How many Rangers of the North were there ?

[aldredheron]

Again, it is very clear that the story is centered around aiding the Rangers of the North and gathering Aragorn's dunedain allies, all of whom are in Eriador, not Mirkwood. If there was a new area being added that would be the first thing they would advertise. Instead they advertise a new story centered in Eriador, an expansion of four existing skirmishes and a new skirmish which takes place in the Rift, which is obviously in Angmar. Do I think this is all that will be included in Book 1? No, but when they release these teasers they always include the exciting important stuff and there is no mention of a new land mass (which would be very exciting and important), so it is much more logical to assume that we will be adventuring in places we have already been.

[Pitchwife]

I wish I had but the slightest idea what you're talking about...

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Pitchwife

I wish I had but the slightest idea what you're talking about...

Good to see I wasn't the only one flummoxed by that. I thought at first it could be a reference to the PJ movies, but I didn't remember even PJ making up events in something called the 'Rift'.

[PrinceOfTheHalflings]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

Good to see I wasn't the only one flummoxed by that. I thought at first it could be a reference to the PJ movies, but I didn't remember even PJ making up events in something called the 'Rift'.

I imagine that it's something to do with the Lord of the Rings Online Game.

Back to the substance of the thread:

The North Kingdom was effectively discontinued in T.A. 1975, most probably because there were too few Dunedain left. Also at the time I imagine that they were scattered and in disarray after the fall of Fornost to the Witch King.

I'm not sure how big Fornost or Annuminas were - they were perhaps nowhere near as large as Minas Tirith - but I imagine that they would have required several thousand citizens, at least, to be viable cities.

That places an upper limit on how many Dunedain of the North lived in Eriador. If there were still thousands of them then they might have tried to re-establish at least one of the cities.

[Snowdog]

A lot of conjecture here and opinions and such. Michael Martinez covers a lot of the 'what ifs' and 'I thinks' in his writings on the Dunedain, and I myself have a somewhat non-canonical interpretation of them based on some RP and stories I've written over the years. But for a moment, let's look at what Tolkien wrote on the Dunedain Rangers in the various books...

Few now remember them ... yet still some go wandering, sons of forgotten kings walking in loneliness, guarding from evil things folk that are heedless. Tom Bombadil … The Fellowship of the Ring I - Fog on the Barrow-downs

Rangers - The Dúnedain of the North after the fall of the North Kingdom, secret guardians of Eriador (Unfinished Tales, index)

They came to Sarn Ford and the southernmost borders of the Shire. They found them guarded, for the Rangers barred their way.……some fled northward … Some still dared to bar the ford and held it while the day lasted. (Unfinished Tales, The Hunt for the Ring)

…the Dúnedain of the North, ……..a strange people wandering secretly in the wild, and other men knew not their homes nor the purpose of their journeys, and save in Imladris, in the House of Elrond, their ancestry was forgotten.(Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age)

When the kingdom ended the Dúnedain passed into the shadows and became a secret and wandering people, and their deeds and labours were seldom sung or recorded. Little is now remembered of them since Elrond departed.... (Lord of the Rings, Appendix A)

in the wild lands beyond Bree there were mysterious wanderers. The Bree folk called them Rangers and knew nothing of their origin. They were taller and darker than the Men of Bree and were believed to have strange powers of sight and hearing, and to understand the language of beasts and birds. They roamed at will southwards and eastwards even as far as the Misty Mountains; but they were now few and rarely seen. (Lord of the Rings, At the Sign of the Prancing Pony)

Aragorn said of the land and his abilities:

There is food in the wild,’ said Strider ‘berry, root and herb; and I have some skill as a hunter at need.’ (Lord of the Rings, A Knife in the Dark)

’Rangers have been here lately. It is they who left the firewood behind.’(Lord of the Rings, A Knife in the Dark)

Halbarad said:

‘I have thirty with me.’ said Halbarad ‘That is all of our kindred that could be gathered in haste; (Lord of the Rings, The Passing of the Grey Company)

A little apart the Rangers sat, silent, in an ordered company, armed with spear and bow and sword. They were clad in cloaks of dark grey, and their hoods were cast now over helm and head. Their horses were strong and of proud bearing, but rough-haired;…….There was no gleam of stone or gold, nor any fair thing in all their gear or harness; nor did their riders bear any badge or token, save only that each cloak was pinned upon the left shoulder by a brooch of silver shaped like a rayed star. (Lord of the Rings, The Passing of the Grey Company)

If there is more written specifically about the Dunedain of the North and they being Rangers by Tolkien, I would like to know.

[mark12_30]

Originally Posted by Snowdog

A little apart the Rangers sat, silent, in an ordered company, armed with spear and bow and sword. They were clad in cloaks of dark grey, and their hoods were cast now over helm and head. Their horses were strong and of proud bearing, but rough-haired;…….There was no gleam of stone or gold, nor any fair thing in all their gear or harness; nor did their riders bear any badge or token, save only that each cloak was pinned upon the left shoulder by a brooch of silver shaped like a rayed star. (Lord of the Rings, The Passing of the Grey Company)

...but if I see any silver rayed-star brooches, I'll snap one up....

[Snowdog]

Yeah, that would be cool eh. I wonder how big they are.