upheld as the ideal of what it means to be a knight, to be humble and ever-and-always a defender of the weak and innocent. Unlike most Knightly orders, Knights among the Númenedain are not only encouraged, but expected to adhere to their Canonist values first, and to put fealty to the faith above fealty to the King of the Númenedain. They are also likewise encouraged to wander beyond the borders of Númenedil, to accrue fame and fortune in their own right, and to do deeds of great value wherein they are most needed. To learn more about the wandering knights of the Númenedain, [TBA]

 

Notably, Númenedain disparaged the usage of Cannons, due to the industry required to make them being environmentally damaging, but also because of their dangerous, volatile nature, and habit of exploding. Because of this, in siege and naval war, torsion and traction-based siege weapons, such as scorpions, Ballistai, Onagers, Catapults, and Trebuchets are preferred.

 

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HISTORY

THE QUENTA NAUTHONIAD

Adunians settled the land of Almaris sometime in the late 14th century, nominally for a time, under the leadership of House Marsyr, originally rulers of Canmoor who fled the isles of Al’Ildic when it fell to the undead in 1309 FA. This Marsyr-led unity shattered within the first hundred years of colonization, leading to the dispersal of the proto-Harren’hil across the breadth of the continent among independent Bowie Bands. By the time of the arrival of the Descendant Kingdoms to Almaris at the beginning of the Second Age, no Chieftain commanded more than a few dozen families. With them came the last remaining trueborn scion of House Marsyr, Nauthon, who in the common-tongue was called John. 

 

John Marsyr was a warrior of great renown, having ventured the width of Arcas as a strident ranger, and slain many beasts before enlisting in the Brotherhood of Saint Karl to fight on the frontlines of the Inferi War. During that cataclysmic conflict which heralded the end of an age, John made common-cause with, and became swift friends with Prince Fëanor Sylvaeri. When Almaris was settled, John soon undertook a quest to unite its errant Adunians, the Harren’hil. Using his friendship with the Princes of Elvendom, John was granted lands on the seacoast of Amathea, and soon began traveling Almaris, gathering through skill of arm and the power of his voice, the Harren’hil to his banner. Enough soon came to him that he was named their Chieftain and Lord, and soon came to rule Cartref Mor, the Home-By-The-Sea, wherein he dwelled for a time, and his people prospered. Inevitably however, Elvendom became divided into several warring factions, and Lord Marsyr deemed that continuing to remain in the southwest was no longer possible. John was released from his fealty to the Prince of Elvendom, and led his people north, coming into the service of the Norlandic King, and was granted the lands of Ironguard (called by the Adunians Minas Angren) in exchange for helping drive the remaining Svarling and Skanarri tribes out of Norland, and back into the frozen wastes.

 

This Lord Marsyr did for a time, and did so fervently, for he was a warrior without peer, and among the most valiant warlords of mankind in those days, however, his warring oft left him far from home, and a disquiet had fallen on his house as a result. To rectify this, Lord Marsyr trusted his second in command, Ser Edward Thuri-Elendil to rule in his stead. This would prove a grave mistake, and one which would eventually doom Cartref Mor. Edward, now called the Ill-Ruler, was seduced by the Daelish Vampire, Sionnach, who guided him towards paranoia and greed, and caused him to abandon his duties, one of which was the raising of John’s son and heir, Aurelion. In Edward’s absence, Aurelion was instead taken in, and twisted by Witches of the Far North, who led him down the dark path that would inevitably become the doom of the Harren’hil.

THE AURELIONIAD

When Lord John returned to Cartref, he discovered that not all was well in his house. His son was errant and wild, his squire, Uther, was driven to sell his sword for coin, and his lands were in disrepair, all due to the mismanagement of Ser Edward and his Vampire-Consort. Incensed by this, Lord John banished Ser Edward and Sionnach from his lands, and set to work attempting to rebuild his household, summoning Uther, his son, Aurelion, and many others back to his halls. Though Aurelion was already under the sway of the darkness, he was not wholly corrupted, and instead sought to carry on his father’s work, and aided him much in the management of his household. There was a brief resurgence then among the lands of Cartref Mor, which swiftly recovered under John’s rule. Tragically however, this was not to last. Soon thereafter, Lord John perished nobly in battle against the Undead, biding time for his subjects to escape an overwhelming horde at the cost of his life. For this, and all other great-deeds accomplished by him, Lord John Marsyr is posthumously recognized as Tar-Nauthon, first king of the Adunians on Almaris. 

