Origin and Names of the Nine

[ImmortalKings]

One of them, the second in rank after the Lord of the Nazgûl himself, was named Khamûl, and also known as the Black Easterling. This is the only one of the nine Nazgûl explicitly named by Tolkien.



This may come as a surprise if you've come across one of the many sources that list a set of names of the other eight: Murazor (the Witch-king himself), Dwar, Ji Indur, Akhorahil, Hoarmurath, Adunaphel, Ren and Uvatha. These names are common across the Web, and often have detailed biographies to go with them. They're also consistent with what Tolkien had to say about the origins of the Nazgûl: in the Akallabêth it is stated '...among those whom he ensnared with the Nine Rings three were great lords of Númenórean race', and indeed three of these names are Númenórean in form: Murazor, Akhorahil and Adunaphel.

None of these eight names, though, have their origins in Tolkien's own work. Instead, they come from a series of role-playing and trading card games produced by Iron Crown Enterprises. The names of Murazor, Dwar and the rest emerged from the unavoidable need for these games to develop and expand Tolkien's universe to meet the needs of the gaming fraternity. The games' popularity accounts for the regular appearance of the names, to the extent that they're now frequently presented as the 'true' names of the remaining eight Nazgûl. Some readers have even suggested that these names are so widely accepted that they should be considered the de facto names for the eight otherwise unnamed Ringwraiths. On a personal level, or in the context of the games that spawned the names, this isn't an unreasonable approach: if Tolkien never told us the name of, say, the Witch-king, there seems little obvious harm in imagining that his name was originally Murazor (or anything else, for that matter). Things become a little more problematic where the names are published without explanation: we receive plenty of e-mail from puzzled readers trying to work out which of Tolkien's books the names come from.

[Dunedain87]

IK--

You are da MAN! Thanks for the info. (You know how addicted to this stuff I am...)

I had stumbled across numerous sites ovef the past year or two that confirm everything you have posted. Either the names were listed without any references to Tolkien, or the names seemed associated with some role playing or video game series.

But, the same names have cropped up in so many locations that I was starting to believe that there was something official about them. Murazor, Akhorahil and Adunaphel were indeed the only names directly attributable to Tolkien that I had found.

But, the names just SOUND so cool! I just wish that Tolkien had been able to give us more information on these 9 kings, who they ruled, their backstories, how the Witchking began studying witchcraft, who influenced him (if not Sauron) and how it led to his fall-- and, of course how Sauron might have first ensnared them with the 9 Rings. An entire book could have been written just on the Nine.

Some of those cultures who were entrapped by Sauron, according to Tolkien, actually gave in to him not because they wanted to, but because they were afraid of the consequences. I've often wondered if the Nine were ever regretful for their evil deeds which led to their entrapment. The most interesting thought (to me) is that if the 9 were Numenorean in origin, they or their forefathers would have had to be among the Faithful who returned to Middle-earth, so they at least started out as being basically "good" men.

Other rhetorical queries:

Who did the 9 rule in their farier days?
What were their kingdoms/regions?
Since they relationship with the Dunedain must have been at least civil initially, there must be some amazing untold story of the sundering of the Dunes and the other Numes.

[Ar-Pharazon]

Originally Posted by Dunedain87

The most interesting thought (to me) is that if the 9 were Numenorean in origin, they or their forefathers would have had to be among the Faithful who returned to Middle-earth, so they at least started out as being basically "good" men.

I don't think this is necessarily true. For many years, the 'King's Men' came to the shores of Middle Earth, extracting tribute from the people there, and acting as their overlords. Even in the days of the reign of Ar Pharazon, it's said that they had fortresses on the coasts, and each fortress had a temple in which men from Middle Earth were sacrificed to Morgoth. I believe these remnants of the 'bad' side of Numenor were those who became known as the 'Black Numenoreans'.

