Minhiriath

# Kingdom of Minhiriath

## The Kingdom of Minhiriath

Flag of Minhiriath

The Kingdom of Minhiriath is a kingdom located in the south of Eriador.

The main inhabitants of this kingdom are the Minhiriathrim. The Minhiriathrim are a mixture of Éothéod who migrated from the Vales of Anduin and the local hunter-gatherer folk who once inhabited the woods of Eryn Vorn. The Minhiriathrim are very closely related to the Rohirrim and are able to understand each other.

## Kingdom Structure

### Form of Government

The Kingdom of Minhiriath follow a fairly primitive Kingdom structure. The Kingdom used to be divided into small Jarldoms all independent on their own, until united by one king. These Jarls still remain fairly independent, but answer to the authority of the King.

Taxes are paid to the local ruler, that answers to the Jarl. The Jarl is obligated to use this money for the defense of his Jarldom and the production of materials for war. Taxes can either be paid in small sums of silver, livestock, fur/hides or crafting materials.

The common folk are known as 'Karls'. Karls are subjects of the province rulers 'Jarls.' The Jarls then answer to the authority of the King who acts as a leader figure in war and lawgiving.

## Kingdom History

### TA 1975 - 2911

The remaining Minhiriathrim lived in the forest of Eryn Vorn. They lived a seclusive hunter-gatherer life between the new trees recovering from Sauron's attack. Centuries later, Northmen of Rhovanion sailed down the great Greyflood river. These northmen were closely related to the Éothéod and Northmen that would turn in the Rohirrim and Dalishmen. They fled the Wainriders who killed and enslaved their people and sailed all the way down south instead of their country men who went west. They sailed the Greyflood in search of new fertile lands. They migrated in vast numbers, bringing farm tools, armor and horses with them to the forests of Minhiriath. Here they mixed with the local hunters from the woods. These groups of men intermixed and finally became the new Minhiriathrim who raised multiple Jarldoms with no central leader all over Minhiriath.

### TA 2911 - 2912

Minhiriath was struck by the Fell Winter in TA 2911. Many of the inhabitants locked themselves up in their houses, lit up their fireplace and used all their saved provisions to survive the cold long-lasting winter.

When the winter ended, the ice began to melt. The great floods of meltwater rushed down the Greyflood and ruined the city of Tharbad. The locals of Minhiriath lived on artificial hills named 'Terpen' to keep the rising waterlevel out and were kept safe while the old Númenorean ruins were struck hard by the water. When Tharbad was deserted, the locals of Minhiriath quietly began rebuilding the city, repairing the walls and the broken bridge.

### TA 2921 - 2946

Most of the Jarldoms either got conquered or perished to the many floods Minhiriath offered. At the time of TA 2921 Jarl Folcwald II ruled most of the Minhiriathrim lands. He was a well respected ruler who expanded his territory through subjugations and diplomacy. The Minhiriathrim now had one language, one culture and a reputation known as great craftsmen, shipwrights, sailors and farmers.

The Minhiriathrim stood strong, but yet no king to lead them. Many independent Jarldoms were remaining, all waging war on each other for pointless reasons. Jarl Folcwald II had ambitions to become king of the Minhiriathrim, for ruling them would be his privilege. He made pacts and agreements with the other rulers, even bethrothed his son Finn II Folcwalding to Waldrada, daughter of Jarl Gundebold of Eryn Vorn.

## Kingdom Rulers

### King Folcwald TA 1975 - 2003

King Folcwald is viewed upon as the first King of Minhiriath. He was appointed by the local rulers to lead and protect them against the Wainriders who drove them out of their ancestral lands. He was succeeded by his son, Finn I Folcwalding.

### King Finn I TA 2003 - 2045

King Finn I is often described as the greatest king Minhiriath has ever seen. A wise king, a cunning warrior and a skilled sailor, Finn I managed to secure the kingdom after his father's death. He succesfully protected his people them from the rising sea-level and floods by building dikes and digging trenches for the water to run away from the Terpen. After his death in 2045, his sons all claimed the throne of Minhiriath. This led to the fall of the Kingdom of Minhiriath and many Jarls declared themselves independent, making it impossible for the sons to unite the kingdom once more.

### King Finn II TA 2947 - present

King Finn II used to rule the Jarldom of Doccinga after his father's death in TA 2946. His father left him with a dream of a united Minhiriath.