The Witch-King of Angmar

The Iron Crown, Lord of the Nazgûl, Acolyte of Sauron Er-Mûrazôr

The Witch-king is the absolute ruler of Angmar and Sauron's most powerful servant. Of all the Nazgûl, the Witch-king is most capable of independent thought; he is totally subject to Sauron, but within this domination he constructs plans, military strategy, and political tactics to further his master's goals. The chief of the Nine is Undead; he exists in the world of wraiths and shadows. His physical manifestation can at best be temporarily dispelled, but his destruction lies in the distant future, the Nazgûl can exist only so long as the One Ring exists. His innate power and presence are so great that all must resist extreme terror at his arrival or flee in panic. The effect of the Nazgûl's aura varies with range, and he can, if he chooses, cloak his power. When used to its fullest, his aura has a radius of three miles. Those within two to three miles of the Nazgûl feel uneasy, and the fainthearted may run. Between one and two miles away reactions are stronger, provoking a desire to seek immediate concealment. Within one mile of the Ringwraith, most individuals cannot behave normally: their anxiety inspires flight or concealment without hesitation. Those within a thousand feet are overcome by dread and flee thoughtlessly. Anyone closer than three hundred feet freezes in panic unless he overcomes his fear through strength of will. A strong self-discipline is necessary to overcome the terror that paralyzes both man and animal. In addition to the great fear that the Lord of the Nine radiates, those within three hundred feet may succumb to the Black Breath. The victim falls into dark dreams and dies in a matter of hours or days, depending on his race. Eldar who have lived in Valinor are immune to these effects. The Númenórean Er-Mûrazôr (A. "Black Prince") was the most gifted and powerful of the many great Lords of Westernesse. Although only a Prince, his might outshone all but a few of Númenor's Kings and, in the end, he lived longer than any of the Adan sons. Mûrazôr's tale covers over six and a half millenia and is one of Man's great tragedies. The Black Prince was born in the year S.A. 1820 in the port city of Andunië in the province of Andustar on the island of Númenor (Andor). As the second son of King Tar-Ciryatan (Q. "Ship-builder") and the younger brother of (Tar-) Atanamir the Great, he traced his lineage to the first King, Elros Tar-Minyatur. His mother gave him the name Tindomul (Q. "Twilight Son"), for he was born during a solar eclipse and his hair was blacker than any she had ever seen. Those lords of Tar-Ciryatan's court who favored the use of Adûnaic (signifying their displeasure with the Eldar and the Ban of the Valar) called him Mûrazôr. Like his brother, the proud and greedy heir to throne, the Black Prince supported his father's ambitions and lobbied for the increased exploitation of Middle-earth. Tar-Ciryatan sought great wealth and sent his huge fleets to Endor in order to exact tribute, and both his sons embraced the benefits of his often ruthless policies. They shared their father's penchant for material things and power and had witnessed the workings of overweening ambition first-hand when their father forced their grandfather from the Númenórean throne. Atanamir enjoyed the privileges and attention accorded to the heir to the Adan throne—Tar- Ciryatan showed him the prideful love he never shared with Mûrazor.Always aggressive and fiery, Murazôr resolved to leave home and found his own empire in the vulnerable expanse of Middle-earth. He assembled a small fleet and set sail for Endor in the spring of S.A. 1880.In S.A. 1882 the Black Prince's ships dropped anchor in Umbar, where the Númenórean Lord proclaimed himself "King." Although successful in wresting control from the local colonists, he ruled for only a few months. The Númenórean adventurer's pretensions of rule faced an inevitable and overwhelming challenge from his father, Tar-Ciryatan, who ordered his recalcitrant son to return home to Westernesse. Mûrazôr refused the Adan King's wishes, but he dared not remain in Umbar in defiance of the edict from Armenelos.The Lord of the Rings perceived the Prince's displeasure and offered him a means to achieve his goals. Sauron realized that both Mûrazôr and his older brother Atanamir sought to hold onto their youth, and that they feared aging more than they feared any corporeal foe. Atanamir showed his terror of death later in history when he refused to surrender the Sceptre of Númenor before he died. The Black Prince revealed this fear by speaking openly of his bitterness toward the immortal Elves to whom he was related through Elros Halfelven. Ever-vigilant and perceptive, the Dark Lord sought to corrupt Mûrazôr by bringing the dissatisfied Númenórean to Mordor. The Black Prince went to Barad-dur during the first week of S. A. 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. Mûrazôr's knowledge of the Black Arts was second only to Sauron's, and he quickly rose to become the Evil One's most trusted lieutenant. His lessons learned, he submitted his spirit to his Master, who gave him a Ring of Power in S.A. 1998. The first of the nine Nazgûl, the Black Prince was known thereafter as the Witch-king or the Lord of Morgul (S. "Dark Sorcery").Throughout the rest of the Second Age, the Witch-king stayed in Mordor and served Sauron by coordinating the efforts of the other Ulairi. These years comprised the period of his complete transformation into a hideous wraith possessed of an exceptional command of sorcery. His role as the Lord of the Nazgûl testified to his awesome magical skills. Ironically, Mûrazôr was the only Ringwraith who had not presided over a kingdom of his own for a considerable period prior to accepting his Ring of Power; however, his origins as a Prince of the Edain of Númenor provided him with inherent command abilities that far exceeded those of his Undead peers. The Lord of the Rings gave the Black Captain all of the trappings of a King, for, aside from Sauron himself, the Lord of Morgul was the mightiest servant of Darkness in Mordor's hierarchy. No one, not even Gothmog the Halftroll Warlord (and, later, Lieutenant of Morgul) or the Mouth of Sauron, enjoyed such trust from the Evil One. Their relationship flourished throughout the latter part of the Second Age, as teacher and pupil sought to build an unassailable kingdom and establish dominion over all Men.The Lord of the Nazgûl ruled Angmar from the mountain citadel of Carn Dûm (S. "Red Fort" or "Red Hold"), a giant cavern-fortress built into and around the last peak in the northern Hithaeglir. The Witch-king stands 6'10" and weighed 260 lbs. His pure Edain heritage give him deep grey eyes, black hair, and fair skin, but these are obscured beneath his accoutrements. He wears his father's famous Sea-helm, the karma of Tar-Ciryatan of Númenor. The helm serves to protect him, as well as proclaiming him to be King, for the overlapping sea-drake skin plates rises in a spiny crown-shaped crest embellished with gold. His simple iron crown is set into the crest, while the formidable "Morgul Plate" covers the rest of his imposing figure. Of sea-drake skin plate, this magic armor deflects all but the finest of blades.He weilds Vasamacil: (Q.Blade-Eater) a flaming broadsword forged in Thangorodrim out of black ithilnaur and inlaid with veins of fused rubies and Nallagurth (Q.Death's Proclaimed) Man-slaying mace forged in Utumno out of black eog and subtly inlaid with veins of fused diamonds. Its inset black laen tip is enchanted and contains a permanent symbol, a 20th lvl Slow Death curse.