[Fingolfin]

I don't think the fact that they turned into the Ringwraiths or were even "seduced" by Sauron's rings suggests that they were either bad or good men in the beginning. They could have been either, as rings of power seem to have a transformative and seductive effect even on the most noble and strong minded beings. No wonder Gandalf shuddered at even handling the one ring. I realize that someone could argue that these rings were not the One Ring and therefore their power should not be compared to that ring(and therefore by extension suggest that these Kings were somehow weak of mind, or inclined to evil, etc). But I'm not sure it has ever been explained how these rings were supposed to work. Perhaps they were designed to enslave almost immediately, which almost negates any speculation about these king/men's original character. Who knows?
By the way, does anyone know whether these kings were supposed to be contemporaries? That seems like a lot of kings spread over Middle Earth at once.

[Dunedain87]

Originally Posted by Ar-Pharazon

I don't think this is necessarily true. For many years, the 'King's Men' came to the shores of Middle Earth, extracting tribute from the people there, and acting as their overlords. Even in the days of the reign of Ar Pharazon, it's said that they had fortresses on the coasts, and each fortress had a temple in which men from Middle Earth were sacrificed to Morgoth. I believe these remnants of the 'bad' side of Numenor were those who became known as the 'Black Numenoreans'.

Ar-Pharazon- let me try to better clarify what I meant by "basically good". It could either mean those who were The Faithful or it could mean those who were among the Faithful (I should have emphasized this word earlier to qualify its context). They were not necessarily faithful themselves, but might have had their own evil slant prior to their overt submission to Sauron.

What you've posted makes perfect sense. I also found this on Middle-earth Online:

3320 Second Age: The Dunedain of Umbar also fell to the influence of Sauron and became known as the Black Númenoreans.

Originally Posted by Fingolfin

I don't think the fact that they turned into the Ringwraiths or were even "seduced" by Sauron's rings suggests that they were either bad or good men in the beginning.

This also fits right in to what I was saying. Not everyone who survived the Fall of Numenor and made it back to Middle-earth was necessarily "good". Also, not every human left Middle-earth for Numenor. What I was saying was that I'd like to know how these guys either went from "good to bad" or from "bad to worse", whatever that story might be. It's just not explained and my curiosity sometimes gets the best of me.

I do confess that keeping up with where all the human cultures were from the time they awoke in Middle-earth until the end of the Second Age has not been my area of expertise. I would like to start a journal to annotate The Complete History of Men in Middle-earth according to Tolkien, and then weigh the various scholar spec along with it. Not a small project by any definition...

Thanks for the info.. Please don't hesitate to post any other info should you have a moment...

Happy Holidays.

[ImmortalKings]

Here is some more info.

In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth, the Black Númenóreans were a people of Númenórean descent who were hostile to Gondor.

Their origin was in the later Second Age. Enamoured of power over lesser Men, the majority of Númenóreans took to calling themselves the 'King's Men', as distinguished from 'Elendili', or 'Elf-freinds', who continued to defy thier monarch by welcoming the Eldar from overseas, or visiting them in Middle-earth.

Many of them settled in Middle-earth, mainly in Umbar and surrounding coastal regions, as well as more southerly ports on the coasts of Belegaer: far away from the Elves of Edhellond and Lindon to the north.

All the 'King's Men', ultimately became corrupted by Sauron, who turned them to the worship of Melkor in the last days of Númenor. After the Downfall of Númenor, they became known as Black Númenóreans;

..for in the days of the sojourn of Sauron in that land the hearts of well nigh all its people had been turned towards darkness. Therefore many of those who sailed east in that time and made fortresses and dwellings upon the coasts were already bent to his will, and they served him still gladly in Middle-Earth. (from 'Of the Rings Of Power and the Third Age, part of 'The Silmarillion').

Two early Black Númenórean lords are named from the time of the late The Second Age : Herumor and Fuinur. They "rose to power amongst the Haradrim", the people to the south of Gondor. Their fate is unknown, but they likely shared Sauron's defeat at the hands of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men.

The triumph of the Last Alliance had far reaching consequences for the Black Numenoreans:

After the fall of Sauron their race swiftly dwindled or became merged with the Men of Middle-earth, but they inherited without lessening their hatred of Gondor. (from 'Appendix A' of 'The Lord of the Rings').

