The Third Age: A Lord of the Rings RP (OOC/Open)

[G-Tech Corporation]

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

Our tale takes us to Middle-Earth, dear listeners. A land of beauty and wonder not seen in our realm of existence. Kingdoms of Men most noble exist in these lands, chivalrous Gondorians and the Rohirrim Horse Lords; mighty bastions of good. Within their halls of stone and under mountains old dwell the Dwarves, a proud people with whom the world watches enviously, for their mounds of wealth are plenty and theirs. In forests yonder with music, art and song have the age-old Elves made a home, a race of peace and tranquillity that will do all to defend what it has. Finally, the Hobbits most fair reside in their small dwelling; the Shire. They are a peaceful folk, not willing to get involved within the diplomacy and tidings of the other peoples of Arda.

All is not well upon Middle-Earth however, for after an eon of waiting, the Dark Lord Sauron; Servant of Morgoth, has returned. He brings with him fire and malice to conquer the lands of Men, Dwarf, Elf and Hobbit and will do all in his unquestionable power to seize the territories that he believes are rightfully his, to bring forth an order of excellence and efficiency, to succeed where his master could not. To his South reside the Haradrim, or Southrons in our Western-Tongue, tribal confederations aplenty united in their hatred for the Men of the West. To his North we find the powerful and militaristic Easterlings, Men of Rhun who have themselves brought Gondor onto her knees innumerable times. Saurons numerous legions are filled with Orcs, creatures that themselves are testimony to the defiance against Eru Ilúvatar and Sauron will unleash them upon Arda when he is ready.

Long ago, Sauron forged a mighty tool: The One Ring. He lost this weapon long ago - at the final battle of the War of the Last Alliance. Now he yearns for its return and will stop at nothing to get it to assist him in his quest for unification and conquest of Arda and funnily enough, it has ended up in the hands of a young Hobbit. Now, now is when the time is to strike for both parties, to end the stand off once and for all.

In the East Mordor and her countless evil men allies march, the Last War readied. Since the Dark Lord sent forth his hosts in TA 2998, much of the lands of the Free Peoples have been lost. After a bold counter-attack and desperate defense Osgiliath is fallen, and the hosts of the Great Eye have forced the Crossings of the Anduin at the Tower of the Stars, Cair Andros, Pelargir. The forces of the evil have bridged the river at Tol Brandir and the Mouths, with rock and stone, and raised a mighty fortress men name Ungband to bar the passages. Down have been cast the Argonnath, their stone used to pave the Black Road that winds from Mordor even to the borders of Lorien and through the Wold. All Mirkwood is invested, save the stronghold of Thranduil, by the giant spiders of the spawn of Ungoliant, and much of the southern wood feeds the fires of Dol Guldur, for Sauron's forces have taken it and the eastern half of the vale of the Anduin for their own. Gondor's southern fiefs are under threat by forces from the Pelargir, and siegeworks have been raised against Minas Tirith. In Rohan Dunlendings raid and pillage, though they have been thrown back many times, and always a smoke is rising from Isengard. Though the Elves of Lorien have tried to guard their realm and push back the shadow, many fair folk were killed in battle upon the eastern shores of the Anduin before the Tower of the Eyes. Dain's folk hold still the passages of Erebor, and have dispatched a great expedition to retake Moria from the fell folk that slew Balin- but they still face evil creatures without number in the depths, no easy task even for the stout soldiers. Rhun marches, and even the Iron Hills are threatened, and the Corsairs and Haradrim raid up and down Gondor's southern fiefs. It is a fell time for men, but there is some hope- the Ring, though pursued by wargs even to the steps of the Last Homely House, has been found. If it can be unmade, the dominion of Sauron can be undone. But if it cannot be destroyed, much may go ill with Middle-Earth, for the shadow only grows.

Now it is up to you, listener of this tale; what side do you fight for?

Realm:
Leader:
Race(s):
History:
Alignment
Goal(s):
Territory:(Map or just details are fine)
Fortresses:
Strength:(You post what you believe you should start with, I'll adjust it or approve it. I know you may have canon to back your claims up, but I'd rather not have, for example, 200,000 Easterlings at the start of the RP. This is early in the War of the Ring. Think of what your strength would be pre-muster/wartime/etc.)

Name:
Race:
Appearance (Pic or details)
Role:
Alignment:
History:
Faction Ambition: (do you want to form your own faction eventually? Reform Arnor/Angmar/etc.?)
Other: (Does your character have an entourage? A pet Sloth? Perhaps a foot fetish? Yeah, that goes here)

Some General Batshit; AKA "Rules"
My Word is Law, only Morgoth's may break it.
There is, to an extent, established canon for this RP. If you're apping for a faction on the list, it'd be dandy if you could go look through the IC and see how your situation has changed compared to that of the books. Apps that don't account for this existing canon will not be accepted.
If you're making a claim to being able to do something, please, quote a LotR Source that is Canon, or argue why you believe that a source that is based on assumptions could work.
Respect eachother or you may find yourself no longer welcome here.
Be realistic.
And above all: don't take it out of the frying pan and into the fire. That spoils my roast mutton.

Table of Strengths
The plywood one is clearly superior...
Anyway, generally, we need something to go on to provide bases of strengths for races; to see how powerful your Hobbit Battalions truly are:

Goblin: 1
Lesser Spiders: 1.25
Hobbit: 1.5
Orc: 1.75
Morannon Orc: 2
Lesser Men: 3
Uruk: 3.5
Higher Men: 3.75
Dwarves: 5
Great Spiders: 5.25
Half-Trolls: 6
Elves: 6.75
Trolls: 90
Olog-Hai: 110
Mumakil: 300

These are in no way set figures that will determine battle, but will merely serve as the backbone of realism. Or, y'know, the hilt of Grond when I smash your face in.

Ships and Siege
Ships: If you've got a coast, go crazy and build boats. 200 Strength cost
Trebuchet: Like a catapult, but it doesn't shoot cats. 160 Strength cost
Catapults: Y'know what irks me? Walls. 120 Strength.
Ballistae: If you ever feel like making a quick shish kebab... 100 Strength cost
Great Ballista: Larger than its cousin, this device flings barbs that can damage fortifications and bring down trolls, while their lesser friends are more use against individual soldiers. 230 Strength cost
Ram: More expensive than a goat, that's for sure. 60 Strength cost
Ladders: Warning, keep away from snakes. 10 Strength cost

Fortifications
This is going by a base number of 10,000 laborers (Essentially the forces you commit to built the structure), so, you fluctuate accordingly to how much population you have. So, if you have 20,000 laborers it reduces it by half and such.

It takes 10,000 Laborers:
5 IC pages to construct a Wooden Fortress, 10 for a Stone Fortress.
1 IC page to construct a Tower
2 IC pages to construct an Outpost.

Elves, Dwarves and Uruks receive a quality bonus, essentially their laborers are worth 1.2 of everyone else's.

Recruitment
Each major faction starts with a base recruitment point pool of 2000 points (Represented as the statistics in the table above). Each IC page you detail what you've recruited, for example, as Goblins are worth 1 point, you may train 2000 Goblins every IC page. Minor factions start with a base recruitment of 500 points, and independent characters will have between 50-100, depending on how powerful the individual character is. Characters controlled by a RPer attached to a faction grant a Barracks equivalent bonus to that faction, though they cannot be run by that faction's RPer.
If you wish to mount your soldiers, you double their strength. For example, you'd be able to train 1000 Morannon Orcs each page regularly. However, if you wished to mount them on Wargs you'd only be able to get 500.

The construction of Orc Pits, Barracks, etc, etc in a region (As defined by pure common sense but I can assist if necessary) will add 100 Strength to your recruitment pool. It takes 3 IC pages to build these buildings.

Race Specific Rules
Goblins and Trolls (And Mumakil, hurr durr) can't mount things.

Roster - Major Factions
Rhun: Liecthenbourg
Mordor: G-Tech.
Erebor: Asyir
Harad: Shaggai
Lindon: Vacant
Isengard: Esternial
Kingdom of Gondor: Vacant
Kingdom of Rohan: Mesrane
Lorien: The Starlight
Rivendell: Olog-Hai
The Woodland Realm: World Anarchic Union

Roster - Minor Factions
Spiders of Mirkwood: Vacant
The Orcs of the Misty Mountains: Vacant
The Orcs of the Grey Mountains: Vacant
Variag Khanate: Vacant
The Petty Kingdom of Tharbad: Elerian
Dale: Vacant
Beornings/Anduin: Aryle
Ered Luin: Vacant
Vim Maldur: Aliasa (100R)

Roster - Characters
Mouth of Sauron: Liecthenbourg
Durnazag: Liecthenbourg
Gandalf: Greater Confederacy.
Cirdan: Vacant
Mahor: G-Tech
Sadaauk the Bleeder: Aliasa
Blaarg the Pacifist: The Flutterlands
Witch-King of Angmar: Esternial
Laenor: Landenburg
Nuli: Aliasa

The Map
Archive
Historical Record
Great and Glorious IC
Quest Requests

My Wise Council (Co-OPS)
Liecthenbourg

Quests
Ask and ye shall receive a quest that'll grant you anything from a weapon, to more units, etc. (Credit to Dan for this)

Current Quests
None, as of yet.

Please, if you have any suggestions let me know - if others agree, I'll put a poll up.
I'm also looking for a map-maker, preferably one that can fix the .jpeggy mess we have currently.

[G-Tech Corporation]

And, of course, my apps:

Character name: Mahor
Race: Black Numenorean
Appearance: Mahor stands even taller than most men, sharing some of the blood of Westernesse and their nobility and power. His hair is as fair as beaten bronze with a hint of blood, a rarity indeed in the sons of the Isle of the Star, and his eyes are as dark as the starless night. His countenance is grim, scarred and weathered by many winters of toil and hardship, but in his eyes burns the fierce light of the intellect he bears. Normally in black leathers is he clad, though some of his golden armor he still bears.
History: Born to one of the many chiefs of the eastern lands beyond the sea of Rhun, Mahor is of a far bloodline of those dark men of Numenor, now run true in a chance marriage. From a young age he rode the vast plains and the oceans of grass, accquiring skill in war and acclaim for his martial prowess in battle between the many tribes. Now, aged twenty five winters, he comes west with his few companions to win yet more glory.
Stance on the war: Serves the Great Eye, as do most of the men of Rhun, but himself first.
Basic goals for the RP: Win glory in battle!
Will you form a Realm later on?: Nah.
How active will you be?: Quite.
RP sample: See Mordor's app.

Realm: Mordor
Leader: Sauron, Lord of the Earth, The Great Eye, Mairon the Admirable, Gorthaur, Annatar, The Lord of Gifts, King of Men
Race(s): Orcs, Orcs, more Orcs, Men, Trolls, Creatures of Evil
History: Highly relevant
Alignment Evulz
Goal(s): It is Sauron's will to dominate all life upon Middle-Earth.
Territory: Mordor proper, her eastern marches, Minas Morgul and her Vale, eastern Ithilien, the passes of the Dead Marshes, Amon Lanc and the woods immediately about Dol Guldur, etc. Archives.
Fortresses: The Barad-Dur, The Black Gate of the Morannon, Durthang, Cirith Ungol, Seregost, Minas Morgul, Amon Lanc, Isenmouthe, Nargroth, etc. check Archives.
Strength:
In that thar Archive. Legions of Orcs, all that jazz.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Copied over! Here were are, at last.

[Aliasa]

Would you like me to repost my app here or no?

[G-Tech Corporation]

Would you like me to repost my app here or no?

Please- only folks with accepted apps here will be allowed to post in the IC.

[Arlye Austros]

Realm: Realm of the Vales of the Anduin

Leader: High Chief Grimbeorn the Old.

Race(s): Beornings (10%)/Woodsmen (60%)/Northmen of Dale (30%)

History: After the Battle of the Five Armies Beorn became Chief of the few remnants of his people, able to protect them by driving the orcs back to the mountains with the aid of the elves and the Woodsmen and Northmen who joined his folk. The near destruction of the goblin armies in the Great Battle allowed Beorn to drive off the raiders and eventually reunite his people. During the Moot held with Bilbo´s presence during the Company´s return to the west, Beorn came into many agreements and deals with family members of many prominent clans of Northmen along the Vale. Thus, the Vales of the Anduin were reunified and an army marched on to control the High Pass. Beorn´s dream of returning to the mountains was fulfilled, though his capital for the new Realm was kept in the outskirts and foot of Carrock. For five decades Beorn ruled till his age of 95 years. His new-found friendship in the Dwarves of Erebor and the Woodsmen allowed him to build the Town of Carrokburg, and in its centre, right in the entrance to the Cave and Steps of Beorn, the Keep of Fangmont Under-the-Wings was built, also called Ost-Fangrhim by the elves of the wood, served as seat for his House and place for meetings, moots and feasts.

His son eldest, Grimbeorn the Old, was already 67 when the unified people of the Anduin claimed him High Chief. Grimbeorn reorganized the realm and appointed chiefs for the many towns and regions, and called for a moot of elders to speak for the different customs of the folks who made the Beornings and called the Vale of Anduin their home. He created local justice systems and attempted to reorganize the army, though this was a failure, as many felt the Shadow had passed. Instead, Grimbeorn´s rule was rather marked by the reopening of trade and tolls over the high pass, the Anduin river-route south and the land routes connecting Mirkwood, Lorien and Eriador allowed the House of Beorn to gather a large reserve of gold and resources.

After hostilities between the Orcs and Elves opened, the High Pass was lost. Grimbeorn refused to take part in the growing conflict until the orcs raided his lands up to the Forest Road. He was forced to face them and the rather diminished army of the Beornings was defeated in the fields near Rhosgobel. Grimbeorn himself was wounded, as a bear, by the spiders, who ambushed the High Chief´s retinue. They killed his eldest son and heir, Grimbaras, his third, Fralor, and wounded his second, Beornas. He survived, but since then the Chief has not been himself. The poison receded, but seemed to have scarred his mind and a weak will reigned over the Vale as the chiefs and free-folk were forced to fend for themselves. This lasted till the orcs managed to attack Carrokburg. Lightly fortified, the raid overwhelmed the unprepared defenders and took the town, along with Fangmont. Against all odds, Grimbeorn and Beornas escaped, along with his wife, Ragreth, their newborn son Remurgel, Beornas´s betrothal, Eargfar, and three more of his offspring, the two other brothers, sons of Beorn, and their children. However his lesser children, Fiorith and Bregareth, went missing, possibly killed by the orcs. For the following days reports of the sack of the Vale arrived to their retreat in Firepine Keep, where a tormented Chief was unable to react when orcs ravaged their eastern territory, threatened their western flank and would likely envelope the north. Beornas led the weak defence of their lands, proving his might despite his young age, and the orcs slowly gave up chasing the men, allowing Beornas to retake Carrock and seek out between the ruins for his lost brothers, without success. News of the effects on the southeast had started to arrive, and as Grimbeorn is taken, weak and sick, back to Carrock, Beornas receives chiefs seeking for shelter, and common folk, hopeless beyond those broken palisades, as well for the words of the fire, sack and pillage in the lands. Countless have been killed, many more wounded or forced to flee, and hundreds, maybe thousands, are reported taken by the orcs, many executed short after, and the rest placed to work in their own land, but for foreign and evil masters.

