Easterlings

Easterlings is a vague term for the wild tribes of eastern Middle-Earth.In the first Age the name is applied to the Peoples of Bor and Ulfang in Beleriand, the first ones who were faithful to the Eldar, the latter ones who were traitors and in secret allegiance with Morgoth became known as the "Wolf-folk".The surviving Easterlings fled back in their eastern homelands after the drowning of Beleriand and became rulers of the indigenious tribes, most of whom were their distant kinsmen.In the second Age Khamul was a fallen Easterling King who became a Nazgul.In the third Age the term Easterlings was used for the many tribes of Rhun, maybe to some part relatives of the Easterlings of the first and second Ages.The original Easterlings of Rhun were early enemies of Gondor who were defeated by Romendacil I in 500 TA and finally conquered by Romendacil II in 1248 TA.But later new peoples arrived from the unknown eastern lands at first the Wainriders who were at war with Gondor between 1851 TA and 1944 TA later the Balchoth who made war on Gondor in 2510 TA.At the Time of the war of the ring in 3019 TA a new unnamed people had arrived: small and stout men with long beards like dwarves who fought with great Axes.

the Easterlings in MERP
In MERP the first Age easterlings are identified with the Arhunerim, a group of wandering peoples which also included the Daen peoples.In Beleriand the Easterlings were also known as the Baradhrim or "Swarthy men", the treacherous faction of which became known as the Ulbandim.After the drowning of Beleriand the surviving Ulbandim and Baradrim fled to Rhun where they subjugated related tribes, from these arose the Easterling peoples known as the Shrel and Vulzsev.The later Easterlings are identified with the Talatherim or Plainsmen, a large group of peoples in central middle-earth in the first Age which was part of the Aravador, the part of the Hildor which had stayed in the Wild Lands east and South in the first Age, although they might have been more closely akin to the Arhunerim than the other Aravador splinter-factions.The Talatherim, by the second Age, had split into eight language-groups: the Ioriags (ancestors of the Variags and the Balchoth),the Ulgath (ancestors of the wainriders),the Tyr (a group of tribes in central middle-earth),the Chey (a group of tribes in south-central middle-earth),the Chy (a group of tribes in eastern Harad), the Shay (a group of tribes in southeastern Middle-earth),the Ahar (a group of tribes in eastern-central middle-earth) and the Ibav (also in southeastern middle-earth) (a possible ninth group may have been the fale in the utter east, who are also considered easterlings).

The Ulgath (in Lotan) became:
 * the Brygath
 * the Gargath
 * the Gathmarig
 * the Igath (Members of the Wainrider confederation)
 * the Kugath
 * the Logath (Members of the Wainrider confederation)
 * the Sagath (Members of the Wainrider confederation)
 * the Urgath

The Ioriags in the kykurian kyn became: and the
 * the Adriags
 * the Kykuria (ancestors of the later Balchoth)
 * the Nuriags (in Nurad)
 * the Nurniags (in Nurn)
 * the Odhriags
 * Variags of Khand

further tribes:

Chey:
 * Chejans (in Chey Sart)

Chy: and further tribes in Vaag and Heb Aaraan.
 * Bulchy (in Bulchyades)
 * Chyans (in Chy)
 * Cly (in Clyan)
 * Denuly (in Lodenuly)

Shay:
 * Nay (in Unvirnay)
 * Shayans (in Shay)

Ahar: and further tribes in Rycolis, Gaathgykarkan, Dalpygis, Orgothraath and Relmether.
 * Kul Ahar (in Kargagis Ahar)

Ibav: and another tribe in Gaathgykarkan.
 * Aca (in Acaana)
 * Ibavini (in Ibav)

Tyr: and likely the
 * Desdursyr (in Desdursyton)
 * Dyrians (in Dyr)
 * Myri (in Myr)
 * Vorgani (in Lurs Vorganis)
 * one tribe in Lú Tyr Sû
 * Fustir-gost (in the Gulf of Ûtum)
 * Ky'taari (in the Gulf of Ûtum)
 * Syrkakar (in the Gulf of Ûtum)