Men of the Anduin

## **Summary**

"The men of the Anduin have roamed these parts and fought for it on all sides! They want peace but they remember how to fight for their neighbours." - Race Hall Description

The Men of the Anduin are the three Northmen groups in the Vale of Anduin, lying between the Misty Mountains and the forest of Mirkwood. They include the men of Framsburg, predecessors to Rohan; the Beornings, fierce barbarians who are rumoured to have the ability to transform into beasts; and the Woodsmen of Greenwood, living in the boughs of Mirkwood.

## History

As Northmen, these men are descended from the Edain of the First Age, and represent those who stayed in Middle-Earth rather than sailing west to Numenor, and all descend from the old Kingdom of Rhovanion, before the fall of it's first iteration. It is believed they are of the third Edain house, the House of Hador, as the Northmen share many of their characteristics.

### Men of Framsburg

"Remnants of the people of Éothéod in the Vales of Anduin, they chose to remain behind instead of going to Rohan." - Race Hall Description

The Éothéod came to this land as refugees, fleeing west as Rhovanion was defeated and subjugated by the Wainriders, settling in the northern Vale. The name of their city, Framsburg, comes from the son of the founding king, Fram Franson, who slayed the dragon Scatha. These men proved themselves trustworthy to Gondor in their battles against Angmar, where they showed their skills as grand horsemen. This trust would result in their becoming full allies of Gondor, called south to assist in battle against the Balcoth in the Battle of the Camp. The Easterling forces were routed and the Éothéod largely abandoned the Vale to settle the lands granted to them in Calenardhon, to be renamed Rohan, and the Éothéod became known as the Rohirrim.

Their aesthetic is a mix of those of Dale and Rohan, with the heavy use of brown with gold or bronze trim, chain hauberks, and plates running along their arms, with helmets that are almost the same as Dale, very clearly inspired by the Spangenhelm of the Norse and Anglo-Saxons. Their weaponry is simple and very much reminiscent of Rohan, with steel or iron blades and golden or bronze hilts and bands. The wood used is lighter than that of the Rohirrim.

### The Beornings

"The Bear shifting folk of Beorn, few are left, and those that remain are in hiding still." - Race Hall Description

The Beornings were formed after the Battle of Five Armies, as a group of Northmen gathered under Beorn, a bear of a man, that being quite literal as he was a Skinchanger. These fearsome men kept open the passages of the Carrock and the High Pass of the Misty Mountains, taking high tolls as they were alone battling the goblins and orcs of the Mountain, and they would assist in the defense of the lands of the Sindar Elves of the Woodland Realm. Beorn has since fallen, and his son Grimbeorn the Old is now said to lead the tribe.

The aesthetic of the beornings is dark and practical, appearing to be primarily of leather and/or fur and simple in design with more advanced steel weaponry, with the only ornamentation being some trim along their trousers. It is notable that the Beornings make heavy use of the Crossbow. Their weapon technology makes clear that the Beornings are not the barbarians they are often though to be, and may be some of the greater human craftsmen of the Anduin.

### Greenwood Men

"The remaining men of Greenwood respect the lands. They are trying to keep the corruption of Mirkwood at bay." - Race Hall Description

The Greenwood Men, also known as the Woodmen, are little known, but they were rumored to be great bowmen, using their bows of yew to keep the Great Eagles from their sheep so effectively that the Eagles feared to wander near the dwellings of men. They dwelled in Mirkwood itself, living hard lives, but the Orcs and Wargs were unwilling to challenge them often as they were known to be brave and well armed.

The Greenwood men have no NPCs to determine the aesthetic of the faction off of, so far.

## Aesthetics

The base Men of the Anduin aesthetic is an inbetween of the simplicity of the Beornings and the more ornamental armour of the men of Framsburg. They wear a suit of chain with dark leather boots, a plain metal helmet with what appear to be leather cheekguards, and, despite their armour being clearly of steel or iron, they wield bronze weaponry, implying that they may be using armour they scavenged or purchased from other sources but produce their own, more crude, weaponry.

Their aesthetic is a mix of those of Dale and Rohan, with the heavy use of brown with gold or bronze trim, chain hauberks, and plates running along their arms, with helmets that are almost the same as Dale, very clearly inspired by the Spangenhelm of the Norse and Anglo-Saxons. Their weaponry is simple and very much reminiscent of Rohan, with steel or iron blades and golden or bronze hilts and bands. The wood used is lighter than that of the Rohirrim.

The aesthetic of the beornings is dark and practical, appearing to be primarily of leather and/or fur and simple in design with more advanced steel weaponry, with the only ornamentation being some trim along their trousers. It is notable that the Beornings make heavy use of the Crossbow. Their weapon technology makes clear that the Beornings are not the barbarians they are often though to be, and may be some of the greater human craftsmen of the Anduin.

The Greenwood men have no NPCs to determine the aesthetic of the faction off of, so far.