Artheloth

## **Geography**

During its maximum expansion, under Harwyn I, Artheloth claimed most of the lands around the Icebay - although the northernmost ones were often left unguarded, and in later years they were just used as raiding grounds - as well as the northernmost parts of Eriador, along the borders with Angmar and Rhudaur. Most of those lands were abandoned or lost in later years, and currently, under a new expansion push, Artheloth firmly controls the south of the Icebay, the north-western borders of Angmar and the large islands of northern Belegaer.

The Icebay has a cold, but not extremely harsh climate, especially if compared with the lands in the east at the same latitude. The Icebay, although frozen in winter, allows the growth of trees such as pines, spruces and firs, and more rarely beeches, oaks and maples. It's not rare that in some areas, closer to mountains or more exposed to cold winds, thick layers of snow are accumulated. Flora mainly consists of the average plants you can find in temperate biomes, with the addition of blue orchids, endemic of the northlands. Few animals roam these lands; the most common are elks, bears, rabbits and wolves, although near the borders of Angmar and in the less guarded areas it isn't too rare seeing wargs.

Tol Fuin and Tol Himling have a milder climate, although the seas are still cold and roamed by whales; the vicinity with Lindon allowed the importation of species from the warmer lands of Eriador.

## **Third Age (post-reset history)**

After the fall of Arthedain at the hands of the Witch-king of Angmar, in TA 1974, King Arvedui, with some of the last arnorian survivors, fled by the shores of Forochel, seeking refuge among the Lossoth.

When the winter was about to end, the elves of Lindon sent a ship to bring Arvedui safely to their country; although the indigenous tried to discourage the king from the trip, he left, but the ship was trapped in the ice and sunk, thus ending the life of the king. Subsequently, the king's firstborn, Aranarth, traveled back to Eriador, assuming the title of Captain of the Dunedain of the North, while the secondborn, Aglaran, kept his home in Forochel, and in the spring of 1974 was crowned King of the Dunedain and the Lossoth, King of Artheloth and Warden of Westernesse, for he believed to be the last lit beacon of the men of Numenor.

Aglaran didn't reign for long; the cold shores of the Icebay weakened his spirit, and he aged quickly and without heirs, save for the daughter Miriel. Artheloth seemed about to perish, but a Lossoth chieftain known as Othgar Harlaw, Duke of Frozen Point, saved the situation by asking the king the hand of his daughter; when Aglaran died, in TA 2021, he sat on the throne as Othgar I "the Savior", and with him started a line of kings that reigned for a thousand years, with the title of High Kings of the Lossoth and the Dunedain, Kings of Artheloth and Wardens of Westernesse.

