Chapter Three
The evil realm of Angmar became Arthedain’s greatest enemy. It was a fell and malicious power, ruled by the tyrannical Witch-king. It is said that the Witch-king was the greatest sorcerer of the age, wielding the most terrible and unnatural power. To even look upon him was death, for an aura of fear would consume the victim. His ambition, his only ambition, was to conquer and subjugate all of Eriador. Some believed that the Witch-king of Angmar answered to an even greater evil power in the Far East. Only the most dark songs and tales speak of such things.
Rhudaur, the smallest of the three Arnorian realms, was also the weakest. Angmar’s ambition was to conquer all three kingdoms, so Rhudaur was seen as a prudent place to start. Soon enough Rhudaur had fallen, along with the last of its Westernesse kings. It is unknown if this last king fell in battle against Angmar, or if he was taken prisoner and murdered by the Witch-king. What matters is that the Arnorian line of the Old Kings had ended in Rhudaur, the throne being taken by the chief of the Hill-folk, those lesser in blood than the Westernesse kings, who served Angmar. These Hill-folk had once lived as subjects of Arnor, and then Rhudaur, but had forsaken their loyalty and betrayed their king.
The failure of the royal line in Cardolan and Rhudaur allowed King Argeleb the First of Arthedain to claim kingship over a reunited Arnor. Cardolan, though perhaps begrudgingly, accepted the sovereignty of Arthedain. Argeleb the First, King of Arthedain, also became the King of Arnor. But by this time it was already too late for Rhudaur, as the land had been ravaged by Angmar and was ruled over by the Witch-king’s own servants. The armies of Arthedain and Cardolan, under the banner of Arnor, made their stand against Angmar and Rhudaur in the Weather Hills. Fortifications were hastily built on the hills to strengthen Argeleb’s borders, but he himself was slain their by the Hill-folk. His son, now King Arveleg the First, continued to build his father’s fortifications. Angmar and Rhudaur, repelled from the Weather Hills, turned their attention to the east.
Some sixty years later, Angmar returned to trouble Arthedain and Cardolan once more. Besieging the great fortress of Weathertop, in the Weather Hills, Angmar slew both King Arveleg and the Prince of Cardolan. Those who survived the Fall of Weathertop retreated back to the capital of Norbury. The great fortress was burned, leaving only the ruin that can be found today. With Weathertop destroyed, Angmar now controlled the Weather Hills, and thus the northern border of Cardolan. Soon enough all of Cardolan burned, covered by the shadow of Angmar. Arthedain was unable to defend Cardolan, for the capital of Norbury found itself under attack. Araphor, son of the fallen King Arveleg, is said to have forced out Angmar from the capital and all of the North Downs with the help of the Elves. As one can imagine, many tales and songs were written about King Araphor, of this warrior-king who befriended the Elf-lords of legend.
Those who survived the onslaught of Angmar in Cardolan took refuge in the Barrow-downs. Angmar was unable to break through its defences. The Great Plague of Year 37 killed those who remained there. Some tales claim it was the Witch-king, through some foul sorcery, who summoned this blight upon the land. Angmar soon sent wights, those evil spirits, to overrun the Barrow-downs. They would thereafter be known as Barrow-wights, the dread of all mortals.
