Mautark, The Knight Of Umbar

## Rough background history

Like all Nazgûl was the origin of the Knight of Umbar shrouded in mystery.

The rumors that surround him say that he was a high king of the Númenórs who ruled over the southern lands before the days of the last covenant. Mautark is even to this day considered one of the most loyal vassals of Shakhbürz.

His rule over Umbar lasted for centuries and millennia - he even operated openly against the occupiers, when the city fell into the hands of Gondor for a short period, such that it was easy for him to drive the enemy back within a short time, doing so with an iron fist.

In the times of uncertainty about the whereabouts of the Shakhbûrz, the Mautark still retained his iron loyalty.

He was the only one of the nine who kept his presence visible during all that time. But he did not show up as a vivacious ruler, but left this field to the temporal rulers of Umbar and traveled across  the southern country and Murdur as a lonely warrior, in a seemingly out of pure darkness existing armor on his deep black steed, in order to maintain the belief in the Fitgnau while punishing heretics with an iron fist.

He became a legend in Umbar. The great houses of the Târk built temples in his honor and uplifted him to a hero statues and made it a virtue to follow his example. Every time the Mautark sent one of his messengers to Umbar, or even appeared in the city, they were treated with an utmost royally reception. It is said that in the earlier days during the great war of the Shakhbûrz against Gondor in the Second Age, the Mautark lead a division consisting of Mazauk-Hai and Dura-Hai, special orc breeds, as the tip of the spear.

The division wore a white eye surrounded by spikes as their sign. They were a heavily armed war party with tall shields, specializing in breaking enemy shield walls and creating a gap to get behind the ranks of the opponent. The troops were trained in strategy and warfare, they did not rage like other Uruks among their opponents, but advanced as a unit to uncover weaknesses of the enemy and strike where the opponent was the weakest.

Doing so as an elite unit whose sole purpose was to protect the Mautark and carry out his orders. These warriors shared a strong sense of cohesion and they called themselves Shapat-Goth. The Nazgûl’s power back then, was great and his reach extended well beyond Murdur's borders. He united only the best warriors under his banner and sent them on missions to the remotest corners of Middle-earth to extend the influence of the Shakhbûrz. Many troops remained missing on their missions and their fate will probably remain untold. The remainder were gradually wiped out during the siege of Barad-dûr. They Heroicly defended the Mautark, until their last breath and helped him escape to Umbar.

In the early years of the third millennium of the Third Age, when Minas Morgul became the new home of the Nazgûl, Mautark had also been given the same reputation as that of his lord, the Witch-king of Angmar. Mautark fought against the heirs of Isildur, under his lord and remained at his side even after taking the city, to do justice to the will of the Shakhbûrz. Meanwhile, a civil war had broken out in Umbar. The followers of the Mautark had split into two camps. Those who sat upon the thrones in the city had denied the will of the Shakhbûrz and declared the Mautark his rightful heir.

The superiors of his temples, however, sensed the blasphemy that was behind this idea and retreated to the sea with the ships of the Corsairs. In grueling, self-destructive rites, they implored the Shakhbûrz and the Mautark for mercy for the city. But their pleas seemed to have no effect at first. But within a short time, a gigantic storm from Murdur broke out over the city carrying black storm clouds.

The air was filled with horrible voices that seemed to whisper vile curses and disturbing threats. But on the ninth day the true lord of the city and its lord heard their faithful following. The Bay of Belfalas turned blood red, and amongst the roar of the oncoming waves, terrible demons rose from the darkest depths of the bottom of the sea. Their foul, miasmic stench sent those who had doubted the Shakhbûrz into a helpless stare. Their grotesque appearance whirled them to the ground, stealing their every hope. It was like salvation to them, when they were finally torn to pieces by clawed tentacles.

Ever since those days, which are seen as the birth of the Bos'Mautark, has the commitment of its adherents to loyalty and discipline, as well as the eerie covenant to the indescribable depths of the sea, of the Bos’Mautark been unbroken. Due to the direct reference to the belief in the Mautark the cult of the Bos'Mautark replaced the Shapat-Goth as the closest troops.

## The faith

### ***The reason for belief in this Nazgûl.***

for the warriors of Umbar, regardless of status, Mautark stands as a shining beacon of what can be achieved by the children of Lururz Goi, The Golden City.

for the Târks, Mautark is a true legend. especially for the Adunakhori, who see themselves as Mautarks true sons and daughters, born for combat. they see themselves as walking in his direct footsteps and will follow his doctrines until death.

for the sharas of the city, their relation to Mautark is often more pragmatic - many umbarim see the cult as a way of stepping up the foodchain, the cult of Mautark and epsecially its militant arm, the Ar-Adunâim, is highly respected, as well as highly feared. as safe and profitable position for any shara willingly to do the knight of Umbars bidding

## ***Distinctive features of believers***

most of Mautarks followers in Umbar comes from its armed forces, from its rogue fleets of Corsairs, to the fanatical and diciplined Desstugals of the Ar-Adunâim

most corsairs wear a simple trinket with his symbol, the iron fist, on it. but more than that, their faith is quite lacking.

the desstugals of the Ar-Adunaim however, take great pride on being true children of Mautark,