Cardolan: Land of the Barrows

The southeastern border of Cardolan followed the Gwathló and the Mitheithel to the Last Bridge. From there its boundary followed the Great East Road westward to the Brandywine Bridge, and then down the Baranduin to the Sea and thence to the mouth of the Gwathló. However, Cardolan also claimed the land between Bree and the Weather Hills. Notable features within Cardolan were the Old Forest, the Barrow-downs, the South Downs, and the Greenway. The lands of Cardolan, like its people, are quite diverse. Within its borders one can find deep and ancient forests, rocky coasts, rolling hills arrayed like lines of massive, ruddy warriors, and some of the richest farmland in all of Eriador. However, most of the landscape is dominated by slowly rolling, treeless grassland, a bleakness offset only by the teeming city of Tharbad, the Queen of the North. The Kingdom of Cardolan encompasses all of the lands between the Rivers Brandywine, Greyflood, and Hoarwell (all known by their Elven names: Baranduin, Gwathló, and Mitheithel) as far as the Great East Road as it passed south of Bree and Amon-Sul. This forms an area roughly six hundred miles long by one hundred and fifty across. The Old North Road, or Iaur Men Formen, cuts down across Cardolan from Fornost, turning southeast to reach Tharbad. The Redway, or Men Ceren, enters Cardolan at Sarn Ford and joins the North Road at Metraith. Taking the road from Sarn Ford to Tharbad one actually follows the edge of the Eriadoran upland, barely discernible here as it merges with the coastal hills and river flood plains. It divides Cardolan fairly neatly into two geographic zones: Minhiriath (S. "Region of the Streams") to the southwest and Mintyrnath (S. "Region of the Downs") to the northeast. In the Elder Days, Cardolan was covered by the Taur Druinod, the primordial forest that then spread over all of southern Eriador and beyond. The Eriadoran coastal plain extended considerably farther to the south and west to become the southern most extension of ancient Beleriand. When these lands sank beneath the ocean at the end of the Elder Days, all that was left of this mysterious, magichaunted region was the Dark Cape (S. "Rast Vorn") and its Dark Woods (S. "Eryn Vorn"), the Old Forest (S. "Taur Iaur") on the middle Baranduin, and the less enchanted woods that still spread over most of Minhiriath. The great forests of Minhiriath were destroyed during the Eriadoran-Númenorean wars of the mid-Second Age, and the subsequent erosion turned the land into much bleaker silvan woodland and moors. The most fertile areas of Cardolan in later years were those that were regularly renewed by the annual flooding of its great rivers, and it is there that most of the population came to live.

Structure

The nobles of Cardolan were originally the conquerors and administrators of the old Númenórean colonies of the Second Age. These offices and lands became hereditary baronies and principalities (S. "Hirdyr") during the many administrative changes of their long colonial history. Only three of the seven Great Families emerging from that period and remaining through the time of the kingdom of Arnor still retain their ancient castles, lands, and autonomy in this century. The Númenórean soldiers who led the armies of the colonial conquests gradually evolved into the lower nobility of Cardolan—-the Requain Inor or gentry, similar to their counterparts in Arthedain. The Dúnedain gentry of Cardolan still maintain a lifestyle reminiscent of ancient Númenor. Their rural and agricultural life centers around great stone villas which form the centers of sprawling manors. The villas are usually built of marble or alabaster and set on hilltops. They consist of large two-storied houses with extensive courtyards that were once enclosed by elegant pillars, and now by sturdy walls. Once the men devoted themselves to hunting, praying, and other idle pleasures, while their women managed the household with its herb and vegetable gardens. Now, the remaining Dúnedain are local warlords, governing their people and overseeing the administrative needs of the villages that have sprung up under the protection of their walls. Despite these demands, the Dúnedain still enjoy a life of some comfort and learning. Most speak Sindarin and Northron (the local northern dialect of Westron) along with a smattering of Adûnaic and Dunael. Old Cardolan possesses another group of Dúnedain who form the elite of the urban mercantile and artisan classes filling thecraft guilds of Tharbad. The Princes of Cardolan, whether they have gone by the titles of Protectors, Governors, Barons (S. "Hiri"), or Princes (S. "Irnil"), have almost always maintained a considerable degree of autonomy. They have however now finally been quelled by King Arveleg I under his new administration. While the kingdom of Cardolan endured, the King's position was generally first among equals amidst his feudal lords. Therefore, Tarcil II instituted the Council of the Scepter, which included all of the Princes. The function of the Council was to obtain their advice and consent. The King's Chancellor was often included in the Council, and a skilled Chancellor could greatly enhance the King's prerogative, as few of the Princes had any taste for the mundane bureaucratic details of implementing their decisions. After the fall of the Cardolan monarchy, the office of Canotar (S. "High Commander"; Q. "Kanotar") was created to combine the administrative functions of the Chancellor and the King's former position as Captain of the joint military forces of the realm. As might be expected, this office did not long endure in its intended form. The Princes now honor the King of Arnor and Arthedain as thier sole soverign.