Alignment: Northmen. Guardians of Middle Earth, Men of the West.

Whereas Grimbeorn has remained rather passive in the conflict until the Battle of Rhosgobel, he has maintained some sort of cold friendship with the Dwarves of Erebor, unable to retain his father warmth for them, and a more active alliance with the Dalesmen. Despite the High Chief´s passive stance, some of his vassals have joined the lines of other Northmen fighting the Orcs, and only now, return to their ravaged land to save what they can.

Goal(s): The liberation of the occupied land, rebuilding of the Anduin Army and ultimate defeat of Dol Guldur and the orcs of the mountains. Eventually, knowing the fate of the remaining offspring of Grimbeorn.

Territory:

Green= De Jure Territory
Green Double-Crossed with dark maroon= De Iure + Occupied by Orcs
Green with Wide Left-to-right descending diagonal maroon= De Iure + Ravaged by Orcs, then abandoned.
Green with Wide Right-to-Left descending diagonal maroon= De Iure + Ravaged then recaptured.
Five-pointed Blue Star: Carrokburg, capital of Anduin.
Four-Pointed stars: Major fortresses.

Fortresses:

Carrokburg, a palisaded city located at the feet of the Rock of Carrock, holding a small stone keep inside, at the eastern base of the Rock. The city extends through a cleared ford into the eastern banks of the Anduin, where it then fades into a bulk of farms and estates after the eastern palisade, whereas the streets in the isle itself and at the very shore of the river west of the palisade are stone-cobbled and houses rise rather close to each other.

The town held 2.000 inhabitants and was renamed for it´s nearby fisheries and bakeries. It had a city garrison of 600 spearmen, 800 axe-men and 400 archers, whereas the Keep held about 1000 axe-men, 700 archers and 700 heavy infantrymen, along with 300 light cavalrymen and 100 Housecarls of the Beorning Noble retinue. After the sack, the city is just being repopulated and is largely destroyed.

Firepine Keep is a small fortress built in the same place the Company faced the goblins and was saved by the Eagles. Made of Wood. It controls the passage heading into the mountains near the exit of the tunnels, and a secondary watchtower stands in a promontory north of the Keep. Any force marching from below against the Keep would be facing a crossed rain of arrows. An attack from above, while more likely to success, would still have to cross two hundred steps of land cleared from the woods, and the walls are tall and strong enough to sustain a defence. The keep has a passage that provides a hidden exit to the road below, should the watch be threatened.

Framsburg, a town repopulated after the Refoundation of Erebor and kept around a wooden keep founded on the bases of the old capital of the Eotheod. It is meant to watch over the road of Gundabad. It stands on the very confluence of the Greylin and the Langwell.

Strength:

Army:

-Levies (3.000): Levies are raised in extreme situations by the chiefs among the peasants and common free-folk of little income. They are usually untrained and equipped with simple spears. Thour their numbers are large, it is rather costly to raise them and inefficient as they tend to work in faraway estates, thus uniting them in a single force takes several days. Instead, they are drafted into an improvised local militia should the need arise.

-Anduin Freemen Spearmen (2.400): These free-men have chosen to fight in the ranks of their local chiefs for honour and rename, though they are still ill-equipped. The spearmen fight, as the name suggest, with metal-tipped spears, but also daggers, and carry a number of javelins into battle, allowing them to skirmish when the chance arrives. They wear thick woollen coats with crossed leather bands for further protection against slashing.

-Freemen Men-At-Arms (1.900): Through previous savings when entering service, earnings in service or experience and venue of their chiefs and leaders, these Freemen are better equipped and carry an iron or steel short sword into battle, although they still retain their spear as a first engagement resource, moving on to swords. These warriors are protected with thick leather breasts and iron thighs and wrist bands. Their heads are covered also in an iron simple helmet. Some are able to cost a chain mail.

-Mountain Axemen (1.200): Born in the eastern skirts of the Hithaeglir, these men are of no different origin to the Freemen Men-At-Arms, though their Riverine counterparts are not used to hills and mounts as they are. Very proud, they have large amounts of Beorning Blood and rage is their sign. They carry a steel axe and a wooden shield into battle, and protect themselves with a light leather armour, crossed iron bands through the chest and a leather cap. Specialized in mountain warfare and ambush. They are largely responsible of the decades of the Beorning control of the High Pass until it was lost.

-Woodmen Warriors (800): Not different to the Men-At-Arms nor their western counterparts. This proud Woodsmen spent the last 200 years fending off against the many threats in the Woodland Border, including spiders, bandits, Wainriders and recently, orcs. They are expert hunters, using long boar spears for battle. They also carry heavy axes into battle. Expert wood fighters and ambushers, they don´t move very fast though, and must compliment their operations with the Archers.

-Northmen Archers (2.000): Archery is vital in the Vale, as hunting in the mountains and mainly near the woods grants a large amount of the food needed by the scattered population. Most young men train with the bow regularly, if they can cost bow and arrows. Passable archers most of them, their shooting range reaches between 120 and 150 metres. They also carry a short sword or axe into battle, and are protected by a thick woollen coat.

-Wood Archers (800): Just as their brothers in the River and the Mountains, the Woodsmen rely on bow far more than many of the men in middle earth. Defending their homes often implies killing spiders at a safe distance, and hunting birds and deer in the woods requires this as well. The woodmen archers usually take part in defensive expeditions of neighbours and local inhabitants, forming before the Warriors and after some volleys retreating behind the line of axe men. Their arrows can drop on an area as far as 170 metres and on a single target at some 60 metres.

-Beorning Longbowmen (500): Though the borders rely on archery to fend themselves, the decades of isolation from the woodsmen forced the inhabitants of the Vale before the restoration of Erebor to fight for their very lives against dire wolves, spiders and goblins. The Yew Longbow, thus, became a famed tool of might in the lands east of Carrock. These Bowmen are armed by their chiefs and leaders and have trained for years for the sole purpose of killing their target at a large distance. These bowmen can land their arrow on the ground as far as 315 metres, and aim their target without missing at 90 metres.

-Anduin Housecarls (120): Beorning chiefs retain the tradition of holding a personal guard of honour. These men, usually numbering near the dozen per noble household, are sworn to defend their lieges with their very life, and some even swear to commit suicide should their liege die and they survive, though most replace this statement with the protection of their descendance and property. It is important to notice that these men and women are sworn not to the family line, but the man or woman they deem worthy to follow. In exchange for their extreme loyalty and their prowess in battle, these men receive gifts such as jewellery, horses, housing and others, honours and rename for themselves and their family, a great payment and many times excellent equipment which they carry to battle. The usual gear includes a scaled iron or steel armour, a hauberk or a chain mail, a spangelhelm (nose and articulated ear protection) usually with personalized carvings, a long spear and a steel sword, along with a heavy shield. Many Housecarls are asked to ride with their liege given the case of a battle.

-Beorning Cavalry (250): Though not riders as advocated to horses as the Rohirrim, the Beornings share the ancestry of the Eotheod, and thus horses are an important part of their culture. Beorn himself had excellent horses, smart and calm, and this was later replicated in other estates. Beornings breed horses in the eastern shore of the Anduin near Carrock. The extensive area between estates and settlements mean the patrols of the Anduin military need to move fast to respond to threads. The Cavalry is only light, and they serve as scouts or decoy, and charge only from behind, against an enemy facing the other way, or an enemy scattered enough for the formation to cut through it without slowing down.

-Beorning Skin-changers (+/- 45): Well-known is the ability that Beorn had to become a great black bear, using such to chase the goblins and orcs out of his domains. When the Vales of the Anduin was reformed, the skinchangers united around Beorn, and three families, along with that of the Chief, have the power of the beast in their veins, The House of Fragram, the House of Leoth and the House of Iorath. Skin-changers vary in their power, both through their ranks and their lifetime. Most of them are able to turn into a slightly stronger bear and control the moment of the transformation, though not their will entirely. All of them, however, gain their skills around their coming-of-age, and this usually happens, without warning, when they turn into a large cub, rather violent and unpredictable, this happening during nigh time (probably related to nightmares) or triggered when the adolescents are extremely irritable. It is not strange people get injured or even killed in these events. In time, these are educated and taught by their elders in their skill, and through experience and repeated transformations, they gain control over the times of this, able to trigger them almost whenever they want, control it if it is about to start at inconvenient times, and partially control their action while in Bear-Shape. Their strength also grows with the age, but only the wiser and stronger of them become near the strength that made Beorn a legend.

Navy:

-15 combat-fitted river rafts. 35 river ferries and boats.

The Vales rely on their river for more than agriculture. Trade is made between the north and south of the Realm through the river and boats move through the stream and also move people from shore to shore.

Name: Grimbeorn the Old.
Race: Northman, Beorning.
Appearance : A huge man with shoulders covered by grey aged hair. Black eyes. His look is stern and cold, though it has grown weary since the Battle of Rhosgobel.
Role: High Chief of the Beornings.
Alignment: Guardians of Middle Earth
History: (See Intro)
Other: Grimbeorn is able to transform into a big black bear. Though not at strong and mighty as Beorn´s shape, it is still enough to fill with courage his allies and with fear the heart of anyone facing such beast. He was wounded by a poisonous in the battle, and now is sick, unwilling to talk or do anything at all. Seems that, while the poison seems to have been expelled from his blood, it clearly scarred him beyond the body, and he looks as if the fate of his younger children haunts him every hour of this life.
Married to Ragreth.

Name: Beornas
Race: Northman, Beorning.
Appearance: At his twenty years of age, Beornas has grown an auburn hair and a sligh beard on his chin. His eyes are black and his look is filled with pride. Slightly shorter than his father, Beornas still retains his strength.
Role: Elder surviving son of Grimbeorn, Heir-apparent to the Vales of Anduin. Defender of Carrokburg
Alignment: Guardians of Middle Earth.
History: Beornas was born third in the line of succession of his father. By the time he was thirteen, Beornas showed his first transformation, wounding Grimbeorn by accident. Since then, he has become an able skin-changer, while improving his knowledge of war. Eager to see the world, he was the most ambitious of his brothers regarding travels and seeing the world. At his sixteenth birth date be accompanied his uncle to Tharnduil´s Halls, Dale and Erebor. There he acquired texts of history and descriptions of Middle Earth, getting to know about the great battles of the second and third age, and even some Sindarin. Beornas made friends in the east, and a year later received a gift from the Dwarves and Men he met near Erebor; a steel scaled armour forged with Dwarven arts and Dalish carvings, a bright broad sword with a black bear carved in the hilt, and a cloak made with the furs of Wolves of the Iron Hills. Such gifts he carried into battle after the fire engulfed the Anduin.
He now rules in Carrokburg in the stead of his father, and organizes the regroup of the Beornings.
Other: Betrothed to Eargfar, a Dalish maid he met in his travel and later travelled to Carrock with her father to merge in marry with Beornas. Since then, she has dwelt there.

Name: Fiorith and Bregareth
Race: Beornings
Appearance: The twins, of fourteen years of age, share blue eyes, as their mother´s and dark auburn hair.
Fiorith, is a long-haired girl and fair expression.
Bregareth has a kind face and a rather long hair as well. The boy is scarred from his cheek to the right edge of his mouth.
Role: Offspring of Grimbeorn, prisoners in the orc camps near the Mirkwood.
Alignment: Beornings.
History: The twins were born sixteen years ago in the middle of a freezing winter. They were called “Spring Herald” as that terrible blizzard ended only sme days after they arrived to the world. Both already had their first transformation, and Bregareth has the unique feature of transforming into a Grey-haired bear, an oversized cub. After the war broke out and Carrokburg was taken, they failed to make their way out of the city and were captured by the orcs, among other freefolk. They were spared from the arbitrary executions that took place that day, though that has scarred them both in their minds, and Bregareth in his face, as he was brutally beaten that day. Afterwards they took hiding among other slaves, and receiving their aid in concealing their status. Both seek a way to escape their captivity.
Other: Fiorith is skilled in manipulating other people through words and arguments. Though orcs are difficult, she is even able to use some of their vices to have them do what she wants, from time to time. Bregareth has anger management issues.

WIP

WIP

WIP

WIP

[Aliasa]

KK, thanks.

Name: Sadaauk the Bleeder
Race: Black Uruk
Appearance (Pic or details)
Role: Uruk Captain
Alignment: Evil
History: When he was born they knew he was a fighter almost immediately, they found that he had strangled one of his brood brothers before they were even born, and immediately sent him off to be raised and trained as the warrior he was. He once again proved, later in his life, that he was a fighter, with the spirit and brutality of the orcs, when he literally gutted a fellow Uruk with a knife he found ( most likely stole) and left it there to bleed to death, this is where he hit the title 'Bleeder'. Whenever his growing and training was complete they stuck him immediately with one of the raiding parties, whether it was because they wanted to see a potential threat die or just to see how good of a fighter he actual is we don't know. This is where he also proved that he was a natural leader ( for an Uruk that is ) when he took command after their leader died in a skirmish, and he had to keep the other orcs from leaving his ass behind, he took charge Leading them to a victory with a lot less casualties than anyone expected out of this. Later, when his authority was question by one of the better fighters and stronger Uruks out of the group, he lost the use of his Left eye, and ,despite the fact that he has a lack of depth perception now, he has retained his fighting skill proving this in several duels and battles to come after this. Now, he is well respected and feared by the orcs he commands ( he was promoted to captain after the previous one died).
Other: like to pin anyone ( whether it be mutineers, slaves, or prisoners) to a wall and slowly cut them, gut them, and torture them until they die from blood loss.
Some major battles he fought in are Osgiliath, Cair Andros, and Pelennor Fields
He's exceptionally good with a bow
Commands 100 orcs/Uruks
Troops:
30 Uruk spearmen
30 Uruk footmen
35 Uruk bowmen
5 Uruk healers

[G-Tech Corporation]

Realm: Realm of the Vales of the Anduin

Leader: High Chief Grimbeorn the Old.

