Angmar

The Kingdom of Angmar (Sindarin: 'Iron-home') was founded in TA 1300 in the far north of the Misty Mountains by the evil Lord of the Ringwraiths, who became known as the "Witch-king of Angmar". Since the Witch-king was a vassal to the Dark Lord Sauron, it is presumed that Angmar's wars against the successor kingdoms of Arnor were done at Sauron's bidding. The reasons for the creation of Angmar are many- not only would a northern base complement the tower of Barad-dûr and keep his enemies busy on multiple fronts, but it would allow for Sauron's second-in-command to search for the One Ring, as that was where Isildur was headed before the ring was lost.

The capital of Angmar was Carn Dûm, which was constructed near Mount Gundabad, in the territory of an evil race of men.

Soon after Angmar was founded it waged war against the divided Dúnedain realms of Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur. The Witch-king conquered Rhudaur, the weakest of Arnor's successor kingdoms, and replaced its Dúnedain king with one of the native Hillmen - a wild tribe of men possibly descended from the "accursed" kin of Ulfang - named Hwaldir. The territory of the Dúnedain was separated from that of Angmar and Rhudaur by the Weather Hills, and from this time many of the now-ruined forts were constructed.

Now under the Witch-King's control, Rhudaur in TA 1356 invaded Arthedain and in the attack, Arthedain King Argeleb I was slain. However, with the aid of the armies of Cardolan, Arthedain managed to maintain a line of defense along the Weather Hills. In TA 1409 Angmar attacked Cardolan, destroying the kingdom and devastating the great tower upon Weathertop. Arthedain itself was threatened until, at last, they were aided by an Elven army arriving from both Lórien and Lindon. The armies of Angmar were forced to withdraw, and Arthedain, bereft of allies, struggled on for another five hundred years against the evil of Angmar. During this five hundred year span, evil spirits came out of Angmar to inhabit the Barrowdowns, making the area into one of terror and dread. In TA 1974, about five centuries after the defeat of Cardolan, Angmar finished amassing its forces and launched a final assault on Arthedain. Athedain could receive no help from Gondor, as their southern allies were at war with Wainriders from the east. Angmar took the Arthedain capital of Fornost in a fierce battle, thereby destroying the last kingdom of the Dúnedain.



A year later, Prince Eärnur of Gondor arrived to avenge the northern kingdoms and to destroy Angmar completely. The combined Gondorian and Elven army defeated the forces of Angmar in the Battle of Fornost, but the Witch-king was not slain. He escaped and fled to Mordor, but his servants long inhabited the northern regions of the world, and it was for this reason that the Dúnedain dwelt in that war-ravaged and dreary land.