'Bad guys' in LotR have always fascinated me. First up I must put a disclaimer : I'm by no means half as knowledgeable than many of you when it comes to Tolkien canon and I'm guilty of not having read many undoubtetly very in-depth threads on TORC.
What I'd like to do is to be very 'unorthodox' and give you some excerpts from MERP – role play material that was produced by Iron Crown Enterprises that fits (in my opinion) incredibly well with Tolkien's world; specifically – excerpts from 'Lords of Middle Earth – Vol II. Mannish Races' and see what those that are much more into canon have to say about it.
Comments by any and all are most welcome, whether you're a total geek or just a small geek like me
What interest me most are your comments on the nature of the Nazgûl. How you view their immortality, strengths and weaknesses.
A small note: MERP is an 'expansion' of Tolkien's world. They've created more races, places, even 'invented' languages and history. So please, the purists, take all this with a bucket of salt
Now why am I asking all this? Because I'm beginning to write a baddie in RP and although he's not a Nazgûl per se, I think I shall be borrowing but I'd like to see some opinions first on the text presented above.
MERP Lords of Middle Earth – vol II wrote: THE NINE NAZGÛL
Aka: The Úlairi (Q=Undead); the Ringwraith; the Shadows; the Black Wings; Black Riders; the Fell Riders; the Nine Riders; the Nine Evil Servants; the Nine Servants of the Lord of the Rings; the Nine; und the Shriekers.
In MERP the Nine are listed as:
- The Witch-King / Mûrazôr (1st). Race: Dúnedain (fallen Númenorean – male sorcerer); home: Armenelos and Romenna in Númenor, later Barad-dûr, Carn Dûm, Minas Morgul
- Khamûl the Easterling (2nd). Race: Womaw, later Dol Guldur, Barad-dûr.
- Dwar of Waw (3rd): Race: Wôlim (male Mage); home: Waw in SE-most Endor, later Barad-dûr, Minas Morgul
- Indûr Dawndeath (Jà Amaav) (4th). Race: Kiran (male Mage0; home: Koronandë in Korland (SE-most Endor), later Amaru in Mûmakan, still later Minas Morgul
- Akhôrahil, (5th): Black Númenorean (male Sorcerer); home: Barad-Carannûn in SE Endor, later Dol Guldur, Minas Morgul
- Hoarmûrath of DÃr (6th). Race: Urd (male Animist); home: Urd in north-central Endor, later Barad-dûr, Minas Morgul
- Adûnaphel the Quiet (7th): Black Númenorean (female Bard); home: Armenelos in Númenor, later Umbar, still later Barad-dûr and Dol Guldur.
- Ren the Unclean (8th). Race: Chey (male Illusionist/Mage); home: UlkCheySart; later Barad-dûr, Minas Morgul
- Ûvatha the Horseman (9th). Race: Variag (male warrior); home: Khand, later Minas Morgul, Barad-dûr, Dol Guldur
AN OVERVIEW OF THE RINGWRAITHS
The Nazgûl (BS. "Ringwraiths") - or, as the Elves caned them, the Úlairi (S. "Those o the Unlight") -served as the Dark Lord's most powerful tools of terror and conquest. As Second-born Kings, they provided Sauron (aka Gorthaur or Thauron) with the insight and empathy necessary to effectively horrify and subdue others of their kind, an important quality after the rise of the Mannish races and the decline of Elvish influence in Endor. As Ringwraiths, they provided .absolute loyalty and they enjoyed the longevity to achieve virtually any goal. As enchanted beings they wielded the power to contest or defeat nearly any foe. Their peculiar skills enabled them to foster and perpetuate the Evil One's goal to become the King of Men
The Úlairi exercised tremendous power, even before their downfall, for Gorthaur the Terrible chose them because of their might. All ruthless Kings, they knew how to dominate their brethren and administer realms of Men. Their experience proved invaluable during the Dark Lord's quest to conquer Middle-earth. Collectively, their repository of knowledge was vast indeed, for each Nazgûl came from a unique background and all of them save the three fallen Númenoreans (Adûnaphel, Akhôrahil and Mûrazôr) - grew out of a different setting and culture. Taken as a whole, the Nine understood most of the peoples of Endor and at one time or another ruled about half of the Middle Land. Sauron selected them carefully and reaped great rewards.
5.12 ÚLAIR NATURE
"In their white faces burned keen and merciless eyes; under their mantles were long grey robes; upon their grey hairs were helms of silver; in their haggard hands were swords of steel. (LotR I ,p. 263.)
The Nazgûl provided the Dark Lord with a physical means of spreading his abhorrent Shadow. Nonetheless, their own being remained quasi-corporeal. Nearly weightless and invisible to all but those residing in the world of the shadows (e.g. other Undead and Sauron) or wearing a Ring of Power. their contacts with Arda seemed fleeting. The Ringwraiths simultaneously manifested themselves in two worlds, but remained wholly in neither. They manipulated objects and cloaked themselves in visible trappings but they remained apart from other Men.
The duality of the Nazgûl's' terrible existence is testimony to the horror fomented by the Lord of the Rings. While more powerful than they were as Kings, the Úlairi remained Sauron's subservient vassals, spirits forever tied to his being. They received immortality, but lost Eru's Gift of Death and perpetually suffered, as if always dying. Their shrieks instilled terror and spawned fear that caused the hardiest of foes to quiver yet the shrillness of their cries suggested their own inner pain. Although possessed of enhanced senses and the ability to see in utter darkness, they remained virtually blind. Huge beasts and whole armies obeyed their word but they trusted nothing and counted no friends. Despite the fact that sharp blades broke upon their flesh and that they showed no fear of mortal combat, they shunned soothing brooks and the comforting sun. No challenge of melee forced their flight, yet they shied from flickering firelight and the gentlest call to Elbereth. Nature's seemingly innocuous intrusions often turned them away.
Most ironic of all, however, was the fact that though they cheated their natural fate and achieved undying life their spirits lost the ability to outlive their death. By taking the Dark Lord's offer, the Nazgûl unwittingly rejected Eru's blessing to the Secondborn, the bequest of a special "life" after their end in Arda. They traded their immortal souls for immortal forms.
The general powers and features of the Nazgûl
With the uniform exception of the immortal Valar and Maiar, the Nazgûl are among the strongest living powers in Arda. Their strength reflects their ties to the Maia Sauron, their Rings of Power, and the One Ruling Ring.
While each Úlair is unique, of course, they all share certain common elements. They are all immortal and semi--corporeaI beings with enchanted qualities, creatures with awesome collective power and formidable individual strength. As shown in the stories surrounding the Witch-king, they feared no single individual from the ranks of Middle-earth's Free Peoples; instead, nature and circumstance usually dictated their vulnerability. No other Men rival them although the Adan Lords from Númenor and the Kingdoms in Exile could contest them in certain situations. Still, they are sometimes upset or driven away by fire, water or some manifestation of Varda (e.g., the Dame "Elbereth"), and magic weapons can slay them.
Thanks :mrgreen:
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Resident witch