It could be said that every Goblin slop-hog and Mannish privy-scrape in Angmar harbors plots against Arthedain and ambitions for winning the Witch-king's favor by bringing on the destruction of the hated Dúnedain. Most of these schemes are doomed to wither in the cold air and oppressive, dungeon-bleakness of Angmar's fortresses. Few among the Witch-king's servants are granted the power to plot war and subversion. Fortunately for the Free Peoples, fewer still of this fanatical cadre actually have talent enough to execute their plans in some dangerous fashion. Even the elite of Angmar are hobbled by their own bigotries and the venality and brutishness of their minions. Over and over, through centuries of conflict, the best laid plans of this circle of fanatics have gone astray. Their victories, such as the subversion of Rhudaur, the destruction of Cardolan, and the cursing of the Barrow-downs, have been telling blows, but Arthedain, the heartland of the northern Dúnedain, still stands. Its wisdom and its steel have held immortal evil at bay for centuries, and its people intend to hold for some centuries more.

The Witch-king, who has final say on the grandest of the intrigues against the Free Peoples, is a supernatural creature, often too distant from the everyday world to tend to lesser matters. The Angúlion, the Black Númenórean sorcerer who serves as the Witch-king's steward, is responsible for the realm's day-to-day administration and diplomacy. Ulgarin Twilight, a Half-elven sorceress from eastern Endor, holds the post of Speaker of the Dark Cult. The military priests of the cult hold most of Angmar's governmental posts and supply the manpower for the Witch King's schemes of subversion. Both Ulgarin and the Angúlion dispatch spies and assassins into the western lands on a regular basis—usually (but not always) after consulting each other.

The Angúlion, often preoccupied with matters in Carn Dûm, tends to assign tasks to favored minions and let them take the glory or blame on their return from the west. While less isolated intellectually than his undead master, he has, through years of isolation in the Witch-king's citadel, lost some of his understanding of Arthadan society and habitually underestimates the difficulties of dealing with his foes. Ulgarin, who has been proselytizing the Cult of Darkness and fomenting sinister conspiracies for several thousand years, enjoys the game for its own sake and knows her enemies better. She takes a more active role in planning and running missions in Eriador, but also performs the same service in the distant lands of Rhovanion and Rhûn. Her far-ranging responsibilities sometimes keep her from putting all her attentions towards her more dangerous enemies in the west. At important points of decision in her operations, Ulgarin's servants may find her unavailable.

The Mornarturi, the five military leaders of Angmar, also have authority to send raids, rangers, and scouts across the frontiers. All but the most limited of these raids are, in theory, approved by the Angúlion, but the deviousness and ambition of these men will often lead to their plans being misreported and uncoordinated, a weakness that clever Arthadan leaders use to their advantage. Of the generals, the two most likely to cause trouble for adventurers are Warlord Dairkan, the commanding general and the most powerful mortal Man in Angmar, and Warlord Sakalûrê, Warden of the Údanoriath. Sakalûrê coordinates the frontier defenses in these large No-man's Lands between Angmar and Arthedain. He organizes raids, questions prisoners, receives reconnaissance reports, and regularly tours the outposts.

All of these leaders are described fully in the Angmar module and are unlikely to venture into Arthedain or neutral territory. Five of their more important minions, however, regularly travel out of Angmar to conduct personal spying missions and otherwise advance Carn Dûm's subversive plots. They are therefore available to be encountered somewhere in the divided kingdoms.

There are several hoerkal, elite military units, in Angmar. Two of them, the rangers and the trackers, both hand-picked by Warlord Dairkan, handle much of Angmar's special missions and important reconnaissance, operating in small groups of two to six and bullying whatever cooperation they need out of the local Orcs and soldiers. The rangers, typically religious fanatics who work under direct instructions of the warlords and priests, have no significant leaders of their own. The trackers, who do more mundane work, are led by Sarkan the Silent, an Brygath scout from distant Rhûn.

Sarkan, a stoic, black-haired, dark-faced Easterling, is far more intelligent than the stony face he shows to strangers and enemies. He came to Angmar in the baggage of his mercenary father and has spent forty years "learning the country." Sarkan speaks five languages and can scout plains, mountain and woodland like one born in them. He is devoted to the service of the Witch-king and is completely evil, often displaying to his men the kind of casual, gory brutality that passes for manliness among the horse barbarians of Rhûn. The bitter, hardened Rhudaurrim who make up most of his command seem impressed by it.