* Othgar I "the Savior" (TA 2021 - TA 2049), the king who took into the hands of House Harlaw the Kingdom of Artheloth;
* Erich I (TA 2049 - TA 2085), son of Othgar I;
* Ravos I (TA 2085 - TA 2099), son of Erich I;
* Roger I (TA 2099 - TA 2130), son of Ravos I;
* Erich II "the Widow-lover" (TA 2130 - TA 2147), son of Roger I; with him starts a line of war-like, cruel and mad kings, ended with Urragon;
* Harwyn I "the Orcbane" (TA 2147 - TA 2183), son of Erich II; under him Artheloth expanded until the mountains of Angmar;
* Harrag I "the Cruel" (TA 2183 - TA 2189), son of Harwyn I;
* Harras I "Black Hand" (TA 2189 - TA 2206), brother of Harrag I;
* Harren I "the Black" (TA 2206 - TA 2231), son of Harras I; he lost the territories conquered by his ancestors;
* Urras I "the Peaceful" (TA 2231 - TA 2268), nephew of Harren I; he made safe the borders of what remained of Artheloth;
* Urron I "the Unworthy" (TA 2268 - TA 2302), son of Urras I; not an excellent king, but for sure not the worst;
* Urragon I "the Mad Priest" (TA 2302 - TA 2311), son of Urron I; the most foolish of the Kings of Artheloth, who declared himself a God and was slain by his cousin;
* Roger II "the Pious" (TA 2311 - TA 2343), cousin of Urragon I; he restored the faith and gave thirty years of stability;
* Othgar II "Stump-hand" (TA 2343 - TA 2364), son of Roger II;
* Harmund I "the Handsome" (TA 2364 - TA 2388), son of Othgar II;
* Ravos II "the Raper" (TA 2388 - TA 2397), son of Harmund I; another cruel king, who repeatedly raided the north of the Icebay and the north of Lindon, killing and raping;
* Roger III "the Haggler" (TA 2397 - TA 2421), brother of Ravos II; he reigned peacefully, making trades with the Dunedain and restoring friendly relationships with Lindon;
* Othgar III "the Red" (TA 2421 - TA 2450), son of Roger III;
* Othgar IV "the Host" (TA 2450 - TA 2487), son of Othgar III;
* Harras II "the Noble" (TA 2487 - TA 2501), son of Othgar IV; died due to a plague with his brothers;
* Harren II "the Fiery" (TA 2501 - TA 2543), cousin of Harras II; another pirate-king;
* Harren III "the Ill-fated" (TA 2543 - TA 2546), son of Harren II; died in his youth, after three years of reigning, due to a gangrene;
* Harwyn II "the Old" (TA 2546 - TA 2583), brother of Harren III;
* Harwyn III "the Young" (TA 2583 - TA 2606), son of Harwyn II;
* Erich III "the Wise" (TA 2606 - TA 2660), son of Harwyn III; he gave peace and stability to Artheloth, and expanded once again its borders;
* Othgar V "the Reckless" (TA 2660 - TA 2674), son of Erich III; tried to conquer Carn Dum, but was defeated and died under its walls;
* Othgar VI "the Usurper" (TA 2674 - TA 2679), cousin of Othgar V; usurped the throne to the rightful heir;
* Othgar VII "the Magnificent" (TA 2679 - TA 2703), son of Othgar V; defeated and killed Othgar VI, and ruled in magnificence, defeating an Angmar invasion that almost made Moorland Motte fall;
* Wulfgar I "the Iceborn" (TA 2703 - TA 2739), son of Othgar VII;
* Hagon I "the Heartless" (TA 2739 - TA 2755), son of Wulfgar I; ruled cruelly on his vassals, sheeding blood and filling Artheloth with his bastards;
* Erich IV "the Drowned" (TA 2755 - TA 2771), son of Hagon I; killed his father, and was once believed dead in the sea; having survived, he was nicknamed "the Drowned";
* Harlan I (TA 2771 - TA 2804), son of Erich IV;
* Harras III "the Widowmaker" (TA 2804 - TA 2823), brother of Harlan I; he was a paranoid, who slew many of his vassals when he feared they could betray him;
* Harwyn IV "Hardhand" (TA 2823 - TA 2861), son of Harras III; he tried to expand again Artheloth, without much success;
* Ravos III "the Weak" (TA 2861 - TA 2894), son of Harwyn IV; he was an unworthy king, who lost many lands to the orcs, to unfaithful vassals and even to the wilderness;
* Othgar VIII "the Rightful" (TA 2894 - TA 2930), son of Ravos III; he didn't try to reconquer the lost lands, but ruled sternly and with a strong sense of his duty;
* Othgar IX "the Good" (TA 2930 - TA 2952), son of Othgar VIII; he was a kind king, so kind that didn't notice the betrayal in his halls and died, assassinated in his bed;
* Harrag II "the Bent" (TA 2952 - TA 2971), son of Othgar IX; he avenged the father, and when Arnor rose again from its ashes, unsuccessfully tried to pledge to Aragorn, being mocked as "the king who bent" thereafter; he created the title of "Prince in the North" to mirror the titles of the other Princes of Arnor.