Race(s): Beornings (10%)/Woodsmen (60%)/Northmen of Dale (30%)

History: After the Battle of the Five Armies Beorn became Chief of the few remnants of his people, able to protect them by driving the orcs back to the mountains with the aid of the elves and the Woodsmen and Northmen who joined his folk. The near destruction of the goblin armies in the Great Battle allowed Beorn to drive off the raiders and eventually reunite his people. During the Moot held with Bilbo´s presence during the Company´s return to the west, Beorn came into many agreements and deals with family members of many prominent clans of Northmen along the Vale. Thus, the Vales of the Anduin were reunified and an army marched on to control the High Pass. Beorn´s dream of returning to the mountains was fulfilled, though his capital for the new Realm was kept in the outskirts and foot of Carrock. For five decades Beorn ruled till his age of 95 years. His new-found friendship in the Dwarves of Erebor and the Woodsmen allowed him to build the Town of Carrokburg, and in its centre, right in the entrance to the Cave and Steps of Beorn, the Keep of Fangmont Under-the-Wings was built, also called Ost-Fangrhim by the elves of the wood, served as seat for his House and place for meetings, moots and feasts.

His son eldest, Grimbeorn the Old, was already 67 when the unified people of the Anduin claimed him High Chief. Grimbeorn reorganized the realm and appointed chiefs for the many towns and regions, and called for a moot of elders to speak for the different customs of the folks who made the Beornings and called the Vale of Anduin their home. He created local justice systems and attempted to reorganize the army, though this was a failure, as many felt the Shadow had passed. Instead, Grimbeorn´s rule was rather marked by the reopening of trade and tolls over the high pass, the Anduin river-route south and the land routes connecting Mirkwood, Lorien and Eriador allowed the House of Beorn to gather a large reserve of gold and resources.

After hostilities between the Orcs and Elves opened, the High Pass was lost. Grimbeorn refused to take part in the growing conflict until the orcs raided his lands up to the Forest Road. He was forced to face them and the rather diminished army of the Beornings was defeated in the fields near Rhosgobel. Grimbeorn himself was wounded, as a bear, by the spiders, who ambushed the High Chief´s retinue. They killed his eldest son and heir, Grimbaras, his third, Fralor, and wounded his second, Beornas. He survived, but since then the Chief has not been himself. The poison receded, but seemed to have scarred his mind and a weak will reigned over the Vale as the chiefs and free-folk were forced to fend for themselves. This lasted till the orcs managed to attack Carrokburg. Lightly fortified, the raid overwhelmed the unprepared defenders and took the town, along with Fangmont. Against all odds, Grimbeorn and Beornas escaped, along with his wife, Ragreth, their newborn son Remurgel, Beornas´s betrothal, Eargfar, and three more of his offspring, the two other brothers, sons of Beorn, and their children. However his lesser children, Fiorith and Bregareth, went missing, possibly killed by the orcs. For the following days reports of the sack of the Vale arrived to their retreat in Firepine Keep, where a tormented Chief was unable to react when orcs ravaged their eastern territory, threatened their western flank and would likely envelope the north. Beornas led the weak defence of their lands, proving his might despite his young age, and the orcs slowly gave up chasing the men, allowing Beornas to retake Carrock and seek out between the ruins for his lost brothers, without success. News of the effects on the southeast had started to arrive, and as Grimbeorn is taken, weak and sick, back to Carrock, Beornas receives chiefs seeking for shelter, and common folk, hopeless beyond those broken palisades, as well for the words of the fire, sack and pillage in the lands. Countless have been killed, many more wounded or forced to flee, and hundreds, maybe thousands, are reported taken by the orcs, many executed short after, and the rest placed to work in their own land, but for foreign and evil masters.

Alignment: Northmen. Guardians of Middle Earth, Men of the West.

Whereas Grimbeorn has remained rather passive in the conflict until the Battle of Rhosgobel, he has maintained some sort of cold friendship with the Dwarves of Erebor, unable to retain his father warmth for them, and a more active alliance with the Dalesmen. Despite the High Chief´s passive stance, some of his vassals have joined the lines of other Northmen fighting the Orcs, and only now, return to their ravaged land to save what they can.

Goal(s): The liberation of the occupied land, rebuilding of the Anduin Army and ultimate defeat of Dol Guldur and the orcs of the mountains. Eventually, knowing the fate of the remaining offspring of Grimbeorn.

Territory:

(Image)
Green= De Jure Territory
Green Double-Crossed with dark maroon= De Iure + Occupied by Orcs
Green with Wide Left-to-right descending diagonal maroon= De Iure + Ravaged by Orcs, then abandoned.
Green with Wide Right-to-Left descending diagonal maroon= De Iure + Ravaged then recaptured.
Five-pointed Blue Star: Carrokburg, capital of Anduin.
Four-Pointed stars: Major fortresses.

Fortresses:

Carrokburg, a palisaded city located at the feet of the Rock of Carrock, holding a small stone keep inside, at the eastern base of the Rock. The city extends through a cleared ford into the eastern banks of the Anduin, where it then fades into a bulk of farms and estates after the eastern palisade, whereas the streets in the isle itself and at the very shore of the river west of the palisade are stone-cobbled and houses rise rather close to each other.

The town held 2.000 inhabitants and was renamed for it´s nearby fisheries and bakeries. It had a city garrison of 600 spearmen, 800 axe-men and 400 archers, whereas the Keep held about 1000 axe-men, 700 archers and 700 heavy infantrymen, along with 300 light cavalrymen and 100 Housecarls of the Beorning Noble retinue. After the sack, the city is just being repopulated and is largely destroyed. It´s current population stands by the 1.100, though it raises over time, and is defended by a meagre force of 200 spearmen, 150 axe-men, 300 archers and 45 cavalrymen, along with 15 Housecarls.

Firepine Keep is a small fortress built in the same place the Company faced the goblins and was saved by the Eagles. Made of wood and stone. It controls the passage heading into the mountains near the exit of the tunnels, and a secondary watchtower stands in a promontory north of the Keep. Any force marching from below against the Keep would be facing a crossed rain of arrows. An attack from above, while more likely to success, would still have to cross two hundred steps of land cleared from the woods, and the walls are tall and strong enough to sustain a defence. The keep has a passage that provides a hidden exit to the road below, should the watch be threatened.

Framsburg, a town repopulated after the Refoundation of Erebor and kept around a stone and wood keep of the same name to watch over the road of Gundabad. It stands on the very confluence of the Greylin and the Langwell.
Strength:

Army:

-Levies (3.000): Levies are raised in extreme situations by the chiefs among the peasants and common free-folk of little income. They are usually untrained and equipped with simple spears. Thour their numbers are large, it is rather costly to raise them and inefficient as they tend to work in faraway estates, thus uniting them in a single force takes several days. Instead, they are drafted into an improvised local militia should the need arise.

-Anduin Freemen Spearmen (2.400): These free-men have chosen to fight in the ranks of their local chiefs for honour and rename, though they are still ill-equipped. The spearmen fight, as the name suggest, with metal-tipped spears, but also daggers, and carry a number of javelins into battle, allowing them to skirmish when the chance arrives. They wear thick woollen coats with crossed leather bands for further protection against slashing.

-Freemen Men-At-Arms (1.900): Through previous savings when entering service, earnings in service or experience and venue of their chiefs and leaders, these Freemen are better equipped and carry an iron or steel short sword into battle, although they still retain their spear as a first engagement resource, moving on to swords. These warriors are protected with thick leather breasts and iron thighs and wrist bands. Their heads are covered also in an iron simple helmet. Some are able to cost a chain mail.

-Mountain Axemen (1.200): Born in the eastern skirts of the Hithaeglir, these men are of no different origin to the Freemen Men-At-Arms, though their Riverine counterparts are not used to hills and mounts as they are. Very proud, they have large amounts of Beorning Blood and rage is their sign. They carry a steel axe and a wooden shield into battle, and protect themselves with a light leather armour, crossed iron bands through the chest and a leather cap. Specialized in mountain warfare and ambush. They are largely responsible of the decades of the Beorning control of the High Pass until it was lost.

-Woodmen Warriors (800): Not different to the Men-At-Arms nor their western counterparts. This proud Woodsmen spent the last 200 years fending off against the many threats in the Woodland Border, including spiders, bandits, Wainriders and recently, orcs. They are expert hunters, using long boar spears for battle. They also carry heavy axes into battle. Expert wood fighters and ambushers, they don´t move very fast though, and must compliment their operations with the Archers.

-Northmen Archers (2.000): Archery is vital in the Vale, as hunting in the mountains and mainly near the woods grants a large amount of the food needed by the scattered population. Most young men train with the bow regularly, if they can cost bow and arrows. Passable archers most of them, their shooting range reaches between 120 and 150 metres. They also carry a short sword or axe into battle, and are protected by a thick woollen coat.

-Wood Archers (800): Just as their brothers in the River and the Mountains, the Woodsmen rely on bow far more than many of the men in middle earth. Defending their homes often implies killing spiders at a safe distance, and hunting birds and deer in the woods requires this as well. The woodmen archers usually take part in defensive expeditions of neighbours and local inhabitants, forming before the Warriors and after some volleys retreating behind the line of axe men. Their arrows can drop on an area as far as 170 metres and on a single target at some 60 metres.

-Beorning Longbowmen (500): Though the borders rely on archery to fend themselves, the decades of isolation from the woodsmen forced the inhabitants of the Vale before the restoration of Erebor to fight for their very lives against dire wolves, spiders and goblins. The Yew Longbow, thus, became a famed tool of might in the lands east of Carrock. These Bowmen are armed by their chiefs and leaders and have trained for years for the sole purpose of killing their target at a large distance. These bowmen can land their arrow on the ground as far as 315 metres, and aim their target without missing at 90 metres.

-Anduin Housecarls (120): Beorning chiefs retain the tradition of holding a personal guard of honour. These men, usually numbering near the dozen per noble household, are sworn to defend their lieges with their very life, and some even swear to commit suicide should their liege die and they survive, though most replace this statement with the protection of their descendance and property. It is important to notice that these men and women are sworn not to the family line, but the man or woman they deem worthy to follow. In exchange for their extreme loyalty and their prowess in battle, these men receive gifts such as jewellery, horses, housing and others, honours and rename for themselves and their family, a great payment and many times excellent equipment which they carry to battle. The usual gear includes a scaled iron or steel armour, a hauberk or a chain mail, a spangelhelm (nose and articulated ear protection) usually with personalized carvings, a long spear and a steel sword, along with a heavy shield. Many Housecarls are asked to ride with their liege given the case of a battle.

-Beorning Cavalry (250): Though not riders as advocated to horses as the Rohirrim, the Beornings share the ancestry of the Eotheod, and thus horses are an important part of their culture. Beorn himself had excellent horses, smart and calm, and this was later replicated in other estates. Beornings breed horses in the eastern shore of the Anduin near Carrock. The extensive area between estates and settlements mean the patrols of the Anduin military need to move fast to respond to threads. The Cavalry is only light, and they serve as scouts or decoy, and charge only from behind, against an enemy facing the other way, or an enemy scattered enough for the formation to cut through it without slowing down.

-Beorning Skin-changers (+/- 45): Well-known is the ability that Beorn had to become a great black bear, using such to chase the goblins and orcs out of his domains. When the Vales of the Anduin was reformed, the skinchangers united around Beorn, and three families, along with that of the Chief, have the power of the beast in their veins, The House of Fragram, the House of Leoth and the House of Iorath. Skin-changers vary in their power, both through their ranks and their lifetime. Most of them are able to turn into a slightly stronger bear and control the moment of the transformation, though not their will entirely. All of them, however, gain their skills around their coming-of-age, and this usually happens, without warning, when they turn into a large cub, rather violent and unpredictable, this happening during nigh time (probably related to nightmares) or triggered when the adolescents are extremely irritable. It is not strange people get injured or even killed in these events. In time, these are educated and taught by their elders in their skill, and through experience and repeated transformations, they gain control over the times of this, able to trigger them almost whenever they want, control it if it is about to start at inconvenient times, and partially control their action while in Bear-Shape. Their strength also grows with the age, but only the wiser and stronger of them become near the strength that made Beorn a legend.

Navy:

-15 combat-fitted river rafts. 35 river ferries and boats.

The Vales rely on their river for more than agriculture. Trade is made between the north and south of the Realm through the river and boats move through the stream and also move people from shore to shore.

Name: Grimbeorn the Old.
Race: Northman, Beorning.
Appearance : A huge man with shoulders covered by grey aged hair. Black eyes. His look is stern and cold, though it has grown weary since the Battle of Rhosgobel.
Role: High Chief of the Beornings.
Alignment: Guardians of Middle Earth
History: (See Intro)
Other: Grimbeorn is able to transform into a big black bear. Though not at strong and mighty as Beorn´s shape, it is still enough to fill with courage his allies and with fear the heart of anyone facing such beast. He was wounded by a poisonous in the battle, and now is sick, unwilling to talk or do anything at all. Seems that, while the poison seems to have been expelled from his blood, it clearly scarred him beyond the body, and he looks as if the fate of his younger children haunts him every hour of this life.
Married to Ragreth.

Name: Beornas
Race: Northman, Beorning.
Appearance: At his twenty years of age, Beornas has grown an auburn hair and a sligh beard on his chin. His eyes are black and his look is filled with pride. Slightly shorter than his father, Beornas still retains his strength.
Role: Elder surviving son of Grimbeorn, Heir-apparent to the Vales of Anduin. Defender of Carrokburg
Alignment: Guardians of Middle Earth.
History: Beornas was born third in the line of succession of his father. By the time he was thirteen, Beornas showed his first transformation, wounding Grimbeorn by accident. Since then, he has become an able skin-changer, while improving his knowledge of war. Eager to see the world, he was the most ambitious of his brothers regarding travels and seeing the world. At his sixteenth birth date be accompanied his uncle to Tharnduil´s Halls, Dale and Erebor. There he acquired texts of history and descriptions of Middle Earth, getting to know about the great battles of the second and third age, and even some Sindarin. Beornas made friends in the east, and a year later received a gift from the Dwarves and Men he met near Erebor; a steel scaled armour forged with Dwarven arts and Dalish carvings, a bright broad sword with a black bear carved in the hilt, and a cloak made with the furs of Wolves of the Iron Hills. Such gifts he carried into battle after the fire engulfed the Anduin.
He now rules in Carrokburg in the stead of his father, and organizes the regroup of the Beornings.
Other: Betrothed to Eargfar, a Dalish maid he met in his travel and later travelled to Carrock with her father to merge in marry with Beornas. Since then, she has dwelt there.