Nevertheless, the Black Numenoreans of Umbar, even after being exiled from their city for 82 years, continued to exercise much influence over the Haradwaith well into The Third Age: in 1015 T.A.,

..the Men of Harad, led by the lords that had been driven from Umbar, came up with great power against that stronghold.. (from 'Appendix A' of 'The Lord of the Rings').

The Black Númenórean style of governing was no doubt tyrannical, but may also have involved a tradition of duumviracy, at least in Umbar, who's lords are always paired when mentioned; Herumor/Fuinur for example, and much later Angamaite/Sangahyando. They did not speak Westron, but probably retained their old tongue Adûnaic, speaking a dialect of it. (In The Notion Club Papers, part of Sauron Defeated, Arundel Lowdham cited two descendants of classical Adûnaic. One of these must have been Westron, the other the tongue of Umbar.

The Black Númenóreans disappear from recorded history after their defeat by Ciryaher in 1050 T.A., but a population of sorts must have survived somewhere at least into the late Third Age, as The Mouth of Sauron, who mocked the army of King Elessar in front of the Black Gate of the Morannon, was a Black Númenórean.

The proverbial Queen Berúthiel was too (if from an apparently more Gondor-freindly faction), as were three of the dreadful Ringwraiths.

Follow the links in this post as well. You'll find some amazing info, I bet you'll love.

[Finrod]

Originally Posted by Dunedain87

The most interesting thought (to me) is that if the 9 were Numenorean in origin, they or their forefathers would have had to be among the Faithful who returned to Middle-earth, so they at least started out as being basically "good" men.

Remember, not all of them are Numenorian. If I'm not mistaken only 3 are.

A quote from the Silmarillion.

Yet Sauron was ever guileful, and its is said that among those whom he ensnared with the Nine Rings three were great lords of Númenórean race.

[Dunedain87]

Originally Posted by Finrod

Remember, not all of them are Numenorian. If I'm not mistaken only 3 are.

No, you're not at all mistaken, and your quote from the Sil was spot on, in fact. The three names in question were the ones I was familiar with. I just wasn't up on the history of all the others.

It is a fascinating topic, though.

[Anglachel]

Nice work IK.

[ImmortalKings]

Ok now this has peaked my interest.
I just read a blurb that the Witch-King was indeed a Prince of the Royal House of Numenor before he was a wraith.

I must dig!!

BTW, thanks Anglachel.

[ImmortalKings]

Though this isn't Tolkien's work, it does make an interesting side of things. For lack of no other information on their backgrounds. I can find no mention of such things in the books but what we already know.



Er-Mûrazor - The Witch-King - Lord of the Nazgûls

Er-Mûrazor ("Black Prince") was a Númenórean Prince, the second son of a King Tar-Ciryatan (Quenya: "Ship Builder") and the younger brother of Tar-Atanamir the Great. He was born in the year S.A 1820 and given the name Tindomul (Quenya: "Twilight Son"), for he was born during a solar eclipse and his hair was blacker than any they had ever seen. Like his brother, however, he was exceptionally proud and was a fierce supporter of Númenórean intrests. Fiery and given to rash aggression, Er-Mûrazor became embroiled in the campaigns of rapid conquest in Middle-earth.

The black prince went to Barad-dûr during the first week of the second age 1883 and became a pupil of the Lord of the Rings. During the next one hundred and fifteen years, he expanded his knowledge of enchantments and spell-casting, becoming an exceedingly powerful Sorcerer. His knowledge of the Black Arts was second only to Saurons, and he quickly rose to become the Evil one´s most trusted lieutenant. Finally, he fell pray to the Dark Lord´s promises of wealth, power and immortality, and he submited his spirit to his master, who gave him a Ring of Power in the second age, 1998. The Black Prince was known thereafter as the Witch-King or the Lord of Morgul.



Khamûl The Easterling - The Second in Command

He was born in easternmost Endor in 1744, second age, Komûl was the eldest son of Mûl Tanûl, the high Lord of the Womaw. Khamôl appeared at Barad-Dûr in Mordor around year 2000, second age. He was known thereafter as Khamûl, in accordance witn the Black Speech pronunciation of his given name. While at the Dark Tower, he served Sauron as the Master of the hold, and his responsiobilites included administering the maintenance of the Citadel and its garrison. The wardship remained in his capable hands until SA 3350, when Ûrzahil of Umbar became the Mouth of Sauron and the Lieutenant of the Tower.

