#mistrand

“ Here and there [was] the gleam of spears and helmets; and over the levels beside the roads horsemen could be seen riding in many companies... These were Men of other race, out of the wide Eastlands.” 

Characters Study: Khalin of the Tribes Markîz of Rhûn;                                          Lôke-Khan Margöz of Rhûn;                                                                     Ji-Khali Tikgîz of Rhûn.

Character study: Lôke-Khan Margöz

Leader of the Easterlings of Rhûn in the last years of the Third Age and commander of the Golden Army in the Battle of Dale. My own original character. You can read his story clicking here. You can follow @burkhanlig for roleplaying interactions.

RHÛN REGIONS MOODBOARDS - [V] Dacranamel

The Dacranamel (Do. “Greenlands”) is a fertile region along the southern shores of the Rhûnaer.

It was the original place where the Donath, the ancestors of the Dorwinrim settled. Later it became the core-Land of the Wainrider-Empire with the City of Mistrand.

“Never laugh at live dragons.” - J.R.R. Tolkien

The Dragon-Ruler, Dragon-King or Lôke-Khan are the titles of the leader of Sauron's great eastern Host, the Golden Army. Morhinetar tried to prevent the domination of Sauron fall back again on the Easterlings and began to cultivate the seeds of a religious sect known as the Lôke-Egleria, who worshiped dragons. It was so Bountîg, one of his servants, became the first Lôke-Khan in Bozorganush (one of the three successor kingdoms of the Balchoth Realm). The Lôke-Egleria was governed by the Dragon-Priests who chose their leaders. It was so the influence expanded by all the tribal lands of Rhûn and even further to the south, to the land of Khand. But when Sauron was driven out of Dol Guldur by the White Council and he hid in the east near cracks of Illuin, the Blue Wizards tried to end with the Dark Maia, but they were defeated. Roméstamo fled south and Morhinetar was corrupted. It was so the land of Rhûn slowly became a place of pilgrimage for worshipers of the cult of Melkor.

(Third Age 2768-2801) Lôke-Khan Bountîg (Third Age 2801-2889) Lôke-Khan Yuktîr (Third Age 2889-2945) Lôke-Khan Zôr (Third Age 2945-3004) Lôke-Khan Borthand (Third Age 3004-????) Lôke-Khan Margöz

THE CITIES OF RHÛN - PART I: MISTRAND

A proud and industrious city, Mistrand (Rh. "Mingled waters") is an amalgam of various cultures and traditions synthesized to form a unique entity that has come to dominate politics across the Sea of Rhûn. It lays at the southwest of the Sea of Rhûn, in the land known as Gathod (Rh. “Land of Passage”) between the southern shores of the Rhûnaer and the Ered Lithui, and it’s the largest city of the whole Rhûn regions.

The people of Mistrand are called the Gathmarig (Rh. “People of the Bay”). Perched as it is upon the bottleneck of goods flowing through Rhûn, Mistrand subjects many distant lands to its policies on trade, and influences the merchants of many realms through its ability to destroy their profits by ostracizing them from its markets. Though their landholdings are small in area, the Gathmarig of Mistrand have achieved a dominant role on the Inland Sea as arbitrators,spiritual leaders, and champions of the eastern perspective.

The many contributing cultures of Mistrand include Donath fishers and farmers, Urgath and Brygath nomads, displaced Variag peasants and frontiersmen, and even a few castaways from Folyavuld (Dorwinion). Individual occupations within the city vary greatly from family to family, but most are involved in some urban facet of their traditional, rural lifestyles. Merchants of Brygath descent deal in the goods of their rural cousins. Donath commoners are sailors and fishermen. Wealthy Donath are shippers, naval captains, and expert boat-wrights. Before the Variag occupation of the city, the Gathmarig viewed their diversity as the single factor which allowed them to influence so many facets of life on the Inland Sea. Rather than relying on any common bloodline, religion, or set of cultural traits to unite them, the people interacted withand depended upon one another in a spirit very similar to the Folyavuldok (Men of Dorwinion).

Mistrand was one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Rhûn. This changed drastically in T.A. 1280, when Nomid Achef led his Variag horde into the city. The Variag occupation was crafted by the servants of Sauron to allow the very anti-western religion of Kerkassk to penetrate the city. Before the occupation, the citizens of Mistrand had staunchly opposed the religion of Kerkassk as being destructive to the position of influence thay had cultivated. Under the boot of Variag imperialism, however, the once cosmopolitan city was transformed into a fortress of eastern conservativism.

Daily life in and around the city comprises most of the elements of life found among the surrounding cultures. Farming, herding, and fishing have always been prominent activities, and those among the Gathmarig who earn their living in such pursuits are frequently found in the citymarkets, exchanging the products of their labor for fine wares of the local artisans, or goods brought to market by merchants. This is still the case under the present regime, though passage in and out is more restricted than it used to be. Local craftsmen and merchants are organized into guilds that meet frequently with the Ôsvoda (Nobles of Khand) of the city to legislate the rules that govern trade. The traditional tribal heads who onceruled the city together, now function as stewards of the various districts of the city safeguarding the interests of their particular group in the decisions of the ruling body of priests.

While Gathmarig blood contains elements from Urgath, Donath, and Variag ancestors, this does not begin to describe the variation of people of Mistrand. An odd assortment of other races also make their homes in Mistrand, including Folyavuldok (Men of Dorwinion), Asdriags, Odhriags, and even Northmen from Burh Armenrik. The occasional trader from as far away as the Harad might also be encountered in Mistrand, creating avery interesting and varied collection of features and traits on the streets and in the markets.

The leaders of old Mistrand always preferred to engage their neighbors rather than shutting their doors to them, which only led to curiosity and resentment, both equally dangerous qualities in an Easterling warlord. Relations remained cordial between Mistrand and her neighbors until T.A. 1248, when Minalcar and Vidugavia's offensive into Gathod began the great backlash of hatred for the west among the Easterlings.