Exploring Arda Marred
Middle Earth
The stories set in Middle Earth take place across three different time periods known as Days Before Days, Years of the Trees, and Years of the Sun. Arda Marred takes place on Middle Earth during the Third Age at the end of the Watchful piece. The third age takes place during one of the four sub-divided ages in the Years of the Sun. During this time in Middle Earth, Sauron has returned to Dol Guldur where evil creatures had already begun troubling those who lived there. It was not long after the watchful peace that Uruks from Mordor began invading Ithilien and took Osgiliath. From that point, Gondor would remain under constant threat of invasion.Anórien
Anórien was established during the second age and is located northwest of Minas Anor and north of the White Mountains. When lands to the north of Minas Tirith were gifted by Gondor to the Éothéod only Anórien and Isengard were retained. Anórien consists of the valleys of the white mountains and tall grasslands, its borders are the Mering Stream in the west, Mouths of the Entwash in the north and the eastern border is lined by the Anduin. To the south, Anórien would run into the gates of the Pelennor Fields.There are no cities located in Anórien but the land hosts the Great West Road that leads to Rohan and further to Arnor.
Gondor
Gondor is arguably the most prominent kingdom of men in Middle Earth with northern borders to Rohan, southern borders to Harad, to the west the Cape of Andrast near the sea, and the evil lands of Mordor to the east. During Arda Marred, the city of Minas Tirith would be the capital of Gondor after moving from Osgiliath in T.A. 1640. Gondor was founded by a pair of brothers who were exiles from Númenor and was a sister kingdom to Arnor. One of those brothers was Isildur who continued his reign in Arnor and the other Anárion who would have thirty-one successors throughout the history of Gondor.Ithilien
Ithilien is wooded land that is located between Gondor and Mordor with western borders along the Anduin and eastern borders of Ephel Dúath. The region of Ithilien is subdivided by the Morgulduin to create northern and southern portions of Ithilien. The land was fair and prosperous up until the renaming of the city Minas Ithil to Minas Morgul in T.A. 2002 when the city was captured by Mordor. In order to escape the evils of the Ringwraiths, citizens of Ithilien began to cross the Anduin river. During the Watchful Peace, which ends just before the beginning of Arda Marred, men resettled Ithilien. In T.A. 2063 the Watchful Peace would end and a band of Uruks from Mordor would devastate those who lived in Ithilien. Unending raids would follow as Boromir I would attempt to retake Gondorian lands.
Mordor
A black, volcanic plain that is located east of Gondor. The mountain ranges that surround Mordor on three sides made for a perfect defense and a natural fortress for Sauron and his followers. Mordor bordered Ithilien to its west and is separated by Dagorlad and the Black Gate. Sauron would eventually grow to power in Barad-dûr. Mordor is almost impenetrable due to its unscalable mountains. Armies would be stranded and need stores of food that could last months in order to properly siege Mordor from Dagorlad.Osgiliath
The first capital of Gondor that was assaulted and destroyed by Castamir the Usurper in T.A. 1437. Since its destruction, Gondor has used the city as a point of strategic advantage against the armies of Mordor. Three hundred years later, the capital of Gondor would be moved to Minas Anor, later known as Minas Tirith. Fifteen years after the end of the watchful peace, Uruks would finally overrun the men of Gondor and capture Osgiliath. The orcs would be defeated and removed from the city but Osgiliath was completely broken and abandoned.
