Den‑sârt ("gift-leader"?) was the name given in eastern annals to a sorcerer- lord and stronghold in the Zorian Wastes, on the borderlands east of Palisor and beneath the Dark Mountains of the East. Den‑sârt served both as the name of the fortress and as a title borne by its master and his specific Order of Arnak.
Description[]
The annals attributed to Den‑sârt a role in the ruin of the former Zori realm. The holder was identified as one of the six Priests Arnak. His personal name was Osaran (Av."hissing noble"?) , a fallen elf of about 500 years of age with the appearance of an almost god-like young man of about 20, however it was noted this may nor have been his true shape but the outward appearance he preferred.
Where later narratives ascribed specific rites or craft to him, the older notices confined themselves to reports of raids upon caravans, the mustering of armed bands about the stronghold, and the sending forth of parties to seize material and captives. He was believed to have been the source of certain "warped" creatures delivered from the Wastes to conflicts involving the other Arnak Priests and their followers.
Fortress of Den‑sârt[]
The fortress of Den‑sârt, called "Âlk-vâlg" stood upon a saline plain within the Wastes. Contemporary descriptions emphasised its use of salvaged masonry and metal and its adaptation to the waste: low outworks and inward‑facing courts, narrow approaches and guarded galleries. Chambers for hearths and stores were noted; ritual implements and gathered materials were reported among its holdings in later lists of finds. The place was set with watch‑points that commanded the plain.
Followers and bands[]
Den‑sârt’s following was described as a composite of local retainers, armed bands and forced labour. Sources distinguished between devoted adherents, coerced captives taken for service or experiment, and raiders who offered their blades for spoil. Den-sârt’s household and warbands patrolled routes and harried caravans, and some of his followers were said to have been strangely altered by prolonged exposure to the Wastes and his powers.
Creatures[]
Travellers’ reports referred to warped or altered creatures encountered in connection with Den‑sârt, and to experiments carried out within the stronghold. Such beings were employed as auxiliaries and guards, and many bore visible signs of alteration.
Organisation and activity[]
Den‑sârt’s activity combined seizure of men, beasts and material, raids on trade and the maintenance of a guarded centre from which patrols went forth. The stronghold enforced control over local water‑holes and salt‑flats for a time and received captives and salvage brought back by raiders. Small detachments were kept for scouting, raiding and the holding of sites.
Aftermath[]
The decline of Den‑sârt’s power was gradual in the sources. Bands dispersed, the garrison broke up, and the fortress fell into ruin and dereliction. Traces of persistent contamination remained in certain chambers and altered materials among the ruins.
See:
Notes[]
Original forms in RM:
- Densart/Dansart = Den-sârt
- Aalk-Vaalg = Âlk-vâlg
The "Sart" element also appears in MERP "Chey Sart", it was most likely derived from old persian where it may refer to a settled population though it originally may have referred to caravan-leaders or traders. In MERP the original meaning was likely debased, intended was a settled population or people. Newer RM publications seem to prefer "Dansart" over the older form.
Densart or Dansart was adapted from Rolemaster and Shadow World. He appears in the description of the Zorian Wastes in the Grand Campaign and Haalkitaine.
Editorial Note: This entry contains speculative or fan-based material — such as fanon, fanfiction, or theory constructs — that may not be directly supported by canonical texts. Interpretations offered here are part of the NNCA’s speculative corpus and should not be mistaken for primary Tolkien sources.