History of Anor Malthenardh
In 1991, while attending BYU in Utah, I became friends with a Jay Barnson. One day he asked me if I would like to participate in a medieval battle. I told him it had been my dream to be in a medieval battle ever since I was 12.
He invited me and about 6 (or so) other friends to come to a park one day. He handed each of us a small padded sword and we battled with them. I was hooked from then on. We met for twice a week at first. Then one day Jay (aka Vagabond Dark of the Aratari) brought a shield! We were stunned! How could we possibly fight against someone with a shield! From there the weapons & fighting style evolved and the group grew.We used a set of rules similar to those used in Dagorhir and called ourselves BattleGuard.
(It turns out that Jay had been a part of the Aratari of Dagorhir back in Maryland and just brought his hobby to Utah when he moved).
I became known as Koldar and was second in the group under Jay Barnson. My unit was called the 'Dragons' or the 'Black Dragons'.
Our group expanded, exponentially at times (especially during the summers), and in the summer of 1996 we fully adopted the Dagorhir rules and registered under the name "The Watchmen of Ered Duath" (The Watchmen of the Shadow Mountains, as the translation goes).
Soon after that I graduated from BYU and moved back to Long Beach California. Due to real life pressures at the time, I had to put foam swordfighting on the back burner. I sword fought with my brothers in law every now and then but that was it. Then one day in 2001 my youngest brother in law (Valgurth – The Angel of Death) asked if I could put on a demonstration at his school ‘Renaissance Fair’ So we got all dressed up and took all of my weapons. The school loved it and it was the busiest booth.
Soon we were having weapons making parties with Valgurth’s friends and fighting fairly regularly. Just when the group was starting to grow I had to move some 90 miles away (Beaumont, CA) Taking the inertia gained in Long Beach I immediately introduced foam fighting to members of the congregation I attend at church. They all loved it.
Now I try to hold a battle every month. Either in Long Beach (Ostfalas) as I travel there a lot or Beaumont (Bregul-sul).
OK enough of the real history. Now on to what 'really' happened.
Elkar and Koldar
In Ered Duath
Elkar had journeyed from the populated yet degenerate coastline to the wild lands of Ered Duath to seek after knowledge and wisdom from the fabled wisemen that dwelt there. He discovered that aside from the hidden wise men in the area that the area was indeed wild and that the people were scattered sporadically throughout the northern marches of Ered Duath. For years unnumbered, those brave settlers and adventurers who came to live in the harsh mountains and river-vales of those lands struggled to survive, and strove endlessly with the hordes of evil, human and otherwise, that provided a constant threat to the health and happiness of good and honorable folk. Though the individual houses, their kinsmen, and scattered personal armies fought valiantly, the days were violent and bloody, and the future looked grim. At this time Elkar met a valiant but rough warrior named Vagabond Dark who had formed a small band of about 7 fighters. Elkar joined this group, but soon found that the ideas of knighthood and gentlemanly class would not tame these wild lands. He sent for his estranged cousin who he had learned of only a few years before and never met. Hoping that together they might tame Ered Duath.
Elkar soon found that his cousin Koldar had a different take on life. Indeed he was constantly in the bottle after having lost both his natural parents and his Foster parents and tribe. Elkar struggled with Koldar to get him to sober up. Schooling him in the finer art of sword play, but it wasn’t until Koldar met the elves and learned of their secrets to making ‘magical’ weapons that Koldar (Feandur) came out of his inebriated state. He helped defend the elven strong hold against an attack of horrible humanoids and earned the title ‘elf friend’ and began making his plans to get revenge on the black dragon that had destroyed his foster tribe. He joined Vagabond Dark’s group and took to it quite well. Fighting the evil that infested the land while working with the elves to create his special weapons.
Elkar soon found that Koldar’s unruly style faired much better in these lands and so took a quiet watchful position waiting for the opportunity to bring stability to the lands. Meanwhile Koldar’s might grew quickly. Soon Vagabon Dark asked him to command a small number of men. This was the beginning of the Dragon Army.
Koldar fought along side Vagabon Dark many a times, but soon his desire to get revenge on the black beast that haunted his thoughts continually became great enough that there ways soon parted. They fought together as the need arose, but their paths were now different.
Many brave warriors flocked to Koldar’s banner. A standard that blatantly broke all the rules of heraldry showing that he followed no rules but his own. These men were strong and mighty and their loyalty was strong to Koldar. Koldar called for his foster brother, the powerful barbarian Xar together Koldar and his brother and their men fought and grew stronger for several years.
Soon other powers began to manifest themselves in the land. One of these newly organized bands was the Blood Regiment their strength was new but strong and grew quickly. Koldar formed a strong attachment to the fierce Blood Regiment. They each followed their own path but many times those paths were side by side.
Around this time also Koldar sought to add to his numbers. Taking on many untrained yet promising fighters to his ranks. One of these was a young and undisciplined warrior called Turin Adlerik. Turin showed great leadership skills and as many of Koldar’s original warriors were now off following their own paths Turin soon earned Koldar’s trust and admiration and often served as Koldar's second in command.
