Khamûl, The Easterling
The Second of the Nine (Q. Úlaire Attea), The Easterling, Shadow of the East, Dragon-King, Keeper & Lieutenant of Dol Goldur
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
The Nazgûl typically wear black, hooded, cloaks and blackened hauberks. Underneath this garb, however, they are
insubstantial spirits, their bodies long ago faded with the passage of time and the corrupting influence of Sauron.
Khamûl stands at 6’ 3”, dark and ominous as his companions. Like all of the Ringwraiths, Khamûl feared common
water – knowing that the spirit of Ulmo resided in its sparkling depths. The Easterling’s aversion, however, exceeded the trepidations of his brethren, for his Ring of Power magnified the memories and fears of his early life. He also suffered greatly in daylight, more so than his companions. This weakness, however, was offset by his acute senses of smell and hearing.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
No one among the Wômaw was a better hunter or tracker that Khamûl. Even as a child, he could run like a deer, remaining quiet as he passed through the dark woods of his cool homeland. His sense of smell was exceptional, and half joking minstrels spoke of his “hound heritage”. Somber, solitary, and clever he excelled in contests of stealth and duplicity. These qualities served him well in the face of the complex problems that confronted him as Hionvôr, and they made him an admirable choice as the Dark Lord’s chief tracker and as the caretaker of Sauron’s citadel of Dol Guldur.
Khamûl’s Wômaw wife Komiis gave birth to three children: a daughter, Womiis, and two sons, Womûl and Komon. Of his three offspring, only Womiis remembered her father.
Born at Laeg Goak in easternmost Endor in 1744 S.A. Komûl was the eldest son of Mûl Tanûl, the High-lord (Wm. Hionvôr) of the Wômaw. His mother, Klêa-Sháy, was popular despite her Sháy heritage, but died while the young heir was only seven; Tanûl’s elven (Avari) advisor Dardarian reared Komûl and served as his principal advisor until he assumed the throne of Wômawas Drus in S.A. 1844. Komûl’s relationship with Dardarian corrupted his outlook and led to his incessant longing for immortality.
As Hionvôr and Mûl (Wm. “King) of the Wômaw kingdom, Komûl I presided over the strongest realm in eastern Middle-Earth. His people had descended from the remnants of the First Tribe of Cuiviénen (Q. “Awakening Water”), the same lineage that produced the Edain of western Endor. Elven blood coursed through the veins of Wômaw Hiona (Wm. “Lords;” sing. Hion), and their mastery over other men was spurred in part by their longevity. Heavily influenced by the Avari, the Wômaw of Komûl’s day practiced natural magic and enjoyed the benefit of a rich and practical cultural tradition. Their political and military sophistication enabled them to dominate the eastern coasts of Middle-Earth for thousands of years. This hegemony withstood its strongest test during the middle of the Second Age, but Komûl I was lost in the struggle.
The distant Númenorean cousins of the Wômaw comprised the only group of men who could challenge the supremacy of Wômawas Drus, and as early as S.A. 900, the Dúnedain established trade embassies in Wômaw-influenced territories. During the next 650 years, the Númenoreans swayed many of the Wômaw’s southern neighbors and built fortified colonies in the isles of southern Middle-Earth. The Men of Westernesse forced Wômaw concessions and threatened the stability of the eastern kingdom.
By the one hundred and fiftieth year of Komûl I’s stormy, militaristic reign (S.A. 1994), Wômawas Drus appeared resigned to outside domination and many of the Wômaw Hiona had disclaimed their allegiance to the High- Lord. Proud and desperate, Komûl sought help elsewhere and turned to his age-old ally Dardarian. Dardarian met Komul at the Isle of Sunrises, at the easternmost point in the Middle Land and there, the advisor and mistress to his father seduced the Wômaw King with promises of power, alliances, revenge and most importantly, an offer of immortality. Komûl agreed to an alliance between the Wômaw and Dardarian’s suggested Avar kingdom of Helkanen. This union led to Númenorean concessions (under the First Acknowledgement) the following year, preventing any outright conquest and relegating the Dúnadan interests to centers of commercial rather than strategic value. Unfortunately for the Wômaw, Dardarian’s pact led to the downfall of their Hionvôr. Unbeknownst to Komûl I, Dardarian served Sauron of Mordor.
In S.A. 1996, only a year after the First Acknowledgement, Komûl accepted the instrument that conferred the gift promised by his advisor. Taking one of the Nine Rings of Men, Komûl became the immortal slave of the Lord of the Rings. His reign over the Wômawas Drus ended abruptly. Komûl I disappeared from Laeg Goak in the spring of S.A. 1997, after nearly seven months of virtual isolation from his people and his court. These seven months were marked by palace intrigue and bloody transition to a new order. Over three dozen of the Hionvôr’s trusted advisors perished in a surge that nearly ruined the kingdom. The outer Hiona gathered in preparation for a revolt, and Komûl departed in favor of a Númenorean-supported faction led by his cousin Aon. Almost no one in Wômawas Drus realized the critical nature of their King’s abdication, but Komûl’s dethronement probably saved the Wômaw from The Shadow. The deposed monarch could do little more than swear a vengeful oath, a curse that he would act upon many millennia later.