Name: Fiorith and Bregareth
Race: Beornings
Appearance: The twins, of fourteen years of age, share blue eyes, as their mother´s and dark auburn hair.
Fiorith, is a long-haired girl and fair expression.
Bregareth has a kind face and a rather long hair as well. The boy is scarred from his cheek to the right edge of his mouth.
Role: Offspring of Grimbeorn, prisoners in the orc camps near the Mirkwood.
Alignment: Beornings.
History: The twins were born sixteen years ago in the middle of a freezing winter. They were called “Spring Herald” as that terrible blizzard ended only sme days after they arrived to the world. Both already had their first transformation, and Bregareth has the unique feature of transforming into a Grey-haired bear, an oversized cub. After the war broke out and Carrokburg was taken, they failed to make their way out of the city and were captured by the orcs, among other freefolk. They were spared from the arbitrary executions that took place that day, though that has scarred them both in their minds, and Bregareth in his face, as he was brutally beaten that day. Afterwards they took hiding among other slaves, and receiving their aid in concealing their status. Both seek a way to escape their captivity.
Other: Fiorith is skilled in manipulating other people through words and arguments. Though orcs are difficult, she is even able to use some of their vices to have them do what she wants, from time to time. Bregareth has anger management issues.

WIP

WIP

WIP

WIP

Since obviously WIP, I'll note the fortresses and numbers could still use an edit. Once you've done that though, we'll probably be good to go.

[G-Tech Corporation]

KK, thanks.

Name: Sadaauk the Bleeder
Race: Black Uruk
Appearance (Pic or details) (Image)
Role: Uruk Captain
Alignment: Evil
History: When he was born they knew he was a fighter almost immediately, they found that he had strangled one of his brood brothers before they were even born, and immediately sent him off to be raised and trained as the warrior he was. He once again proved, later in his life, that he was a fighter, with the spirit and brutality of the orcs, when he literally gutted a fellow Uruk with a knife he found ( most likely stole) and left it there to bleed to death, this is where he hit the title 'Bleeder'. Whenever his growing and training was complete they stuck him immediately with one of the raiding parties, whether it was because they wanted to see a potential threat die or just to see how good of a fighter he actual is we don't know. This is where he also proved that he was a natural leader ( for an Uruk that is ) when he took command after their leader died in a skirmish, and he had to keep the other orcs from leaving his ass behind, he took charge Leading them to a victory with a lot less casualties than anyone expected out of this. Later, when his authority was question by one of the better fighters and stronger Uruks out of the group, he lost the use of his Left eye, and ,despite the fact that he has a lack of depth perception now, he has retained his fighting skill proving this in several duels and battles to come after this. Now, he is well respected and feared by the orcs he commands ( he was promoted to captain after the previous one died).
Other: like to pin anyone ( whether it be mutineers, slaves, or prisoners) to a wall and slowly cut them, gut them, and torture them until they die from blood loss.
Some major battles he fought in are Osgiliath, Cair Andros, and Pelennor Fields
He's exceptionally good with a bow
Commands 100 orcs/Uruks
Troops:
30 Uruk spearmen
30 Uruk footmen
35 Uruk bowmen
5 Uruk healers

I like him. Happily accepted- with the caveat that the healers aren't mystical, merely Uruks more experienced in the crude herbal medicine and surgery that Mordor practices.

[Aliasa]

I like him. Happily accepted- with the caveat that the healers aren't mystical, merely Uruks more experienced in the crude herbal medicine and surgery that Mordor practices.

That's fine, I was gonna do that with the healers anyways. thank you, friend.

[Arlye Austros]

(NOTE: I am getting most of my info from here (and pages directed from there), some chunks are self creations though, specially family and nobility along with political organization and relationships with other peoples of ME.

I like (a lot) making large block of text. So Beörn with me.)

Realm: Realm of the Vales of the Anduin

Leader: High Chief Grimbeorn the Old.

Race(s): Beornings (10%)/Woodsmen (60%)/Northmen of Dale (30%)

History: After the Battle of the Five Armies Beorn became Chief of the few remnants of his people, able to protect them by driving the orcs back to the mountains with the aid of the elves and the Woodsmen and Northmen who joined his folk. The near destruction of the goblin armies in the Great Battle allowed Beorn to drive off the raiders and eventually reunite his people. During the Moot held with Bilbo´s presence during the Company´s return to the west, Beorn came into many agreements and deals with family members of many prominent clans of Northmen along the Vale. Thus, the Vales of the Anduin were reunified and an army marched on to control the High Pass. Beorn´s dream of returning to the mountains was fulfilled, though his capital for the new Realm was kept in the outskirts and foot of Carrock. For five decades Beorn ruled till his age of 95 years. His new-found friendship in the Dwarves of Erebor and the Woodsmen allowed him to build the Town of Carrokburg, and in its centre, right in the entrance to the Cave and Steps of Beorn, the Keep of Fangmont Under-the-Wings was built, also called Ost-Fangrhim by the elves of the wood, served as seat for his House and place for meetings, moots and feasts.

His son eldest, Grimbeorn the Old, was already 67 when the unified people of the Anduin claimed him High Chief. Grimbeorn reorganized the realm and appointed chiefs for the many towns and regions, and called for a moot of elders to speak for the different customs of the folks who made the Beornings and called the Vale of Anduin their home. He created local justice systems and attempted to reorganize the army, though this was a failure, as many felt the Shadow had passed. Instead, Grimbeorn´s rule was rather marked by the reopening of trade and tolls over the high pass, the Anduin river-route south and the land routes connecting Mirkwood, Lorien and Eriador allowed the House of Beorn to gather a large reserve of gold and resources.

After hostilities between the Orcs and Elves opened, the High Pass was lost. Grimbeorn refused to take part in the growing conflict until the orcs raided his lands up to the Forest Road. He was forced to face them and the rather diminished army of the Beornings was defeated in the fields near Rhosgobel. Grimbeorn himself was wounded, as a bear, by the spiders, who ambushed the High Chief´s retinue. They killed his eldest son and heir, Grimbaras, his third, Fralor, and wounded his second, Beornas. He survived, but since then the Chief has not been himself. The poison receded, but seemed to have scarred his mind and a weak will reigned over the Vale as the chiefs and free-folk were forced to fend for themselves. This lasted till the orcs managed to attack Carrokburg. Lightly fortified, the raid overwhelmed the unprepared defenders and took the town, along with Fangmont. Against all odds, Grimbeorn and Beornas escaped, along with his wife, Ragreth, their newborn son Redwulf, Beornas´s betrothal, Eargfar, and three more of his offspring, the two other brothers, sons of Beorn, and their children. However his lesser children, Fiorith and Bregareth, went missing, possibly killed by the orcs. For the following days reports of the sack of the Vale arrived to their retreat in Firepine Keep, where a tormented Chief was unable to react when orcs ravaged their eastern territory, threatened their western flank and would likely envelope the north. Beornas led the weak defence of their lands, proving his might despite his young age, and the orcs slowly gave up chasing the men, allowing Beornas to retake Carrock and seek out between the ruins for his lost brothers, without success. News of the effects on the southeast had started to arrive, and as Grimbeorn is taken, weak and sick, back to Carrock, Beornas receives chiefs seeking for shelter, and common folk, hopeless beyond those broken palisades, as well for the words of the fire, sack and pillage in the lands. Countless have been killed, many more wounded or forced to flee, and hundreds, maybe thousands, are reported taken by the orcs, many executed short after, and the rest placed to work in their own land, but for foreign and evil masters.

Alignment: Northmen. Guardians of Middle Earth, Men of the West.

Whereas Grimbeorn has remained rather passive in the conflict until the Battle of Rhosgobel, he has maintained some sort of cold friendship with the Dwarves of Erebor, unable to retain his father warmth for them, and a more active alliance with the Dalesmen. Despite the High Chief´s passive stance, some of his vassals have joined the lines of other Northmen fighting the Orcs, and only now, return to their ravaged land to save what they can.

Goal(s): The liberation of the occupied land, rebuilding of the Anduin Army and ultimate defeat of Dol Guldur and the orcs of the mountains. Eventually, knowing the fate of the remaining offspring of Grimbeorn.

Territory:

Green= De Jure Territory
Green Double-Crossed with dark maroon= De Iure + Occupied by Orcs
Green with Wide Left-to-right descending diagonal maroon= De Iure + Ravaged by Orcs, then abandoned.
Green with Wide Right-to-Left descending diagonal maroon= De Iure + Ravaged then recaptured.
Five-pointed Blue Star: Carrokburg, capital of Anduin.
Four-Pointed stars: Major fortresses.

Fortresses:

Carrokburg, a palisaded city located at the feet of the Rock of Carrock, holding a small stone keep inside, at the eastern base of the Rock. The city extends through a cleared ford into the eastern banks of the Anduin, where it then fades into a bulk of farms and estates after the eastern palisade, whereas the streets in the isle itself and at the very shore of the river west of the palisade are stone-cobbled and houses rise rather close to each other.

The town held 2.000 inhabitants and was renamed for it´s nearby fisheries and bakeries. It had a city garrison of 600 spearmen, 800 axe-men and 400 archers, whereas the Keep held about 1000 axe-men, 700 archers and 700 heavy infantrymen, along with 300 light cavalrymen and 100 Housecarls of the Beorning Noble retinue. After the sack, the city is just being repopulated and is largely destroyed.

Firepine Keep is a small fortress built in the same place the Company faced the goblins and was saved by the Eagles. Made of wood and earthworks. It controls the passage heading into the mountains near the exit of the tunnels, and a secondary watchtower stands in a promontory north of the Keep. Any force marching from below against the Keep would be facing a crossed rain of arrows. An attack from above, while more likely to success, would still have to cross two hundred steps of land cleared from the woods, and the walls are tall and strong enough to sustain a defence. The keep has a passage that provides a hidden exit to the road below, should the watch be threatened.

Framsburg, a town repopulated after the Refoundation of Erebor and kept around a wooden keep built over the ancient foundations of the capital of the Eótheod. Meant to watch over the road of Gundabad. It stands on the very confluence of the Greylin and the Langwell.

Strength:

Army:

-Anduin Freemen Spearmen (500): These free-men have chosen to fight in the ranks of their local chiefs for honour and rename, though they are still ill-equipped. The spearmen fight, as the name suggest, with metal-tipped spears, but also daggers, and carry a number of javelins into battle, allowing them to skirmish when the chance arrives. They wear thick woollen coats with crossed leather bands for further protection against slashing.

-Freemen Men-At-Arms (1.000): Through previous savings when entering service, earnings in service or experience and venue of their chiefs and leaders, these Freemen are better equipped and carry an iron or steel short sword into battle, although they still retain their spear as a first engagement resource, moving on to swords. These warriors are protected with thick leather breasts and iron thighs and wrist bands. Their heads are covered also in an iron simple helmet. Some are able to cost a chain mail.

-Mountain Axemen (710): Born in the eastern skirts of the Hithaeglir, these men are of no different origin to the Freemen Men-At-Arms, though their Riverine counterparts are not used to hills and mounts as they are. Very proud, they have large amounts of Beorning Blood and rage is their sign. They carry a steel axe and a wooden shield into battle, and protect themselves with a light leather armour, crossed iron bands through the chest and a leather cap. Specialized in mountain warfare and ambush. They are largely responsible of the decades of the Beorning control of the High Pass until it was lost.

-Mountain Housecarls (100): As the warriors of the mountains gain fame and honour in the various raids against orcs in the mountains, these men, and the strongest of women, could be called to personally serve a powerful man (a chief) and be a part of their retinue. They retain the steel axe and hold wooden shield with steel terminations. They cover themselves in a chain mail.

-Woodmen Warriors (110): Not different to the Men-At-Arms nor their western counterparts. This proud Woodsmen spent the last 200 years fending off against the many threats in the Woodland Border, including spiders, bandits, Wainriders and recently, orcs. They are expert hunters, using long boar spears for battle. They also carry heavy axes into battle. Expert wood fighters and ambushers, they don´t move very fast though, and must compliment their operations with the Archers.

-Woodsmen Sworn Shields (3): Named after the widespread custom of making an oath upon entering the personal service of another free man in battle, this warriors, like most housercarls, swear to give up their life if that means to save their better, or to commit suicide should he or she fall in the field, although this later has been changed for the personal service to the descendants. Should be noted this is a rather personal bond, and they swear to serve the person and in their name, and not their bloodline. The Sworn Shields fight with steel axes, heavy javelins and thick wooden bucklers, and depend on a light chainmail and a nasal helmet for their protection in the field. Since their oath, many died in the fall of the Woodsmark.

-Northmen Archers (440): Archery is vital in the Vale, as hunting in the mountains and mainly near the woods grants a large amount of the food needed by the scattered population. Most young men train with the bow regularly, if they can cost bow and arrows. Passable archers most of them, their shooting range reaches between 120 and 150 metres. They also carry a short sword or axe into battle, and are protected by a thick woollen coat. In the Battle of Rhosgobel, many of the Anduin Archers were ambushed by spiders and those who escaped were hunted down by the orcs on their wargs.

-Beorning Longbowmen (500): Though the borders rely on archery to fend themselves, the decades of isolation from the woodsmen forced the inhabitants of the Vale before the restoration of Erebor to fight for their very lives against dire wolves, spiders and goblins. The Yew Longbow, thus, became a famed tool of might in the lands east of Carrock. These Bowmen are armed by their chiefs and leaders and have trained for years for the sole purpose of killing their target at a large distance. These bowmen can land their arrow on the ground as far as 315 metres, and aim their target without missing at 90 metres. They also carry heavy arrows able to pierce almost any orcish armour, though at the cost of reduced reach.

-Anduin Housecarls (100): Beorning chiefs retain the tradition of holding a personal guard of honour. These men, usually numbering near the dozen per noble household, are sworn to defend their lieges with their very life, and some even swear to commit suicide should their liege die and they survive, though most replace this statement with the protection of their descendance and property. It is important to notice that these men and women are sworn not to the family line, but the man or woman they deem worthy to follow. In exchange for their extreme loyalty and their prowess in battle, these men receive gifts such as jewellery, horses, housing and others, honours and rename for themselves and their family, a great payment and many times excellent equipment which they carry to battle. The usual gear includes a scaled iron or steel armour, a hauberk or a chain mail, a spangelhelm (nose and articulated ear protection) usually with personalized carvings, a long spear and a steel sword, along with a heavy shield. Many Housecarls are asked to ride with their liege given the case of a battle.