At one point Koldar and a few of his men disappeared for a few weeks. Very few returned and Koldar never again spoke of hunting down the black dragon from which his men-at-arms derived their name. Some say that he finally slew the beast. Others say that he never found it, others say that he found it dead already, but others say that the dragon and Koldar fought long and hard and in the end earned each others respect and admiration and parted ways.
Upon returning to the northern marches of Ered Duath he found a large foreign army, had penetrated deep into Ered Duath, destroying everything as they went. The invaders had gained much ground. The Tyrdanni (lead now by Turin Adlerik) headed the attack against them with factions that would eventually help to form the Protectorate. Initially hoping to halt the advance of the foreign hosts before they sacked any more estates or towns, the allied forces arrived too late. The raiders had turned their eyes toward the holdings of House Adlerik, and Turin was compelled to fall back as the armies destroyed the lands he held dear.
Turin regrouped his forces atop a bare large knoll rising from a large meadow hemmed in by woodlands. Turin was cheered by the news of the approaching allies. With renewed vigor and gladdened spirit, Turin met with the other war-leaders and together they prepared their armies for a final stand. The last of all of their treasures had been gathered together and placed atop the knoll. Vagabon Dark set his forces to firmly defend the treasures. Koldar and Turin, the Blood Regiment, the Wolves and other forces positioned their forces strategically.
Most of Koldar’s group was set to receive the first of the attack and sound the warning when it happened. One of Koldar’s men describes the event thus:
“Having been in many battles with Koldar I at first thought nothing of our positioning. But then there was a great silence. The silence itself seemed to cut and tear at my armor. A dread came over me. Something I had not felt for some time since my days under Koldar’s leadership. Then the enemy appeared. They approached slowly at first, which surprised me. I expected a rush, I guess they had got wind of our combined forces and were ‘testing the waters.’ I was in a small group of 5 warriors, our job was to weaken them with missile fire and sound the warning that they had approached. We eyed each other, carefully inspecting the other. Then they attacked. Of our five only myself, and the one who went to sound the alarm, survived the initial assault. I then hid as the bulk of their army passed by. I gathered up other survivors from other locations and we attacked their forces from the rear.”
The allies were greatly outnumbered, yet grim and steadfast, determined to sell their lives dearly. That day fell many of the fair lords and warriors of the allies, and many valiant deeds were done. Finally, as the sun set, the battle lines of the invaders broke. The defenders had repelled the foreign army at great cost, and the day was won.
Shortly after that the Protectorate was fully formed by Turin, who was knighted by Sir Cedric Winterbourne of Korayn.
The protectorate was what Elkar’s vision originally was for Ered Duath. He was glad that Lord Turin was successful in instigating it. Because of the strong family and friendship ties he had to Koldar, Elkar stayed a silent part of the Dragon Army, but sought out knighthood from Lord Turin, participating in the Championship tournaments held now in the realms. Having proved himself in all areas Elkar sought knighthood from the newly appointed king of the realms Lord Turin Adlerik.
Lord Turin knighted Elkar on a dark night in the woods near his abode with only a few of Elkar’s closest friends.
The next day Elkar and Koldar journeyed back to the coast. Some of the Dragon Army stayed in Ered Duath joining with other houses. Others went on to distant lands. When ever Koldar returns to Ered Duath those that were of his army approach and still claim to be Dragon Army men-at-arms at heart.
While living on the coast of the sea, Koldar and Elkar stayed out of the main events of the area for several years. Some few knew about them though and their deeds. Indeed Drakkeer was near them as well as a couple of other Black Dragons.
But it wasn't until a mercenary who calls himself the 'Angel of Death' and his friends approached Koldar and Elkar and asked if they would take the lead in an assult against the greedy men who were trying to rule the area and their lives. Koldar and Elkar accepted. The ensuing battles were tough but Koldar's new forces triumphed and Ostfalas was born. Led by a military rule of a Warlord Council that consisted of Koldar and Elkar. The army in Ostfalas is new but strong.
A knightly order was also established by Elkar. Called the Knights of the Rising Sun
When the dust settled. Kolar and Elkar moved towards the mountains. They left Drakeer and the Angel of Death in charge of Ostfalas and set up a fortess in a narrow pass in the mountains. Their first resistance was not with fell beasts or men but with mighty gusts of wind that seemed to threaten the very foundations of the mountains. Thus the area was named Bregul-sul (Mighty winds) A homestead was established in the foothills and construction on a mighty fortress has begun in the narrow pass. Which so far has been instrumental in keeping out an invasion of orcs and a small invasion of neighboring realms wishing to stretch their influence.
Anor Malthenardh claims all of Ostfalas and Bregul-sul and all areas surrounding and inbetween them.
Anor Malthenardh is currently governed by the militaristic Warlord Council headed by Koldar and Elkar.
The might of Anor Malthenardh continues to grow in both locations
Contact The Warlord for more details
warlord@mcleodusa.net
