Bardings
The
Bardings are Northmen of noble origins hailing from
Wilderland, far off to the east. They rebuilt their city of Dale
from its ashes after the slaying of the Dragon Smaug and
they earned a new prosperity trading with nearby kingdoms
of Elves and Dwarves.
Dwarves
The
Dwarves are an ancient and proud folk, whose customs
and traditions are mostly unknown to outsiders. A dwindling
people, they have recently recovered some of their lost greatness, and a Dwarven King reigns once again under the Lonely
Mountain, in Wilderland.
Elves of Lindon
The
Elves of Lindon have dwelt in the Westlands since
before the drowning of Beleriand. They are all members of
the Firstborn, displaying a wisdom beyond the reach of Men.
They rarely leave their sanctuaries in the Grey Havens, for
these are their fading years.
More and more leave Middle-earth sailing West on grey
ships, never to return. Those who still remain live mostly along
the western coasts, where once were found great kingdoms of
their kindreds. Wandering Elves can at times be encountered
on the roads leading east in spring and autumn, when their
companies leave their lands beyond the Tower Hills.
Hobbits
Hobbits are a small and merry folk, possessing a love for timehonoured traditions and respectable ways, and a strong dislike
for anything out of the ordinary. If Hobbits had their way, the
days would go by in an unchanging world, as they have since
anyone can remember. At least, in their land, the Shire.
But since the return of Mr Bilbo Baggins from his adventure with a group of Dwarves and a travelling Wizard, something has changed. Stories about remote lands, dark woods,
Giants, Elves, and forgotten halls beneath the earth have
started to circulate among Hobbits of a more adventurous
sort. And with every year, another one or two discreetly disappear to go and have adventures.
Men of Bree
The
Men of Bree-land and its four villages lying
about Bree-hill are the descendants of the ancient people that
first dwelt in the region known today as Eriador, the Lonelands. Few have survived the turmoils that have ravaged the
area, but they are still there now.
Today, the Men of Bree live at an old meeting of ways, and
even if the traffic was far greater in former days, travellers
of various sorts still make their way along those roads. Whoever enters the common room of the Inn of Bree is sure to
hear strange tales and news from afar, and maybe be swept
away by them.
Rangers
The
Rangers of the North are a secret people, severely diminished in number with the passing of a thousand years. They
wander in disguise among the ruins of what was once their
kingdom of Arnor, tirelessly patrolling its many paths and
roads.
While the years have lengthened, the task of the Rangers
has always been the same: to keep the folk of Eriador free
from care and fear. They labour secretly, keeping to themselves, and rarely giving their names to the travellers they
save or to the folk whose farms they guard at night, when
evil things come out from dark places.
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