-Anduin Light Cavalry (30): Though not riders as advocated to horses as the Rohirrim, the Beornings share the ancestry of the Eotheod, and thus horses are an important part of their culture. Beorn himself had excellent horses, smart and calm, and this was later replicated in other estates. Beornings breed horses in the eastern shore of the Anduin near Carrock. The extensive area between estates and settlements mean the patrols of the Anduin military need to move fast to respond to threads. The Cavalry is only light, and they serve as scouts or decoy, and charge only from behind, against an enemy facing the other way, or an enemy scattered enough for the formation to cut through it without slowing down. After the disaster of Rhosgobel, the cavalry played a vital role in guiding the fleeing inhabitants through safe tracks, however this came at a terrible price and by the end of the retreat, almost every combat-able horseman was killed. This also applied to the Anduin heavy Cavalry, which was completely exterminated.

-Beorning Skin-changers (53) Well-known is the ability that Beorn had to become a great black bear, using such to chase the goblins and orcs out of his domains. When the Vales of the Anduin was reformed, the skinchangers united around Beorn, and three families, along with that of the Chief, have the power of the beast in their veins, The House of Fragram, the House of Leoth and the House of Iorath. Skin-changers vary in their power, both through their ranks and their lifetime. Most of them are able to turn into a slightly stronger bear and control the moment of the transformation, though not their will entirely. All of them, however, gain their skills around their coming-of-age, and this usually happens, without warning, when they turn into a large cub, rather violent and unpredictable, this happening during nigh time (probably related to nightmares) or triggered when the adolescents are extremely irritable. It is not strange people get injured or even killed in these events. In time, these are educated and taught by their elders in their skill, and through experience and repeated transformations, they gain control over the times of this, able to trigger them almost whenever they want, control it if it is about to start at inconvenient times, and partially control their action while in Bear-Shape. Their strength also grows with the age, but only the wiser and stronger of them become near the strength that made Beorn a legend. A whole of Seventeen members of these four Houses were slaughtered during the Invasion.

Navy:

-15 combat-fitted river rafts. 35 river ferries and boats.

The Vales rely on their river for more than agriculture. Trade is made between the north and south of the Realm through the river and boats move through the stream and also move people from shore to shore.

Name: Grimbeorn the Old.
Race: Northman, Beorning.
Appearance : A huge man with shoulders covered by grey aged hair. Black eyes. His look is stern and cold, though it has grown weary since the Battle of Rhosgobel.
Role: High Chief of the Beornings.
Alignment: Guardians of Middle Earth
History: (See Intro)
Other: Grimbeorn is able to transform into a big black bear. Though not at strong and mighty as Beorn´s shape, it is still enough to fill with courage his allies and with fear the heart of anyone facing such beast. He was wounded by a poisonous in the battle, and now is sick, unwilling to talk or do anything at all. Seems that, while the poison seems to have been expelled from his blood, it clearly scarred him beyond the body, and he looks as if the fate of his younger children haunts him every hour of this life.
Married to Ragreth.

Name: Beornas
Race: Northman, Beorning.
Appearance: At his twenty years of age, Beornas has grown an auburn hair and a sligh beard on his chin. His eyes are black and his look is filled with pride. Slightly shorter than his father, Beornas still retains his strength.
Role: Elder surviving son of Grimbeorn, Heir-apparent to the Vales of Anduin. Defender of Carrokburg
Alignment: Guardians of Middle Earth.
History: Beornas was born third in the line of succession of his father. By the time he was thirteen, Beornas showed his first transformation, wounding Grimbeorn by accident. Since then, he has become an able skin-changer, while improving his knowledge of war. Eager to see the world, he was the most ambitious of his brothers regarding travels and seeing the world. At his sixteenth birth date be accompanied his uncle to Tharnduil´s Halls, Dale and Erebor. There he acquired texts of history and descriptions of Middle Earth, getting to know about the great battles of the second and third age, and even some Sindarin. Beornas made friends in the east, and a year later received a gift from the Dwarves and Men he met near Erebor; a steel scaled armour forged with Dwarven arts and Dalish carvings, a bright broad sword with a black bear carved in the hilt, and a cloak made with the furs of Wolves of the Iron Hills. Such gifts he carried into battle after the fire engulfed the Anduin.
He now rules in Carrokburg in the stead of his father, and organizes the regroup of the Beornings.
Other: Betrothed to Eargfar, a Dalish maid he met in his travel and later travelled to Carrock with her father to merge in marry with Beornas. Since then, she has dwelt there.

Name: Fiorith and Bregareth
Race: Beornings
Appearance: The twins, of fourteen years of age, share blue eyes, as their mother´s and dark auburn hair.
Fiorith, is a long-haired girl and fair expression.
Bregareth has a kind face and a rather long hair as well. The boy is scarred from his cheek to the right edge of his mouth.
Role: Offspring of Grimbeorn, prisoners in the orc camps near the Mirkwood.
Alignment: Beornings.
History: The twins were born sixteen years ago in the middle of a freezing winter. They were called “Spring Herald” as that terrible blizzard ended only sme days after they arrived to the world. Both already had their first transformation, and Bregareth has the unique feature of transforming into a Grey-haired bear, an oversized cub. After the war broke out and Carrokburg was taken, they failed to make their way out of the city and were captured by the orcs, among other freefolk. They were spared from the arbitrary executions that took place that day, though that has scarred them both in their minds, and Bregareth in his face, as he was brutally beaten that day. Afterwards they took hiding among other slaves, and receiving their aid in concealing their status. Both seek a way to escape their captivity.
Other: Fiorith is skilled in manipulating other people through words and arguments. Though orcs are difficult, she is even able to use some of their vices to have them do what she wants, from time to time. Bregareth has anger management issues.

WIP

The Houses of Beorn, Iorath and Leoth, and the Houses of the Woodsmen

[Arlye Austros]

Realm: Realm of the Vales of the Anduin

Leader: High Chief Grimbeorn the Old.

Race(s): Beornings (10%)/Woodsmen (60%)/Northmen of Dale (30%)

History: After the Battle of the Five Armies Beorn became Chief of the few remnants of his people, able to protect them by driving the orcs back to the mountains with the aid of the elves and the Woodsmen and Northmen who joined his folk. The near destruction of the goblin armies in the Great Battle allowed Beorn to drive off the raiders and eventually reunite his people. During the Moot held with Bilbo´s presence during the Company´s return to the west, Beorn came into many agreements and deals with family members of many prominent clans of Northmen along the Vale. Thus, the Vales of the Anduin were reunified and an army marched on to control the High Pass. Beorn´s dream of returning to the mountains was fulfilled, though his capital for the new Realm was kept in the outskirts and foot of Carrock. For five decades Beorn ruled till his age of 95 years. His new-found friendship in the Dwarves of Erebor and the Woodsmen allowed him to build the Town of Carrokburg, and in its centre, right in the entrance to the Cave and Steps of Beorn, the Keep of Fangmont Under-the-Wings was built, also called Ost-Fangrhim by the elves of the wood, served as seat for his House and place for meetings, moots and feasts.

His son eldest, Grimbeorn the Old, was already 67 when the unified people of the Anduin claimed him High Chief. Grimbeorn reorganized the realm and appointed chiefs for the many towns and regions, and called for a moot of elders to speak for the different customs of the folks who made the Beornings and called the Vale of Anduin their home. He created local justice systems and attempted to reorganize the army, though this was a failure, as many felt the Shadow had passed. Instead, Grimbeorn´s rule was rather marked by the reopening of trade and tolls over the high pass, the Anduin river-route south and the land routes connecting Mirkwood, Lorien and Eriador allowed the House of Beorn to gather a large reserve of gold and resources.

After hostilities between the Orcs and Elves opened, the High Pass was lost. Grimbeorn refused to take part in the growing conflict until the orcs raided his lands up to the Forest Road. He was forced to face them and the rather diminished army of the Beornings was defeated in the fields near Rhosgobel. Grimbeorn himself was wounded, as a bear, by the spiders, who ambushed the High Chief´s retinue. They killed his eldest son and heir, Grimbaras, his third, Fralor, and wounded his second, Beornas. He survived, but since then the Chief has not been himself. The poison receded, but seemed to have scarred his mind and a weak will reigned over the Vale as the chiefs and free-folk were forced to fend for themselves. This lasted till the orcs managed to attack Carrokburg. Lightly fortified, the raid overwhelmed the unprepared defenders and took the town, along with Fangmont. Against all odds, Grimbeorn and Beornas escaped, along with his wife, Ragreth, their newborn son Remurgel, Beornas´s betrothal, Eargfar, and three more of his offspring, the two other brothers, sons of Beorn, and their children. However his lesser children, Fiorith and Bregareth, went missing, possibly killed by the orcs. For the following days reports of the sack of the Vale arrived to their retreat in Firepine Keep, where a tormented Chief was unable to react when orcs ravaged their eastern territory, threatened their western flank and would likely envelope the north. Beornas led the weak defence of their lands, proving his might despite his young age, and the orcs slowly gave up chasing the men, allowing Beornas to retake Carrock and seek out between the ruins for his lost brothers, without success. News of the effects on the southeast had started to arrive, and as Grimbeorn is taken, weak and sick, back to Carrock, Beornas receives chiefs seeking for shelter, and common folk, hopeless beyond those broken palisades, as well for the words of the fire, sack and pillage in the lands. Countless have been killed, many more wounded or forced to flee, and hundreds, maybe thousands, are reported taken by the orcs, many executed short after, and the rest placed to work in their own land, but for foreign and evil masters.

Alignment: Northmen. Guardians of Middle Earth, Men of the West.

Whereas Grimbeorn has remained rather passive in the conflict until the Battle of Rhosgobel, he has maintained some sort of cold friendship with the Dwarves of Erebor, unable to retain his father warmth for them, and a more active alliance with the Dalesmen. Despite the High Chief´s passive stance, some of his vassals have joined the lines of other Northmen fighting the Orcs, and only now, return to their ravaged land to save what they can.

Goal(s): The liberation of the occupied land, rebuilding of the Anduin Army and ultimate defeat of Dol Guldur and the orcs of the mountains. Eventually, knowing the fate of the remaining offspring of Grimbeorn.

Territory:

(Image)
Green= De Jure Territory
Green Double-Crossed with dark maroon= De Iure + Occupied by Orcs
Green with Wide Left-to-right descending diagonal maroon= De Iure + Ravaged by Orcs, then abandoned.
Green with Wide Right-to-Left descending diagonal maroon= De Iure + Ravaged then recaptured.
Five-pointed Blue Star: Carrokburg, capital of Anduin.
Four-Pointed stars: Major fortresses.

Fortresses:

Carrokburg, a palisaded city located at the feet of the Rock of Carrock, holding a small stone keep inside, at the eastern base of the Rock. The city extends through a cleared ford into the eastern banks of the Anduin, where it then fades into a bulk of farms and estates after the eastern palisade, whereas the streets in the isle itself and at the very shore of the river west of the palisade are stone-cobbled and houses rise rather close to each other.

The town held 2.000 inhabitants and was renamed for it´s nearby fisheries and bakeries. It had a city garrison of 600 spearmen, 800 axe-men and 400 archers, whereas the Keep held about 1000 axe-men, 700 archers and 700 heavy infantrymen, along with 300 light cavalrymen and 100 Housecarls of the Beorning Noble retinue. After the sack, the city is just being repopulated and is largely destroyed. It´s current population stands by the 1.100, though it raises over time, and is defended by a meagre force of 200 spearmen, 150 axe-men, 300 archers and 45 cavalrymen, along with 15 Housecarls.

Firepine Keep is a small fortress built in the same place the Company faced the goblins and was saved by the Eagles. Made of wood and stone. It controls the passage heading into the mountains near the exit of the tunnels, and a secondary watchtower stands in a promontory north of the Keep. Any force marching from below against the Keep would be facing a crossed rain of arrows. An attack from above, while more likely to success, would still have to cross two hundred steps of land cleared from the woods, and the walls are tall and strong enough to sustain a defence. The keep has a passage that provides a hidden exit to the road below, should the watch be threatened.

Framsburg, a town repopulated after the Refoundation of Erebor and kept around a stone and wood keep of the same name to watch over the road of Gundabad. It stands on the very confluence of the Greylin and the Langwell.
Strength:

Army:

-Levies (3.000): Levies are raised in extreme situations by the chiefs among the peasants and common free-folk of little income. They are usually untrained and equipped with simple spears. Thour their numbers are large, it is rather costly to raise them and inefficient as they tend to work in faraway estates, thus uniting them in a single force takes several days. Instead, they are drafted into an improvised local militia should the need arise.

-Anduin Freemen Spearmen (2.400): These free-men have chosen to fight in the ranks of their local chiefs for honour and rename, though they are still ill-equipped. The spearmen fight, as the name suggest, with metal-tipped spears, but also daggers, and carry a number of javelins into battle, allowing them to skirmish when the chance arrives. They wear thick woollen coats with crossed leather bands for further protection against slashing.

-Freemen Men-At-Arms (1.900): Through previous savings when entering service, earnings in service or experience and venue of their chiefs and leaders, these Freemen are better equipped and carry an iron or steel short sword into battle, although they still retain their spear as a first engagement resource, moving on to swords. These warriors are protected with thick leather breasts and iron thighs and wrist bands. Their heads are covered also in an iron simple helmet. Some are able to cost a chain mail.

-Mountain Axemen (1.200): Born in the eastern skirts of the Hithaeglir, these men are of no different origin to the Freemen Men-At-Arms, though their Riverine counterparts are not used to hills and mounts as they are. Very proud, they have large amounts of Beorning Blood and rage is their sign. They carry a steel axe and a wooden shield into battle, and protect themselves with a light leather armour, crossed iron bands through the chest and a leather cap. Specialized in mountain warfare and ambush. They are largely responsible of the decades of the Beorning control of the High Pass until it was lost.

-Woodmen Warriors (800): Not different to the Men-At-Arms nor their western counterparts. This proud Woodsmen spent the last 200 years fending off against the many threats in the Woodland Border, including spiders, bandits, Wainriders and recently, orcs. They are expert hunters, using long boar spears for battle. They also carry heavy axes into battle. Expert wood fighters and ambushers, they don´t move very fast though, and must compliment their operations with the Archers.

-Northmen Archers (2.000): Archery is vital in the Vale, as hunting in the mountains and mainly near the woods grants a large amount of the food needed by the scattered population. Most young men train with the bow regularly, if they can cost bow and arrows. Passable archers most of them, their shooting range reaches between 120 and 150 metres. They also carry a short sword or axe into battle, and are protected by a thick woollen coat.

