The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Númenórean Blood Runs Black Planning/Discussion Thread

piosenniel · 10-14-2005, 07:59 PM

***** THIS IS THE FIRST POST FOR THE DISCUSSION THREAD FOR THE RPG *****

The Perky Ent invites you to play in his RPG:

Númenórean Blood Runs Black

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Historical Background:

Eldacar was the 21st King of Gondor; he was only half-Gondorian. His rule was usurped by Castamir, a full blooded Gondorian and a great-grandson of King Calmacil, with a right to be King. Castamir ruled for 10 years and then was killed in a coup by Eldacar. Eldacar reclaimed the throne of Gondor for his heirs. Castamir’s heirs and followers settled in and founded the Havens of Umbar in the south. They became known as the Corsairs of Umbar and had a longstanding hatred of Gondor and its line of Kings.

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The Castamirioni (the heirs of Castamir) “long held it [i. e. Umbar] as an independent realm [hostile to Gondor,] attacking its ships and raiding its coast at every opportunity." The third Realm in Exile “remained at war with Gondor for many lives of men, a threat to its coastlands and to all traffic on the sea. It was never again completely subdued until the days of Elessar; and the region of South Gondor became a debatable land between the Corsairs and the Kings." - Appendix A; The Return of the King

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In 1634 T.A,, Umbar was ruled together by yet another duumvirate, the great-grandsons of Castamir, Angamaitë and Sangahyando, who worked out a terrible assault on the line of Eldacar – Appendix A; The Return of the King

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1810 T.A. (Third Age) – King Telumehtar Umbardacil retakes Umbar and drives out the Corsairs -- Appendix B; The Return of the King

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The doom of this Middle Realm came when King Telumehtar, "being troubled by the insolence of the Corsairs, who raided his coasts even as far as the Anfalas, gathered his forces and in 1810 took Umbar by storm. In that war the last descendants of Castamir perished in the storming and destruction of the haven and stronghold of the Corsairs of Umbar", and "King Telumehtar Umbardacil [drove] out the Corsairs” – Appendix A; The Return of the King

1810 T.A. (Third Age) – King Telumehtar Umbardacil retakes Umbar and drives out the Corsairs -- Appendix B; The Return of the King

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Please be familiar with these sections from The Encyclopedia of Arda:

Corsairs of Umbra

Kings of Gondor

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Here's a good MAP . Just scroll down the page to get the area which includes Gondor, The Bay of Belfalas, and Umbar.

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The Line of Elros is here.

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On Corsairs and their Ships -- courtesy of The Perky Ent

Corsairs of Umbar

During the Kin-strife that led to Gondor’s costly civil war, a great many of its invincible navy supported the usurper, who was challenging the king’s right to rule the country. Eventually he was overthrown and the rightful king restored to the throne, driving the rebels to found their own province and declare themselves under self-rule. Initially these sailors were based in the Gondorian port of Pelargir, but eventually they withdrew to the more southernly haven of Umbar, which sat on the northern coast of Harad. Over time these sailors drew to their number various outlaws and brigands from outlying settlements surrounding the Anduin, and they took to raiding alon gthe coastline of southern Gondor, interceping merchant vessels and abducting women to bolster their dissident community. They were also slavers and would often seize a ship’s crew along with her cargo; if any resisted he would be thrown overboard. Ever after these slaves would spend their lives pulling oars on the corsairs’ great black ship.

The corsairs were a thorn in Gondor’s side and were partly responsible for its impoverished state, restricting as they had its trade with other realms. Beyond the obvious desire for wealth, there would initially have been some motivation to strike against a kingdom which the corsairs saw as compromised; later it would have been just about greed. The crew of a corsair ship was said to be a mixed bag, generally swarthy and unkempt but garbed in gaudy clothing and jewelry; some would have had an exotic look born of their Southron ancestry.

The corsairs had just one battle strategy, but it was one that had served them well through many centuries: they would use their superior nautical abilities and vasty superior victims until they had pulled alongside; then they would launch harpoons from the iron crossbows fixed port and starboard on their ship, anchoring it to the other vessel. As the two ships closed, a raiding party would launch a volley of arrows into the crew if they showed any signs of resistance, before leap;ing across and seizing control of the vessel. Usually, the corsairs’ fearsome reputation would have beedn enough to intimidate all but the bravest crew, regardless of the value of the cargo.

