The New Notion Club Archives
The New Notion Club Archives
The New Notion Club Archives
15,575
pages
in: Time Periods, Third Age, History

Third Age

Edit
Middle-Earth in the late third age

Middle-Earth in the late third age

The Third Age, sometimes called the Age of Decline was a time of slow decay, as the might of the Elves faded and the dominion of Men grew. Though Sauron had been vanquished, at the end of the Second Age, his power endured in secret, slowly rekindling in the shadows. His spirit first took refuge in Dol Guldur, corrupting the lands of Mirkwood, before returning openly to Mordor. The age was marked by long wars, the fall of the northern kingdom of Arnor, and the slow weakening of Gondor. The rise of Hobbits in Eriador and the founding of the Shire also took place in this age.

This age culminated in the War of the Ring, wherein Sauron’s forces sought to reclaim the One Ring, only to be thwarted by the unlikely heroes Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship of the Ring. The destruction of the Ring in the fires of Mount Doom ended Sauron’s power, ushering in the Fourth Age and the Dominion of Men.

Annals of the Westlands[]

Farthest East[]

Third Age[]

More detailed regional timelines[]

Rhûn[]

Original Rhûn Timeline:

  • 490 - First invasion of Easterlings. These were the Hathig and Gúwar.
  • 500 - Tarostar defeats the Hathig and Gúwar Easterlings and takes the name Rómendacil I, "East-victor", in token of this.
  • 1,634-36 -The Great Plague strikes eastern Rhûn with devastating results. Kelepar is abandoned.
  • 1,634 -With the subsidence of The Plague, Ôvag-îtho, Khûr of Khand, sets about to re-conquer the resurgent Nûradya. However, he dies of The Plague during the course of his campaigning. Despite Folyavuld's naval superiority, several key losses among the Urgath allies of Folyavuld imperil the outpost at "Kelepar". Note: Plague hits Khand before Southern Rhun
  • 1,634 - 36 -Uncertainty reigns in Khand until Ôvatha-îtho claims his father's throne in 1,636. He immediately continues his father's efforts in Nûrad, all but destroying the tribes therein. Survivors of Ôvatha's aggression flee northward, blindly attacking the recovering Asdraya and Urgath/Brygath? of Southern Rhûn. Whole regions of Rhûn, already depopulated by The Plague, become like wastelands in the ensuing chaos.
  • 1,640 - Ôvatha receives assurances of loyalty from the khandian Ôsvôda of Relmether and Mistrand. Ûvatha leaves Sturlûrza Khand, summoned to Mordor. His final command to the Hrôn Tûmrakhi is to eradicate the followers of Tuyulergwêne.
  • 1,640 - The Sagath Trôs clan invades the Ilanin region and seizes the ferry there. Trôs demands a toll from the peoples of Gathod who wish to join the Witch-king's armies.
  • c. 1,750 - A new confederacy rises among the nomads of southern and eastern Rhûn. The religious state that forms is centered on Mistrand, and calls itself the Igath confederation.
  • 1,641 - Ôvatha, though severely depleted of men, begins pushing into the enfeebled Khêy Nations. With minimal effort, he manages to subdue much of Northern Khêy-sârt. Tribes who refuse to acknowledge Ôvatha's rule are wiped out, setting an example for the others to acquiesce. The [[Sanid ut Rakodsaol|Samid-ut-Râkhodsâol] (Io. "Harem of the Devourer"), working under cover of Ûvathar's orders, captures Tuyulergwêne and imprisons her in Hlastûon in preparation for her sacrifice to the Devourer.
  • 1,642 - Râkhôdsâol is slain by Tuyulergwêne
  • 1,643 - 52 - Leading his army and a large contingent of vassal Khêy and Relerin troops, Ôvatha crosses the Nûmahar and assaults the Ahâri Nations of Kârgagish-ahâr. Known as the "Second khandian Wars" to the Ahâri, these battles continue for nine years. The Ahâri Nations rally in the face of a genocidal enemy and force Ôvatha back. After this defeat Ôvatha concentrates on maintaining his hold over his vassal peoples.