-Wood Archers (800): Just as their brothers in the River and the Mountains, the Woodsmen rely on bow far more than many of the men in middle earth. Defending their homes often implies killing spiders at a safe distance, and hunting birds and deer in the woods requires this as well. The woodmen archers usually take part in defensive expeditions of neighbours and local inhabitants, forming before the Warriors and after some volleys retreating behind the line of axe men. Their arrows can drop on an area as far as 170 metres and on a single target at some 60 metres.

-Beorning Longbowmen (500): Though the borders rely on archery to fend themselves, the decades of isolation from the woodsmen forced the inhabitants of the Vale before the restoration of Erebor to fight for their very lives against dire wolves, spiders and goblins. The Yew Longbow, thus, became a famed tool of might in the lands east of Carrock. These Bowmen are armed by their chiefs and leaders and have trained for years for the sole purpose of killing their target at a large distance. These bowmen can land their arrow on the ground as far as 315 metres, and aim their target without missing at 90 metres.

-Anduin Housecarls (120): Beorning chiefs retain the tradition of holding a personal guard of honour. These men, usually numbering near the dozen per noble household, are sworn to defend their lieges with their very life, and some even swear to commit suicide should their liege die and they survive, though most replace this statement with the protection of their descendance and property. It is important to notice that these men and women are sworn not to the family line, but the man or woman they deem worthy to follow. In exchange for their extreme loyalty and their prowess in battle, these men receive gifts such as jewellery, horses, housing and others, honours and rename for themselves and their family, a great payment and many times excellent equipment which they carry to battle. The usual gear includes a scaled iron or steel armour, a hauberk or a chain mail, a spangelhelm (nose and articulated ear protection) usually with personalized carvings, a long spear and a steel sword, along with a heavy shield. Many Housecarls are asked to ride with their liege given the case of a battle.

-Beorning Cavalry (250): Though not riders as advocated to horses as the Rohirrim, the Beornings share the ancestry of the Eotheod, and thus horses are an important part of their culture. Beorn himself had excellent horses, smart and calm, and this was later replicated in other estates. Beornings breed horses in the eastern shore of the Anduin near Carrock. The extensive area between estates and settlements mean the patrols of the Anduin military need to move fast to respond to threads. The Cavalry is only light, and they serve as scouts or decoy, and charge only from behind, against an enemy facing the other way, or an enemy scattered enough for the formation to cut through it without slowing down.

-Beorning Skin-changers (+/- 45): Well-known is the ability that Beorn had to become a great black bear, using such to chase the goblins and orcs out of his domains. When the Vales of the Anduin was reformed, the skinchangers united around Beorn, and three families, along with that of the Chief, have the power of the beast in their veins, The House of Fragram, the House of Leoth and the House of Iorath. Skin-changers vary in their power, both through their ranks and their lifetime. Most of them are able to turn into a slightly stronger bear and control the moment of the transformation, though not their will entirely. All of them, however, gain their skills around their coming-of-age, and this usually happens, without warning, when they turn into a large cub, rather violent and unpredictable, this happening during nigh time (probably related to nightmares) or triggered when the adolescents are extremely irritable. It is not strange people get injured or even killed in these events. In time, these are educated and taught by their elders in their skill, and through experience and repeated transformations, they gain control over the times of this, able to trigger them almost whenever they want, control it if it is about to start at inconvenient times, and partially control their action while in Bear-Shape. Their strength also grows with the age, but only the wiser and stronger of them become near the strength that made Beorn a legend.

Navy:

-15 combat-fitted river rafts. 35 river ferries and boats.

The Vales rely on their river for more than agriculture. Trade is made between the north and south of the Realm through the river and boats move through the stream and also move people from shore to shore.

Name: Grimbeorn the Old.
Race: Northman, Beorning.
Appearance : A huge man with shoulders covered by grey aged hair. Black eyes. His look is stern and cold, though it has grown weary since the Battle of Rhosgobel.
Role: High Chief of the Beornings.
Alignment: Guardians of Middle Earth
History: (See Intro)
Other: Grimbeorn is able to transform into a big black bear. Though not at strong and mighty as Beorn´s shape, it is still enough to fill with courage his allies and with fear the heart of anyone facing such beast. He was wounded by a poisonous in the battle, and now is sick, unwilling to talk or do anything at all. Seems that, while the poison seems to have been expelled from his blood, it clearly scarred him beyond the body, and he looks as if the fate of his younger children haunts him every hour of this life.
Married to Ragreth.

Name: Beornas
Race: Northman, Beorning.
Appearance: At his twenty years of age, Beornas has grown an auburn hair and a sligh beard on his chin. His eyes are black and his look is filled with pride. Slightly shorter than his father, Beornas still retains his strength.
Role: Elder surviving son of Grimbeorn, Heir-apparent to the Vales of Anduin. Defender of Carrokburg
Alignment: Guardians of Middle Earth.
History: Beornas was born third in the line of succession of his father. By the time he was thirteen, Beornas showed his first transformation, wounding Grimbeorn by accident. Since then, he has become an able skin-changer, while improving his knowledge of war. Eager to see the world, he was the most ambitious of his brothers regarding travels and seeing the world. At his sixteenth birth date be accompanied his uncle to Tharnduil´s Halls, Dale and Erebor. There he acquired texts of history and descriptions of Middle Earth, getting to know about the great battles of the second and third age, and even some Sindarin. Beornas made friends in the east, and a year later received a gift from the Dwarves and Men he met near Erebor; a steel scaled armour forged with Dwarven arts and Dalish carvings, a bright broad sword with a black bear carved in the hilt, and a cloak made with the furs of Wolves of the Iron Hills. Such gifts he carried into battle after the fire engulfed the Anduin.
He now rules in Carrokburg in the stead of his father, and organizes the regroup of the Beornings.
Other: Betrothed to Eargfar, a Dalish maid he met in his travel and later travelled to Carrock with her father to merge in marry with Beornas. Since then, she has dwelt there.

Name: Fiorith and Bregareth
Race: Beornings
Appearance: The twins, of fourteen years of age, share blue eyes, as their mother´s and dark auburn hair.
Fiorith, is a long-haired girl and fair expression.
Bregareth has a kind face and a rather long hair as well. The boy is scarred from his cheek to the right edge of his mouth.
Role: Offspring of Grimbeorn, prisoners in the orc camps near the Mirkwood.
Alignment: Beornings.
History: The twins were born sixteen years ago in the middle of a freezing winter. They were called “Spring Herald” as that terrible blizzard ended only sme days after they arrived to the world. Both already had their first transformation, and Bregareth has the unique feature of transforming into a Grey-haired bear, an oversized cub. After the war broke out and Carrokburg was taken, they failed to make their way out of the city and were captured by the orcs, among other freefolk. They were spared from the arbitrary executions that took place that day, though that has scarred them both in their minds, and Bregareth in his face, as he was brutally beaten that day. Afterwards they took hiding among other slaves, and receiving their aid in concealing their status. Both seek a way to escape their captivity.
Other: Fiorith is skilled in manipulating other people through words and arguments. Though orcs are difficult, she is even able to use some of their vices to have them do what she wants, from time to time. Bregareth has anger management issues.

WIP

WIP

WIP

WIP

Since obviously WIP, I'll note the fortresses and numbers could still use an edit. Once you've done that though, we'll probably be good to go.

Done, yeah, seems I confused the actual edit between the three app writtings I have open. The final is in my last post before this one.

[G-Tech Corporation]

(NOTE: I am getting most of my info from here (and pages directed from there), some chunks are self creations though, specially family and nobility along with political organization and relationships with other peoples of ME.

I like (a lot) making large block of text. So Beörn with me.)

Realm: Realm of the Vales of the Anduin

Leader: High Chief Grimbeorn the Old.

Race(s): Beornings (10%)/Woodsmen (60%)/Northmen of Dale (30%)

History: After the Battle of the Five Armies Beorn became Chief of the few remnants of his people, able to protect them by driving the orcs back to the mountains with the aid of the elves and the Woodsmen and Northmen who joined his folk. The near destruction of the goblin armies in the Great Battle allowed Beorn to drive off the raiders and eventually reunite his people. During the Moot held with Bilbo´s presence during the Company´s return to the west, Beorn came into many agreements and deals with family members of many prominent clans of Northmen along the Vale. Thus, the Vales of the Anduin were reunified and an army marched on to control the High Pass. Beorn´s dream of returning to the mountains was fulfilled, though his capital for the new Realm was kept in the outskirts and foot of Carrock. For five decades Beorn ruled till his age of 95 years. His new-found friendship in the Dwarves of Erebor and the Woodsmen allowed him to build the Town of Carrokburg, and in its centre, right in the entrance to the Cave and Steps of Beorn, the Keep of Fangmont Under-the-Wings was built, also called Ost-Fangrhim by the elves of the wood, served as seat for his House and place for meetings, moots and feasts.

His son eldest, Grimbeorn the Old, was already 67 when the unified people of the Anduin claimed him High Chief. Grimbeorn reorganized the realm and appointed chiefs for the many towns and regions, and called for a moot of elders to speak for the different customs of the folks who made the Beornings and called the Vale of Anduin their home. He created local justice systems and attempted to reorganize the army, though this was a failure, as many felt the Shadow had passed. Instead, Grimbeorn´s rule was rather marked by the reopening of trade and tolls over the high pass, the Anduin river-route south and the land routes connecting Mirkwood, Lorien and Eriador allowed the House of Beorn to gather a large reserve of gold and resources.

After hostilities between the Orcs and Elves opened, the High Pass was lost. Grimbeorn refused to take part in the growing conflict until the orcs raided his lands up to the Forest Road. He was forced to face them and the rather diminished army of the Beornings was defeated in the fields near Rhosgobel. Grimbeorn himself was wounded, as a bear, by the spiders, who ambushed the High Chief´s retinue. They killed his eldest son and heir, Grimbaras, his third, Fralor, and wounded his second, Beornas. He survived, but since then the Chief has not been himself. The poison receded, but seemed to have scarred his mind and a weak will reigned over the Vale as the chiefs and free-folk were forced to fend for themselves. This lasted till the orcs managed to attack Carrokburg. Lightly fortified, the raid overwhelmed the unprepared defenders and took the town, along with Fangmont. Against all odds, Grimbeorn and Beornas escaped, along with his wife, Ragreth, their newborn son Remurgel, Beornas´s betrothal, Eargfar, and three more of his offspring, the two other brothers, sons of Beorn, and their children. However his lesser children, Fiorith and Bregareth, went missing, possibly killed by the orcs. For the following days reports of the sack of the Vale arrived to their retreat in Firepine Keep, where a tormented Chief was unable to react when orcs ravaged their eastern territory, threatened their western flank and would likely envelope the north. Beornas led the weak defence of their lands, proving his might despite his young age, and the orcs slowly gave up chasing the men, allowing Beornas to retake Carrock and seek out between the ruins for his lost brothers, without success. News of the effects on the southeast had started to arrive, and as Grimbeorn is taken, weak and sick, back to Carrock, Beornas receives chiefs seeking for shelter, and common folk, hopeless beyond those broken palisades, as well for the words of the fire, sack and pillage in the lands. Countless have been killed, many more wounded or forced to flee, and hundreds, maybe thousands, are reported taken by the orcs, many executed short after, and the rest placed to work in their own land, but for foreign and evil masters.

Alignment: Northmen. Guardians of Middle Earth, Men of the West.

Whereas Grimbeorn has remained rather passive in the conflict until the Battle of Rhosgobel, he has maintained some sort of cold friendship with the Dwarves of Erebor, unable to retain his father warmth for them, and a more active alliance with the Dalesmen. Despite the High Chief´s passive stance, some of his vassals have joined the lines of other Northmen fighting the Orcs, and only now, return to their ravaged land to save what they can.

Goal(s): The liberation of the occupied land, rebuilding of the Anduin Army and ultimate defeat of Dol Guldur and the orcs of the mountains. Eventually, knowing the fate of the remaining offspring of Grimbeorn.

Territory:

(Image)
Green= De Jure Territory
Green Double-Crossed with dark maroon= De Iure + Occupied by Orcs
Green with Wide Left-to-right descending diagonal maroon= De Iure + Ravaged by Orcs, then abandoned.
Green with Wide Right-to-Left descending diagonal maroon= De Iure + Ravaged then recaptured.
Five-pointed Blue Star: Carrokburg, capital of Anduin.
Four-Pointed stars: Major fortresses.

Fortresses:

Carrokburg, a palisaded city located at the feet of the Rock of Carrock, holding a small stone keep inside, at the eastern base of the Rock. The city extends through a cleared ford into the eastern banks of the Anduin, where it then fades into a bulk of farms and estates after the eastern palisade, whereas the streets in the isle itself and at the very shore of the river west of the palisade are stone-cobbled and houses rise rather close to each other.

The town held 2.000 inhabitants and was renamed for it´s nearby fisheries and bakeries. It had a city garrison of 600 spearmen, 800 axe-men and 400 archers, whereas the Keep held about 1000 axe-men, 700 archers and 700 heavy infantrymen, along with 300 light cavalrymen and 100 Housecarls of the Beorning Noble retinue. After the sack, the city is just being repopulated and is largely destroyed.

Firepine Keep is a small fortress built in the same place the Company faced the goblins and was saved by the Eagles. Made of wood and earthworks. It controls the passage heading into the mountains near the exit of the tunnels, and a secondary watchtower stands in a promontory north of the Keep. Any force marching from below against the Keep would be facing a crossed rain of arrows. An attack from above, while more likely to success, would still have to cross two hundred steps of land cleared from the woods, and the walls are tall and strong enough to sustain a defence. The keep has a passage that provides a hidden exit to the road below, should the watch be threatened.

Framsburg, a town repopulated after the Refoundation of Erebor and kept around a wooden keep built over the ancient foundations of the capital of the Eótheod. Meant to watch over the road of Gundabad. It stands on the very confluence of the Greylin and the Langwell.

Strength:

Army:

-Anduin Freemen Spearmen (500): These free-men have chosen to fight in the ranks of their local chiefs for honour and rename, though they are still ill-equipped. The spearmen fight, as the name suggest, with metal-tipped spears, but also daggers, and carry a number of javelins into battle, allowing them to skirmish when the chance arrives. They wear thick woollen coats with crossed leather bands for further protection against slashing.

-Freemen Men-At-Arms (1.000): Through previous savings when entering service, earnings in service or experience and venue of their chiefs and leaders, these Freemen are better equipped and carry an iron or steel short sword into battle, although they still retain their spear as a first engagement resource, moving on to swords. These warriors are protected with thick leather breasts and iron thighs and wrist bands. Their heads are covered also in an iron simple helmet. Some are able to cost a chain mail.

