Area:Annúminas
When Elendil of Westernesse came into Middle-earth after the destruction of Númenor, he settled at last in the northlands of Eriador and established the kingdom of Arnor. On the shores of Lake Evendim he built the great city of Annúminas, from which he ruled as High King over both the North and South kingdoms of Men: Arnor and Gondor.
Nine kings ruled Arnor after Elendil, though only eight dwelt in Annúminas. Isildur, Elendil's heir, never sat upon the throne, for he was slain in the Gladden Fields while returning from the wars with Sauron in the South. Valandil, Isildur's youngest son, took the throne following his father's death, and established a dynasty that lasted more than 800 years. After the death of King Eärendur, his heirs fell to fighting and the North-kingdom broke into three realms: Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur. Amlaith, the first king of Arthedain, removed his court to Fornost, leaving Annúminas to fall into decay.
Annúminas is a location taken directly from the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien. While little is said of it - other than the brief tale of its desolation and that it once housed one of the seven palantíri - the ruins of the great city play a major role in the Epic Story of The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™. Fans of the books will be eager to visit this former home of the Kings of Arnor, and adventurous players will find many great challenges there.
[edit] Annúminas
[edit] Quick Facts
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| Dates: | Founded in II 3320 or shortly thereafter. All other dates are conjectural: the city was abandoned some time in the Third Age1. It was refounded by Aragorn after the War of the Ring. |
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| Location: | The southern shores of Nenuial, in western Arnor | ||||||||||||||
| Origins: | Founded by Elendil after his escape from the Downfall of Númenor | ||||||||||||||
| Race: | Men | ||||||||||||||
| Division: | Dúnedain | ||||||||||||||
| Pronunciation: | anoo'meenass | ||||||||||||||
| Meaning: | 'West-tower'2 | ||||||||||||||
[edit] Ancient seat of the Kings of Arnor
The city of the Kings of Arnor, on the shores of Nenuial. The city was founded by Elendil himself, on the shores of the northern lake Nenuial, near the sources of the Baranduin. It was the chief city of the Kings of Arnor for several centuries, and home to one of the three palantíri of the North-Kingdom.
The available evidence suggests that the city survived for nearly a thousand years. In the early days of Arnor, it must have been one of the glories of Middle-earth. Soon after its founding, though, the numbers of the Dúnedain of the North began to dwindle. The population of Annúminas seems to have fallen throughout its history, until eventually it was deserted, and the Kings removed to Fornost to the east.
It seems likely that the people of Annúminas were dependent on the River Baranduin for their contact with the outside world. While the Hills of Evendim surrounded the city to the west and south, the city's people could reach the other cities of the Dúnedain that lay along the river3 by boat.
After the city's desertion, it fell into decay, but two relics of its greatness survived: its palantír and the Sceptre of Annúminas. The palantír remained in Middle-earth for more than a millennium after the loss of its city, but was ultimately drowned with Arvedui in the cold northern seas.
The silver Sceptre of Annúminas was the symbol of Kingship in the North-kingdom. A very ancient thing, it was originally the rod of office of the Númenórean Lords of Andúnië. Though it would have been removed to Fornost by the Kings, and eventually came to be kept by Elrond in Rivendell, it retained the name of its ancient home of Annúminas.
At the time of the coronation of Aragorn at the end of the Third Age, Annúminas had lain in ruins for more than two thousand years.
[edit] Footnotes
| 1 | We know that the city was abandoned by one of Valandil's heirs, but which heir is open to question: perhaps even by Valandil's immediate successor, Eldacar. The earliest date possible, then, is III 249, the year of Eldacar's accession, though the phrase 'heirs of Valandil' suggests that Annúminas was abandoned somewhat later than this. It seems reasonable to assume that Annúminas was abandoned some centuries later, at the time of the break-up of Arnor in III 861. |
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| 2 | Though 'West-tower' is a literal translation into English, it isn't an entirely happy one. The Elvish word annûn is strictly not just 'west' but 'in the direction of the sunset'. Hence, Annúminas can equally be rendered 'Sunset-tower'. This is particularly relevant because the city lay in a region called Evendim (that is, 'evening twilight'). |
| 3 | At Arnor's height, there were settlements of the Dúnedain throughout Eriador. At one time they seem to have had settlements throughout Eriador, but none of these settlements seem to have survived to the end of the Third Age. |
In year 10 of the Third Age, after the death of Elendil and Isildur, Isildur's youngest son, Valandil, occupies the throne of the city. His line (Eldacar, Arantar, Tarcil, Tarondor, Valandur, Elendur and Eärendur) reigned in Annúminas in the most prosperous and calm years of the kingdom.
In 810, the number of Dúnedain of the North have dwindled and Arnor is divided into three dominions, and Amlaith, first king of Arthedain, transfers the capital to Fornost. Annúminas falls into a progressive decay and the last inhabitants leave several centuries later.
As of Book 10, Annúminas has been opened. Nearly three-thousand years of weather and abandonment have left much of the city in ruin. Where once were beautiful gardens and tall spires now are pools of filth and decay and jagged ruined towers. A small band of Dúnedain rangers have established a foothold in Echad Garthadir in an attempts to reclaim the city from Angmar and its troops.
Annúminas and Echad Garthadir are easily approached by swimming to the northern docks or, more difficultly, by running along the eastern road. There is also a camp site fire that hunters can bind to in Echad Garthadir. Echad Garthadir has several vendors and 3 new Barter NPC.
At the beginning of the Fourth Age Aragorn, proclaimed sovereign of the Unified Kingdom, undertakes the reconstruction of the city, accompanied by Arwen.
The meaning `Tower of the West' (annûn = put of the sun, west, west; minas = tower).
The location of Annúminas