  • c. 1,650 - The rise of a new confederacy of tribes in the Talathrant River Valley forces mass migrations of Ulgathig-speaking nomads into the western Telaith Lyst. These tribes later form a powerful confederacy in southeastern Rhûn called the Igath.
  • 1,658 - Úma-Kalkhûna is appointed "Overlord of the Khêy" by the Khandians.
  • 1,659 Úma-Kalkhûna leads his united nation across the Nûmahar in a sweeping assault that defeats much of the western Ahâri.
  • 1,664 - Ôvatha becomes concerned with Úma-Kalkhûna's rising power and popularity and so orders him replaced. A coup is instigated by the Khandians replacing the Khêyan Overlord with a new, more malleable one. Parnéliun-Sey, an Ahâri hostage of the former Khêy Lords, is sent to Sturlûrza Khand.
  • 1,668 - Released in order to further khandian interests in Kârgagish-ahâr, Parnéliun returns to his home.
  • 1,671 - 2 - With Parnéliun-Sey leading their forces, the united Ahâri Nations push the Khêyan out of Kârgagish-ahâr and invade Khêy-sart. An aging, but still vigorous Ôvatha-îto leads an army against the Ahâri in order to preserve and protect his holdings in Khêy-sart. The united Khandian and Khêyan armies are defeated and routed when, ironically, Ôvatha, "the horse-slayer" himself is crushed under his own horse. This defeat at the Battle of the Grass Tombs in Central Khêy-sart marks the beginning of the Empire of Khand's decline and decay.
  • 1,672 - 1,854 - The subject peoples and vassal states of Khand slowly break free of the khandian spoke. In 1,672, the Relerin, spurred on by Parnéliun-Sey and his Ahâri tribes, rise up, casting out their Khandian lords and destroying the Temples of the Lord of Darkness. Khandian influence over the Asdraya, Nûradya, and Brygath of Rhûn, as well as the Khêyans, slowly dwindles to nothing, owing to the internal bickering sapping the strength and will of the Khandian Khûrs. As this influence fades, the Urgath/Brygath begin migrating into the open steps of the southwest. The Igath experience a rich flourishing of their culture at this time and soon come to dominate much of Rhûn. Though the Igath/Brygath have cut off the territory of Mistrand from Khand, it is still ruled by Khandian Ôsvôda. As internal strife rocks Khand during the 1,700's, civil war erupts in Nûrad as tribes loyal to the Khandians battle rebellious clans. The highlands are held by the loyal victors and the rebels are forced into the hills of easternmost Pûstrava.
  • 1,854 - The erosion of Khandian power incenses Ûvathar and worries the Lord of the Rings. Sauron orders the Black Horseman back to Khand to resume control of his ailing kingdom. With lightening efficiency, Ûvathar settles the disputes between the Ôrod and pools their forces into an impressive cavalry army.
  • 1,854 - Ûvathar returns to Khand after a long absence and launches attacks against his neighbors with renewed vigor. The Igath under Avas I and with the councils of Nemol decide to migrate into the richer lands of Rhovanion rather than fight the more powerful Khandians.
  • 1,855 - Ûvathar leads the tribes of Khand and clans of Nûrad, now counted amongst the Khôrad, against the Nûradya of eastern Pûstrava. The fleeing Nûradya begin to push into the lands of the and Igath. Ûvathar hurls his army against the Brygath-Wainriders who dwell about the eastern tip of the Ered Lithui. Many of these tribes are quickly conquered and brought under Khandian domination, yet a few escape into the pastures of their Igath cousins in Southern Rhûn. The Brygath warn their neighbors of the Khandian threat so that when Ûvathar arrives at the head of his army, he finds the Igath surprisingly prepared. Ûvathar himself rides into the Igath camps to parley. He offers the choice of peace if they withdraw from the Rhûn into Rhovanion, or otherwise face the consequence of war.
  • 1,855 - Oraishapek stirs the Logath and Sagath into joining the Wainrider Confederation in their war against Gondor and the Northmen.
  • 1,856 - Gondor loses its eastern territories to the Wainriders and Narmacil II falls into battle
  • 1,856 - The Battle of the Plains. King Narmacil II is killed in the battle and Dor Rhúnen is abandoned.