Khamûl fled Mordor when Sauron was captured in 3262 but returned in the year of 3400. The Easterling remained in Mordor during the war of the Last Alliance (SA 3429-3441). When the Dark tower fell in SA 3441, the Nazgûl met the vangard of the Elven host and fought a long, brutal melee. Unprotected, Sauron was forced to engage his foes in personal combat. This proved to be his undoing for, although he slew both Elendil the Tall and il-galad, the Evil one lost his One Ring (and his finger) in the fray, and his spirit passed into the Shadow World. The second age ended as the Nazgûl went into exile with Sauron, which lasted over a thousand years.

Khamûl briefly took up residence with Sauron at the citadel of Dol-Guldur in southen Mirkwood as they slowly rebuilded their strength. In the third age, Khamûl accompanied the other eight in the surprise assault against Minas Ithil. Two years later they took the surrounded city and captured the Palantír. Minas Ithil bacame the home of the Ringwraiths and was henceforth called Minas Morgul. During Saurons last stay at Dol-Guldur Khamûls warriors captured the Dwarf Lord Thraín II and took his Ring of power. During his last year of imprisonment he managed to give Gandalf the key to the side entry into Erebor ("Lonely Mountain") In 3017 the Hobbit Gollum was captured and Sauron came to know how the Ring was found. Later Gollum came in the hands of Aragon and was held by the elves in northen Mirkwood. Khamûl and Adûnaphel led the Orcs of Dol-Guldur in an attempt to crush the Silvan Elves and recapture Gollum, but the Elves inflicted heavy damage on Khamûls underlings and eventually Gollum escaped on his own.

Khamûl rode with the other eight Black Riders to Gladden Fields (where Gollum found the Ring in the river) hoping to find the Shire. But they only found deserted settlements of the Stoors, and quickly realized that it must be in Eriador. They skirted Loríen and rode through Rohan, up the Greenway, with took them to the land of the Hobbits. In the Green Hill Country, Khamûls keen sense of smell nearly uncovered Frodos hiding place below the road. Following the defeat at Rivendell, Khamûl and Adûnaphel retured to Dol-Guldur and prepared for the war.



Dwar of Waw - Third of the Nine

Dendra Dwar was born in the village Horm on Waw, the Isle of Dogs, is Second age 1949. In the year 1965 the evil K´prur from Hent landed on Waw and burt the village, killing most of the people, including Dwar´s father Dendra Wim. Dwar escaped and sailed north to Wõl, the warlike realm of the mainland Wõlim tribes. Dwar realized that his own people possessed neither skill nor the arms to defeat Hent, so Dwar learned the ways of the forest and the field, and became an able warrior. Dwar´s fascination with warcraft did not prevent him from seeking a more powerful means of exacting his revenge, and is 1969 he entered an school devoted to ancient magical arts. Studying under the priest Embra Slil, Dwar became a mage.

After the return and victory over Hent, the now called "Dog-king", established himself as the High-Lord of the Isles and refused to reconvene the Elder Councils. In order to satiate his desire for power and vengeance, Dwar proclaimed that he was heir to all surrounding islands and costal realms. All of the islands between Waw and mainland- as well as the great Avar Elven isle of Címóníemor to the south -were incorporated into Dwar´s Kingdom. The Lord of Dogs reached the height of his power and poised his minions for the assault on Hent.

Slowly Dendra Dwar vanished. His soul consumed by greed and hatred, Dwar of Waw accepted the offer of imortality and took a Ring of Power from Sauron of Mordor. In the time to come, war and pludering raged and peace came only after Dwar´s departure for Mordor in Second Age 2250.

