[piosenniel]

Assigned to Mordor


Historical Background:

~*~

Please Note: All anachronisms (from here on out spelled "anakronisms" after the Greek) shall be rendered in italics.

~*~

It is Fourth Age 650. Gondor has become an empire both powerful and corrupt. It is bordered on the east by the farthest extents of the Iron Hills, Rhûn, and Mordor; on the south by an inexact boundary shy of Far Harad; on the north by Ered Mithrin; on the west by the Sea. The king on the throne is the heir of Elessar, but a mere shadow of his forebear.

It is said that in 450, two sorcerers, rumored to be centuries old, came from the east, and attracted to the height of glory of the Gondorian Empire, sought places of power and influence in the king's court. Not willing to share his power, the king refused their request, subtly made though it was. In their anger, they cast an ensorcelment upon the entire empire. The spell became known as the Anakronism Dweomer. Since then, as the two sorcerers warned, all kinds of hateful things from the future have found their way into the minds and speech of the inhabitants of the empire, such that these Anakronisms come to the lips of the unwary in everyday conversation. The king has laid down law that these things are not to be spoken. If anyone does, any citizen is empowered to accuse and bring the trespassers to justice. A minority of the citizenry have begun to complain (amongst themselves) that this law is being used by petty folk as a way to get rid of people they do not like. But there has been no groundswell of support for reform, since all the citizenry are afraid that if they speak up, they might be accused of speaking an Anakronism. The speakers of the Anakronisms are Assigned to Mordor. For in Mordor the Anakronisms are not only in the minds and speech of the people, but have taken shape and form. Most of the citizens of the empire keep silence. But enough speak the Anakronisms so that Mordor is constantly populated, and filling ever fuller. All kinds of hateful things can be found there, such as final exams; strange, hard, shiny monstrosities painted in garish colours (with orcs for brains) that race at breakneck speed down the flats of Mordor; worse yet, there is a bureaucracy the purpose of which is to (horrors!) improve the citizenry that has been Assigned to Mordor. Many other horrible Anakronisms have found there way there as well.