The New Notion Club Archives
Advertisement
The New Notion Club Archives

“…and when I dared look over the crumbling wall again, my eyes were fixed upon the figure of the Evil One. It was easy to see that he had once been an elf, with long black hair and fair features, but no longer was he fair. Great leathery wings stretched outward from his back and long yellow claws tipped his fingers.
I attempted to adjust my position from sitting to crouching when I stepped on a dry leaf, making it crackle loudly and destroying my secrecy. The eyes of the demon were upon me instantly, I had no where to flee or hide, I gripped my blade tightly and prepared to die…”

-Fuljo Atlao, T.A. 1585

The cruel leader of the Black Tide, Athum (from Q. Athumo: "Colleague") was a concentrated and potent source of evil in the Twin Nations. Athum had been terrorizing the night with his minions for hundreds of years.
Originally, Athum was an Elven spy sent by Sauron in the Second Age (S.A. 1753) to watch the southern shores of Middle-earth. He re-opened the ancient Elven monastery in the Emyn Felig (Nols Aulda), and remained there as a solitary spy until he formed the Tide in T.A. 1270, with support from both Indur Dawndeath and the Storm King in the form of specially trained "soldiers" suited to his cause. He later (T.A. 1462) accidentally fused his spirit with a demon. The transformation left him slightly less sane than he had been. He had rarely left his monastery since, because he hated his dreadful appearance. Athum was hopelessly evil, however.
Between T.A. 1467-70, the demonic Athum managed to corrupt the few Ents (Bloodbark, Greyroot, Windcatcher) in the Green-Sky-Wood, and they began to make the jungle an evil domain where few dared to walk.
Finally, after T.A. 2850-90 when the Servants of the Real Fire seized control of the Mag and Tûmag, Athum entombed himself in his monastery until the mid Fourth Age.

Athum stood 6'8" tall. He had a demonic appearance, although the presence of his elven blood could still be noticed. His hair was black, as were his eyes. He had grey bat-wings stretching outward from his back. He was a frightening sight, to say the least.

Reference[]

Advertisement