  • 1,856 - 99 - Wainrider kingdom in Gondor.
  • 1,856-1,899 - The Wainrider Kingdom dominates all of Rhûn and Rhovanion. The Aivathiuda are forced to migrate into the Anduin Vale. The Northmen of Rhovanion are driven into Mirkwood and Lake-town is occupied by Easterlings. Folyavuld is occupied and resistance to the Wainrider regime is confined to the highlands, where it is persecuted by Oraishapek's Orc servants.
  • 1,855 - 65 - Satisfied with his successes in Southern Rhûn, Ûvathar turns his attention to the Khêyan. He uses Nûradya and his own troops to bully and subdue the tribes of Northern Khêy-sart. His efforts here are minimal though, for most of his attention is turned to the west.
  • 1,865 - 1,921 - With the ebbing of Gondor's power, Ûvathar strikes out into the Harad, capturing the Res and caravan routes along the Ered Harmal and isolating Valarith. In his invasions he uses his Brygath-Wainrider thralls.
  • 1,899 - King Calimehtar defeats the Wainriders on Dagorlad.
  • 1,899 - Rebellion against the Wainriders sparks in several places throughout Rhovanion simultaneously. At the same time, King Calimehtar and the Aivathiuda confront the Wainriders at Dagorlad. The Wainriders are defeated and retreat into the eastern Talath Harroch, but the Aivathiuda are unable to return to their former ranges.
  • c. 1,935 - Harûzan is the last Near-Haradron realm not under Khandian domination. Ûvathar and the priestesses of the Temple of the Lord of Darkness assist the members of the Cult of Melkor in their attempts to seize control of the kingdom. These attempts ultimately fail.
  • 1,939 - 40 - Igath tribes, pushing out of the northeastern Kykûrian Kyn, slowly edge the Khandians and Nûradya out of southern Rhûn.
  • 1,940 - Ûvathar, satisfied with his gains in the Harad and feeling (mistakenly) secure in the strength of his northern holdings, returns to Mordor.
  • 1,940 - The Wainrider Confederacy again rises to power. Zhan-Ashû, high king of the Wainriders makes an alliance with Ôvatha of Khand.
  • 1,940 - 44 - The Igath, united under the charismatic Zhan-Ashû, soon fill all of Southern Rhûn, pushing the Asdraya tribes east and threatening Khands holdings in Nûrad and the plateau itself. The Brygath, Khand's former vassals, give their allegiance to Zhan-Ashû.
  • 1,940 - Ôvatha the Toothless lays claim to the Throne of Khand, supplementing the Ôsvôda that Ûvathar had left in power. His alliance with Zhan-Ashû, forged in early 1,940, secures his position as a Khûr.
  • 1,944 - An army of Igath invades Gondor from the north, while an allied force of Igath , Khandians and Haradrim attacks from the south. Gondor drives out the invasion, but at the cost of King Ondoher and both his sons. Ôvatha is killed in battle against Earnil.
  • 1,944 - The Wainriders and Khandians launch a two-pronged assault on Gondor. In the south, the Easterling alliance is defeated by Earnil. In the north, King Ondoher and his two sons are slain as Gondor is defeated by the Wainriders. Earnil surprises the Wainriders at the Battle of the Camp and drives them out of Ithilien with heavy losses. Rhovanion is in many parts depopulated.
  • 1,975 - Angmar and Arthedain destroy one another. The Witch-king gathers the Ringwraiths in Mordor.
  • 1,977 - The Éothéod move into the upper vales of the Anduin.
  • 1,980-81 - Longbeards awaken a Balrog in Moria and are forced to abandon their hallowed home.
  • 1,945 - 2,003 - Khand enters into a period of turmoil, as different Ôrod vie for power. However, Khand is still strong, thanks to Ôvatha's tactful decision to hold back much of Khand's power in the attack upon Gondor.
  • 2,003 - Ûvathar returns to Khand for his final reign. He first brings the Akhêv-Porodithi and the Ôrorath-Ôrod under his control. From there, by a series of coups, alliances and assassinations, he unites the rest of the Ôrod.
  • 2,040 - Relmether's descendants strikes out at the few remaining Nûradya of eastern Nûrad, effectively wiping them out, in order to secure riverland for cultivation. Nûradya Extinct.