From 2250 to 3262, Dwar lived at Barad-dûr in the Black Land where he bred the War-wolfes of Mordor. The offspring of his labour haunted Endor for centuries to come, but when the Númenóreans captured Sauron, Dwar fled back to Waw. Dwar returned to Mordor in 3320, a year after the Lord of the Rings returned to the Dark Tower. Dwar resumed his work, preparing for the oncoming struggle against the Dúnadan successor states of Arnor and Gondor. Dwar himself followed the fate of Sauron, so when Barad-dûr fell and the Evil One lost the ruling Ring, Dwar passed with his master to the shadows.

Dwar reformed and reawakened in Third age 1051. While briefly at the side of the Dark Lord in Dol Guldur, he flew east to Waw later the same year. There, he resided for the next five hundred and eighty-nine years. Sauron recalled Dwar to the west in 1640. His work done in the east, the Dog-Lord went into Mordor with the rest of the Úlari and began to prepare the realm for the Evil One´s eventual reemergence. Dwar remained in the Black Land until the year 2000, when he participated in the Nazgûls capture of Minas Morgul. He lodged in the captured capital of Ithilien until 2063.

Dwar returned to Mordor when Sauron abandoned Dol Guldur and reentered the Black Land. The Nazgûl joined in the rebuilding of Barad-dûr that began in 2951. When his work there ended, he returned to breeding wolves and hounds. Dwar´s next task, like those of the other Ringwraiths, focused on recovering the Ruling Ring. He accompained his fellow Black Riders into the Anduin Valley, through Rohan and on into Eriador. Dwar went north with the Which-King and four others through Andrath to Bree. Soon thereafter, Ûvatha departed to join Khamûl and the other Riders , but Dwar, the Which-King, Akhôrahil, Indûr and Ren attacked the company on Weathertop and succeeded in wounding Frodo.


Jí Indûr Dawndeath - Fourth of the Nine

Indûr Dawndeath was born Jí Indûr in the city of Korlan in S.A 1955. heir to the fortune of welthiest family in the Kiran republic, he was the youngest man ever elected govonor in any of the realms six districts.

He worked for the creation of a central government which could contest the growing might of Nûmenor. Indûr slowly accumulated support among the wealthy merchants and warriors , as well as among the nearby Elves. But after the realm was on the threshold of war and as riots began to burst out, Indûr fled east to Mûmakan.

Sauron´s agents had resied in the home of the Mûmakil since the mid-eighteenth century, S.A, and Jí Indûr´s cordial relations with the Dark Lords´s minions enabled him to find a refuge after his overthrow. The tall Kiran povided the Lord of the Rings an opportunity to further his sordid goals in the Far South, while Sauron offered the exiled king a new throne. This heinous pact doomed the Mûmakani. The Evil One gave Indûr a Ring of Power in S.A 2001, and later the same year the Ringwraith captured the throne of Mûmalan on behalf of his evil mentor.

Jí Indûr was crowned Jí Amaav II of Mûmakan. Ruling from the holy city of Amaru, Indûr united the semi-nomadic tribes and laid plans for further conquest. His reign lasted 1261 years, during which the Mûmakni became a corrupt people. Indûr returned to the Middle-earth around T.A 1050 and spent the next two centuries regaining his strength on the isle of E-Sorul Sare.

During the rest of the Third Age, he stayed at Mordor (1640-2000) or at Minas Morgul (2000-2460 and 2941-3019). He traveled with the Witch King in the search for the One Ring in T.A 3018, encountering the company on Weathertop and losing his mount during the confrontation at the Bruinen Ford. Later, he oversaw the preparations for the Mûmakil assault during the ill-fated campain against Minas Tirith. His end came after the skirmish with the great Eagles over the battle of Morannon, for as Indûr and the other Fell Riders flew to intercept the Hobbits at Mount Doom, they became engulfed in the destruction resulting from the unmaking of the One Ring. Thus, the shadow of the South disappeared from Eä.


Akhôrahil - The Fifth

Akhôrahil, the second of the fallen Númenórean Lords to fall under the enduring spell of Sauron´s Ruling Ring, was born at a manor overlooking the waters of Nísinen i S.A 1888. An obviously brilliant young man, Akhôrahil was spoiled at an early age, for his family enjoyed great wealth and reaped many of the benefits derived from Tar-Ciryatan´s aggressive overseas pludering.

