War of the Ring

Refuge of the Faithful

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1407637422The Great Port

Pelargir, was one of the first settlements of the Numenoreans founded in Middle-earth and was built in the year 2350 of the second age as a haven of the Faithful. The King’s Men established havens farther South but Pelargir was one of the cities that assembled Gondor when it was founded in 3320 by the Faithful.  The great port was was located off the Anduin river, just South of the White Mountains.

As Gondor’s power grew, Pelargir became the home of its navy. But during the civil war, also known as the Kin-strife, the city was besieged by Eldacar, as it had become a stronghold of the sons and supporters of Castamir. The siege was only a partial success, as Eldacar had driven out the enemies, but they escaped and fled to Umbar.  The son’s of Castamir, and the surviving enemies heirs became known as the Corsairs of Umbar.  They plagued Gondor with war and tormented their ports for years to come.

Battle_of_PelargirThe Stronghold was Broken

With the decline of Gondor’s power, Pelargir became weaker by the day and an easy target for the Corsairs, who by this time had made an alliance with Sauron.  Although Gondor’s power was in decline they managed to defend their coasts.  In 1634 of the third age, the Corsairs overtook the city and slayed King Minardil in the process.  Gondor was able to regain the city quickly and drove the Corsairs out once more.

During the War of the Ring, the years of conflict between Gondor and the Corsairs was about to come to a quick end. A great Corsair fleet attacked the city as Gondor’s armies were caught at Minas Tirity, and there were not enough troops to defend the coasts or Pelargir.  At what looks to be a defeat in Pelagir, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, along with the Grey Company and the Army of the Dead, arrived and defeated the Corsairs.  Once they took over the Corsairs fleet of ships, Aragorn released the spell that had bound the dead men of dunharrow.  Aragorn and his men arrived at Minas Tirith to defend it from Sauron’s forces. The Corsairs were driven out and they never attacked Gondor, or Pelagir again once Sauron had been killed.

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Sauron’s Deadly Servant – Part Three

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Hail and well met everyone!

Last week we left off with the Nazgul fleeing to Mordor and Sauron preparing for his final battle against the Free Peoples of Middle Earth.

Gondor_Civil_War2The Siege at Gondor

The final Battle of Osgiliath came swiftly on 3019 in the Spring of the Third Age against Faramir and his rangers. Faramir’s forces could not hold the Orc hordes under the control of Gothmog. Faramir pulled his forces back to Minas Tirith with the Nazgul chasing them, they lost many of their forces in the retreat.  Faramir went out with his rangers for a second time, and from that assault only Faramir returned to Minas Tirith gravely wounded. With Gondor’s defeat at Osgiliath, nothing stood in the way of Sauron’s ambitions of destroying Minas Tirith and the Free People’s hopes.

inspiration-of-medieval-language-and-literature-good-vs-evil-in-tolkiens-rotk-22the-witch-king-of-angmar-minas-tirith22-john-howeJust two days later, Orcs, Haradrim, and Easterling forces numbering over 200,000 marched on the gates of Minas Tirith.  Sauron had now bestowed the Witch-king with new found strength, making his appearance on a black horse, and presence casting a shadow of utter fear upon anyone he met.  Speaking in some forgotten tongue, he enhances the power of Grond, and weakens the already damaged gate of Minas Tirith. The ram breaks open the gate, and the defenders inside flee from pure terror of his presence. However, his march is hindered by Gandalf, the only one able to withstand his power. There is a duel of words between them, and the Witch-king tilts his hood revealing a crown on empty air, mocking Gandalf and bidding him to die, the Witch-king draws his black blade but Gandalf holds firm, ready to do battle.  Before the two clash with one another, the horns of Rohan sound, signaling the arrival of aid. The Witch-king then withdraws to order the defence against this new threat.

EowynDeath of The Servant

The Witch-king mounted his Fell beast and rallied his troops against the furious charge of the Rohirrim. The army of Rohan slowed the initial charge blunted by their encounter with the Mumakil, allowing the hosts of Mordor to re-organize.  In that time, The Witch-king took this opportunity to strike down King Theoden while his troops were in confusion. Flying on the back of his fell beast, he advanced upon Theoden. The Rohirrim horses panicked as his beast attacked. Theoden’s horse, Snowmane, became frightened, was struck by a black dart and fell upon Theoden pinning him.

As the Witch-king hovered over Theoden, Eowyn and the hobbit Merry stood in his way ready to protect the king with all they had.

Eowyn demanded the foul creature be gone and to leave the dead in peace! The Witch-king spoke that no one comes between a Nazgul and his prey and that no living man may defeat me.  Eowyn said you do not look upon a man but upon a woman.  I am Eowyn the daughter of Eomund and in a single strike with her sword she severed the neck of the Fell Beast.  The Witch-king arose, and with a cry of hatred he shattered her shield and broke her left arm with his mace.  As he towered over her ready to delivery his death blow, Merry stabbed the Witch-king with his black blade.  While distracted, Eowyn drove her sword into the head of the wraith destroying him.