Culture

The first Númenórean sailors came to the lands of Cardolan in the seventh century of the Second Age, and their lords maintained garrisons at Lond Daer and Tharbad intermittently for the next thousand years. Interest in Eriador then increased; the imperialists of Númenor desired the tall trees of the ancient forests as masts for their vast fleets, while those most Faithful to the Valar began to flee the gathering darkness on their glorious island. The early exiles settled mainly in the lands that would become Arthedain, but Tharbad became their chief port, and other Númenórean colonists began to permanently settle there. These colonists slowly expanded the holdings along the Gwathló basin, despite vicious wars with the native Eriadorans. Hundreds of years later, Elendil the Tall, having escaped the Downfall of Númenor with the remaining Faithful, arrived in Eriador. The Dúnedain of Cardolan were quite pleased to be included within the new kingdom of Arnor, as it was the only conceivable support they could find for their still unpopular regimes. The early years of Arnor were very prosperous, despite the horrendous losses of the War of the Last Alliance of Men and Elves. This very prosperity led to slowly increasing tensions among the Dúnedain of Arnor, as those in the southern half of the realm held attitudes similar to their kin in Gondor, displaying a materialism of which the mystically-inclined Northerners disapproved. Therefore, although the division of Arnor was primarily a result of quarrels among the Princes Royal, the Lords of Cardolan were well pleased with the result. They prospered for a rime in the newly independent kingdom of Cardolan, but the internecine wars of the Divided Kingdoms and the struggle with Angmar led to thereunification of the realm in T.A. 1356 along with Rhudaur.