In S.A 1904 the family sailed east to the haven of Hyarn in southwest Endor. Akhôrahil loved the new land and reveld in the virtually absolute power his father wielded over the subject peoples of the area. Unfortunately, the young man´s thirst for wealth and power spurred him to covet his father´s throne. Each year of waiting hurt more than the last. Then, in year S.A 1918, Akhôrahil acted upon his desires. Signing a perverse pact with an aged Haradan Preist, he exchanged his eyes for two great gems - the eyes of the well. These artifacts enabled him to cast deadly spells and to become the most powerful Sorcerer in the realm. Akhôrahil acquired control of his father´s mind and instilled such despair that King Ciryamir took his own life.

Physically blind, but capable of magically sensing things like a seeing man, Akhôrahil ascended the throne of Ciryatandor on the first day of S.A 1919. he proclaimed himself the Storm King and married his sister Akhôraphil within a week. Securely in control, the blind Sorcerer proceeded to arm his young kingdom and conquer the neighboring lands along the southern edge of Far Harad.

The campains waged by Akhôrahil incited the Lord of the Rings to move against Ciryatandor. A sage emissary journeyed south from Mordor, offering the black Númenórean a wealth of knowledge regarding magic and bearing the unlikely promise of immortality. Excited, the blind Sorcerer agreed to ascribe to the Dark Lord´s secretive treaty. The pact between Ciryatandor and Mordor was sealed when Akhôrahil accepted the Ring of Power from Sauron is S.A 2000. Thus the Storm King became the fifth Lord of Men to become a Nazgûl.

Akhôrahil took form again in Middle-earth around T.A 1050. Starting in T.A 1640, after slowly rebuilding the Dark Lord´s strongholds on the adjoining plateau of Nûrn, the Blind Lord recieved a visit from the Witch-king in T.A 1975. The Lord of the Nazgûl arrived in Mordor after the fall of his kingdom in Angmar earlier that year. He gathered the Úlari and plotted the final moves required to secure their master´s home. During the next twenty-five years, they assembled their forces and laid the plans to surprise the Dúnadan city at Minas Ithil.

The fell riders struck in T.A 2000, startling the valiant Gondorian garrison but failing to take the city. A two year siege ensued. Culminating with a tremendous melee before the shattered gates of the marble-walled town, the last battle claimed every remaining defender. Minas Ithil and its Palantír fell into the hands of the Ringwraiths in T.A 2002, therby ending any hold the South Kingdom retained over Mordor. From then onward, the moonlit city was called Minas Morgul. Akhôrahil stayed in Minas Morgul until the end of the Third Age. Although he frequently journeyed to both Luglûrak in Nûrn and Barad-dûr in Gorgoroth, the Storm King kept to the side of his captain, the Witch-king. Although only fifth in rank among the nine, Akhôrahil became the Witch-king´s most valued lieutenant.



Hoarmûrath of Dír - Sixth of he Nine

Hoarmûrath was born in the forest of Dír in the land of Urd in SA 1954. His home, one of the northenmost settled domains in all of Endor, spawned a rugged race of hunters and trappers. His mother, Emûrath of Uab, commanded the allegience of most of the Urd clans, and served as the matriarch of the Uradar until her death in the Umli wars (SA 1962/75).

Hoarmûrath´s sister Amûrath replaced her according to the Urd matriline. As brother of the queen and uncle to her heir, he enjoyed the highest status accorded a male of the Urdar.Hoarmûrath´s close relations to the Avar Elves to the south, however, influenced his views and set him on a course of rebellion against his family and Urd traditions. The Avari taught him much about magic and power, and opened the young Animist´s eyes to the ways of the rest of Middle-earth. In time, Hoarmûrath quarreled with his sister and preached war, hoping to extract valuable territories from the Myri and Angcla tribes. A struggle followed and Hoarmûrath´s henchmen slew his sister.

Rather than face the penalty of death, Hoarmûrath proclaimed himself the first King of Urd. Supported by Avar warriors, he crushed the opposition and slaughtered the Urd Priestesses. In SA 1992 he became the Lord of the Urdar. Hoarmûrath ruled much of the great wooded territory between the Northen seas. Avari groups retained their dominition and extended their influence with the Ice King´s aid, but the union soon gave way to bitterness. Elven immortality and wealth haunted Hoarmûrath, and the Urdar turned on their allies is SA 1999.

