Northwestern Middle-earth around the end of the First Millennia Fourth Age is a time of
political and social upheaval. This area, known simply as the West, encompasses the lands
north of Umbar, west of the Sea of Rhûn, and south and east of the Great Sea. Following the
passing of the Third Age, climaxed by the exploits of the Fellowship of the Ring and the fall of Sauron, the West enters a brief period of consolidation and prosperity, followed by a long period of growth and migration, strife and despair, war and recovery, brought about by the constant expansion of Men. With the passing of Sauron and his mighty
minions, the forces of the Dark Servants are in complete disarray. Most of the Orcs, Goblins
and Trolls scatter into the mountains and wastes from which they came, legion with their
dark and foul holdings. For without strong leaders these races continually war amongst
themselves, their numbers dwindling with time. However, rumors of the demise of the Lord
of the Rings is sure to reach far and wide over the expanse of Middle-earth and there are
both wicked Black Lords and Dark Mages eager to fill the power vacuum left behind in the West.
By early in the Fourth Age, almost all the other Free Peoples have vacated Endor forever.
The Eldar have begun the departure to the West in vast numbers, abandoning many of their
former sites. Those remaining of the Eldar travel only in small companies and many of them
wander into the East. The remaining woodland Elves retain control of just a few remaining
well-guarded holdings. In time, to avoid the affairs of the outside world, the stout
Dwarves withdraw to quiet bastions in any remote hill or mountain they can find. The
reclusive Hobbits are generally protected and unnoticed, remaining as they were - 'holed'
up in the Shire. But the expansion of the Reunited Kingdom can not go on forever. Internal
strife and border conflicts with fierce Mannish realms force the split of the Reunited
Kingdom into two separate nations: known as the Twin Kingdoms. Control over the surrounding
vassal realms and neighboring nations ebbs with the passing of time. The period surrounding
Fourth Age 1000 sees the rise of upstart nations: new Mannish nations that share a common
viewpoint but yet no formal allegiance; isolated Free Peoples that seek to drive Men away
and regain their former lands; and bastions of the Servants of Darkness that always seem to
have forces rallying to their cause. The time is ripe for a powerful lord to lead one of the
Twin Kingdoms to reclaim its former glory; or forge a strong alliance to liberate the
remaining Free Peoples; or perhaps reunite the forces of Darkness under one strong rule; or
maybe help establish a new Neutral order amongst the peoples of the West - Mannish domination,
once and for all. Significant events of the early Fourth Age are outlined below. The list is
not intended to be complete but rather to highlight the political and social events of the
near past/future. A more complete time-line of the various Ages of Middle-earth can be found
in Tolkien's The Return of the King™ (The Lord of the Rings™, Book III) Appendix B, and in
numerous publications in the Middle-earth Role Playing™ Series., published by I.C.E..
The Early Fourth Age:
F.A. 1 The Eldar begin to depart.
F.A. 2-32 The Eldar abandon the Tower Hills and the surrounding locales. Only Círdan
remains in the Grey Havens.
F.A. 6 Shire is made a Free Land, under protection of the Northern Sceptre, and
along with the Drúadan Forests, are off-limits to Men.
F.A. 15 Rebuilding of Annúminas begins.
F.A. 63 King Éomer of Rohan passes away.
F.A. 100 Moria still abandoned.
F.A. 120 King Elessar (Aragorn II) passes away. Eldarion becomes King of the
Reunited Kingdom. Legolas and Gimli depart for Aman, marking the final passing
of the Fellowship of the Ring.
F.A. 121 Queen Arwen passes away.
F.A. 264 King Eldarion passes away. Elessar II becomes King of the Reunited Kingdom.
F.A. 300-500 The Men of the West establish major overland trade links with
Peoples of the East. Dorwinion and Khand rise in power.
F.A. 400-450 Relmether, East of Mordor, rises in economic power.
F.A. 408 King Elessar II passes away. Elendil II becomes King of the Reunited Kingdom.
F.A. 432-864 Last major Eldar migration through Lindon. Avari groups supplant the Eldar in
many of the more guarded enclaves of Northwestern Endor. Other
Elven sites are abandoned or given over to Men.
F.A. 552 The aged Elendil II abdicates the throne of the Reunited Kingdom in
favor of his eldest son, Isildur II.
F.A. 696 Rather than abdicating the throne of the Reunited Kingdom, Isildur II grants
his son lordship over the North Kingdom.
F.A. 700 Isildur II passes away. Anárion II becomes King of the Reunited Kingdom.