### **The recent times under House Harlaw**

#### **"One-Eyed" King Harras IV Harlaw**

*(Styled as: Harras of House Harlaw, Fourth of His name, High King of the Lossoth and the Dunedain, King of Artheloth, King of the Isles and the Western Sea, Prince in the North and Warden of Westernesse.)*

"The Bent" King Harrag II Harlaw died in his bed in the early spring of TA 2971, leaving the throne to his firstborn Harras IV; he had three more children, named Harren, Elyse and Roger. Harras, thirty-nineth king of the Harlaw dynasty and fourtieth King of Artheloth, despite the young age was a sailor and an expert combatant, nicknamed "One-Eyed" Harras due to a scar that crossed his left eye, earned in battle; in his first weeks of reign, he promised that he would have tried to expand Artheloth once again, and reclaim the lands lost by his grand-grand-grandfather Ravos III.

And so he did: within two years, he sent off settlers and troops to reclaim forests, swamps and steppes east, south, north and west of Moorland Motte, and where he found rebellious lords the king forced them to pledge or lose their lives. By the beginning of TA 2973, King Harras had most of southern Artheloth back under its control, and formed the first organised royal navy since the times of Harren II; by the end of the same year, he had led the fleet in the northern Belegaer, conquering and creating settlements, and taking for him and his successors the title of King of the Isles and the Western Sea upon setting Tol Fuin and Tol Himling under the rule of Artheloth.

## **Pre-reset history: Fifth Age**

### **History**

After the end of Fourth Age, the lands in the north turned back to the savage status that had before the arrival of Aglaran and the kingdom of Siegfried. The Lossoth majority settled all around the bay in scattered tribes, whereas the few remaining Dunedain, who didn't flee back to Arnor or Gondor, lived mainly in the south. This situation endured until year VA 148, when the Lossoth chieftain Sigurðr Halfdansson (*caranthir00*), Jarl of Norðurhlið, due to personal matters reunited all the Lossoth tribes and pledged to his friend Arahad (*HagenOfBohemia*), leader of the Dunedain minority, crowning him **King of the Dunedain and the Lossoth, King of Artheloth and Ruler of Forochel**. The result of this event was the rebirth of an old kingdom with double nationality, with the objective of being the northern shield of the free folks.

Started in VA 153, after 5 years of hard effort, in Norðurhlið was launched the Great Artheloth Navy, the biggest fleet ever seen in the seas of the Icebay, which placed Artheloth as one of the powers of the Northern Middle Earth.

In VA 163, an expedition that was meant to raid the northern bay of Forochel was pushed south by a storm, and the Lossoth discovered, by accident, the elves of Lindon. After raiding them and being ultimately pushed back into the sea, yet carrying with them a great treasure, they were taught the history of the Old Days, making the bound betweent the two cultures stronger. The following year, a Palantìr was found in the ices of the northern shores of the Bay of Forochel, and it was brought to Orwuld.

In the following years, many relevant things affected Artheloth: the first union of a Lossoth and a Nolde gave birth to a half-elf, Forodréd of House Erik; the conquest of the southern Icebay was completed, and Artheloth joined a Confederacy of kingdoms of northern Eriador, The Northern Kingdoms. But, one day, no news came anymore of King Arahad, and the Lord of the Dùnedain and Earl of Kaldaross, Dormung, succeeded him as King of Artheloth by election.

### **Culture**

#### **Symbols**

After the fall of the royal house of the Dunedain, the winged crown disappeared gradually from the flags and shields of the kingdom, as well as from the culture of the Lossoth majority. Those tribes, in fact, came back to their old myths and symbols, bearing shields and banners with simple decoration. After the crowning of Arahad, though, the new flag carried together the golden shield on black field of the fallen royal family and the chains on red field of the Line of Norðurhlið.

Other symbols, bound to the religion, are the snake eating its tail, resembling the monstrous Sea Dragon that keeps the waters together during storms, and the tree that has its roots identical to its foliage, resembling the Tree of Universe. The ships' bows are decorated with dragon motifs, in fact, and it's not unusual to find a tree shape in many clans' sigils. Jarl Sigurðr Halfdansson's personal sigil itself is a blue fret on red field, resembling vaguely the Tree.

The origin of the red and black colors, mainly used, can be found in the need of hiding and yet be recognizable during long sea trips: the black helped mixing the sail in the color of the sea, and the red helped it being easy to spot by the allies.