Two great battles followed, but both resulted in Avar victories. Desperate, the King of Urd invited help from Sauron of Mordor. The Lord of the Rings sent Khamûl to the court of the Ice King in SA 2000. The Easterling - still fair-seeming and glowing with the power of his own Ring - approached his future compatriot with the gift of a Ring of Power and the prospect of eternal life. Enamored of the Evil One´s offering, Hoarmûrath accepted the Ring and fell under the sway of the Shadow. He became the sixth King of Men to become an Úlair.

Hoarmûrath´s new price invigorated him. Two years after Khamûls visit, the Urdar were stronger than ever, and the Ice King led his army southward. The war in the Woods (SA 2002-2053) ended with an Avar retreat, leaving Hoarmûrath with a vast kingdom. His long reign as Sauron´s client established a new order in northeastern Endor. Once his kingdom and successor seemed sure, the Lord of the Rings called the Ringwraith to Mordor. The need to confront the growing might of Númenor outweight any considerations the Dark Lord reserved for the North. For the next one thousand and eleven years, Hoarmûrath resided in Mordor beside the Evil One.

He oversaw the constructions of the defenses surrounding Udûn, including the the Gates of Mordor. After the downfall of Númenor and the Dark Lord´s return in SA 3319, Hoarmûrath flew back to Mordor and participated in the campaigns waged by Sauron´s troops in Rhovanion. With Barad-dûr´s fall in SA 3431, Hoarmûrath passed into the Shadows when the Lords of the Last Alliance entered the Dark Tower and overthrew Sauron at the end of the Second Age.

Hoarmûrath retured to Middle-earth in Third Age 1050. Entering his ancient hold in the Forest of Dír, he slowly reassured his strength and refounded his lost kingdom. Sauron (who then resided at Dol Guldur in Rhovanion) sent eight of the Nazgûl (those other than the Witch-King, who stayed in Angmar) into the Black Land. Hoarmûrath joined the other Ûlari in Mordor, where they quietly prepared the land for the return of the Lord of the Rings. All of the Nine gathered upon the return of the Witch-king to Mordor in TA 1975. Assembling for the surprise assault on Minas Ithil in TA 2000, they stormed the stronghold that served as the last bastion of Gondorian guardianship. Ithilien´s capital became Minas Morgul, and served thereafter as the hold of the Ringwraiths. Its prized Palantír eventually went to Barad-dur.

The Lord of the Rings left his threatened fortress at Dol Guldur in TA 2941 and returned to Mordor. Ten years later, his minions began rebuilding the Dark Tower, and three of the Ringwraiths flew back to Dol Guldur to reopen the citadel. Hoarmûrath stayed in Minas Morgul, but soon turned to the search for the One Ring. Hoarmûrath rode with the other eight Black Riders up the Nan Anduin in hope of finding the Shire near the Gladden Fields. Failing to fing the Shire, they turned south , skirted Lórien, and rode through Rohan and past Isengard into Eriador.

Their search took them up the Greenway to Tharbard and beyond to the crossroads in old Cardolan that served as the junction with the road to the land of the Hobbits. There, Hoarmûrath, Adûnaphel and Khamûl split from the others and rode toward the Stone Ford. As the three headed into the Shire´s south farthing and on to Sackville, the Witch-King and the other Riders went directly north toward Andrath and Bree.



Adûnaphel The Quiet - Seventh of the Nine

Adûnaphel was born in her uncle Adûnazil´s home on Númenor´s North Cape in Forostar in the year SA 1823. Her family possessed noble blood and owned extensive lands in Forostar and Orrostar. Even as a young child, she was recoginized as being exeptionally beautiful, but her youth was scarred by the death of her very old father (Adûnahil) and she dwelled in remorse for many years. Adûnaphel´s despair over her father´s death and the blame she attributed to her mother contributed to her fervent support of her uncle´s small "Adûnaic" fraction in the court of Tar-Ciryatan

Like Adûnazil and his ally Prince Tindomul (Er-Mûrazôr, the future Witch-king), Adûnaphel sought to sever Westernesse´s close ties with the Elves, in hope that the Edain could build along their own cultural line and expand their military and economic strength. Her ultimate hope, of course, was to see Númenórean dominion over all men. This drove her to leave Númenor is SA 1914.