Khamûl the Ringwraith Komûl appeared at Barad-dûr in Mordor around S.A. 2000. He was known thereafter as Khamûl, in accordance with the Black Speech pronunciation of his given name. While at the Dark Tower he served Sauron as the Master of the Hold, and his responsibilities included administering the maintenance of the citadel and its garrison. The wardship remained in his capable hands until S.A. 3350, when Ûrzahil of Umbar became the Mouth of Sauron and the Lieutenant of the Tower.
Khamûl fled Mordor when Sauron was captured in S.A. 3262. Retreating into the East, he first went to Nûrad and, after a brief stay, he proceeded into the Sháy until S.A. 3319, cultivating a network of servants whose greed fomented a sundering of the Five Tribes. This corruption continued after Khamûl returned to the Black Land, and by S.A. 3400 Khamûl’s agent Monarlan brought three of the tribes under The Shadow. The Easterling remained in Mordor during the War of the Last Alliance (S.A. 3429-3441), sallying forth only during the campaign in Ithilien that opened the conflict. During the first four- and one-half years, he resided at Lug Ghurzûn (BS. Darkland Tower) in eastern Nûrn (BS. Ghurzûn but in S.A. 3434 the army of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men forced its way through Udûn, so Khamûl returned to his Master’s side. The Ringwraith stole into Barad-Dûr during the night before the outset of the long siege.
When the Dark Tower fell in S.A. 3441, the Nazgûl met the vanguard 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 Gil-galad, the Evil One lost his One Ring (and his ring finger) in the fray, and his spirit passed into The Shadow World. The Third Age With the departure of the Lord of the Rings, the Nine lost the ability to maintain form. They followed the Dark Lord into Shadow as the Second Age ended. Their exile coincided with Sauron’s and lasted over a thousand years. The first to return reassumed form in Endor around T.A. 1050, some fifty years after the appearance of the Evil One. Unlike his brethren, Khamûl briefly took up residence with Sauron at the citadel of Dol Guldur in southern Mirkwood. The Dark Lord hid behind the guise of the “Necromancer” and slowly rebuilt his strength. Then, around T.A. 1300, he renewed his struggle against the Free Peoples, sending the Witch-King to Angmar in the northwest Misty Mountains in hopes of crushing Arnor. Khamûl left his command of Dol Guldur’s garrison upon the departure of the Witch-King, and for the next three hundred and forty years the Easterling lived at Sart and Mang in the Mountains of the Wind (until T.A. 1640). From these two rocky strongholds, he sought to gain sway over the peoples of southeastern Middle-Earth.
Khamûl’s Wômaw wife Komiis gave birth to three children: a daughter, Womiis, and two sons, Womûl and Komon. Of his three offspring, only Womiis remembered her father.
Born at Laeg Goak in easternmost Endor in 1744 S.A. Komûl was the eldest son of Mûl Tanûl, the High-lord (Wm. Hionvôr) of the Wômaw. His mother, Klêa-Sháy, was popular despite her Sháy heritage, but died while the young heir was only seven; Tanûl’s elven (Avari) advisor Dardarian reared Komûl and served as his principal advisor until he assumed the throne of Wômawas Drus in S.A. 1844. Komûl’s relationship with Dardarian corrupted his outlook and led to his incessant longing for immortality.
As Hionvôr and Mûl (Wm. “King) of the Wômaw kingdom, Komûl I presided over the strongest realm in eastern Middle-Earth. His people had descended from the remnants of the First Tribe of Cuiviénen (Q. “Awakening Water”), the same lineage that produced the Edain of western Endor. Elven blood coursed through the veins of Wômaw Hiona (Wm. “Lords;” sing. Hion), and their mastery over other men was spurred in part by their longevity. Heavily influenced by the Avari, the Wômaw of Komûl’s day practiced natural magic and enjoyed the benefit of a rich and practical cultural tradition. Their political and military sophistication enabled them to dominate the eastern coasts of Middle-Earth for thousands of years. This hegemony withstood its strongest test during the middle of the Second Age, but Komûl I was lost in the struggle.
The distant Númenorean cousins of the Wômaw comprised the only group of men who could challenge the supremacy of Wômawas Drus, and as early as S.A. 900, the Dúnedain established trade embassies in Wômaw-influenced territories. During the next 650 years, the Númenoreans swayed many of the Wômaw’s southern neighbors and built fortified colonies in the isles of southern Middle-Earth. The Men of Westernesse forced Wômaw concessions and threatened the stability of the eastern kingdom.