 

Almost immediately after assuming the Chieftaincy, Aurelion sought to prove himself and step beyond his father’s shadow, and as such, started directing the Harren’hil in a way in accordance more with his own designs than his fathers. While the Adunic rulers of yore were respected and taught of during John’s reign, they were venerated as mighty spirits during Aurelion’s, akin to gods. Likewise, Aurelion raged against the Aengudaemonica, and Malchediael in particular, who he blamed for his father’s death, and who he resented for the Adunian Templars and their refusal to follow him. Aurelion’s ancestor worship soon began taking an occult turn, wherein the blood and bones of beasts were used to summon the spirits of the dead to him and take counsel with them. The more Aurelion turned towards his ways, the greater his pride grew, and the greater that his pride grew, the more he resented his feudal overlord, the Norlandic King, Odin.

 

In those days, Cartref Mor far surpassed the Kingdom of Norland’s capital of Alisgrad in prosperity, for that realm had fallen into disrepair ever sign the reign of Vane the Vain, and so, deciding to free his folk from the rule of unworthy Highlander rulers, descendants of those who the Kingdom of Idunia kept as slaves themselves, Aurelion raised his banner in rebellion, and sought to conquer the Raenrlands, as well as establish an independent kingdom. However, King Aurelion’s reign was not to last, for he knew little how to wage war, and instead of striking immediately, waited three months for allies who would never come to his aid.

 

In these three months, the Norlanders marshaled their forces, fewer in number, but more skilled in force of arm, retaking Ironguard, casting King Aurelion the Faithless in gold, and driving his followers from Minas Angren, many froze to death in the rivers of Lake Hakon, or were felled by arrows as they fled. Those who survived, under the leadership of Oliver Black and Fritjof Maor fled south to the Darkspawn-led Elven Principality of Celia’nor, wherein they dwelt for a time.

 

But the malice of Aurelion was not so easily undone, and the Adunic King defied death, choosing instead to become a revenant Necromancer, after which, he continued to influence the Adunians from the shadows through his agent, Maor, and his allies in Celia’nor. Unlike Moar, Oliver did not care for the occultic ways of Aurelion, but was powerless to stop a population that was mostly already fallen, and so, he could only despair as they slipped into damnation. Only at the very end did he begin to plot against Maor, swiftly realizing that Aurelion still lived, but it was far too late. Maor, who was well-liked among the Celianites, convinced them that Oliver was the cultist, and not he, and so, they backed Maor in a violent takeover of Cartref Mor, overthrowing Oliver, and driving his followers west.

 

Crippled, homeless, and vagrant, the remaining Harren’hil who were not under Aurelion’s thrall were condemned, until a sudden summons arrived by one Ser Uther of Acre, a Warlord in the Heartlands, and John’s last remaining disciple.

THE QUENTA UTHYRIAD 

Uther Gwathren, son of Lady Gwynthryth of Wealdfarthing and an Elvish Lord, stemmed from an aged line on his mother’s side. Clan Gwathren was kin to House Marsyr, descending from a bastard son of that house called Gwathor the Bloody, who was the last sheriff of Canmoor before his fellows settled on Almaris, raising a small castle and village called Wealdfarthing in the lands where Oren would eventually come to dwell. Unlike the rest of the Harren’hil, Clan Gwathren never fully degenerated into nomadic life, retaining some semblance of the feudal lifestyle until being driven from their lands by Orenian invaders at the start of the Second Age. Lady Gwynthryth, who had long since abandoned her marriage with her Elven lover, instead took one of the Orenian invaders as husband to placate the invaders, and to retain some status of nobility, though this was at the cost of disinheriting her son, served as the stableboy for her new husband, a cruel and vain man, Tancred d’Aroix, Baron of Aroix.