The prophesy of Glorfindel so many centuries before had come to pass. For not by the hand of man had he failed, but by those of a hobbit and a woman. Now, with his death, the tide of the battle had changed, and ultimately the outcome of the War. No more than ten days later, Sauron himself was finally defeated when the One Ring was cast back into the fires of Mount Doom and all his power unmade.

Though we are finished with the series on the Witch-king stay tuned as we continue our journey through the great villians of Middle Earth.

Until next time I’m your host Iogro Merrybelly and I bid you a fine farewell.

Sauron’s Deadly Servant – Part Two

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Hail and well met friends!

Last week we left off with the short lived seat of power the Witchking had over over Fornost, and the attack from Earnur that left Angmar leaderless after the Witchking fled.

John_Howe_-_The_Dark_TowerThe Return to Mordor

Having ruined the Dunedain kingdoms in Eriador, the Witchking returned to Mordor. Although Sauron was still hiding in Dol Guldur, the other eight Nazgul rallied around the Witchking. Together, the nine of them rebuilt their master’s power in Mordor, gathering huge Orc hordes.  In the year 2000 they rose out of Mordor and began attacking Gondor, which was recovered from the Great Plague but devastated by the Wainriders.  Two years later they captured Minas Ithil, and took the place for their own. It became known as Minas Morgul and its citadel the Tower of Witchcraft and remained a place of great evil for centuries thereafter.

In the year 2043, King Earnil the II of Gondor passed away and his son Earnur, the Witchking’s old enemy, inherited the throne. Upon his coronation, the Witchking challenged him to combat, but Earnur refused. However, seven years later the Witchking challenged him again—and Earnur accepted. The Gondorian King rode out of Minas Tirith to fight the Witchking at Minas Morgul.  He entered the city’s gates and was never seen again, thus ending the reign of the Gondorian Kings and beginning the rule of the Stewards of Gondor. In the year 2063 the Watchful Peace began when Sauron fled Dol Guldur and hid in the East, and the Nazgul remained quiet in Minas Morgul.

Almost 400 years had passed when The Watchful Peace ended as Sauron returned to Dol Guldur and in 2475 the Witchking led hordes of Orcs and Haradrim against Osgiliath and seized its eastern half. The city was ruined, and the great stone bridge linking the east and west banks of the Anduin river was destroyed, dealing a devastating blow to the morale of Gondor.

The Necromancer was finally expelled from Dol Guldur when Gandalf confirmed that he truly was Sauron in disguise.  Sauron returned to Mordor and began preparations to find his One Ring.  He began the reconstruction of Barad-dur and sent three Ringwraiths to re-capture Dol Guldur.  In 3018, with the capture of Gollum, Sauron learned where the land of the Hobbits lay. Unfortunately, Gollum had lied, and the Ringwraiths went to Saruman, who refused to tell them the location of the land of the Halflings. The Witchking chanced upon Grima Wormtongue in Rohan, who, for fear of his life, told the Nazgul where the Shire was. Sauron opened the gates of Minas Morgul and sent forth the Witchking and the other Nazgul disguised as Black Riders to fetch the One Ring.

nazgul1 (1)The War of the Ring

The Witchking and the other eight Nazgl rode swiftly from Mordor to the lands of the Shire. They continued to search for “Baggins” until they tracked him to Buckland. The Nine Riders raided Buckland but could not find the Ring.

The Witchking led four of the Nazgl to Weathertop where they discovered Frodo, Aragorn, and the other hobbits. They attacked the party and the Witchking wounded Frodo with a Morgul blade. Though successfully driven off by Aragorn, Frodo’s wound threatened to turn him into a wraith like the Nazgul.  Elrond of Rivendell sent Glorfindel to guide Frodo to Rivendell where Elrond could heal his wound.  Glorfindel’s swift pace to Rivendell lured the Ringwraiths into the Bruinen.  Here, Elrond released a Great Flood, with Gandalf giving the waves of the torrent the form of horses. This flood destroyed the physical forms of the Ringwraiths, killed their horses, and sent the Wraiths back to Mordor.

With their return to Mordor, Sauron bestowed upon the Nazgul fell beasts as their new mounts. Sauron used the lesser eight Nazgul for his reconnaissance work and dirty deeds that needed power. The Witch-king, however, returned to Minas Morgul and resumed the role of commander of Sauron’s forces. He then began battles to capture Osgiliath, finally issuing the war command from Morgul with a great army. However, at the bridge over Morgulduin he paused, feeling the Ring nearby.

Stay tuned for next week’s series to find out what happens with the Witchkings command of war, and what happens with the Ring?

Until next time I’m your host Iogro Merrybelly