Sauron would have realized just how useful the corsairs could be to him, so his emissaries would have enlisted their support, possibly making treatikes with them after passing through Harad. Needless to say, the greater part of their inducement to aid Sauron would have been the promise of booty from the White City. By having them raid the various settlements that were situated along the coast, right up to Minas Tirith, Sauron would have gained an intimidating southern front that would need to be defended against, thus drawing away a precious number of Gondor’s soldiers. The corsairs’ raids would have been damaging in other ways: to see smoke rising from the southern villages and the telltale silhouette of the great ships’ sails would have been deeply demoralizing for the defenders within the White City, weakening them even before battle commenced. Furthermore, once the corsairs had moored at Harlond they would have provided reinforcements for Sauron’s army if required; they could have provided useful transport up and down the river for his troops or plundered equiptment should the battle have been won by the time they arrived.

Corsair Ship

There appear to have been ten of the great ships under the control of the corsairs. These behemoths were said to be 450 feet long and 45 feet in the beam, although these estimates have never been confirmed, as none of the ships survive; the three tall masts each supported an enormous crimson sail, the largest of which may have been fully 400 feet high. Their angular fan shape would have cut a distinctive and terrifying silhouette in the water. Once they were visible it was probably already too late. Yet the most frightening facet of the ships was never seen, only felt; just below the waterline sat a huge iron battering ram, it’s jagged edges extending perhaps fifty feet out from the keel.

The elegant curving jagged lines of this ram and the rest of the ironwork revealed the ships to be clearly of Numenorean design, especially in the defensive rows of iron spikes that ran from the prow to stern on each side. Secured to the hull behind these with iron brackets was a wall of red wooden shields that would have maid it almost impossible for anyone to storm the deck. The deck was fitted fore and aft with a pair of iron-framed crossbows that fired harpoons to which were attached grappling lines that bit deep into the victim’s hull; once these were embedded, the merchant ship would be stuck fast and vulnerable. A brazier was kept stoked next to the crossbows for the time when the corsairs set light to the other ship, usually just after it had been emptied of its cargo.

The corsair ships were biremens, in that they were fitted port and starboard with row rows of oars; each row had twenty-one oars and required a minimum of three men per oar; this meant that more than 250 slaves would have been chained below deck. Rowing would have been an exhausting task and would have resulted in a high turnover of slaves; in order to continue raiding, the corsairs would have needed to keep slaving, a vicious circle that terrorized the people of Gondor.

