With the hope that I will get a gaming group together, without it falls apart due to players become parents, nasty break-ups, work schedules or people moving abroad, I continue my semi-preparations.
Something I realised is that I don't have a full grasp on where all the nations and groups are. So I started to create a simple political map. As I plan the chronicle to take place about year 15, 4th age, I have started with a map right before the War of the Ring.
Some unclear parts that I am currently trying to find information about.
* Where is the westmost border of Gondor. Is it the river, or the mountains?
* The area between Loudwater and Misty Mountains, under whoms control is it? Dunland? The same culture as Bree? Almost empty?
* What is the current political structure of northwest of Greyflood. Clans? Would they consider themselves kinsmen to the Dunlendings, or a different people?
* The area east of Rohan and Gondor, North of Mordor. Is it under the direct control of Easterlings? Mordor? Someone else?
The current doodle is included as an attachment. Opinions and ideas are very welcome, and not only to the questions above.
And of course, if someone knows of a complete political map of Middle Earth, don't keep it secret. On the other hand, creating the map is half the fun
Last edited by Cpt. Lundgren; 04-11-2007 at 04:33 PM.
Between Loudwater and Misty Mountains was an elven land in the Second Age as indicated by the The Encyclopedia of Arda and not much after that. Given that Rivendell is at the North end of Eregion, it probably mostly wild lands with some elvish settlements. Dunlendings probably stay a way as it was an elvish land.
Northwest of Greyflood, Minhiriath, I would guess clans would be about right composed of Bree and middle men. Dunlendings are wildmen and the Bree are a branch of Dunlendings but are settled.
Rhovanion is the region from the Misty Mountains, in the west and the River Celduin in the east. As the Rohirrim came from this area, various other related Northmen clans live in this area. They probably do not come too far South do to the Dead Marshes and Mordor. Some Easterling call the Wainriders took over the area in the 3rd Age and attacked Gondor starting in 1851 and defeat in 1944. No real mention of them after that, but you could have them in the Southeastern area of Rhovanion.
The red on the map is how I interpret Dunland. I have added the middle-men that are to the north of them.
I assume that there is not much physical difference between the commoners of Rohan, the Dunlendings and the middle-men. Most of Rohan belonged to the Dunlendings before Gondor gave the are to the Rohirrim, so the people who stayed would become subjugates of the new kingdom and slowly become assimilated into their culture. The more hard headed resettled to the west, driving away the people living there, or subjugate them.
The middle-men, to the north of what is know today as Dunland, have most likely a tribal/village culture that have evolved from the Northern Kingdoms. I assume that the Dunadain have been working to upheld their ideals while trying to keep the area reasonable safe.
Do you have a good reference to that the westmost border is the sea? The Encyclopedia of Arda is quite inconclusive on the the subject. But the map at the Lord of The Rings Wiki put the border at the westmost river. It makes sense to me. The rivers makes good defendable borders.
To the north-east, we had the Lake-men at the time of Bilbos adventure. So there probably are more human settlements between Mirkwood and Rhun.
According to Encyclopedia of Arda, Drúwaith Iaur (between the River Lenfui and Isen) and possibly Andrast might have been the land of Drúedain, or Woses. It is certain the the Woses live in the This land was also claim to Isen by Gondor as at one point, it seem like at the time they gave Rohan away. Of Course, the claimed all the way to Greyflood in the beginning and jointly ran Enedwaith with Arnor. My source for Gondor's border being the sea was the LOTR Risk game. While the rest of known part of Arda seem to have been divide up just for the game (Eriador and Arnor as seperate regions); it seem like Gondor seem to fit what I read in the LOTR books.
The Tolkien Gateway put the west-most border at the river as well. Then the question is what lies between the river and the mountains. I guess it is either empty or under Dunland control-
The small green dot is "The Angle." I can't recall where I read it, but as I understand i, it is there the Ranger of the North has their stronghold/headquarter.
The larger green area in northeastern Mirkwood is the elven kingdom. I have always envisioned it to be in the north-eastern part of the forest. The map in my translation of The Fellowship of the Ring shows the mountains in that area and I believe the kingdom stretches out from there.
The gray area in south-western Mirkwood is the Stronghold Dol Guldur. As they have not had any reason to hide since Bilbo's adventure. So I assume they have expanded their powerbase into the surrounding area.
And to the west of Mirkwood, between the forest and the river, is the Beornings.
Next time I am on the right computer, I will at least add some colour to Lonely mountain, as it is a Dwarven kingdom again.
The home of the Woses just before the war, the Druadain Forest, is a part of Rohan before the war. But they got the forest as their own land at the beginning of the forth age.
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