#### **Languages**

There are two languages mainly spoken, as there are two ethnicities living together: the local tribes speak the Old Lossoth, a language somehow parent to Dalish, Rohirric and the other Northmen languages, whereas the Dunedain speak Westron, that is still understood by the majority of the population. Only the noble families of the Dunedain still speak, in formal occasions and for erudition, Sindarin.

#### **Religion**

The main religion in the realm is the Lossoth interpretation of Valarism, even if the pure Valarism is still professed by some of the Dùnedain.

##### General informations

The old Lossoth religion loses itself in the dawn of times, and little can be told of it, except for the things that passed into the new one: it was a secretive, mysteric cult, founded on small sects and the concept of private, personal, "to be kept hidden". The few sites that still can be seen, yet unused, confirm this theory: caves, stone circles, labyrinths. The stone circle shape has been kept also by the current religion.

Even though we can't tell what the original religion spoke of, we can say how it evolved in the current one. When, in Third Age, the exiles of Arnor reached the Icebay and settled there, they faced a folk with a primitive yet very established culture: long time passed before they could properly mix in the result we can see nowadays.

This religion doesn't have a name: the Dùnedain call it "Lossoth Valarism", but the folk of Forochel does not, and just refer to it as "the new cult", for they still bear the memory that there was another religion before that.

##### The exteriority: the Dùnedain influence

What one can see, at a first glance, is that the Lossoth praise four gods, which are called "Lord of the Sky", "King of the Waters", "Lady of Life" and "Master of Laughter and Wrath", which are very similar to some of the Valar, and all are said to live far in the west, in the Lands of Always Light.

The Lord of the Sky encloses in them both Manwe and Varda. He is said to have lit the stars, the sun and the moon, that his breath is wind that pushes the ships of the Lossoth to glory or destroys them, and that he gave birth to eagles, called thunderbirds, which throw lightnings upon the sea. This god is apparently female, even though they bear a male title, and the Lossoth always refer to them as a male: even when they give birth to the eagles from their own uterus. This, how we will see, has a deeper meaning than we can imagine.

The King of Waters, instead, has declarately male attributes, whereas he is sometimes thought to be a woman: this because he is in constant union and opposition with the Lord of the Sky, and their fights or their love create storms in the sea. It's not easy to find some reference to it in Valarism, for his similitude with Ulmo is just formal. He is said to rule all of the waters, and to whisper to humans through them, from the ices of the far north to the white shores of the south. He is also responsible for earthquakes, which is a thing unclear to many among the ones unfamiliar with the lossoth culture.

The Lady of Life is the goddes of everything that grows upon the earth. Her resemblance to Yavanna is immediate, but she's also said to have forged the world from iron and stone, and to have built the halls of the dead. She's a mysterious figure, probably the most immediate to resemble in someone from Valarism, yet the most distant from it.

The Master of Laughter and Wrath is considered to be the god of humanity. He's the youngest and the most "human" of the four, and is hard to define what he's really god of. At a first glance, he's the god of war, but his priests call him "the one who came first and was born last, the one who walks heavy and has the lightest foot, the one who gives birth and generates flames, the creator of mankind and its destroyer", showing his double nature, of god of happiness and pleasure, and of god of doom and destruction. He is the Lossoth counterpart of Tulkas.

##### The remains of the Old Cult

But everything that was described so far is just the top of the iceberg of what the "Lossoth Valarism" is. Beneath it lays the truth, the memory of what was before, the very ancient tales and the untold monstruosity of those cold lands.

We spoke of four gods, yet there is a fifth one: an untold god, that doesn't even have a title. In truth, it's quite immediate to notice that the four gods don't have names, but only titles: this is because the Lossoth believe their names are sacred and terrible, untouchable and impossible to pronounce, for they could bring a great doom, and probably even their priests have forgotten their names. When the Dunedain met the Lossoth, the mixing of the two religions gave a gender to the four gods, but for the Lossoth they're genderless and sometimes ermaphrodite, as can be seen in the Lord of the Sky, both man and woman, and that gave birth to the thunderbirds by himself. Yet, the fifth god goes even beyond that. He is not called, and doesn't have a title. Isn't praised in cults, but whispered in the mind. He's the everything and the nothing, the first and the last, the eternal beginning and the endless ending, at the same time father and son of the four gods, he's unrelated to them and yet he's all of them. He's music and silence, void and fulness, blooming spring and deadly winter. Nobody tells who he is, yet all the Lossoth know that he's the air they breathe, the water they drink, the food they eat and the ground they walk on. He is, basically, the universe itself, and this is why he is also all the gods, and can appear in all their shapes separately and at the same time, giving the illusion of being four. He is the first reason of the world, and the cause of its nonsense.