  • 2,050 - Earnur slain in single combat with the Witch-king, thus ending Minardil's line and initiating the rule of the Stewards of Gondor.
  • 2,060 - The power of Dol Guldur grows. The Wise fear that it may be Sauron taking shape again.
  • 2,063 - Gandalf goes to Dol Guldur. Sauron retreats and hides in the East. Ûvathar withdraws into the shadows of khandian politics, but maintains control through his lackeys. The Eighth of the Nazgûl returns to Ûlk-khey-sârt.
  • 2,063 - Gandalf goes to Dol Guldur but fails to discover the Necromancer's identity. To avoid discovery, Sauron eludes the wizard and flees into the east.
  • 2,065-2,150 - Khands hold over the tributary realms of the lower Khandwater wanes. However, Khandian traders and Ôsvôda maintain strong interests in the region.
  • c.2,100 - Sauron notices the growing strength of Relmether, and of the other Ahâri realms of Endon. He personally takes control of Khêy-sart, via the Fire King, shaping it into a weapon to be used against Relmether, Dalpygís and the Tribes of Kârgagish-ahâr. Ûvathar undergoes similar preparations, gathering the might of the Ôrod behind him. Sauron appears before the Sefracara of the Hrôn Tûmrakhi and orders all of her resources directed towards creating turmoil in Relmether.
  • 2,370 - A new group of Easterlings, the Pultai Dynasty of the Talathrant vale invades the descendants of Urgath and Brygath lands southeast of the Inland Sea.
  • 2,392 - The heirs of the Urgath and Brygath tribes are assimilated into the Pultic hordes.
  • 2,444 - The first scout companies of the Pultai Dynasty reach the Talath Harroch and Rhovanion.
  • 2,460 - Sauron returns to Dol Guldur out of the east.
  • 2,472 - Many descendants of Asdraya and Odhraya tribes are assimilated into the Pultic armies as the dynasty migrates through Gathod and into Rhovanion itself.
  • 2,505 - Pultic scouts thoroughly survey the Wold as the dynasty's armies begin amassing south of Mirkwood for a crossing of the Anduin.
  • 2,510 - The Bôm, leads his armies in an invasion of Calenardhon. The Balchoth are joined by a host of Orcs from Moria. Together they hem in the Gondorian army, but are surprised as they close in for the kill by a great host of Eotheod cavalry led by Eorl the Young. The Battle at Parth Celebrant is a decisive victory for Gondor and her allies.
  • 2,590 - The Dwarves of the Grey Mountains are forced out of their homes by a resurgence in Dragon activity.
  • 2,758-59 - The Long Winter.
  • 2,770 - Smaug the Golden invades Erebor, destroying Lake-town and Dale in the process. The Dwarves are forced out of the Lonely Mountain.
  • 2,941 - The death of Smaug. The Battle of Five Armies. Lake-town is destroyed.
  • 2,944 - Dale is rebuilt on the ruins of the ancient Northman town.
  • 2,947-90 - Bard of Dale and the Realm-Master of Rouavald form a free kingdom in Rhovanion.
  • 2,951 - Sauron openly declares himself in Mordor.
  • 2,987-3,017 - Conflict erupts between the nomads of northern Rhûn and the kingdoms of Rouavald and Dale. Oraishapek's dark cult in Rouavald is responsible for many key assassinations, including the killing of the Realm-master.
  • 3,018 - The War of the Ring. Oraishapek the Dispossessed leads a large army of Easterlings and Orcs against the free peoples of Rhovanion. Dain II and Brand of Dale are slain and the remnants of their armies are besieged at Erebor. Rouavald is gripped by a civil war.
  • 3,019 - The siege at Erebor is broken and Oraishapek is driven into the utter-north. A new Realm-Master prevails in Folyavuld and the Dradorny-Arnas is burnt to the ground. Sauron falls in Mordor as the One Ring is consumed by the fires of Mount Doom.


The rise of the Golden Army[]

See: Rhûn (Gondorian Province)

Realms[]

Factions & Groups[]

References[]

  • Jesse Dallin: Khand
  • Wes J. Frank: Near Harad

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.

Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.