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 Khamûl was a fallen Easterling King who became a Nazgûl.In the third Age the term Easterlings was used for the many tribes of Rhûn, maybe to some part relatives of the Easterlings of the first and second Ages.The original Easterlings of Rhûn 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 Arhûnerim, 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 Rhûn 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 Arhûnerim 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 (who also have Northron Ancestors)
 * 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)

the easterlings in the lord of the Rings role-playing game
the lord of the Rings role-playing game mentions an easterling lord named Gartog, a noble character who grew up as a hostage at the gondorian court and who was a childhood friend of Denethor who still had vague hope his former friend could be convinced not to join Sauron's forces with his men.

the Easterlings in the Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle-Game
The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle-Game remains close to the easterlings depicted in the Lord of the rings movie trilogy, but adds a few details.The Easterlings of Rhûn are ruled by an elite-warrior Order, the Dragon knights and war-priests.A prominent easterling leader is Amdûr the Lord of Blades, head of the Dragon Knights.The Easterlings of Rhûn are close allies of the Variags of Khand and are ruled by the nazgûl Khamûl.

Halls of fire magazine
The Halls of fire Magazine mentions the Wainriders still as an existant tribal-alliance in 3019.Leader of one Alliance of Sagath-Wainriders is a man named Harizän.

the Easterlings in Middle Earth: Total War
The Middle Earth: Total War Mod provides a background-story for the Easterlings of the late third Age: Of the three Istari who had gone to the Eastern lands Saruman had to retreat, Pallando was killed and Alatar became corrupted.After the fall of the Balchoth Realm, Alatar had finally become Sauron's highest lieutenant in eastern middle-earth and had long started to establish dark cults among the easterlings, one of these sects were the Lôke Egleria or dragon-worshippers who finally had taken root in the lands of rhûn and united the disparate tribes after several decades of war.The leading warlord became the Lôke-khan or "Dragon-King",Alatar's puppet-ruler, who ruled by the force of Lôke-Rim or golden horde, whose members were a professional soldier-class.By 2980 it was the reign of the fourth Lôke-khan Borthand.

The Lôke-Rim is divided into four hosts:
 * the Lôke-gamp rim (heavy armored Pikesmen)
 * the Lôke-flag rim (hevy armored elite-infatry equipped with maces)
 * the Lôke-nar rim (heavy armored elite-archers)
 * the Lôke-innas rim (heavy armored cataphracts)

Another easterling tribe, mentioned nowhere else are the mysterious hazga.

Elendor MUD
The Elendor Mud names the King of Rhûn "Zhamik".