No temple exists where he is praised, yet he is in every temple, and his strength is said to be the most at the temple of all the four gods, placed at the basis of the Tree of Universe. This is an invisible tree, that no one can say to have touched or visited, for we all walk inside it and yet nobody does even go near to its depth. The mountains are its roots and the stars are its fruits, but it also has other roots and fruits, and its leaves are not shown to men, and the log climbs high and invisible in the sky. On top of it are the Halls of the Dead, where all men go after death, and there they fight and laugh, drink and eat, and they merge their spirits with the ones of the gods. The tree itself, instead, is a labyrinth, for it represents the wholeness of the universe: life, death, reason, madness, void, fulness, the gods and the one, men and animals, plants and shrooms. And the tree is the world, and is also each single part of it. That's why the labyrinth is its shape.

From the Old Cult comes also the deepest, darkest part of the iceberg, the one that is spoken, but feared, and that survives only as old tales, that everyone laughs of and everyone fears. From it come the monsters, and the lossoth religion is full of them.

* The Water Dragon. This one is a serpent, big enough to cover all the circumference of earth, and that lies at the bottom of the oceans. He's the most popular figure of the religion, because the Lossoth say that when the Lord of the Sky and the King of Waters fight or have sex a great storm rises, and it's the Dragon's duty to divide them, standing in its rage, and calm the ocean and the clouds, and to send away the thunderbirds. Yet, he can also, by himself, be the reason of storms, and many ships have been sunk by him.
* The Thunderbirds. These eagle-like monsters are sons of the Lord of the Sky, and their duty is to throw lightnings on earth and sea. They always help the Lord of the Sky when he fights with the King of Waters.
* The Giants. They're said to be humanoid, yet ugly and horrifying, and of unnatural proportions, and their kings use weapons of fire. According to the myths, they once lived on the earth when it was firstly made, and they had defeated the gods in a first battle. But when men were born, the gods made again war against the giants, killing most of them, and they fled in the northernmost land of the world, Minheldolath, that is wrapped in clouds of fear and dangerous waters, full of icebergs, hidden rocks and sea monsters, and a spell lays over them, so that whoever sails those waters is doomed to an eternal sleep. And if, by chance, they reach Minheldolath, they can never come back, for the giants eat their bodies and rip their flesh as a revenge, for the gods made war against them for humanity's sake.
* Sea Monsters. They defend the waters around Minheldolath, and nobody ever saw them, even in the myths. They're considered by the priests the deepest, darkest part of the cult, and they cannot speak of what they are, for only their real name may call them from Minheldolath to bring doom on the shores of Forochel.

##### Religious institutions

The priests of the cult specialize in serving one of the four gods, and hence there are four orders of priests, that have no name, but can be recognized by their clothes: the priests of the Lord of the Sky wear white fur clothes; the ones of the King of Waters have green-leathered clothes, where they hang mussels and seaweed; the priests of the Lady of Life are dressed in leaves and branches, and the ones of the Master of Laughter and Wrath have no real common robe, but wear bone crowns, necklaces or bracelets, covered in gold and gems. Most of the temples are in places considered sacred to them, like mountains, cliffs, trees, caves, or can be in the middle of villages, where they often take the shape of circular structures.

One, though, is the master sanctuary, dedicated to all the four gods, and is the only one where is also kept the cult of the Fifth, Rót Alheimsins, the root of universe, a place lost in the middle of nowhere in the frozen lands of Forodwaith, and yet considered to be the very bottom of the Tree of Universe. There also lives the head of the New Cult, called Hinn Heilagi, the Sacred One.