F.A. 701-712 The First River War. The Variag-Nûriag- Nurniag alliance, known
as "the Collusion of the Ûsrievrim," conquers the Chey lands and all of eastern Rhûn.
F.A. 750 After the Lords of Umbar declare the waters off the Harad Coast as the Umbarean
Sea, the Kingdom of Gondor faces an economic crisis.
F.A. 752-775 The Sail War. The Kingdom of Gondor struggles against the Umbareans.
The Haradrim side with both belligerents. Gondor ultimately prevails, but the
conflict serves to create disharmony among the peoples of the North and South Kingdoms.
F.A. 775 Anárion II is murdered after crushing the Umbareans near Linhír. Arathorn III
becomes King of the Reunited Kingdom.
F.A. 783-800 The Second River War. The Collusion of the Ûsrievrim is abandoned as civil
war rages across central Endor. The Variag-Nûriag- Nurniag triad collapses, with each
party becoming the focal point of rival "successor alliances."
F.A. 799 Anárion III perishes in the Red Plague. His young son, Beleg II, becomes King
of the Reunited Kingdom and moves to stabilize the volatile southern frontier.
F.A. 800-1000 Great mannish migrations create turmoil throughout Endor.
F.A. 800 Battle of Ethir Harnen. North and South Kingdom naval and land forces crush a
large army composed of Umbareans, Variags, Haradrim, and various mercenary groups from
southwestern Endor.Serious losses by the North Kingdom - the result of the furious
ambush that opened the battle -contribute to a considerable weakening of the North
Kingdom. Beleg II is hereafter known as "Hyarmendacil III."
F.A. 843 Hyarmendacil III passes away. His son, Eärnil III becomes King of the Reunited
Kingdom.
F.A. 915 Eärnil III further divides the administration of the Reunited Kingdom. The
former realms of Gondor and Arnor are hereafter called the Twin Kingdoms.
Eärnil III's two sons - Telumehtar II and Eärnur II preside over the North and South
Kingdoms, respectively.
F.A. 950 Eärnil III passes away. Telumehtar II becomes King of the Twin Kingdoms. However,
Eärnur II challenges his brother and assumes the throne of the North Kingdom.
F.A. 953 Telumehtar II marches on the North Kingdom. Eärnur II's brief reign ends.
Telumehtar II orders Eärnur II into exile on the northernmost of the Isles of the
Dead That Live.
F.A. 1000 Telumehtar II and his three young sons are all murdered. There are no direct
heirs. Eärnur II returns from exile to become King of the Twin Kingdoms. The Men of
Enedwaith, Minhiriath, and Eregion declare themselves independent.
F.A. 1001 Eärnur II is forced to take his own life. South Kingdom oligarches tighten their
rein on both political and economic matters by electing Valamir the Younger as Steward of the
South Kingdom. Despite the fact that Eärnur II's son, Arvedui II, is crowned King and
reaches his majority later the same year, Valamir acts as the de facto overlord of the
South Kingdom. F.A. 1001-1020 The sundering of the Twin Kingdoms.
Arthedain is reestablished as the North Kingdom disintegrates. The Shire remains a
Free Land.
F.A. 1020 Amlaith II, a distant kinsman of Telumehtar II's wife Berúthien, becomes
King of the North Kingdom. He declares the Shire a "royal protectorate" and embarks on a
program aimed at consolidating the fragmenting North Kingdom.
F.A.1020-1050 Despite Amlaith II's good intentions, the Shire folk seek Elven aid in
order to construct a Girdle of the Shire. Their embassies to the Sindar and Avari of
Lindon are only modestly rewarded. While protected by strange weather patterns, the Shire
remains vulnerable to any persistent intrusion.
F.A. 1072 Valamir the Younger becomes the Ruling Steward of the South Kingdom when the
childless King Arvedui II passes away.
F.A. 1092 Amlaith II dies while on campaign near Bree. Valamir the Younger passes away
later the same year. Valamir's son, Targon, becomes the Ruling Steward of the South Kingdom.
F.A.1092-1099 The Great Eriadoran War. Amlaith II's son, Eärendur II ("the Great"), claims
a series of great victories over the chieftains of Cardolan and Minhiriath (Valros and Púil).
F.A. 1100 Eärendur II proclaims himself King and thus reestablishes the North Kingdom.
Targon declares himself King of the South Kingdom and issues a declaration of war
against the North Kingdom.
"The Hobbit"™, "The Lord of the Rings"™, "The Fellowship of the Ring"™, "The Two Towers"™, and "The Return of the King"™ and the names of the characters, events, items and places therein, are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises and are used, under license, by Game Systems International Ltd.
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