Far North

Far North (Q. Formenandë, Ad. Phurutabatta) was the name given to the remote northern regions of Arda, beyond the lands known to most Elves and Men during the Years of the Sun. These were called the Lands beyond the North-wind in the tongues of various peoples.

The Lands[]

The Far North encompassed several distinct regions: ancient Dor-na-Daerachas, the North Land of Illuin, the Northern Waste, the Northern Darkness, Dor Bendor, the Northern Peninsula, the Formless Waste and farthest north Ringli. Though these names were often used without distinction, each denoted a separate territory within the northern expanse. Dor-na-Daerachas comprised the northern frontier lands, including all territories once held by Morgoth during the First Dominion. The North Land referred to those regions formerly illuminated by the pillar of Illuin, while the Northern Waste described the tundra and highlands stretching from the Grey Mountains to the northern ice seas. Beyond these lay the Northern Darkness, a realm that remained unmapped throughout the ages. The western boundary was marked by the Ice Bay of Forochel, where the Lossoth plied their vessels. To the east rose the peaks of Bârl-syrnakh, remnants of the Iron Mountains severed by ancient upheavals. Further east lay the Northern Peninsula beyond the Bay of Ûtum, and beyond the Sea of Illuin the Northeastland with its Sinking Plain and Kamkhahâl cape. The northern edge was bounded by the Walls of the World, beyond which stretched the Void. The Unformed Waste marked the farthest reaches, where the ordered world gave way to chaos. To the south, the region bordered the northern foothills of Angmar, the fortress of Gundabad, the Ered Mithrin, and the Iron Hills, with the Talathrant estuary and the great forests forming the final southern limits. The terrain varied greatly across these lands. The tundras - Fire-, Scrubby-, Wash-, and Stone-Tundra - each supported different plant life. The Ice Desert and the Frozen Forest were the harshest regions, where few creatures could survive. Mountain ranges such as the Ered Engrin and plains like Durinsvolle broke the landscape, while scattered forests - Bear Forest, Hebringli, and Yârvënymâny - provided shelter for the region's wildlife. The climate remained severe throughout the year, with frequent storms, blizzards, and ice-breaks. The Northern Ice Cap formed the glacial crown of Arda's northern pole, shaping ocean currents and weather patterns across the region. The flora included hardy plants such as icegrass and wind moss, and the rare Frozen Bloom, which flowered only under the aurora. Among the fauna were reindeer called Losrandirath, used by the Lossoth as mounts, ancient snow-oliphaunts, ice wolves, snow bears, and frost eagles. More rarely seen were ice stags, and various creatures whose existence remained unconfirmed by scholars.

History[]

In the earliest days, Dor-na-Daerachas formed the heart of Morgoth's dominion, encompassing the lands around Angband and the Pits of Utumno. The Walls of the World then separated Ambar from the encircling Ekkaia and the Void beyond, marking the edge of creation itself. After Morgoth's defeat, the North remained scarred by his presence. The Darkness of the North lingered as a distortion that warped time and space, rendering parts of the Northern Waste uninhabitable for long ages. During the Second Age, the Númenóreans explored the northern seas, establishing at least one harbor, Eleriondolónë. The native peoples called them Zyedrahir - the Folk of the Star. A northeastern tribe, the Udahir, later claimed descent from Númenórean explorers who had remained in the North. Trade routes were established along the Ice Bay of Forochel, with outposts such as Celeb-ost serving as waystations. The decline of the northern peoples came not from invasion but from the returning cold, the awakening of dragons, and the southward movement of Orc bands to Gundabad and the Grey Mountains. Some tribes were lost entirely; others adapted to the changing conditions. The Lossoth settled in the southern bay of Forochel, where fishing remained possible. Other groups, including the Yâdâihmënyt and Merënyetsënyt, found refuge in the northwest, in regions rich in marine resources and protected from Orc incursions. In the Third Age, Ice Orcs and descendants of the Boldogs pressed southward before being decimated by dragons. The Dyrians and Lotani, tribes of southeastern origin, defended their territories. The Sled Horde, militant Utûmian warriors serving Angmar and the Witch-king, used ice-sleds for swift raids across the frozen lands. After Angmar's fall, the Far North remained a place of retreat and isolation. Its peoples preserved ancient customs and oral histories, living largely apart from the great events of Middle-earth.