Adûnaphel sought her own crown, but no such opportunity existed in her homeland. She followed the course of many of her royal allies and went to Middle-earth. Landing with her retainers at the haven of Umbar, she erected a citadel that became the focus of her expanding domain.





Ren / the Unclean / the Fire King
Rank: 8th in ranking of the Nazguls
Story:
Ren was once the Senechal of Angmar and the right hand of Murazor. Trained in the dark arts by Murazor himself, he is now a horrible creature of darkness and fear.
In the Third Age he was the commander of Barad Ungol. Not much is written about him, but he goes under the nickname "The Fire King". He died later, after the battle of the Morannon, when the One ring slipped into the Crack of Doom on Orodruin.


Ûvatha / the Horseman
Rank: 9th in ranking of the Nazguls
Story:
Originally a Variag from Khand, Ûvatha was, like all his people, a great horseman. He fought in civil war in his native Khand and eventually united all the tribes under his own rule. He accepted the gift of the ring of power shortly after achieving this. The Variags were useful allies to the Dark-lord protecting his eastern and south-eastern borders and were later to prove a valuable addition to the armies of Mordor, their fearsome and bloodthirsty reputation alone striking terror into the hearts of many of their enemies. When Sauron fell at the end of the Second Age Ûvatha also passed into the shadow, but re-appeared along with the Dark-lord after a thousand years or so. He re-established his rule of Khand and expanded his kingdom into northern Harad. He took part in the Nazgul attack on Minas Ithil, and re-occupied the tower of Sorcery when Sauron had moved to Mordor. He was sent by Sauron to seek the One ring and along with others of the Nine caught up with the Hobbits at the ford of the Bruinen. He perished later, after the battle of the Morannon, when the One ring slipped into the Crack of Doom on Orodruin.

[Dunedain87]

IK--

Now, your scaring the children!!

Thanks for the thorough info. The thing that keeps me going with all this stuff is an endless curiosity. Even though the info is not directly from Tolkien, it really does feed the imagination. I just think the very concept of the Ringwraith is SO ultra cool.

Very nice post!! Thanks again!!

[ImmortalKings]

LOL, I've gone mad. MAD I TELL YOU!!!!

[Jimli]

Originally Posted by ImmortalKings

Adûnaphel The Quiet - Seventh of the Nine

Adûnaphel was born in her uncle Adûnazil´s home on Númenor´s North Cape in Forostar in the year SA 1823. Her family possessed noble blood and owned extensive lands in Forostar and Orrostar. Even as a young child, she was recoginized as being exeptionally beautiful, but her youth was scarred by the death of her very old father (Adûnahil) and she dwelled in remorse for many years. Adûnaphel´s despair over her father´s death and the blame she attributed to her mother contributed to her fervent support of her uncle´s small "Adûnaic" fraction in the court of Tar-Ciryatan

Like Adûnazil and his ally Prince Tindomul (Er-Mûrazôr, the future Witch-king), Adûnaphel sought to sever Westernesse´s close ties with the Elves, in hope that the Edain could build along their own cultural line and expand their military and economic strength. Her ultimate hope, of course, was to see Númenórean dominion over all men. This drove her to leave Númenor is SA 1914.

Adûnaphel sought her own crown, but no such opportunity existed in her homeland. She followed the course of many of her royal allies and went to Middle-earth. Landing with her retainers at the haven of Umbar, she erected a citadel that became the focus of her expanding domain.

Ok, so if I read this correctly, one of the 9 Kings of Men is actually a woman?

Very interesting.

[Finrod]

Originally Posted by Jimli

Ok, so if I read this correctly, one of the 9 Kings of Men is actually a woman?

Very interesting.

I doubt any of them are womens. The info IK posted is not from Tolkien himself.