 

Gwynthryth soon bore the sons of Baron d’Aroix, though these new children were not allowed kinship with her eldest, for fears that Uther might one-day seek to reclaim the land that he previously stood to inherit. What little time she was able to spend with her eldest was spent reading to him from the Holy Scrolls, to ensure his piety (as Clan Gwathren had adopted the Canonist Faith centuries earlier) and to teaching him to ride the horses he tended to, to better know them. Much love did Uther have for his mother, and great was his sorrow when she passed away of the plague when he was naught but eleven. Her dying wish would be for him to flee to Cartref Mor for his safety, for Baron d’Aroix would surely seek to kill him with his wife now absent. Uther bade his dying mother a tearful farewell, and that night, stole a horse and a rusted mail hauberk from the Baron, before fleeing west to Cartrf Mor, wherein he swore to Lord John, who took pity on him, and named young Uther as his squire.

 

Uther swiftly took to combat as a natural, and by sixteen, had already slain half a dozen men, and proved himself a leal companion for his lord on the battlefield. When John went north to combat the hill-tribes and Svarlings, Uther remained in Cartref Mor for a time, before disgust at the actions of Edward the Ill-Ruler and his consort led Uther to leave and for a time become a sellsword and freerider.

 

Uther returned to Almaris at the summons of Lord John, who knighted him for his valor shortly before his own death, he also bestowed upon Uther the blessings of the Aengul Machediael, and it was these blessings Uther recovered from when his lord fell. After a period of mourning was done, Uther departed Cartref Mor once more, for there was no love between him and Aurelion, and Uther was not well liked among them on account of his Canonist faith.

 

It was then that Uther fled to the Heartlands, wherein a war had brewed against the Kingdom of Oren, a rebellion led by the Black Baron (so called for his supposed outlawry) of Acre, Gustaf de Vilain. Baron de Vilain’s lands of Acre were plagued with Undead and Neverborn both, and as a newly christened Templar, Uther immediately strove to prove himself against them, also gladly fighting with Gustaf de Vilain and his people in their war against the tyrannical King of Oren, Frederick I of House Novellen. Little large-scale battles were fought, but much raiding occurred across the Orenian Countryside, during which, Uther proved himself as one of the Black Baron’s most zealous soldiers, being one of the few Knights to fight on behalf of the smallfolk in that war. Nobles were hanged, and manors burned, and eventually the rebels stormed the royal capital of Vienne, killing Frederick and his wife both during the battle, and subsequent sack of the city.

 

Shortly after their victory and the establishment of the Harvest Confederacy, both Baron Gustaf and his father Hannes vanished, presumed killed, but later found out to have been kidnapped and taken into slavery by the Mori’quissir, leading only Gustaf’s young children to inherit. Because of this, Uther was then named regent of those lands, to rule them until Gustaf’s heir, Volker, came of age. As those lands were lawless, and fighting still occurred in some parts of that country, Uther invited several Hedgeknights into his service to serve as his retainers in helping police Acre and the heartlands as a whole, this chivalric warband, called The Knights of Pendraic (after the Almaric-Thaudian word for Warlord) participated in driving the Undead from the Heartlands with aid from the Lectorate of Owyn (who Uther then studied under) as well as cutting down the last pockets of Orenian resistance deep in the wooded regions on the other side of the Arentinian Alps.

 

 It was during this period that the remaining Harren’hil under Oliver Black came under Uther’s protection in exchange for submitting to him. Within his House in the Barony of Acre, Uther was named Chieftain of the Harren’hil, and Protector of the Adunians, and he was promised  land to house them by his overlords, the de Vilains, as a reward for his loyal service. Though this reward was never given, Uther swiftly became the greatest leader of the Adunians in Almaris, far outnumbering the houses of Rourke, Thuri-Elendil, and Elendil.

 

 During his time in the Heartlands, Uther brokered close ties with the House of Barclay, and the Lectorate of Owyn, ties which would remain for decades thereafter. Not all would remain well however, and eventually, Volker de Vilain came of age, and his heart was black. Acting on a feud with House Galbraith, Volker led the levymen of the Harvest Confederacy to storm a church in the Kingdom of Balian in an attempted assassination of the groom. He failed miserable, and in the aftermath, the Harvest Confederacy was fractured, with lands ceded to Haense, Balian’s ally, as well as Urguan, with the Confederacy as a whole ceasing to exist, as it was soon divided between the Kingdom of Aaun and the Archduchy of Petra. Acre remained, though a shadow as it once was, as one who Uther did not know was named its new Baron, and Uther, for his part, chose to depart rather than continue to serve a family he had lost respect for.

