Khamûl

**Khamûl**, also known as **Shadow of the East**, **The Black Easterling**, **The Black bear, the Second Chief**, Twas one of the nine human kings that accepted the nine Rings of Power by Annatar and became the Nazgûl. For some time, the Wise believed him to be the entity behind the Necromancer of Dol Guldur until Gandalf revealed that the Necromancer was in fact Sauron himself. However, the Black Easterling later continued his role as the Keeper of Dol Guldur, as his Master´s vice-regent in Rhovanion. He served the Dark Lord in the tower of Barad-Dûr during the Second Age and with his master, was forsaken at Gorgoroth, during the War of the Last Alliance.

At the end of the first millennium of the Third Age, Khamûl re-appeared with Sauron at the ruins of Dol Guldur, and dwelt there with him while Sauron’s power grew in secret. After the Dark Lord’s return to Mordor, the Nazgûl Lieutenant Khamûl and Adûnaphel returned to Dol Guldur, where they were to hold in check the power of Lothlórien.

When the War of the Ring broke out, Khamûl was sent out to search for the Shire, and if possible to locate the One Ring. Khamûl and the other Nazgûl tracked the Hobbits through The Shire but lost their track as the latter departed through Buckland. Later he stood with the Witch-king at Amon Sûl when the Morgul Knife struck Frodo. Later during the War of the Ring, he would orchestrate three attacks on Lothlórien from Dol Guldur. As with the other Winged Nazgûl, he perished at the end of the Third Age along with the remaining Ringwraiths in the fiery ruin of Mount Doom when the One Ring was destroyed and Sauron fell for the last time.

## Biography

### Second Age

#### The Origin of Khamûl

Born at Laeg Goak in the Farthest East in SA 1744, Khamûl was the son of Mûl Tanûl, the High-lord of the Wômaw. His mother, Klêa, was popular despite her Shay heritage, but died while the young heir was only seven.

#### Servant of Sauron

In SA 2000, Khamûl appeared at Barad-Dûr in Mordor and served Sauron as the Master of the Hold, and his responsibilities included administering the maintenance of the citadel and its garrison. This ward-ship remained in his capable hands until SA 3350, when Urzahil of Umbar became the Mouth of Sauron and the Lieutenant of the Tower.

Khamûl fled Mordor when Sauron was captured in SA 3262. Retreating into the East, he first went to Nûrad and, after a brief stay, he proceeded into the Shay lands of his mother’s people. He remained among the Shay until SA 3319, cultivating a network of servants whose greed fomented a sundering of the Five Tribes. This corruption continued after Khamûl returned to Mordor, and by SA 3400 Khamûl’s agent Monarlan brought three of the tribes under the Shadow.

The Easterling remained in Mordor during the War of the Last Alliance (S.A. 3429-3441), sallying forth only during the campaign in Ithilien that opened the conflict. During the first four and a half years, he resided at Lug Ghurzun (BS. “Darkland Tower”) in eastern Nurn (BS. “Ghurzun”); but in SA 3434, the army of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men forced its way through Udun, so Khamûl returned to his Master’s side. The Ringwraith stole into Barad-Dûr during the night before the outset of the long siege.

When the Barad-Dûr fell in SA 3441, the Nazgûl met the vanguard of the Elven host and fought a long, brutal melee. Unprotected, Sauron was forced to engage his foes in personal combat. This proved to be his undoing for, although he slew both Elendil the Tall and Gil-galad, he lost his One Ring (and his ring finger) in the fray.

### Third Age

#### Attack on Dol Guldur

While keeping his presence a secret within the old fortress of Dol Guldur, Khamûl, along with Er-Mûrazôr, Adûnaphel, Akhorahil, Hôarmûrath, Helm Hammerhand, Suladân, Morgomir, and Isildur Elendilion, sensed the arrival of Lady Galadriel of Lothlórien. Deciding it was time to reveal themselves at last, Khamûl and his fellow Wraiths emerged out of their hiding places and surrounded the Lady of Light who was rescuing Gandalf from imprisonment.

In anticipation of the White Council’s attack on Dol Guldur, Sauron briefly abandoned his hold in southern Mirkwood in T.A. 2941, retreating to Barad-dûr. From that time onward, he stepped up his search for the Ruling Ring and labored to prepare for the conquest of the West.

#### Shadow Wars

Ten years later, Sauron felt comfortable enough to openly declare himself once again and, following his proclamation, he ordered his minions to reopen Dol Guldur. Khamûl went northward to the fortress with Adunaphel, where he kept watch on Rhovanion and, more importantly, Lórien. He communicated with the Dark Lord via Uvatha, the ninth Nazgûl and the Easterling’s chosen envoy. The Witch-King and the other five of the Nine stayed in Minas Morgul, awaiting the coming conflagration.

#### War of the Ring

##### Hunt for the One Ring

After leaving Minas Morgûl, Khamûl had been riding on his horse for days once he and his fellow Nazgûl crossed the borders of the Shire. He arrived to Goodman Maggot's farm where he speaks to the confused and frightened hobbit, demanding to know where a Baggins was. After Goodman Maggot directs him onward to Hobbiton, Khamûl rides over to Hobbiton and then asked Hamfast Gamgee for "Baggins". He was unawarely fooled by the hobbit as he thought that all the Bagginses had left the Shire to take a vacation.

Later, Khamûl continued to go on the pursuit and search for the One Ring. He and his fellow Wraiths gave up hunting and decided to remain in the Shire until a hobbit, who goes by the name Baggins, would reveal the One Ring. After a hearing a noise and catching a scent of the Ring while crossing the road, Khamûl let out a hollow screech and went to the spot where he felt it. Once he approaches the spot, Khamûl didn't notice four hobbits that were hiding behind a tree. As the four stayed quiet, Merry throws a sack of vegetables behind the Rider's horse, alarming Khamûl and causing him to leave the Hobbits undetected.

Khamûl’s party crossed paths with the Hobbits in the Green Hill Country and the Easterling’s keen sense of smell nearly uncovered Frodo’s hiding place below the road, but the Halflings escaped and the three Riders did not see them again until the encounter at the Bruinen Ford. Although Khamûl and his companions tracked them through Buckland (where they entered the Bolger yard in Crickhollow), they failed to run down the elusive Hobbits.

##### Amon Sûl

Throughout the dead of night, Khamûl accompanied Er-Mûrazôr, Adûnaphel, Dwâr Dendra, and Hôarmûrath to Amon Sûl when they noticed a fire in the distance. Knowing that the four Hobbits were there, they began to confront and take the One Ring from them. Khamûl was the first to approach the hobbits after the four and watched as Er-Mûrazôr moved Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin Took, and Meriadoc Brandybuck out of the way. That was when he and his brothers noticed Frodo taking the ring out for them to see. Just as the lead Nazgûl stabbed Frodo with a Morgûl Blade, Khamûl was suddenly ambushed by Aragorn, who used a torch to set him on fire. The effects of the fire didn't kill him, but it caused him to flee and rejoin the others.

## Appearances

* *The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies*
* *Middle-Earth: Shadow of War*
* *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring* (First appearance)
* *The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers*
* *The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King*