### **Population**

Overall, the whole bay of Forochel doesn't host more than 600 thousands of people. Among those, the greatest majority (around 400-500 thousands) are Lossoth, whereas only 100-200 thousands Dunedain remain. Differently from Fourth Age, no elf or dwarf still lives there.

The Dunedain kept the chivalric values that came from the West, alongside the rigidly gerarchic structure of society, whereas the Lossoth have tribal, rough uses at the eyes of a southerner: they're divided in several clans, whose chiefs refer to a smaller number of Jarls, often in war one against the other. The only moments of peace among the tribes during the year are winter, too cold to be used to fight, and summer, when the sea ice melts a bit and the ships can sail to pillage and raid foreign coasts. However, this trait got reduced after the unification of the kingdom.

### **Ranks**

* **King of the Dunedain and the Lossoth, King of Artheloth and Ruler of Forochel**: yes, this is the full title of the ruler of those lands. There can be only one king, whereas previously there were a High Lord for the Dunedain and a Lord for the Lossoth.
* **Lord of the Dunedain / Lord of the Lossoth:** two equivalent roles for the supreme heads of the two cultures.
* **Jarl / Earl**: is the leader of a province in the map. He must be recognized by the King, and needs to have built a village and have 1000 alignment with the faction (or be a founding member, in-game technicism)
* **Admiral / Commander of the Guard**: the Admiral is the leader of the army, with main attention to naval priorities. The Commander of the Guard is the chief of the Royal Guard of Artheloth. Both are appointed by the king.
* **Berserkr / Royal Guard**: subordinates of the respective roles.
* **Watcher**: guardian of the borders of Artheloth.
* **Citizen:** inhabitant of Artheloth with full rights.
* **Public Enemy**: declared enemy of the nation. He can be attacked, raided, killed without any penality for the attacker.

### **LAWS**

#### **LAWS ABOUT CITIZENSHIP**

1. The citizenship of Artheloth is open to anyone who is not yet declared a Public Enemy. The citizens can ask for supplies, if they need - we're not sure we can provide them, after all we're a full ice land, fuckers - ahem, we always love you.
2. After 2 days of joining the faction, the players will have to formalize the citizenship. This is done by killing a bear with an axe at the presence of the king or a Jarl, by swearing loyalty to the kingdom and its laws and pledging to one of the Jarls, including the king.
3. Every confirmed citizen shall move their base to the territory of Artheloth or its targets areas (this means that western forodwaith is included). The location of the base won't be made public, don't worry.
4. To leave the citizenship of Artheloth, you have to notify your Jarl and the King, that has to convalidate it before allowing you to leave. This is the only way to not break the vow. Notify the king and everything will be fine.

#### **LAWS ABOUT RIGHTS**

1. No act of thievery or violence, both physical or verbal, shall be committed by a citizen of Artheloth on another one.
2. Every citizen of Artheloth shall be free to feel safe in their home. This means that all the community shall ensure that the provinces of Artheloth are free from dangers.
3. Every citizen of Artheloth, because of this, shall also be free to transit safely throught the territory, without the risk of being raided. Of course if you have your map location on you're just a dork, there's no excuse.
4. From point 1., it's immediate that acts of violence (both verbal or physical) based on ethnical, of gender, religious, of orientation, of ability reasons won't be forgiven. But if you don't pray Odin you shall be punished, yes.

#### **LAWS ABOUT DUTIES**

1. Every citizen has the right and the duty, at his passage into the community of Artheloth, to swear loyalty to the faction and to pledge to a Jarl. If they break this vow (unless they change faction in accordance to server rules and after having notified it to the king) they'll be declared a public enemy.
2. Every citizen has the duty of owning personal war equipment, but they also have the right of asking supplies to repair those.
3. Every citizen has the duty of ensuring the safety of his neighborhood from external menaces.
4. Every player base shall be claimed. The claim delimits the property, and cannot overlap with another player's claim. A player cannot own more than 9 golden claims around their base, to grant everyone enough space to live.