 

Taking his share of the plunder from the Sack of Vienne, Uther dwelt for a time among the Waldenians of Minitz, ruled by House Barclay, while drumming up support to launch a great expedition into the west to claim lands for Canondom, specifically the cursed and blighted region known as the Barrowlands, where, as a Templar, Uther sought to purge, and make clean and anew, so that life and light might be restored therein.

 

With a goal in mind, and the wealth and manpower to support it, in the 110th year of the second age, the golden wyvern of the Brotherhood of the Pendraic was raised, and a long march began to establish a hold in the Barrowlands- And after some conflict with the local undead, they did. A castle was swiftly erected, and a city around it.

 

And it was called Barrowton.

THE DAGOR ALMARIAD

The city of Barrowton arose swiftly, almost accidentally, as tents arrayed around the original keep quickly sprung up, and soon turned to wood, and from wood to stone. More desperate souls had signed onto the Harrenite venture than was originally anticipated, many of whom were not even Harrenites themselves, but instead counted among the Middlemen, or even the Kindreds of Malin (of these, the Silver Elves in particular.) Though some resistance was found among the Barrows in the form of restless undead, conjured long ago and forgotten by their masters, the Expedition, soon thereafter called simply ‘the Barrowlanders’ dispatched them swiftly, and scoured that land clean, and for a time long enough, all therein dwelt in guarded peace, and new life came to the Barrowlands. More Adunians now flocked to Uther’s banner, and not all of them Harren’hil, but some rather, Orenized Adunians long-since sundered from their westron kin. Uther accepted these folk gladly, and counted them among his own.

 

In recognition of this, and his role as both warden and protector of his folk, Uther was soon regarded as one of the princes of Canondom, a renegade and maverick no longer. Twelve years after Barrowton was built, Uther was crowned by High Pontiff Pontian IV as Tar-Uriel, King and Protector of the Adunians. This was met with some criticism, for Tar-Uriel came from no royal line, and therefore had no true claim on the Adunic Kingship beyond a common and distant ancestry to Harren that all Adunic nobility bore, however, such criticism was drowned out by support, not only among the Adunians, but also Tar-Uriel’s allies among the Middlemen, House Barclay, the Oyashimans of Tetsugawa, and many others. This was not the only joy that came from this time, for also did Tar-Uriel wed his newly returned and long-betrothed love, Orelia Darkwood, and from them would stem the new royal line of the Adunians, at first called House Pendraic in Almaric Thaudian, but later renamed as the Arthalionath, or Descendants of the Hero King, in honor of Tar-Uriel’s own achievements. Not all would be joyful and glad for long, however, for the doom of Almaris was at hand. 

 

The Elvish race known as the Mori’Quessir, long-tainted by the Spider Goddess and the Third Druidic Aspect, Nemiisae, would begin assailing the descendant realms in innumerable force, and though Barrowton stood strong, many of the other realm fell, and fled towards the southern subcontinent of Almaris. Under perpetual siege by the Mori’Quessir, Tar-Uriel decided then, overcome with zeal, to set his own city to a blaze rather than offer it up to the enemy, or lose it in the impending battle. In the perpetual night, Barrowton was set aflamed, and the Barrowlanders then soon made towards the southern continent, wherein after it was planned they would flee Almaris with the rest of the descendant-realms. Yet this exodus did not come bloodlessly, for it came soon to pass that the Mori’Quessir once more darkened the doorstep. The final battle of Almaris would be fought upon the mont where stood the ruined city of San Luciano, which then had become the last refuge for all the peoples of Almaris. By blade and by spell, the remnants of Almaris’ Kingdoms fought valiantly, the Adunians not least of all. Yet at the last, even with the powerful sorceries of the Brev to aid them, all were forced into retreat, and they fled not by sea but under the earth into the domain which the enemy had since abandoned. And it was in those shadowed depths that they dwelled, until such time as they were, by providence, met with the sun’s light once more.

