Factions

The realm of Numenor is great and within it, a multitude of factions, leanings and parties have existence. Of them, four deserve separate mention and are described in these helpfiles. They play an integral part in the workings of the culture, and the friction between them is the primary driving force of Numenor's policies. The books describe two, Elendili (The Faithful), and Arnari (The King's Men). To these are added the Dairaziri (The Plutocrats) and the Black Hand.

Each player needs to choose a faction to affiliate with. To a certain extent this is determined by birth, but also by mindset and personal beliefs. Commoners might have difficulty picking a faction - answer this by thinking 'who am I friends with?', 'what are my beliefs about the right way for Numenor?' or even 'what faction dominates the lands I live in?'. Find answers to those questions in these helpfile, and decide on your affiliation - however informal - with one of the factions.
 
 
 

"Then Tar-Ancalimon, son of Atanamir became King and he was of like mind; and in his day the people of Numenor became divided. On the one hand was the greater party, and they were called the King's Men, and they grew proud and were estranged from the Eldar and the Valar. And on the other hand was the lesser party, and they were called the Elendili, the Elf Friends; for though they remained loyal indeed to the King and the House of Elros, they wished to keep the friendship of the Eldar, and they hearkened to the counsel of the Lords of the West. Nonetheless even they who named themselves the Faithful, did not wholly escape from the affliction of their people, and they were troubled by the thought of death."

-- The Silmarillion, Akallabeth
 
 

Elendili (Sin., in Ad. 'Nimruziri', The Faithful)

The Elendili, or as they call themselves, the Faithful, are a small faction. Theirs is a hard road. They have been severely persecuted and continue to be. In the days of King Ar-Gimilzor, the Faithful were driven from their homes in the west of Numenor to the East in Romenna. They were forbidden to use the Elven tongues, or have anything to do with the ships that used to come from Eressea. It is the fate of the Elendili to be forever torn between their loyalty to their country and the House of Elros, and their reverence of the Valar and Iluvatar. At this time, a stroke of luck brings Tar-Palantir, an Elf-Friend, to the throne, and thus he is accounted their leader. In the west, the Counsellor Amandil, Lord of Andunie, is rumored to have Elendili leanings, but he himself speaks not of it. Elendili is a Sindarin name, in a language long forbidden - take note that most Arnari would refer to them as Nimruziri in Adunaic.

Some General Guidelines For RPing Elendili:
The Elendili are noble and honest in their dealings. They worship Iluvatar, and revere the Valar. Though they are persecuted, they are not weak. Most are known to be great mariners and hold a deep love for the sea. Unlike the Arnari they do not desire great power or wealth, instead they are content with their lives. They do not fear death, though the idea worries them. They accept it as the gift of Iluvatar and have faith in Him. They hold a love for the Eldar and are considered wise because they do not forsake their history, and take counsel with the Elves.

Arnari (Ad., 'The King's Men')

The Arnari are most often refered to as the King's Men. They are by far the largest and most popular faction in Numenor. They hate all that deals with the Eldar and do not follow the teaching of the Valar, forsaking the worship of Iluvatar. In essence they are the heavy-handed war party, bent on re-creating the universe in their own image, - a world by Men and for Men. Led by several great Kings since Tar-Atanamir, they suffer an unlooked-for setback at this time. Tar-Palantir, the first Elendili King to hold the Sceptre, attempts to turn the clock back on them. The strongest Arnari leader is his younger brother Gimilkhad, Governor of Umbar, a great lord and general. Arnari are called by no other name.

In the books, eventually, the King's Men fall under the spell of Sauron and cause the destruction of Numenor and the remaking of the world.

Some General Guidelines For RPing Arnari:
The Arnari are proud and disdainful. They consider themselves above the Elendili, and while they persecute The Faithful, they do so in a haughty manner usually exchanging harsh words as opposed to physical blows. The truly dedicated Arnari seek to shame the Elendili for their 'disloyalty to old customs', to which Elendili reply that their customs are older. Some of the King's Men are ordinary folk who pay no mind to the Eldar, or the history of their people, and are content to live out their lives within their limited, human-centered horizon. On the whole though, the King's Men are the most powerful, yet the most unhappy folk. Greedy for power and wealth, they hoard them, yet that avails not to stay their greatest fear - the fear of death.

Dairaziri (Ad. 'Earth-lovers', -The Plutocrats) also Zimralai 'Jewelfolk', Sin. 'Mirrim'

The Dairaziri is a self-name for the plutocratic faction of the Empire. The continued stream of riches from the colonies and the fertile lands of Numenor itself has made many families with important holdings rich beyond imagination, beyond the Elven-Kings of yore, beyond perhaps even the Powers on their thrones in the West. Yet there is no limit to Men's greed. Earth-lovers, thus, they call themselves, and preach the union of all the Men in Middle-earth and beyond under the Numenorean Sceptre - a universal kingdom in which those mercantile and industrial leaders will enjoy the freedom of commerce and riches everlasting. By all others they are called 'Zimralai' in Adunaic, or 'Mirrim' in Sindarin, which mean Jewelfolk. This derives from an old tradition of the Guild Masters to exhibit the affluence of their guilds by wearing most expensive jewelry. The name stuck to those first men of wealth, and then came to denote this whole faction.

Though on global issues the Dairaziri tend to agree with Arnari, their desires clash sharply on the means to achieve those ends. The plutocrats are naturally suspicious of military power, and prefer to use Arnari to further their own goals, liberally using their endless wealth as bribes and gifts. They advance their cause by clandestine means, not holding themselves above the services of assassins or other races. Their perception of the purpose of the Empire is cynical - as merely a tool to further their own gains. The true plutocrats are few, but many are in their employ, some without knowing it.

Some Guidelines To RPing Dairaziri:
Those who belong tend to flaunt their wealth in public. The leader characters possess a nearly-limitless wealth, - those need your HC approval to obtain; the lesser folk in their employ, nevertheless, possess their full credit when working for them. This means that all Dairaziri are ICly permitted to advance bribes and gifts liberally in any amounts, when they are ICly furthering their masters' ends. They profess a deep love of the 'savages' of Middle-earth and speak of their need to belong to the Empire; they are well-educated, 'well-meaning' and devious.

The Black Hand (Sin. 'Moricamhoth'?)
This faction name evokes shudder among the simple folk. A secret beyond secrets, even its existence was disputed until in the early reign of Tar-Palantir it became much more active than before. The Black Hand is said to be a guild of assassins, originating in Umbar and comprised of the devout followers of Darkness. It is rumored to have strange rites and customs, and its members excel in stealth, cunning and secrecy. One fact is known well: members of the Black Hand are never captured, but promptly slay themselves if they fail.

The secrecy of the Black Hand is maintained both ICly and OOCly. /No one/ should know of a member's involvement except the Black Hand HC, OOCly. Members who violate this rule open themselves to IC assassination, and definitely losing their status as a member of the Black Hand. Nothing is known to non-members about the internal structure of this organization. All Black Hand members are also members of one other faction, which is their official affiliation to allay suspicions. To apply, acquire some experience and +mail the High Commander in charge.