Chapter Two
Although deprived of his full inheritance – the throne of a united Arnor – Amlaith son of Eärendur became the first King of Arthedain after several months of civil war against his own brothers. The North Kingdom was no more: Arthedain, Cardolan and Rhudaur had been established from the conflicting claims. If any battles took place between the brothers between King Eärendur’s death and the ascension of his sons to their respective realms, there are no existing records of them remaining today. Indeed, the names of Amlaith’s younger brothers are unknown. Some scholars have attributed this to Amlaith and his descendants striking their names from all chronicles, for their treachery following their father’s demise.
Although the territories of Cardolan and Rhudaur had been denied from Amlaith and his heirs, the Kingdom of Arthedain was still vast. Even after the division, it remained the chief power in Eriador. Finding its borders on the Blue River in the west and the Brandywine River in the east, the realm also constituted the land found to the north of the Great East Road to the Weather Hills (on which the famous Weathertop ruin is to be found) in the east. Both Cardolan and Rhudaur were considerably smaller in their territories; Rhudaur being particularly small.
The Line of Arnor, those kings claiming descent from Westernesse of old, remained true in Arthedain. In Cardolan and Rhudaur, it was lost within only a few generations. Many saw this as divine condemnation of denying Amlaith his full inheritance of the crown of Arnor as a united kingdom. Soon enough, Arthedain was the only remaining embodiment of the Lost Realm.
King Amlaith was the last to reside in the ancient lakeside city of Annúminas. At this time the capital was in decline, with much of the northern side being consumed by Lake Evendim. The great stone city was beginning to fall apart; it was considered by many at the time to be beyond repair. Much of its population had already forsaken the city, until only the royal court remained. Upon the division of Arnor, Annúminas found itself well within the Kingdom of Arthedain. If it was not in a state of ruin, then perhaps Cardolan or Rhudaur would have make earnest attempts to claim the capital city of Arnor itself for their own realm. However it was not considered a great enough prize to start a war over. Indeed, despite the early conflicts, the Arnorian splinter-realms were more concerned with consolidating their own position than going to war with one another. This is not to say, however, that conflicts between them did not remain.
Amlaith’s first act as king was to finally abandon Annúminas, allowing it to deteriorate until it was only a ruin and a memory. If anything, this was the symbolic end to the united realm of Arnor. It was the city of Fornost, better known as the Norbury of the Kings, which became the new capital of Arthedain. It had been built several centuries before, and was considered one of the great fortresses of the north. It is described as having four great walls, with both inner and outer defences. The only way to enter the city was through a gate to its south. Many towers and halls hosted its population, from kings to cowherds. Both a city and a fortress, it became the single most important settlement in all of Eriador. Its markets were much lamented about, suggesting it was considered lucrative for merchants both local and foreign. There had been a steady migration from Annúminas to Norbury, as many wished to exchange the crumbling ruin of Evendim for the secure walls in the North Downs. When Amlaith and his government took up residence in the city, it was already well-established and bustling with his subjects. The royal court at Norbury became stuff of fairy tales, as many stories of knights and maidens are told from this city. The King’s palace was said to resemble those found in the South Kingdom of Gondor, being adorned with white marble and statues sculpted by the greatest artisans of the time.
Cardolan and Rhudaur seemed to have suffered greatly following the breakup of Arnor. Their harvest failed, disease ravaged the common people, and the royal coffers always seemed depleted. In contrast, Arthedain flourished in every possible sense. The harvest was always plentiful and all seemed to benefit from the immense wealth of the realm. The pious would see this as a blessing from the Powers, for it was in Arthedain that the true Westernesse blood flowed.
Amlaith, although only a third of the king he had hoped to be, had established a powerful and secure dynasty. His son, Beleg, would inherit a peaceful and prosperous realm upon his death. This peace was not to be perpetual.