Territories

THE RIVERS On the whole the geography of Cardolan is dominated by the great river valleys on its borders. The Baranduin (S. "Long Gold-brown River") traces a lazy path down from Arthedain to the sea, forming much of the northwestern border of Cardolan. It gets its color, and hence its name, from the rich earth along its banks. The Baranduin is an old river, wide and slow; but it is also shallow, so there is little commerce on its waters and no major ports of note. The Mitheithel (S. "Grey Spring") on Cardolan's eastern frontier is born in the snows and springs of the highlands of Rhudaur. A raging narrow torrent, it is only partially subdued when it is joined by the river Bruinen at the apex of the Angle in southern Rhudaur, where both rivers leave the highlands. It continues on down to the Nin-in-Eilph, the Swanfleet Marshes, just above Tharbad. There the Mitheithel joins the River Glanduin coming out of Eregion, giving birth to the Gwathló (S. "Shadowy River from the Fens"). The Mitheithel can be navigated with difficulty from Tharbad to the Angle, but it is virtually unfordable for its entire course. The Gwathló, on the other hand, is broad and slow river like the Baranduin except during the spring floods. It is deep and can be navigated by ocean-going ships as far as Tharbad. The winds on the Gwathló are predominantly westerly, and the river is full of evershifting mud-banks, so smaller ships and barges ply most of the trade. This trade is considerable, for the sea route to Gondor is much faster than the land route. It has made Tharbad the center of most of the mercantile traffic coming out of the north. The annual flooding on the Gwathlo is much more serious than that of Cardolan's other rivers, especially along its northern bank. After a severe winter, Tharbad may become a virtual island for several weeks during the spring. THE LANDS AND BORDERS Minhiriath, the southwestern half of Cardolan, receives its name for its myriad streams and minor rivers that empty into the Baranduin, the Gwathló, and the sea. Minhiriath can be further divided into four geographic districts: Eryn Vorn (S. "Dark Woods"), the central plain or Saralainn (Du. "Exalted Land"), the Ginthlin Highlands that parallel the south bank of the Baranduin to form the northern rim of the Saralainn, and the Gwathló basin. The Eryn Vorn covers the Rast Vorn, a large peninsula lying to the south of the mouth of the Baranduin. The wood is an ancient forest; the trees themselves seem to share the malice of its aboriginal inhabitants, the Beffraen, both anachronistic survivors of the Elder Days. The Eryn Vorn has remained relatively unexplored throughout the history of Arnor. The central plain, Saralainn, is rolling and relatively featureless, save for its countless rivulets. Areas near streams are reasonably fertile, but most of the country is moorland, fit only for raising sheep. The name Saralainn is attributed in folklore to a particularly glib Dunnish Bard who was promoting settlement in the area and named the land "exalted" as one might name an icy wasteland "green." The highlands of Girithlin rise several hundred feet above Saralainn and the Baranduin valley in a series of gently rolling ridge lines, but aside from sharply sculpted erosion features that seem strangely reminiscent of desert landscapes, they are not distinguishable from the plains. The Gwathló Basin comprises the region that is subject to flooding by that river. It is very narrow nigh to the sea and irregularly spreads until it is almost eighty miles across near Tharbad. The floods are an inconvenience to the region's inhabitants, but the silt endows the floodplain with the richest farmlands in the North. The Gwathló basin serves as the breadbasket of Eriador, though most of its surplus goes to feed Tharbad. Mintyrnath is technically the highland portion of Cardolan. Its most populated region is nonetheless a part of the river valleys around which life in Cardolan has always centered. A substantial chunk of the Gwathló basin extends upriver from Tharbad, where the Mitheithel has carved a narrow floodplain out of the southern edge of the Eriadoran upland. This arable stretch of valley, known to soldiers as the Marches or, more formally, as the Hoarwell Marches, extends up into Rhudaur; it is the traditional path of travel and warfare between the two countries. Above the valley and on the edge of the upland, there is an extensive series of massive, south-facing, rocky bluffs, the Tyrn Hyarmen (S. "South Downs"). The western extension of the South Downs, beyond where the Old North Road runs through the Gap of Andrath towards Bree, is the Tyrn Gorthad, the Barrowdowns, sacred to the Dúnedain as the burial place of the Arnorian kings and their Edain ancestors of the First Age. In the time of the Great Plague, the barrows were cursed and taken over by Barrow-wights, evil spirits summoned by the magic of Angmar. The shepherds and religious communes that once flourished here now make war on the unholy that now festers in thier tombs. Along the Baranduin just upriver from Sarn Ford lies the hilly plateau of the Pinnath Ceren, the red hills that give Cardolan its name, an ancient mining center still a stronghold of Eriadoran independence. Upriver from the Pinnath Ceren, tucked into the northwest corner of Cardolan between the Barrow-downs, the Great East Road, and the Baranduin, is the Old Forest. Like the Eryn Vorn, this is a dark and dangerous place where the trees seem to remember and hate those who destroyed their once innumerable cousins. The home of the mysterious spirit known as Tom Bombadil lies within these woods. He is more commonly known as Orald to the people of Cardolan, though he plays small part in their affairs. The coast of Cardolan around the mouth of the Baranduin is generally rocky, with a kind of rugged beauty recognized only by its inhabitants. There are few harbors of any sort, but the area is fairly well protected from storms, and its resources, primarily shellfish and small whales, are extensively utilized. Cardolan abuts Arthedain on the north, the En Eredoriath on the northeast, Rhudaur along the river corridors leading up into the Trollshaws, and Eregion and Enedwaith on the southern banks of the Mitheithel and Gwathló. Cardolan has, overall, far more agriculture and population and slightly fewer other resources than its sister-realm of Arthedain, One redeeming feature is the set of amber beds found along the south bank of the Baranduin near its mouth. They have provided the ruling house of Girithlin with a steady income for centuries. The Ginthlin Highlands, where they fade into the Eriadoran upland along the Redway, include a major ridge line called the Pinnath Nimren (S. "White Ridges"), named for its many exposed marble faces. It is the best source of quality building stone in southern Eriador. A more important resource is found in the Pinnath Ceren (S. Red Ridges"). Along with providing the paving stones for the Redway, the various ores that provide this color were extensively used for metals by the Northmen who inhabited the woods of Eriador before the return of the Númenóreans. It became a center of resistance to Númenórean colonization efforts because the Pinnath Ceren were the only source of a rare (and now mined out) alloy of tin and cobalt that could be used in the relatively primitive smelters of the Northmen to make Cardolan Brass, a red metal that could almost stand up to the High Steel of Númenor. CLIMATE Although the landscapes of Cardolan may seem monotonous at times, the weather provides plenty of variety. Cardolan has a humid mid-latitude climate which is mild on the average, but which is subject to some of the most severe weather in all of Endor. Minhiriath and Mintyrnath have distinguishable weather patterns, however. As a general rule, Mintyrnath runs about 5 degrees cooler. Both regions have cool, wet springs, summers that are usually dry and moderately hot, cool wet autumns, and cold winters. The weather patterns are dominated by warm, wet air coming off the ocean, and the cold, dry air of the Misty Mountains and Forochel. In the late spring and early summer these air masses are prone to collide with often disastrous results. Most of the damage is done by severe thunderstorms, but these can very easily escalate into hail and tornadoes. The latter are most prevalent in central Cardolan, particularly during the month of Norm. Less frequent, but more devastating, are the hurricanes that spin out of the equatorial seas and strike the coasts. In the early fall of every third year, fierce gales hit the shores; about one storm per decade will wreak widespread havoc; and one per century will be a monster. Old folk might still speak, for instance, of the "Ireful Storm of 1081." The predominant normal wind direction in Cardolan is a strong westerly (wind out of the West) that tends to complicate navigation of the Gwathló. With its limited forest cover, temperature tends to increase sharply in Cardolan during the day and drop just as quickly at night. It is not unusual for the temperature to vary thirty-five degrees in a twenty-four hour period, especially during the summer and at higher elevations. The average temperature in Cardolan has been dropping very slightly over the past two centuries; this change has made more difficult the task of Cardolan's farmers, who cannot easily afford to battle the late killer frosts in spring or to lose a few days off their growing season in the fall.