#### **LAWS ABOUT CRIMES**

1. If an act of violence, of thievery, an insult or a murder has occurred between two citizens, the Jarl above them shall judge, and he can choose the punishment as he desires. Their decision can be questioned only by the King.
2. Griefing is also not permitted, and it has the immediate consequence of being declared a public enemy.
3. If a citizen breaks the vow of loyalty and leaves Artheloth without permission, he will be declared a public enemy, as stated before.
4. If an Artheloth citizen kills, steals from or griefs a foreigner outside of Artheloth territory, they'll be forgiven if the act can be considered a raid in the name of the King. In all the other cases, including if the fact happens inside the territory, they'll be subject to the will of the Jarl or the King. If the acts are done against an ally, the crime will be treated as if it was done against a citizen. Yes, this means no raids against good side players.
5. An Artheloth citizen cannot team up with an enemy of Artheloth; if this happens, he'll be declared a public enemy.
6. If it wasn't clear, a public enemy can be pursued, attacked, raided, griefed, killed without any punishment against the attacker.
7. Those barbarian Lossoth snow-folk can solve their grudges with duels. We can't expect much more from them, after all.

## **Pre-pre-reset history: Fourth Age**

One of the last remnants of the glorious Kingdom of **Arnor.** After the fall of Arthedain by Witch-king of Angmar in 1974 TE, some of the last arnorian survivors who took part to the battle, led by King Arvedui, fled and took refuge at the people of Lossoth, Forochel Bay inhabitants.

However at the end of the winter Arvedui decided to cross the frozen Forochel Bay with a ship in the attempt to reach the Lindon but his ship was trapped in the ice and the King and his guardsmen died because of the cold.  Hence the story of the arnorians took different routes: while Aranarth, the first son of the King, assumed the title of Captain of the Dúnedain of the North and settled in Eriador, the second son, Aglaran, remained in the icy territory and founded the Kingdom of Artheloth.

The Kingdom, after centuries of total isolation, has slightly opened up to the surrounding kingdoms thanks to the monarch Siegfried (SargonDG). After a long period of domination the king fell ill and the kingdom disappeared again from the public scene of Middle-earth.

Now the nation has returned thanks to the heir of the royal family, Ephraim [SargonDG], who has set out to pursue his father's wishes.

#### **Inhabitants**

The kingdom is mostly inhabited by Dúnedain fled from Arnor in the past ages, although a small population of Lossothians is still present since part of the indigenous which inhabitated the land of Artheloth before the Dúnedain came decided to not abandon their homes; there is also an elven minority from Rivendell and Lindon. The coexistence between the Arnor survivors and the Men of Lossoth seems to never have generated issues of any kind.

### **Ethics, worths and main laws**

* Chivalry

Worth widely felt by the inhabitants of the Kingdom

* Don't take part to others' wars

Don't get involved in disputes between states that are foreign to your Kingdom

* Maximum availability for the comrades

This point must be respected in any case

* Show respect to the won or winner enemy

Insults are not allowed

* Obedience

The upper grades must be respected and the orders must be executed; if there are complaints about the methods they must be communicated to the monarch, any abuse of this concession will be punished

* Loyalty to the Kingdom

It's necessary to be ready to risk the life for the Kingdom. Betrayal is not acceptable; anyone who stains this guilt will be banished and any kind of connection with the traitor must be broken. However, revenge by the members of the Kingdom is not admitted

* Eternal allies

No war will be declared for any reason:

- To the elven factions of Lindon and Rivendell for their precious help in the last battle that led to the fall of the previous Kingdom

- To the Kingdom of Gondor for the relationship of kinship that binds the two kingdoms

- To the Dwarves of Durin's Folk and the Dwarves of Blue Mountains because in the last centuries there have been some fusions between races and therefore they are also familiarly bound

- To the Dùnedain of the North because they are our brothers since the end of Arthedain

* Support the Kingdom

Every inhabitant of the Kingdom must help the economy by procuring materials and food for sustenance

* Eternal enemies

It's not allowed to make pacts with those who were responsible for the fall of Arthedain, the creatures belonging to Angmar

### **Builds**:

#### **Niflheim***, City of the Mountain - 95%*

The capital of the kingdom. This city is built on the mountains and is considered the guardian of the royal fortress; the city has a large number of structures and is a symbol for the whole territory. Its main feature is the long staircase leading to the fortress and the statues representing the legendary Valinor trees at the entrance to the city; also there is the only theater of the kingdom famous for its shows.

