The Sharadûnic Conquest and the founding of the Númenaranyë

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NÚMENARANYË
The Exilic Kingdom of Númendil

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Since the harrying of the Adunians from Aegis in times long past, many Adunian states have arisen, and many more cast down and sundered, for long it has been since that folk determined their own fate. For centuries, the Free City of Brolwic was the only true Adunic state, and being so detached in Aeldin from the majority of Adunians. On the continent of Almaris, the Adunians therein were scattered and leaderless, and often victims in wars they had little sway in. That was until one arose to unite them, Nauthon Marsyr, who was called John in the common tongue. Through deft diplomacy John united the errant Harren’hil of Almaris into the realm of Cartref Mor, but tragically, this hero of Harren’s folk died before his mission was completed, and his son, lost to darkness, failed to carry it forth. As it looked like once more the Adunic peoples would be divided, Ser Uther, later known as Uriel, took up the cause. With kindly words and fiery sword, he united the Adunians of Almaris, and rather than swear fealty to distant Brolwic, instead struck out upon his own path, carving out a Kingdom in the Barrowlands of that continent.

 

Despite great efforts being made to hold, the Adunians would be driven from the Barrowlands, and Almaris as a whole. But this time they were not leaderless. Under the guidance of Tar-Uriel, the Adunians came with the other descendant realms to the continent of Aevos. Here, Uriel’s folk traveled inland until coming upon the land of Sharad'et'alkayaban, wherein a race of Farfolk called the Sharadûn dwelt, and Dedgîrth Imrîd was their King, called the Imr-khagn in their tongue. At first, Uriel’s folk sought parlay with the Sharadûn, and for a time, were permitted to dwell at the foot of the oasis of Albak’an, underneath the great white mountain, Alkayaban. Such peace was only held for a few months before the Sharadûn, feeling threatened by the sudden influx of foreigners upon his continent, took action. In the dead of night, Sharadûnic warriors armored in lamellar brass and iron attacked the Adunian encampment, slaying many and wounding many more, including the Adunic King, who remained on death’s door for a number of days, during which Steward Alwyn guided their people north into the plains, harried ever on by Sharadûnic Cataphractii and horse-archers. After three days of grueling retreat, the Adunians, low on supplies, turned to face their attackers, outnumbered and wounded, the Knights of the Barrowlands set to make a rearguard action, and in their sacrifice allow the women and children to escape with their comatose king and his heir, young Caraneth Aryantë.

 

Just before the horns sounded however, those heavy riders were joined by none-other than their king, Uriel, resplendent in his armor, with the radiant sword, Caledfwlch in hand, and the crown of the March upon his brow atop a bloodied bandage. Roused from his unwaking state by powers unknown, Uriel’s sudden arrival caused morale to soar among the Adunians- Who went forth then, not in sacrifice, but to bring the enemy to battle. With a blinding flash from the Adunic King, the Sharadûn were driven into a rout, those whose horses failed them were struck down by the Adunians.

 

There, within the vast plains of central Aevos, Tar-Uriel swore vengeance for his people upon the Imr-khagn, and swore such on the name of the Creator. Burning their dead and giving those wounded who could fight weapons to do such, Tar-Uriel led his band back to Albak’an. There, underneath the mountain of Alkayaban, with arms blessed by the Cardinal Antonius, the Adunians brought the forces of the Imr-Khagn to battle. At Albak’an, the martial prowess of those descended from Harren the Conqueror was once more proven, and the Sharadûn were broken when Tar-Uriel rode forth, and met Imr-Khagn Dedgîrth and his sons Sórthu, Ködgung, and Ömüg in combat, cutting down the four, and bringing the Imrîd dynasty to a climatic end. After the battle, those that remained tried to rally to the citadel built atop Alkayaban, only to find that a small force under Siegemaster Bedwyr and Ser Garen Glennmaer had already taken the sparsely-defended fortress (so sure of his victory was Dedgîrth, that he had brought almost the whole of his forces to bare on the Adunians.). Faced with this, the Sharadûn surrendered to Tar-Uriel, offering him oaths of fealty, or fled into the western desert to continue the fight, ceding Sharad'et'alkayaban to the Adunians either way.

 

Now ruling over the Adunians and what remained of the Sharadûn, Tar-Uriel sought to remake Sharad'et'alkayaban, renaming the land the Númenaranyë, or ‘the Royal Realm of the Númenedain’ in the common-tongue. Above Albak’an, the White City of Númenost was built, and two great citadels raised, one to guard its entrance above Albak’an, facing the northern plateaus, and the other atop the white mountain of Alkayaban, where the old Sharadûn citadel once stood. Ruling over a land far richer and vaster than the Barrowlands, Uriel saw fit to adorn himself and his men in regalia of old, harkening to the first Harrenic Kingdom, in practice wishing to revive the culture of that land, without any of the wickedness that wrought its downfall. At the peak of Alkayaban, Uriel, who was once Uther, took a third and final name in the styling of the ancient Adunic kings, Tar-Númenatar. His house too was granted a new name, though still called Pendraic in the common tongue, Arthalion (pl. Arthalionath) meaning House of the Dauntless King. Many of Tar-Númenatar’s subjects followed this example, adopting names in the original Adunic tongue, while many further still kept their Highlander or Heartlander derived names, or some, such as Tar-Númenatar himself, continued to be addressed and go by these common-names outside the lands of the Adunians informally, wherein the Númenaranyë, only the Adunic rendering was proper.

 

Naming conventions were not the only facet of Adunic culture revived in Númenost, which was built in the Idunic style. The fashions of Idunia of old, which had already begun to gradually see reuse during the reign in the Barrowlands, were brought back once more, resplendent in color and finery, though markedly more modest, accounting for the newly deeply pious nature of the Adunians, medicine and technology advanced thanks to the efforts of the Scholarium of Queen Orelia.

 

All of this and more was afforded by the great luck and wealth the Adunians found themselves after the conquest, for within the mountain of Alkayaban, vast silver deposits were uncovered, suddenly making the Adunians one of, if not the wealthiest realm of men, jewelsmiths worked away within the White City, crafting beautiful works, and bartering their wares down the river Foroduin into the other realms of men, all this bringing exorberent wealth to the Adunic realm, which was shared by Tar-Númenatar with his subjects gladly.

 

Of the Sharadûn that had sworn fealty to Tar-Númenatar, they were allowed to live as they had before, though greatly changed by the coming of the Adunians- Now called the Númenedain. Though unlike Harren of old, Tar-Númenatar did not oppress the Sharadûn, recognizing their stronger ties to the land now called Númendil, and in truth, was a kinder ruler than the Imr-khagn, though he did insist upon their conversion to Canonism, banning the worship of the bloody serpent god of the Sharadûn. 

 

One thing was a certainty in this uncertain new land, the Adunians would not be made subjects again.

 

 

To read more about the Númenedain and the Númenaranyë, [click here]