Military

Royal Host of Cardolan (Dagarim-en-Cardolani) 20,000 Rangers (Feryth) 45,000 Noble Armies (Degerim Ereter) 5,000 Citadel Guard (Rembar Tirrim) 25,000 Noble Militia Levies (Ethiron Ereter Ohtari) 5,000 Noble Knights (Arequain) 15,000 Knights (Requain) 115,000 Approximate Combined Host

Worship

The Dúnedain of Cardolan, regardless of their particular religious beliefs, are generally considered to be zealously devout. The Three High Festivals of the ancient Númenor are vehemently observed as are the Solstice Celebrations, and days of honour for the fallen lords. The Dúnedain of Cardolan are very concerned with their ancestors, as can be noted in the black obelisks set in a place of honor in their courtyards and the numerous Barrows and Tombs across the heartland. It was once said that the only Dúnedain in Arnor who weren't part of a fellowship, society, or order were already in their barrows. Across Arnor, the number of religious, scholarly, and political organizations has dropped over the years, but most of the nobles still possess some connections of this sort. They allow the leadership of Cardolan to exchange ideas and arrange cooperation towards common political and scholarly goals. In Cardolan, people with intellectual interests are scattered over a great expanse of country. Fornost, Annuminas, and Tharbad are important centers for them, but are traditionally dominated by the Seers and mystics of the court. Freethinkers have, since before the founding of Arnor, usually lived in the various small monastic centers and observatories that dot the hills. These have always been either selfsupporting or patronized by the local lords. The nobles of Arthedain, most of whom are as well-educated as the monks and the mystics, commonly communicate with friends of similar ideology and interests through letters and in gatherings arranged adjunct to their social and business schedules, while freely using the local monastic scholars as sources of advice and dialogue. This habit of free communication of ideas is protected by custom and law.