#### **Theosoil**, *The Flying Royal Fortress* - 5%

Fortified palace partially suspended in the air thanks to an internal system of gravitational alteration realized by a close collaboration between dwarves and Maiar.

#### **Forochel**, *The Winter Village* - 90%

Village located on the Cape of Forochel from which it takes its name, it is built for self-support and is located along one of the main roads of the Kingdom; in front of the entrance there is a international market (still under construction).

#### **Eulogim Fortress**, *Fort of the Ruler* - 100%

It is located near the border and is a military center of considerable importance, particularly in the south.

#### **Fort of Eldar***, The Crossroad B*arrack - 100%

Located into the north of the capital it is the responsible of the commercial and travel route between the far north of the peninsula and the center of the kingdom.

#### **Fort of Anorwall**, *The Sentinel of the Summit* - 100%

Built on a small plateau of one of the highest peaks in the area, this fort is almost impossible to reach without due preparation, but offers its guests a breathtaking view and total control of the surrounding plains.

#### **Cape of Forodwaith**, *Lighthouse of the West* -100%

Hidden among frozen stacks, this base gives refreshment and protection to sea travelers, saving them from the frost of the Forodwaith's snowy lands.

#### **Kamron's Fort**, *The Star of Heavenly Sky* - 100%

Fortress of the regional Lord; located in the middle of the region, it manages the maritime trade routes between the south and the center-north of the Kingdom.

#### **Aphrael's Fortress**, *The Tower of the Bay* - 90%

Small fort in the center-north of the Forochel bay; it is a reference point for soldiers and a refuge for explorers. It has a council hall for military organizations.

#### **Wulfric Fortress**, *The Concentric Fortress* - 90%

Located on the border between the northern regions, it is used for minor strategic meetings, is sometimes used as a base of operations for explorers who patrol the regional borders.

### **Ranks:**

#### **Commander of the Royal Guards**

The highest military charge of the kingdom,he/she is responsible for the defense of the kingdom and of all military forces; he/she is active in internal and foreign political choices

#### **Captain of the Royal Paladins**

The second military charge of the kingdom is responsible for the defense of the capital and of the large cities scattered throughout the kingdom; he/she is a valuable adviser in the policies of the Kingdom

#### **Royal Guard**

The highest non-commanding military rank; with the highest possible devotion, he/she defends the King at any cost and receives the most prestigious assignments; he/she is an example for all subjects

#### **Royal Paladin**

Knight who earned high honors, is dedicated to the defense of the capital and the most important cities, he/she doesn't hesitate in front of the danger and is a light of hope in the battlefield

#### **Captain of the Explorers**

An important command role among the minor ranks of the kingdom, he/she is responsible for delicate tasks of utmost secrecy; he/she can be considered the left arm of the King

#### **Captain of the Warriors**

A leading figure among the minor military ranks, who has a high level of combat ability; he/she responsible for military and defense operations between the various outposts and villages

#### **Explorer**

Important charge among the military ranks, under the careful guidance of the Captain of the Explorers, is sent to perform dedicate and risky exploratory missions; it takes abnormal skills to play this role

#### **Chosen Warrior**

Military unit that has distinguished itself in battle or that has had an honor from the King for noteworthy events

#### **Warrior**

A lower-ranking military unit, requires minimal skill in battle and respect for others; anyone who plays this role must place the defense of the kingdom and its inhabitants before his life

#### **Senator**

Class covered by the previous King/Queen of the Kingdom; he/she has the task of advising the current King on ways to act in various situations

#### **Governor**

Prestigious assignment given by the King in person who delegates to him/her the functions of minor military and political management of a jurisdiction that can vary from a city to an entire territory

#### **Worker**

Class that is dedicated solely to the needs for food and materials for the Kingdom; in case of war he is provisionally assigned to the Warrior class and is obliged to be part of it