-Mountain Axemen (710): Born in the eastern skirts of the Hithaeglir, these men are of no different origin to the Freemen Men-At-Arms, though their Riverine counterparts are not used to hills and mounts as they are. Very proud, they have large amounts of Beorning Blood and rage is their sign. They carry a steel axe and a wooden shield into battle, and protect themselves with a light leather armour, crossed iron bands through the chest and a leather cap. Specialized in mountain warfare and ambush. They are largely responsible of the decades of the Beorning control of the High Pass until it was lost.

-Mountain Housecarls (100): As the warriors of the mountains gain fame and honour in the various raids against orcs in the mountains, these men, and the strongest of women, could be called to personally serve a powerful man (a chief) and be a part of their retinue. They retain the steel axe and hold wooden shield with steel terminations. They cover themselves in a chain mail.

-Woodmen Warriors (110): Not different to the Men-At-Arms nor their western counterparts. This proud Woodsmen spent the last 200 years fending off against the many threats in the Woodland Border, including spiders, bandits, Wainriders and recently, orcs. They are expert hunters, using long boar spears for battle. They also carry heavy axes into battle. Expert wood fighters and ambushers, they don´t move very fast though, and must compliment their operations with the Archers.

-Woodsmen Sworn Shields (3): Named after the widespread custom of making an oath upon entering the personal service of another free man in battle, this warriors, like most housercarls, swear to give up their life if that means to save their better, or to commit suicide should he or she fall in the field, although this later has been changed for the personal service to the descendants. Should be noted this is a rather personal bond, and they swear to serve the person and in their name, and not their bloodline. The Sworn Shields fight with steel axes, heavy javelins and thick wooden bucklers, and depend on a light chainmail and a nasal helmet for their protection in the field. Since their oath, many died in the fall of the Woodsmark.

-Northmen Archers (440): Archery is vital in the Vale, as hunting in the mountains and mainly near the woods grants a large amount of the food needed by the scattered population. Most young men train with the bow regularly, if they can cost bow and arrows. Passable archers most of them, their shooting range reaches between 120 and 150 metres. They also carry a short sword or axe into battle, and are protected by a thick woollen coat. In the Battle of Rhosgobel, many of the Anduin Archers were ambushed by spiders and those who escaped were hunted down by the orcs on their wargs.

-Beorning Longbowmen (500): Though the borders rely on archery to fend themselves, the decades of isolation from the woodsmen forced the inhabitants of the Vale before the restoration of Erebor to fight for their very lives against dire wolves, spiders and goblins. The Yew Longbow, thus, became a famed tool of might in the lands east of Carrock. These Bowmen are armed by their chiefs and leaders and have trained for years for the sole purpose of killing their target at a large distance. These bowmen can land their arrow on the ground as far as 315 metres, and aim their target without missing at 90 metres. They also carry heavy arrows able to pierce almost any orcish armour, though at the cost of reduced reach.

-Anduin Housecarls (100): Beorning chiefs retain the tradition of holding a personal guard of honour. These men, usually numbering near the dozen per noble household, are sworn to defend their lieges with their very life, and some even swear to commit suicide should their liege die and they survive, though most replace this statement with the protection of their descendance and property. It is important to notice that these men and women are sworn not to the family line, but the man or woman they deem worthy to follow. In exchange for their extreme loyalty and their prowess in battle, these men receive gifts such as jewellery, horses, housing and others, honours and rename for themselves and their family, a great payment and many times excellent equipment which they carry to battle. The usual gear includes a scaled iron or steel armour, a hauberk or a chain mail, a spangelhelm (nose and articulated ear protection) usually with personalized carvings, a long spear and a steel sword, along with a heavy shield. Many Housecarls are asked to ride with their liege given the case of a battle.

-Anduin Light Cavalry (30): Though not riders as advocated to horses as the Rohirrim, the Beornings share the ancestry of the Eotheod, and thus horses are an important part of their culture. Beorn himself had excellent horses, smart and calm, and this was later replicated in other estates. Beornings breed horses in the eastern shore of the Anduin near Carrock. The extensive area between estates and settlements mean the patrols of the Anduin military need to move fast to respond to threads. The Cavalry is only light, and they serve as scouts or decoy, and charge only from behind, against an enemy facing the other way, or an enemy scattered enough for the formation to cut through it without slowing down. After the disaster of Rhosgobel, the cavalry played a vital role in guiding the fleeing inhabitants through safe tracks, however this came at a terrible price and by the end of the retreat, almost every combat-able horseman was killed. This also applied to the Anduin heavy Cavalry, which was completely exterminated.

-Beorning Skin-changers (53) Well-known is the ability that Beorn had to become a great black bear, using such to chase the goblins and orcs out of his domains. When the Vales of the Anduin was reformed, the skinchangers united around Beorn, and three families, along with that of the Chief, have the power of the beast in their veins, The House of Fragram, the House of Leoth and the House of Iorath. Skin-changers vary in their power, both through their ranks and their lifetime. Most of them are able to turn into a slightly stronger bear and control the moment of the transformation, though not their will entirely. All of them, however, gain their skills around their coming-of-age, and this usually happens, without warning, when they turn into a large cub, rather violent and unpredictable, this happening during nigh time (probably related to nightmares) or triggered when the adolescents are extremely irritable. It is not strange people get injured or even killed in these events. In time, these are educated and taught by their elders in their skill, and through experience and repeated transformations, they gain control over the times of this, able to trigger them almost whenever they want, control it if it is about to start at inconvenient times, and partially control their action while in Bear-Shape. Their strength also grows with the age, but only the wiser and stronger of them become near the strength that made Beorn a legend. A whole of Seventeen members of these four Houses were slaughtered during the Invasion.

Navy:

-15 combat-fitted river rafts. 35 river ferries and boats.

The Vales rely on their river for more than agriculture. Trade is made between the north and south of the Realm through the river and boats move through the stream and also move people from shore to shore.

Name: Grimbeorn the Old.
Race: Northman, Beorning.
Appearance : A huge man with shoulders covered by grey aged hair. Black eyes. His look is stern and cold, though it has grown weary since the Battle of Rhosgobel.
Role: High Chief of the Beornings.
Alignment: Guardians of Middle Earth
History: (See Intro)
Other: Grimbeorn is able to transform into a big black bear. Though not at strong and mighty as Beorn´s shape, it is still enough to fill with courage his allies and with fear the heart of anyone facing such beast. He was wounded by a poisonous in the battle, and now is sick, unwilling to talk or do anything at all. Seems that, while the poison seems to have been expelled from his blood, it clearly scarred him beyond the body, and he looks as if the fate of his younger children haunts him every hour of this life.
Married to Ragreth.

Name: Beornas
Race: Northman, Beorning.
Appearance: At his twenty years of age, Beornas has grown an auburn hair and a sligh beard on his chin. His eyes are black and his look is filled with pride. Slightly shorter than his father, Beornas still retains his strength.
Role: Elder surviving son of Grimbeorn, Heir-apparent to the Vales of Anduin. Defender of Carrokburg
Alignment: Guardians of Middle Earth.
History: Beornas was born third in the line of succession of his father. By the time he was thirteen, Beornas showed his first transformation, wounding Grimbeorn by accident. Since then, he has become an able skin-changer, while improving his knowledge of war. Eager to see the world, he was the most ambitious of his brothers regarding travels and seeing the world. At his sixteenth birth date be accompanied his uncle to Tharnduil´s Halls, Dale and Erebor. There he acquired texts of history and descriptions of Middle Earth, getting to know about the great battles of the second and third age, and even some Sindarin. Beornas made friends in the east, and a year later received a gift from the Dwarves and Men he met near Erebor; a steel scaled armour forged with Dwarven arts and Dalish carvings, a bright broad sword with a black bear carved in the hilt, and a cloak made with the furs of Wolves of the Iron Hills. Such gifts he carried into battle after the fire engulfed the Anduin.
He now rules in Carrokburg in the stead of his father, and organizes the regroup of the Beornings.
Other: Betrothed to Eargfar, a Dalish maid he met in his travel and later travelled to Carrock with her father to merge in marry with Beornas. Since then, she has dwelt there.

Name: Fiorith and Bregareth
Race: Beornings
Appearance: The twins, of fourteen years of age, share blue eyes, as their mother´s and dark auburn hair.
Fiorith, is a long-haired girl and fair expression.
Bregareth has a kind face and a rather long hair as well. The boy is scarred from his cheek to the right edge of his mouth.
Role: Offspring of Grimbeorn, prisoners in the orc camps near the Mirkwood.
Alignment: Beornings.
History: The twins were born sixteen years ago in the middle of a freezing winter. They were called “Spring Herald” as that terrible blizzard ended only sme days after they arrived to the world. Both already had their first transformation, and Bregareth has the unique feature of transforming into a Grey-haired bear, an oversized cub. After the war broke out and Carrokburg was taken, they failed to make their way out of the city and were captured by the orcs, among other freefolk. They were spared from the arbitrary executions that took place that day, though that has scarred them both in their minds, and Bregareth in his face, as he was brutally beaten that day. Afterwards they took hiding among other slaves, and receiving their aid in concealing their status. Both seek a way to escape their captivity.
Other: Fiorith is skilled in manipulating other people through words and arguments. Though orcs are difficult, she is even able to use some of their vices to have them do what she wants, from time to time. Bregareth has anger management issues.

WIP

WIP

WIP

WIP

Seems reasonable to me. Accepted. Looking forward to seeing your Houses fleshed out.

[Aliasa]

I can't help but notice that the last post in that IC was just under a year ago...

[G-Tech Corporation]

I can't help but notice that the last post in that IC was just under a year ago...

For sure. I'm debating starting a new IC thread- that one at this point is essentially just history.

[Aliasa]

I can't help but notice that the last post in that IC was just under a year ago...

For sure. I'm debating starting a new IC thread- that one at this point is essentially just history.

Wow, it's been dead a long time then... Well, at least someone's bringing it back, I'm greatful for that. Even though I wasn't involved in it before. I've actually only been on NS I think a little over a month.

[G-Tech Corporation]

For sure. I'm debating starting a new IC thread- that one at this point is essentially just history.

Wow, it's been dead a long time then... Well, at least someone's bringing it back, I'm greatful for that. Even though I wasn't involved in it before. I've actually only been on NS I think a little over a month.

Hah, yeah. We're mostly old hands, but happy to have you.

[Arlye Austros]

(NOTE: I am getting most of my info from here (and pages directed from there), some chunks are self creations though, specially family and nobility along with political organization and relationships with other peoples of ME.

I like (a lot) making large block of text. So Beörn with me.)

Realm: Realm of the Vales of the Anduin

Leader: High Chief Grimbeorn the Old.

Race(s): Beornings (10%)/Woodsmen (60%)/Northmen of Dale (30%)

History: After the Battle of the Five Armies Beorn became Chief of the few remnants of his people, able to protect them by driving the orcs back to the mountains with the aid of the elves and the Woodsmen and Northmen who joined his folk. The near destruction of the goblin armies in the Great Battle allowed Beorn to drive off the raiders and eventually reunite his people. During the Moot held with Bilbo´s presence during the Company´s return to the west, Beorn came into many agreements and deals with family members of many prominent clans of Northmen along the Vale. Thus, the Vales of the Anduin were reunified and an army marched on to control the High Pass. Beorn´s dream of returning to the mountains was fulfilled, though his capital for the new Realm was kept in the outskirts and foot of Carrock. For five decades Beorn ruled till his age of 95 years. His new-found friendship in the Dwarves of Erebor and the Woodsmen allowed him to build the Town of Carrokburg, and in its centre, right in the entrance to the Cave and Steps of Beorn, the Keep of Fangmont Under-the-Wings was built, also called Ost-Fangrhim by the elves of the wood, served as seat for his House and place for meetings, moots and feasts.

His son eldest, Grimbeorn the Old, was already 67 when the unified people of the Anduin claimed him High Chief. Grimbeorn reorganized the realm and appointed chiefs for the many towns and regions, and called for a moot of elders to speak for the different customs of the folks who made the Beornings and called the Vale of Anduin their home. He created local justice systems and attempted to reorganize the army, though this was a failure, as many felt the Shadow had passed. Instead, Grimbeorn´s rule was rather marked by the reopening of trade and tolls over the high pass, the Anduin river-route south and the land routes connecting Mirkwood, Lorien and Eriador allowed the House of Beorn to gather a large reserve of gold and resources.

After hostilities between the Orcs and Elves opened, the High Pass was lost. Grimbeorn refused to take part in the growing conflict until the orcs raided his lands up to the Forest Road. He was forced to face them and the rather diminished army of the Beornings was defeated in the fields near Rhosgobel. Grimbeorn himself was wounded, as a bear, by the spiders, who ambushed the High Chief´s retinue. They killed his eldest son and heir, Grimbaras, his third, Fralor, and wounded his second, Beornas. He survived, but since then the Chief has not been himself. The poison receded, but seemed to have scarred his mind and a weak will reigned over the Vale as the chiefs and free-folk were forced to fend for themselves. This lasted till the orcs managed to attack Carrokburg. Lightly fortified, the raid overwhelmed the unprepared defenders and took the town, along with Fangmont. Against all odds, Grimbeorn and Beornas escaped, along with his wife, Ragreth, their newborn son Remurgel, Beornas´s betrothal, Eargfar, and three more of his offspring, the two other brothers, sons of Beorn, and their children. However his lesser children, Fiorith and Bregareth, went missing, possibly killed by the orcs. For the following days reports of the sack of the Vale arrived to their retreat in Firepine Keep, where a tormented Chief was unable to react when orcs ravaged their eastern territory, threatened their western flank and would likely envelope the north. Beornas led the weak defence of their lands, proving his might despite his young age, and the orcs slowly gave up chasing the men, allowing Beornas to retake Carrock and seek out between the ruins for his lost brothers, without success. News of the effects on the southeast had started to arrive, and as Grimbeorn is taken, weak and sick, back to Carrock, Beornas receives chiefs seeking for shelter, and common folk, hopeless beyond those broken palisades, as well for the words of the fire, sack and pillage in the lands. Countless have been killed, many more wounded or forced to flee, and hundreds, maybe thousands, are reported taken by the orcs, many executed short after, and the rest placed to work in their own land, but for foreign and evil masters.

Alignment: Northmen. Guardians of Middle Earth, Men of the West.

