Wilderland
This is the area East of the Misty Mountains, South of the Grey Mountains , West of the IRON HILLS and RHUN, and North of Brown Lands . As the name sounds it one of the wilder areas, sort of the Eastern frontier of the Western lands. There are no great Kingdoms here. In the North are the Dwarves of the Iron Hills, the Dwarves of Erebor, Dale , and Laketown . The bulk of Central Wilderland is covered by Mirkwood.
In the North of Mirkwood lies the WOODLAND REALM, in its Western Eaves of Mirkwood lies the lands of the Woodmen of Wilderland , and in the South lies the cursed woods and ruins of Dol Gulder.
A few days ride West of Mirkwood lies the great Anduin River. To the East lie the VALES OF THE ANUDUIN, to its West lie the foothills of the Misty Mountains. In the Southwestern vales of Anduin live the fiercely independent Beornings. These peoples see that the River and it's Fords are passable.
After years of simply being a wild and unchanging area great events are now afoot here. In the many years following the arrival of Smaug, The Magnificent on the The Lonely Mountain , and his subsequent destruction of Dale and Erebor there was little change. It seemed for decades that the land was settled into a pattern of uneasy normality. In the past decade though things began to change. First there was the rise of the Necromancer of Dol Gulder and the darkening of Mirkwood. This lead to the Woodmen and the Beornings each becoming more united as they needed the strength of alliance to withstand the growing darkness spreading from Southern Mirkwood. Finally there was the catalyst of Thorin Oakenshield's Company.
This small band crossed Wilderland, and successfully forced Smaug to leave his deep hoard. This allowed Bard of Dale to slay the old beast ending his reign of terror. As Smaug crashed into The Long Lake other forces came to bear bringing forth great hosts to fight in The Battle of Five Armies , and the WHITE COUNCIL to defeat the Necromancer.
This has lead to a Spring like thaw here in Wilderland. Where goods again flow out of Erebor, and Dale and people live and thrive. Destroyed by Smaug in his death throes Laketown has again risen to float freely on the Long Lake. The Woodmen frequently congregate at Woodman-town and Woodland Hall. The Beornings task at Ford and Pass has become less arduous allowing more time for the baking of HONEY CAKES. Yes, a new day has dawned in Wilderland.
History
Years of the Trees, and First Age
In the YEARS OF THE TREES the Elves passed through Rhovanion on their Great Journey. Much later during the First Age, the ATANATARI (Fathers of Men) followed them. The region is not otherwise mentioned until tales of the Second Age.
Second Age
Rhovanion was host to two SILVAN ELF kingdoms ruled by Sindarin lords: NORTHERN GREENWOOD and LORINAND (later named Lórien). During the WAR OF THE LAST ALLIANCE OF MEN AND ELVES both of these kings, AMDIR of Lórinand and OROPHER of the Greenwood perished in the BATTLE OF DAGORLAD.
Third Age
In TA 1248, ROMENDACIL II of Gondor destroyed all camps of the EASTERLINGS even beyond the SEA OF RUHN, and a strong alliance with the NORTHMEN princes of Rhovanion was forged. The strongest of these princes at this time was VIDUGAVIA, and Prince VALACAR of Gondor was sent as an ambassador to his court. Vidugavia's daughter VIDUMAVI married Valacar, and their son Vinitharya became King ELDACAR in TA 1432, which led to the KIN-STRIFE in TA 1437. Eldacar fled to Rhovanion, and he reclaimed his Kingdom with a Northmen army in TA 1447.
In the north of Greenwood (Mirkwood) lived the Silvan elves ruled by THRANDUIL, and in the south of Greenwood and across the river in Lórinand ruled AMROTH. In the far south, near the rapids of SARN GEBIR, watched the northern guard of Gondor, and in the valleys of the Anduin River lived Stoors (HOBBITS).
In TA 1636 the GREAT PLAGUE devastated Rhovanion, killing more than half its people. This left the Northmen weakened, and in TA 1856 the WAINRIDERS overran and enslaved Rhovanion. For 43 years Rhovanion was enslaved, but in TA 1899 there was a revolt, coordinated with an attack by Gondor on the Wainriders from the west. Rhovanion was freed but left extremely weakened. Many Men of Rhovanion left for Gondor, where they were welcomed as distant relatives, or migrated to the vales of Anduin, where they became the EOTHEOD.
In the mid Third Age, Rhovanion was a quite populated area: in the north lay the Dwarven kingdoms of Erebor and the Dwarf halls in the Grey Mountains, and the Mannish Kingdom of Dale, near the sources of the Great River Anduin lay the Mannish realm of EOTHEOD, and in and around the south and east of Greenwood the Great lived the WOODMEN.
In c. TA 2460 Sauron returned as "the Necromancer", taking residence at Dol Gulder in the south of Greenwood, which became evil and was renamed "Mirkwood". The Dwarves of Erebor and MEN OF DALE were destroyed and scattered when the Dragon Smaug, The Magnificent took Erebor, and Gondor retreated from its northern outposts. Some Men still lived along the forest, notably the Beornings, Woodmen and the Men of Laketown upon the The Long Lake. The Men of Éothéod removed south at the invitation of Gondor, and settled the plains of CALENARDHON, later ROHAN. After being driven out of Erebor the Dwarves relocated, some went to the Iron Hills, but most went to the Ered Luin (Blue Mountains) in Eriador.
At the end of the Third Age, the Kingdoms of Erebor and Dale were restored as a result of the death of Smaug and the Battle of Five Armies, and Sauron was removed from Mirkwood by the White Council. During the War of the Ring fighting raged across Rhovanion, and after Sauron was defeated Mirkwood was made clean again, and renamed Eryn Lasgalen, or "Wood of Greenleaves". Early in the Fourth Age Gondor reclaimed large parts of it as part of its East-lands.
Alternative Name(s)
Rhovanion
Type
Expanse
Location under
Included Locations
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