10-14-2005, 07:59 PM	#176
piosenniel Desultory Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Pickin' flowers with Bill the Cat..... Posts: 7,816	Númenórean Blood Runs Black Discussion Thread *** THIS IS THE FIRST POST FOR THE DISCUSSION THREAD FOR THE RPG * The Perky Ent invites you to play in his RPG: Númenórean Blood Runs Black ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Historical Background*: Eldacar was the 21st King of Gondor; he was only half-Gondorian. His rule was usurped by Castamir, a full blooded Gondorian and a great-grandson of King Calmacil, with a right to be King. Castamir ruled for 10 years and then was killed in a coup by Eldacar. Eldacar reclaimed the throne of Gondor for his heirs. Castamir’s heirs and followers settled in and founded the Havens of Umbar in the south. They became known as the Corsairs of Umbar and had a longstanding hatred of Gondor and its line of Kings. ----- The Castamirioni (the heirs of Castamir) “long held it [i. e. Umbar] as an independent realm [hostile to Gondor,] attacking its ships and raiding its coast at every opportunity." The third Realm in Exile “remained at war with Gondor for many lives of men, a threat to its coastlands and to all traffic on the sea. It was never again completely subdued until the days of Elessar; and the region of South Gondor became a debatable land between the Corsairs and the Kings." - Appendix A; The Return of the King* ----- In 1634 T.A,, Umbar was ruled together by yet another duumvirate, the great-grandsons of Castamir, Angamaitë and Sangahyando, who worked out a terrible assault on the line of Eldacar – Appendix A; The Return of the King ----- 1810 T.A. (Third Age) – King Telumehtar Umbardacil retakes Umbar and drives out the Corsairs -- Appendix B; The Return of the King ----- The doom of this Middle Realm came when King Telumehtar, "being troubled by the insolence of the Corsairs, who raided his coasts even as far as the Anfalas, gathered his forces and in 1810 took Umbar by storm. In that war the last descendants of Castamir perished in the storming and destruction of the haven and stronghold of the Corsairs of Umbar", and "King Telumehtar Umbardacil [drove] out the Corsairs” – Appendix A; The Return of the King 1810 T.A. (Third Age) – King Telumehtar Umbardacil retakes Umbar and drives out the Corsairs -- Appendix B; The Return of the King ----- Please be familiar with these sections from The Encyclopedia of Arda: Corsairs of Umbra Kings of Gondor ----- Here's a good MAP . Just scroll down the page to get the area which includes Gondor, The Bay of Belfalas, and Umbar. ----- The Line of Elros is here. ----- On Corsairs and their Ships -- courtesy of The Perky Ent Corsairs of Umbar During the Kin-strife that led to Gondor’s costly civil war, a great many of its invincible navy supported the usurper, who was challenging the king’s right to rule the country. Eventually he was overthrown and the rightful king restored to the throne, driving the rebels to found their own province and declare themselves under self-rule. Initially these sailors were based in the Gondorian port of Pelargir, but eventually they withdrew to the more southernly haven of Umbar, which sat on the northern coast of Harad. Over time these sailors drew to their number various outlaws and brigands from outlying settlements surrounding the Anduin, and they took to raiding alon gthe coastline of southern Gondor, interceping merchant vessels and abducting women to bolster their dissident community. They were also slavers and would often seize a ship’s crew along with her cargo; if any resisted he would be thrown overboard. Ever after these slaves would spend their lives pulling oars on the corsairs’ great black ship. The corsairs were a thorn in Gondor’s side and were partly responsible for its impoverished state, restricting as they had its trade with other realms. Beyond the obvious desire for wealth, there would initially have been some motivation to strike against a kingdom which the corsairs saw as compromised; later it would have been just about greed. The crew of a corsair ship was said to be a mixed bag, generally swarthy and unkempt but garbed in gaudy clothing and jewelry; some would have had an exotic look born of their Southron ancestry. The corsairs had just one battle strategy, but it was one that had served them well through many centuries: they would use their superior nautical abilities and vasty superior victims until they had pulled alongside; then they would launch harpoons from the iron crossbows fixed port and starboard on their ship, anchoring it to the other vessel. As the two ships closed, a raiding party would launch a volley of arrows into the crew if they showed any signs of resistance, before leap;ing across and seizing control of the vessel. Usually, the corsairs’ fearsome reputation would have beedn enough to intimidate all but the bravest crew, regardless of the value of the cargo. Sauron would have realized just how useful the corsairs could be to him, so his emissaries would have enlisted their support, possibly making treatikes with them after passing through Harad. Needless to say, the greater part of their inducement to aid Sauron would have been the promise of booty from the White City. By having them raid the various settlements that were situated along the coast, right up to Minas Tirith, Sauron would have gained an intimidating southern front that would need to be defended against, thus drawing away a precious number of Gondor’s soldiers. The corsairs’ raids would have been damaging in other ways: to see smoke rising from the southern villages and the telltale silhouette of the great ships’ sails would have been deeply demoralizing for the defenders within the White City, weakening them even before battle commenced. Furthermore, once the corsairs had moored at Harlond they would have provided reinforcements for Sauron’s army if required; they could have provided useful transport up and down the river for his troops or plundered equiptment should the battle have been won by the time they arrived. Corsair Ship There appear to have been ten of the great ships under the control of the corsairs. These behemoths were said to be 450 feet long and 45 feet in the beam, although these estimates have never been confirmed, as none of the ships survive; the three tall masts each supported an enormous crimson sail, the largest of which may have been fully 400 feet high. Their angular fan shape would have cut a distinctive and terrifying silhouette in the water. Once they were visible it was probably already too late. Yet the most frightening facet of the ships was never seen, only felt; just below the waterline sat a huge iron battering ram, it’s jagged edges extending perhaps fifty feet out from the keel. The elegant curving jagged lines of this ram and the rest of the ironwork revealed the ships to be clearly of Numenorean design, especially in the defensive rows of iron spikes that ran from the prow to stern on each side. Secured to the hull behind these with iron brackets was a wall of red wooden shields that would have maid it almost impossible for anyone to storm the deck. The deck was fitted fore and aft with a pair of iron-framed crossbows that fired harpoons to which were attached grappling lines that bit deep into the victim’s hull; once these were embedded, the merchant ship would be stuck fast and vulnerable. A brazier was kept stoked next to the crossbows for the time when the corsairs set light to the other ship, usually just after it had been emptied of its cargo. The corsair ships were biremens, in that they were fitted port and starboard with row rows of oars; each row had twenty-one oars and required a minimum of three men per oar; this meant that more than 250 slaves would have been chained below deck. Rowing would have been an exhausting task and would have resulted in a high turnover of slaves; in order to continue raiding, the corsairs would have needed to keep slaving, a vicious circle that terrorized the people of Gondor. Last edited by piosenniel; 01-15-2006 at 02:56 AM.