Whereas Grimbeorn has remained rather passive in the conflict until the Battle of Rhosgobel, he has maintained some sort of cold friendship with the Dwarves of Erebor, unable to retain his father warmth for them, and a more active alliance with the Dalesmen. Despite the High Chief´s passive stance, some of his vassals have joined the lines of other Northmen fighting the Orcs, and only now, return to their ravaged land to save what they can.

Goal(s): The liberation of the occupied land, rebuilding of the Anduin Army and ultimate defeat of Dol Guldur and the orcs of the mountains. Eventually, knowing the fate of the remaining offspring of Grimbeorn.

Territory:

(Image)
Green= De Jure Territory
Green Double-Crossed with dark maroon= De Iure + Occupied by Orcs
Green with Wide Left-to-right descending diagonal maroon= De Iure + Ravaged by Orcs, then abandoned.
Green with Wide Right-to-Left descending diagonal maroon= De Iure + Ravaged then recaptured.
Five-pointed Blue Star: Carrokburg, capital of Anduin.
Four-Pointed stars: Major fortresses.

Fortresses:

Carrokburg, a palisaded city located at the feet of the Rock of Carrock, holding a small stone keep inside, at the eastern base of the Rock. The city extends through a cleared ford into the eastern banks of the Anduin, where it then fades into a bulk of farms and estates after the eastern palisade, whereas the streets in the isle itself and at the very shore of the river west of the palisade are stone-cobbled and houses rise rather close to each other.

The town held 2.000 inhabitants and was renamed for it´s nearby fisheries and bakeries. It had a city garrison of 600 spearmen, 800 axe-men and 400 archers, whereas the Keep held about 1000 axe-men, 700 archers and 700 heavy infantrymen, along with 300 light cavalrymen and 100 Housecarls of the Beorning Noble retinue. After the sack, the city is just being repopulated and is largely destroyed.

Firepine Keep is a small fortress built in the same place the Company faced the goblins and was saved by the Eagles. Made of wood and earthworks. It controls the passage heading into the mountains near the exit of the tunnels, and a secondary watchtower stands in a promontory north of the Keep. Any force marching from below against the Keep would be facing a crossed rain of arrows. An attack from above, while more likely to success, would still have to cross two hundred steps of land cleared from the woods, and the walls are tall and strong enough to sustain a defence. The keep has a passage that provides a hidden exit to the road below, should the watch be threatened.

Framsburg, a town repopulated after the Refoundation of Erebor and kept around a wooden keep built over the ancient foundations of the capital of the Eótheod. Meant to watch over the road of Gundabad. It stands on the very confluence of the Greylin and the Langwell.

Strength:

Army:

-Anduin Freemen Spearmen (500): These free-men have chosen to fight in the ranks of their local chiefs for honour and rename, though they are still ill-equipped. The spearmen fight, as the name suggest, with metal-tipped spears, but also daggers, and carry a number of javelins into battle, allowing them to skirmish when the chance arrives. They wear thick woollen coats with crossed leather bands for further protection against slashing.

-Freemen Men-At-Arms (1.000): Through previous savings when entering service, earnings in service or experience and venue of their chiefs and leaders, these Freemen are better equipped and carry an iron or steel short sword into battle, although they still retain their spear as a first engagement resource, moving on to swords. These warriors are protected with thick leather breasts and iron thighs and wrist bands. Their heads are covered also in an iron simple helmet. Some are able to cost a chain mail.

-Mountain Axemen (710): Born in the eastern skirts of the Hithaeglir, these men are of no different origin to the Freemen Men-At-Arms, though their Riverine counterparts are not used to hills and mounts as they are. Very proud, they have large amounts of Beorning Blood and rage is their sign. They carry a steel axe and a wooden shield into battle, and protect themselves with a light leather armour, crossed iron bands through the chest and a leather cap. Specialized in mountain warfare and ambush. They are largely responsible of the decades of the Beorning control of the High Pass until it was lost.

-Mountain Housecarls (100): As the warriors of the mountains gain fame and honour in the various raids against orcs in the mountains, these men, and the strongest of women, could be called to personally serve a powerful man (a chief) and be a part of their retinue. They retain the steel axe and hold wooden shield with steel terminations. They cover themselves in a chain mail.

-Woodmen Warriors (110): Not different to the Men-At-Arms nor their western counterparts. This proud Woodsmen spent the last 200 years fending off against the many threats in the Woodland Border, including spiders, bandits, Wainriders and recently, orcs. They are expert hunters, using long boar spears for battle. They also carry heavy axes into battle. Expert wood fighters and ambushers, they don´t move very fast though, and must compliment their operations with the Archers.

-Woodsmen Sworn Shields (3): Named after the widespread custom of making an oath upon entering the personal service of another free man in battle, this warriors, like most housercarls, swear to give up their life if that means to save their better, or to commit suicide should he or she fall in the field, although this later has been changed for the personal service to the descendants. Should be noted this is a rather personal bond, and they swear to serve the person and in their name, and not their bloodline. The Sworn Shields fight with steel axes, heavy javelins and thick wooden bucklers, and depend on a light chainmail and a nasal helmet for their protection in the field. Since their oath, many died in the fall of the Woodsmark.

-Northmen Archers (440): Archery is vital in the Vale, as hunting in the mountains and mainly near the woods grants a large amount of the food needed by the scattered population. Most young men train with the bow regularly, if they can cost bow and arrows. Passable archers most of them, their shooting range reaches between 120 and 150 metres. They also carry a short sword or axe into battle, and are protected by a thick woollen coat. In the Battle of Rhosgobel, many of the Anduin Archers were ambushed by spiders and those who escaped were hunted down by the orcs on their wargs.

-Beorning Longbowmen (500): Though the borders rely on archery to fend themselves, the decades of isolation from the woodsmen forced the inhabitants of the Vale before the restoration of Erebor to fight for their very lives against dire wolves, spiders and goblins. The Yew Longbow, thus, became a famed tool of might in the lands east of Carrock. These Bowmen are armed by their chiefs and leaders and have trained for years for the sole purpose of killing their target at a large distance. These bowmen can land their arrow on the ground as far as 315 metres, and aim their target without missing at 90 metres. They also carry heavy arrows able to pierce almost any orcish armour, though at the cost of reduced reach.

-Anduin Housecarls (100): Beorning chiefs retain the tradition of holding a personal guard of honour. These men, usually numbering near the dozen per noble household, are sworn to defend their lieges with their very life, and some even swear to commit suicide should their liege die and they survive, though most replace this statement with the protection of their descendance and property. It is important to notice that these men and women are sworn not to the family line, but the man or woman they deem worthy to follow. In exchange for their extreme loyalty and their prowess in battle, these men receive gifts such as jewellery, horses, housing and others, honours and rename for themselves and their family, a great payment and many times excellent equipment which they carry to battle. The usual gear includes a scaled iron or steel armour, a hauberk or a chain mail, a spangelhelm (nose and articulated ear protection) usually with personalized carvings, a long spear and a steel sword, along with a heavy shield. Many Housecarls are asked to ride with their liege given the case of a battle.

-Anduin Light Cavalry (30): Though not riders as advocated to horses as the Rohirrim, the Beornings share the ancestry of the Eotheod, and thus horses are an important part of their culture. Beorn himself had excellent horses, smart and calm, and this was later replicated in other estates. Beornings breed horses in the eastern shore of the Anduin near Carrock. The extensive area between estates and settlements mean the patrols of the Anduin military need to move fast to respond to threads. The Cavalry is only light, and they serve as scouts or decoy, and charge only from behind, against an enemy facing the other way, or an enemy scattered enough for the formation to cut through it without slowing down. After the disaster of Rhosgobel, the cavalry played a vital role in guiding the fleeing inhabitants through safe tracks, however this came at a terrible price and by the end of the retreat, almost every combat-able horseman was killed. This also applied to the Anduin heavy Cavalry, which was completely exterminated.

-Beorning Skin-changers (53) Well-known is the ability that Beorn had to become a great black bear, using such to chase the goblins and orcs out of his domains. When the Vales of the Anduin was reformed, the skinchangers united around Beorn, and three families, along with that of the Chief, have the power of the beast in their veins, The House of Fragram, the House of Leoth and the House of Iorath. Skin-changers vary in their power, both through their ranks and their lifetime. Most of them are able to turn into a slightly stronger bear and control the moment of the transformation, though not their will entirely. All of them, however, gain their skills around their coming-of-age, and this usually happens, without warning, when they turn into a large cub, rather violent and unpredictable, this happening during nigh time (probably related to nightmares) or triggered when the adolescents are extremely irritable. It is not strange people get injured or even killed in these events. In time, these are educated and taught by their elders in their skill, and through experience and repeated transformations, they gain control over the times of this, able to trigger them almost whenever they want, control it if it is about to start at inconvenient times, and partially control their action while in Bear-Shape. Their strength also grows with the age, but only the wiser and stronger of them become near the strength that made Beorn a legend. A whole of Seventeen members of these four Houses were slaughtered during the Invasion.

Navy:

-15 combat-fitted river rafts. 35 river ferries and boats.

The Vales rely on their river for more than agriculture. Trade is made between the north and south of the Realm through the river and boats move through the stream and also move people from shore to shore.

Name: Grimbeorn the Old.
Race: Northman, Beorning.
Appearance : A huge man with shoulders covered by grey aged hair. Black eyes. His look is stern and cold, though it has grown weary since the Battle of Rhosgobel.
Role: High Chief of the Beornings.
Alignment: Guardians of Middle Earth
History: (See Intro)
Other: Grimbeorn is able to transform into a big black bear. Though not at strong and mighty as Beorn´s shape, it is still enough to fill with courage his allies and with fear the heart of anyone facing such beast. He was wounded by a poisonous in the battle, and now is sick, unwilling to talk or do anything at all. Seems that, while the poison seems to have been expelled from his blood, it clearly scarred him beyond the body, and he looks as if the fate of his younger children haunts him every hour of this life.
Married to Ragreth.

Name: Beornas
Race: Northman, Beorning.
Appearance: At his twenty years of age, Beornas has grown an auburn hair and a sligh beard on his chin. His eyes are black and his look is filled with pride. Slightly shorter than his father, Beornas still retains his strength.
Role: Elder surviving son of Grimbeorn, Heir-apparent to the Vales of Anduin. Defender of Carrokburg
Alignment: Guardians of Middle Earth.
History: Beornas was born third in the line of succession of his father. By the time he was thirteen, Beornas showed his first transformation, wounding Grimbeorn by accident. Since then, he has become an able skin-changer, while improving his knowledge of war. Eager to see the world, he was the most ambitious of his brothers regarding travels and seeing the world. At his sixteenth birth date be accompanied his uncle to Tharnduil´s Halls, Dale and Erebor. There he acquired texts of history and descriptions of Middle Earth, getting to know about the great battles of the second and third age, and even some Sindarin. Beornas made friends in the east, and a year later received a gift from the Dwarves and Men he met near Erebor; a steel scaled armour forged with Dwarven arts and Dalish carvings, a bright broad sword with a black bear carved in the hilt, and a cloak made with the furs of Wolves of the Iron Hills. Such gifts he carried into battle after the fire engulfed the Anduin.
He now rules in Carrokburg in the stead of his father, and organizes the regroup of the Beornings.
Other: Betrothed to Eargfar, a Dalish maid he met in his travel and later travelled to Carrock with her father to merge in marry with Beornas. Since then, she has dwelt there.

Name: Fiorith and Bregareth
Race: Beornings
Appearance: The twins, of fourteen years of age, share blue eyes, as their mother´s and dark auburn hair.
Fiorith, is a long-haired girl and fair expression.
Bregareth has a kind face and a rather long hair as well. The boy is scarred from his cheek to the right edge of his mouth.
Role: Offspring of Grimbeorn, prisoners in the orc camps near the Mirkwood.
Alignment: Beornings.
History: The twins were born sixteen years ago in the middle of a freezing winter. They were called “Spring Herald” as that terrible blizzard ended only sme days after they arrived to the world. Both already had their first transformation, and Bregareth has the unique feature of transforming into a Grey-haired bear, an oversized cub. After the war broke out and Carrokburg was taken, they failed to make their way out of the city and were captured by the orcs, among other freefolk. They were spared from the arbitrary executions that took place that day, though that has scarred them both in their minds, and Bregareth in his face, as he was brutally beaten that day. Afterwards they took hiding among other slaves, and receiving their aid in concealing their status. Both seek a way to escape their captivity.
Other: Fiorith is skilled in manipulating other people through words and arguments. Though orcs are difficult, she is even able to use some of their vices to have them do what she wants, from time to time. Bregareth has anger management issues.

WIP

WIP

WIP

WIP

Seems reasonable to me. Accepted. Looking forward to seeing your Houses fleshed out.

Great. Time to plan out alliances in order to kick some orcs out of my land.

Think Im gonna open with a description of the slaughter of Skinchangers during the Sack of Carrokburg.

[G-Tech Corporation]

Seems reasonable to me. Accepted. Looking forward to seeing your Houses fleshed out.

Great. Time to plan out alliances in order to kick some orcs out of my land.

Think Im gonna open with a description of the slaughter of Skinchangers during the Sack of Carrokburg.

Sure, that sounds reasonable. They're probably Misty Mountains Orcs, not Orcs from Mordor (as my forces haven't gotten that far north), but I look forward to reading it.

[Aliasa]

Wow, it's been dead a long time then... Well, at least someone's bringing it back, I'm greatful for that. Even though I wasn't involved in it before. I've actually only been on NS I think a little over a month.

Hah, yeah. We're mostly old hands, but happy to have you.

Thank you! I'm happy to be here.

[G-Tech Corporation]

Hah, yeah. We're mostly old hands, but happy to have you.

Thank you! I'm happy to be here.

I was thinking to deploy the Bleeder with the Mordor force marching south from Minas Tirith to defeat Gondor's reinforcements. Does that work for you, or would you prefer a different role?

[Discords Equstria]

Third age?


Tagged regardless!

[Aliasa]

Thank you! I'm happy to be here.

I was thinking to deploy the Bleeder with the Mordor force marching south from Minas Tirith to defeat Gondor's reinforcements. Does that work for you, or would you prefer a different role?

Yeah that's fine with me, boss.

[G-Tech Corporation]

Third age?


Tagged regardless!

For sure. War of the Ring, all that jazz.

[Discords Equstria]

Third age?


Tagged regardless!

For sure. War of the Ring, all that jazz.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm all in for the war of the ring. It's just.....Overdone? Well, I suppose that's not the case when done properly, which this hopefully is.

Hmm...Thinking of reserving Saruman and Isengard...Or maybe just a single Rhunic character.