By the one hundred and fiftieth year of Komûl I’s stormy, militaristic reign (S.A. 1994), Wômawas Drus appeared resigned to outside domination and many of the Wômaw Hiona had disclaimed their allegiance to the High- Lord. Proud and desperate, Komûl sought help elsewhere and turned to his age-old ally Dardarian. Dardarian met Komul at the Isle of Sunrises, at the easternmost point in the Middle Land and there, the advisor and mistress to his father seduced the Wômaw King with promises of power, alliances, revenge and most importantly, an offer of immortality. Komûl agreed to an alliance between the Wômaw and Dardarian’s suggested Avar kingdom of Helkanen. This union led to Númenorean concessions (under the First Acknowledgement) the following year, preventing any outright conquest and relegating the Dúnadan interests to centers of commercial rather than strategic value. Unfortunately for the Wômaw, Dardarian’s pact led to the downfall of their Hionvôr. Unbeknownst to Komûl I, Dardarian served Sauron of Mordor.
In S.A. 1996, only a year after the First Acknowledgement, Komûl accepted the instrument that conferred the gift promised by his advisor. Taking one of the Nine Rings of Men, Komûl became the immortal slave of the Lord of the Rings. His reign over the Wômawas Drus ended abruptly. Komûl I disappeared from Laeg Goak in the spring of S.A. 1997, after nearly seven months of virtual isolation from his people and his court. These seven months were marked by palace intrigue and bloody transition to a new order. Over three dozen of the Hionvôr’s trusted advisors perished in a surge that nearly ruined the kingdom. The outer Hiona gathered in preparation for a revolt, and Komûl departed in favor of a Númenorean-supported faction led by his cousin Aon. Almost no one in Wômawas Drus realized the critical nature of their King’s abdication, but Komûl’s dethronement probably saved the Wômaw from The Shadow. The deposed monarch could do little more than swear a vengeful oath, a curse that he would act upon many millennia later.
Khamûl the Ringwraith Komûl appeared at Barad-dûr in Mordor around S.A. 2000. He was known thereafter as Khamûl, in accordance with the Black Speech pronunciation of his given name. While at the Dark Tower he served Sauron as the Master of the Hold, and his responsibilities included administering the maintenance of the citadel and its garrison. The wardship remained in his capable hands until S.A. 3350, when Ûrzahil of Umbar became the Mouth of Sauron and the Lieutenant of the Tower.
Khamûl fled Mordor when Sauron was captured in S.A. 3262. Retreating into the East, he first went to Nûrad and, after a brief stay, he proceeded into the Sháy until S.A. 3319, cultivating a network of servants whose greed fomented a sundering of the Five Tribes. This corruption continued after Khamûl returned to the Black Land, and by S.A. 3400 Khamûl’s agent Monarlan brought three of the tribes under The Shadow. The Easterling remained in Mordor during the War of the Last Alliance (S.A. 3429-3441), sallying forth only during the campaign in Ithilien that opened the conflict. During the first four- and one-half years, he resided at Lug Ghurzûn (BS. Darkland Tower) in eastern Nûrn (BS. Ghurzûn but in S.A. 3434 the army of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men forced its way through Udûn, so Khamûl returned to his Master’s side. The Ringwraith stole into Barad-Dûr during the night before the outset of the long siege.
When the Dark Tower fell in S.A. 3441, the Nazgûl met the vanguard 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 Gil-galad, the Evil One lost his One Ring (and his ring finger) in the fray, and his spirit passed into The Shadow World. The Third Age With the departure of the Lord of the Rings, the Nine lost the ability to maintain form. They followed the Dark Lord into Shadow as the Second Age ended. Their exile coincided with Sauron’s and lasted over a thousand years. The first to return reassumed form in Endor around T.A. 1050, some fifty years after the appearance of the Evil One. Unlike his brethren, Khamûl briefly took up residence with Sauron at the citadel of Dol Guldur in southern Mirkwood. The Dark Lord hid behind the guise of the “Necromancer” and slowly rebuilt his strength. Then, around T.A. 1300, he renewed his struggle against the Free Peoples, sending the Witch-King to Angmar in the northwest Misty Mountains in hopes of crushing Arnor. Khamûl left his command of Dol Guldur’s garrison upon the departure of the Witch-King, and for the next three hundred and forty years the Easterling lived at Sart and Mang in the Mountains of the Wind (until T.A. 1640). From these two rocky strongholds, he sought to gain sway over the peoples of southeastern Middle-Earth.
Species
Age
3039
Date of Birth
1744 S.A.
Children
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
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