Ibnothiuda

The Ibnotithiuda (For. "Plainsfolk") were originally thedescendants of Eriadorian Northmen who allied themselveswith Gil-galad and fought in the Last Alliance of Elves andMen. During the Battle of Dagorlad, they were sent to guardthe eastern flank at the Battle of Dagorlad. Their ranks havebeen joined over the years by numerous other peoples fromsurrounding lands including Odhriags from Gathod, Donathfrom the Dacranamel, Gondorians, and Northmen fromRhovanion. They make their homes at the junction of theWarwater and the Fikstaig Rivers, in a region they call theCairn Angle. Their population is spread over many smallfarms and fiefdoms centered upon the fortified town of BurhArmenrik. Society and Culture Daily life among the Ibnotithiuda is similar to that foundamong the settlements of other Northmen in Rhovanion.They are a practical people who place much emphasis on thevirtues of a hard days labor. While wealth is the object of allworking men, opulence, particularly in the public eye isgenerally regarded as a vice. What has set the Ibnotithuidaapart from many of their Northman cousins is theircosmopolitan nature. Most local merchants take pride in theirreputation as diplomats among the varied peoples of Southern Rhun. The very survival of the settlement,surrounded as it is by so many different and sometimes aliencultures, is a testament to the open-mindedness of itscitizenry. The Ibnotithuida and their homesteads in the CairnAngle stand as a single constant presence in a land that is anever-changing patchwork of cultures.The men of the Cairn Angle are also great lovers of festival.Celebrations are raucous events involving public games anddemonstrations of strength and skill. Drinking, loud singing,and dancing are community events that serve to bind peopletogetappointed to act as a judge and oversee the affairs of thetown. The Town Master meets frequently with a TownCouncil consisting of thirteen advisors that represent thepeople and guilds of the city. In times of crisis, festival, or atthe request of the Town Master, the rural Thyns will travel tothe city to form a super-council in which decisions of greatimport may be debated. Religion Religion in the Cairn Angle is a complicated issue. Religiousbelief varies greatly from tribe to tribe, culture to culture, andsometimes family to family. Among these traditions arebeliefs that center on the natural spirits of Northmantradition, the hero-ancestors of the Odhriags and even someof the deities worshipped by the Urgath and Brygath. A largeinterjection of Gondorian influence in the early Third Agebrought reverence of the Valar to the populace. All of thesetraditions tend to merge together during festivals. Forexample, while the local harvest festival hearkens back tosacrificial ceremonies practiced by the local Donath peoples,the Northman cult of the Tree also uses the same four dayspan to celebrate its Festival of Colors. Many superstitions of local origin add to the corpus of belief, creating a trulyunique blend of religious practice.Though ritualized ceremonies are rare among theIbnotithiuda, numerous festivals and holidays do exist. Some,like the Shogmar (Od. "Joining"), are borrowed fromneighboring cultures. Originally celebrated by the fewOdhriag families of Buhr Armenrik to commemorate thealliance that gave birth to their culture, this holiday nowserves to reinforce the identity of the town as a place distinctfrom other Northman settlements. The heroes that areworshipped are figures prominent in the history of BurhArmenrik, and their particularly eastern branch of Northmanculture. Other holidays exist that recall their roots in Eriador,commemorate the victory of Elendil, and even demonize thetreacherous merchants that ruled the town in the days of Vidugavia. Warcraft Buhr Armenrik and the culture of the Ibnotithuida was oneborn out of warfare. In their roots, the Eriadoran settlers of the Cairn Angle were members of a military company, andthis martial tradition has not died over the years. Just asmilitary readiness was highly regarded in the ranks of Elendil, so too is it valued among the garrison of the town.This emphasis on personal strength and martial skill has beenaugmented as Ibnotithuida culture was infused with Odhriagvalues. A close alliance between these two peoples overmuch of their history allowed both cultures to exist in a landthat has frequently been the domain of nomads driven toviolence by desperation. The defense of the town was againbolstered when the governor of Dor Rhunen decided to builda Gondorian frontier outpost on the outskirts of the town tosafeguard the interest of the King along the eastern traderoutes. The Barad Ithil is a stone tower that stands watch overthe eastern approaches to the city. Though the Gondoriangarrison has been recently withdrawn, the tower is stillconstantly manned by a troop of the town's garrison.

In personal combat, the armed men of Buhr Armenrik favorthe weapons of their fathers. Northmen use the mountedlance, the broadsword, the small shield, and scale orchainmail armors. Men of Odhriag descent typically favoethe scimitars, target shields, and short bows for which theirparent culture is known. Mounted combat is universallypreferred, as it gives the town's defenders the ability tomaneuver with their most common foe, Sagath war bands.The town is guarded by men paid out of the coffers of theTown Master (which are fed by taxes). This permanent guardis readily supplemented by armed citizens in times of strife.The citizenry may also take up arms to form a possie if itbecomes necessary to hunt down fugitives from the rulings of the Town Master. This can be particularly dangerous for theaccused, since the wronged are allowed and even encouragedto organize and lead the possie. It is felt that this policy leadsto the swift enactment of the Town Master's judgements. Thispolicy has also increased the occurrence of Northmanvigilantism, and even blood-feuding since it encouragesindividuals to exact their own revenge. Appearance As virtually none of the ethnic groups and races present inBurh Armenrik have passed the years without some sort of mingling with the other groups present, the Ibnotithiuda are avery diverse people in regard to appearance. This slowmerging of genetic lines has muted many of the most notablefeatures of the contributing peoples. The result is that mostpeople of Easterling descent are not quite so short as theirnomadic cousins. Northmen of the Cairn Angle tend to beshorter than the Rhevain clans of the north. The individualfeatures usually associated with each of the races representedamong the Ibnotithiuda can be found mixed to varyingdegrees among all the townsfolk.Clothing among the Men of the Cairn Angle is also diverse.While many wear garb similar to that of Northmen, otherscan be found sporting garments of Easterling origin. For themost part though, the Ibnotithiuda employ the most sensibleapparel from each of the cultures represented based uponclimate, occupation, and individual choice.