The Peoples[]

Despite its harsh reputation, the Far North was never empty. Various peoples endured across its plains, forests, and coasts, their cultures shaped by the cold and isolation. The Lossoth were the most prominent mannish group, descended from the Forodwaith, who were themselves kin to the Bórian tribes of the First Age. They dwelt around the southern banks of the Ice Bay of Forochel, where the climate was relatively mild. They were nomads and fishers, speaking Labba, an archaic Bórian dialect. Their beliefs centered on spirits of ice and wind, honored through seasonal observances. The Merënyetsënyt - the "Sea Hunters" - inhabited the coastal regions beyond the Ice Desert, hunting large marine beasts and crafting robes from seal hide. Their boats, carved from driftwood, bore runes marking lineage and voyages. The Yâdâihmënyt - "Ice Wanderers" - roamed the Stone Tundra with their Iceriggers, wind-driven boat-sleds that could travel over snow or sea. Their wise men interpreted the patterns of ice and sky. Along the southeastern margins lived the Dyrians, Lotani, and Estanrewas - border peoples of mixed heritage. The Dyrians were contemplative nomads, the Lotani more martial with rigid tribal structures, while the Estaravi were descendants of Northmen driven from East-Angmar by the Éothéod. Among the Elves, the Lossidil - the Snow Elves of Nandorin descent - dwelt in the western Waste near Forochel. They preserved ancient lore, though not in the form of spells but in their manner of speaking and remembering. The Red Elves lived near Ringli, the northern pole, and were known as friends of Turuhalmatar, called Father Midwinter. They wore armor that gleamed with polar light and took no part in the wars of the Third Age. Other Elven groups - Penni, Hwenti, and Kindi - occasionally wandered into the southern reaches. They were Avari, related to the Ice-elves of the northeast, and appeared rarely, keeping to hidden valleys and avoiding contact with others. The Dwarves of the Far North were few. The Stiffbeards had once dwelt in the Spine of Arda, a former spur of the Iron Mountains, but were driven westward by dragons. The survivors became nomads, retaining some smithing skills though their tools were crude. Some Broadbeams had ventured into the Grey Mountains seeking wealth, but most were driven out by the forces of Angmar. The Orcs included Ice Orcs, remnants of Morgoth's original breed with hide like frozen leather. They raided from glacier caves and hidden dens. The "descendants of Boldog" were older and stranger, some believing them offspring of fallen Maiar. They possessed crude magical abilities and wore bone masks as symbols of dominion. The Northern Hobbits - the "Joyful little ones" - were a halfling people, wild and nomadic, who wandered from northern Eriador into the southern bay of Forochel, appearing and vanishing unpredictably.

Notable Places[]

The Far North contained many notable sites, some ancient, some hidden, bearing witness to the rise and fall of powers that shaped the world. The Pits of Ûtum, Morgoth's first great fortress, lay buried beneath the Bay of Utûm, east of Bârl-syrnakh and the Northern Waste. Though sealed, they were believed to harbor Boldogs and other ancient creatures in their depths. Mount Ûtum rose from the same bay, a volcanic peak that never fully died. Though no longer active, it retained an unsettling presence that disturbed even bold navigators. Thafar-gathol was said to be a hidden refuge of Ironfist and Stiffbeard Dwarves, abandoned after the dragon wars. Its halls were believed to contain legendary treasures preserved in ice. The Ashkîa Temple stood in the southeast near the borderlands of Rhûn, a sacred site dedicated to the North-Wind with pillars said to sing in sunlight. Kala Dularkurth was a fortress of the Ice Orcs, visible only under rare star alignments. Its brutal architecture and unclear purpose made it one of the most dangerous places in the North. The Númenórean Tomb housed the remains of a forgotten prince, guarded by spirits and containing artifacts that even Elven scholars could not decipher. The Den of Bears was a cave system once inhabited by ancestors of the Beornings, its walls bearing glyphs telling stories of transformation and kinship with snow bears. Lumënukishimerëtôkirantë served as a meeting place for the sea-hunters, especially during full moons, where the waters reflected stars with unusual clarity. Haevod was a wind-lashed cliff where prophets once received visions, a place that seemed to shape thought and memory. The Wind Wall formed an invisible barrier near the Edge of the World, crossable only with a Windstone, marking the threshold between the known and unknowable. Turuhalmatar's House was the dwelling of a benevolent spirit who kept fire and stories alive in the coldest places.

Dominion and Belief[]

By the later ages, the Far North had become largely abandoned except for scattered tribes in the milder regions. The harsh climate discouraged conquest, making it a place of retreat rather than dominion. Sauron showed little interest in the high North, focusing instead on the western realms. Only in the southwestern reaches did Angmar rise as a center of influence under the Witch-king, though even Angmar stood at the edge rather than the heart of the North. Beyond Angmar, little remained of Morgoth's former realm. Some Ice-Demons carved out petty dominions as "Troll-Kings," but these were hollow reigns over frost and silence, echoes rather than heirs of the past. The sparse populations - Lossoth, Dyrians, Lotani, and others - lived with relative autonomy despite dangers from Ice Orcs, Snow Trolls, and wandering spirits. Their belief systems were shaped by survival and landscape rather than organized religion. Most followed shamanistic traditions, venerating local spirits of wind, ice, and beast. These were not gods but presences to be respected and feared. Rituals were simple, seasonal, and passed down orally. There were no temples or written doctrines. Even the eastern tribes maintained only modest settlements - chiefdoms and winter camps rather than cities. Their leaders were chosen by strength, wisdom, or lineage, with authority rarely extending beyond a few valleys. Power in the Far North remained local and tied to the land. Its peoples sought not dominion but persistence, finding in endurance a freedom no crown could offer.