THE FOUNDING OF NÚMENDIL

Though much of this tale is told in other records [TBA] it shall be recounted here also that after arriving in Aevos the Adunians settled among a Farfolk known as the Sharadûn in the lands of Sharad'et'alkayaban, at the base of the Mountain, Alkayaban, for which those lands were named. However, fearing the influence of these Adunians, the Imr-khagn of the Sharadûn ordered their encampment burned, and its inhabitants enslaved. Tar-Uriel was gravely wounded in the initial raid, and was set into a deep coma, from which it was thought he would never awake. As the Adunians prepared to make a final stand however, Tar-Uriel awoke, and led the countercharge, harrying the Sharadûn back to their capital, which was taken, after which, the Imrîd dynasty from which the Imr-khagn descended was extinguished, and their lands taken by Tar-Uriel, who renamed them ‘the Númenaranyë’ or ‘the Royal Realm of the Númenedain’, and thus, the name was born. Tar-Uriel himself took a third and final name by which he is known now, Tar-Númenatâr, ‘King of the Númenedain’.

 

And thus, Tar-Númenatâr the King ruled nobly and well to this day.

 

---

 

AFTERWORD AND CREDITS (OOC)

After several long weeks of writing, the Númenedain culture is complete, and I can’t say I’m not proud. The Númenedain stemmed from a desire to return the Adunians to their LOTR-inspired roots, now that they have for the first time in many years an actual nation. If you’re interested in LOTR-style humans based off the Númenoreans, or want something a bit different from the usual ‘game of thrones’ or ‘real life but fantasy’ vibe of human roleplay, I encourage you to join us in the Númenedain discord [here] or to seek us out in-game in Númendil.

 

A small note for clarification in ‘Languages of the Adunians’ as well as ‘Númenedain names’ sections is that the languages used to represent those languages are Welsh for Almaric Thaudian, and Tolkien’s Aduniac and Sindarin for Adunic, with the former representing the earlier (and therefore lesser-recorded) Mannish dialect, whereas Sindarin is used to represent the later, more Elven-like form of the language. 

 

Finally, I would like to thank and credit all of those without whom, neither this culture, nor the Adunian nation would exist. First, the Barrowlander community, who gave me the opportunity to be their leader. Their constant proof-reading and encouragement is what helped me finish this, which is probably one of my better posts in my time on LOTC. all of you contributed in one way or another, and so it’d be difficult to list them all. In no particular order, Josh, Hermes, Shady, Irene, Sneaky, Cindy, Seva, Pepto, Daengie, Astria, Dele, Kyrrn, James, Tom, Gilded and Fimlin. I’m sure I’m forgetting some names, sorry.

 

I want to give a special thanks to DrHope, my dearest and oldest friend on this server, who was the one who invited me to play his squire, Uther, who became so much more. I also would like to thank JakobiWitness, Owl_7, Ilum_Tarus, and Hanrahan, the original Adunians, and obviously, Professor Tolkien, from whose works this culture, and all of fantasy is clearly inspired.

[AstriaS 3709]

[MadOne 3386]

[Kyrrn 245]

[Spoopy_Duck 1500]

Spoiler

Really cool post! Maybe I will end up joining one day.

[UnusualBrit 2057]

[MCVDK 1581]

Spoiler

By far the sickest culture post I've read throughout my 7 years on LotC. Nicely done, Malch!

 

[Deer__ 529]

Tolkien-posting elves love some Tolkien-posting humans.

 

[Andustar 2118]

[Demented_Delila 1126]

 

[DAENGIE 468]

[LithiumSedai 4837]

Spoiler

based (based)

 

[Damnit_Delmar 1031]

Spoiler

I love being a villain, I love being a villain, I love being a villain

 

[Onnensr 569]

ea laff mein adunieaen s zzhey ar mein freundies ouuuuu

[Rigorous 1545]

I typically hate Tolkien-inspired works because most of them are just copy and paste Wikipedia articles. (This is more so in reference to a banned player who got kicked out of a Danish girl's house).

This post, on the other hand, is clearly just inspired - it fits well into LoTC and it's broader history, and doesn't really engage in any historical revisionism that I can see off the top of my head.

I am excited to see what was originally a flimsy game-play mechanic for "I want my human to live longer" to be a real vibrant culture with a lot of players and history on LoTC.

Good work!