Sarkan is clever enough to know the kind of show a leader must put on for his men. He will eviscerate a prisoner to show how iron-hard he is, tend the wounds of his injured trackers with his own hands, then kill the wounded man himself when pursuit is catching up to his party and a sacrifice must be made. Sarkan's one great failing is his bigotry; he has a pervasive contempt for the "soft" Dúnedain that subverts his judgment and leads him to constantly underestimate them. He tends to succeed more often executing others' plans, rather than his own. The Angúlion, who is more comfortable with his Easterling officers than with Northmen or Dúnedain, often gives Sarkan more information about the raids he is sent on than even the dark priests or black rangers officially commissioned to the task.

Level: 15.

Race: Brygath (Easterling).

Home: Carn Dûm.

Hits: 85 Melee OB: 90ss Missile OB: 85cp AT: RL/9 (-35).

Profession: Ranger.

MERP Stats: Co 93, Ag 96, Ig 82, St 99, Pr 88, It 93.

RM Stats: Co 93, Ag 97, SD 91, Me 77, Re 86, St 99, Qu 94, Pr 88, In 95, Em 90.

Skills: Administration 40, Amb 14, Angmarean Military Gossip 50, Arnorian Geography and History 40, Climb 90, Disarm Trap 40, Leadership 60, Orkish Culture 40, Perception 100, Pick Lock 50, Ride 70, Set Trap 50, S/H 120, Track 110.

Appearance: 77.

• +10 Bow of Wolf-slaying. Works against all canines.
• +10 Shortsword. Delivers a secondary electrical critical.
• Bone Earring. Acts as a x 2 Channeling PP multiplier.
• Exotic Herbs. All Easterling in nature. He does not trust the local remedies, believing them to have been bred by the Elves and Dúnedain.

MERP: knows all Ranger lists and 2 Open Channeling lists.

RM: knows 5 base Ranger lists to 20^th level, including Nature's Guises, and 2 Open Channeling lists to 10^th level.

Hardfang, Sarkan's tracking wolf, is smaller than the war-wolves he meets among the Orcs of Angmar, but has the presence and toughness required to face down the great beasts (+10 to reaction and OB against wolves and dogs.) A charm sewn into the fur of Hardfang's neck has extended his life span, seals wounds (1/rd reduction to any bleeding wound) and also gives him a +20 RR bonus against the fear and energy draining of undead and demons. It will also cause him to return to Middle-earth as an undead warg 1-10 days after his death. Sarkan is fond of Hardfang, and his revulsion at this enchantment will leave him sick and distracted for months.

A big, handsome, rough-hewn Northman, Harluinor is an efficient second-in-command of the Witch-king's trackers. Blond, bearded, scarred, but capable of good cheer, he takes care of his "people"—by which he means both the men and wolves of his company—and provides a lighter touch of command to contrast with his grim captain, Sarkan the Silent. Harluinor, while from a tribe dwelling east of the Misty Mountains, comes from a trading family and has traveled among the Northmen of Eriador all his life. He is thoroughly familiar with the history of the Northmen, back down to the wars of Númenórean imperialism in the Second Age, and is fanatically committed to the eradication of the Dúnedain of Arnor. While less brutal than his captain or his other superiors, Harluinor's smiling face can reveal a bitter, cynical cruelty when need arises.

Sarkan the Silent is an Easterling and cannot pass for an Eriadorian. This leaves Harluinor free to specialize in infiltration missions. He has a trader's familiarity with the towns and trading posts of Eriador. Harluinor often walks openly into Arthadan villages to check them out. On other occasions he has passed himself off as a Northman mercenary recruit and served with the companies of Northmen paid to guard against his own trackers. These acts of cool courage endear him to his men.

Sarkan and Harluinor were chosen for their positions by an Angmarean warlord who did not trouble himself about their divergent personalities. Surprisingly, the two men get along in a reasonably professional manner. Harluinor despises the priests and other ranking minions of the Angmarean court, and has no interest in Sarkan's job. Hence, the two captains are able to trust each other, something rare in Angmar.

Level: 15.

Race: Estaravë (Rural Man).

Home: Carn Dûm.

Hits: 90 Melee OB: 95fa Missile OB: 95sp AT: RL/9 (-35).

Profession: Ranger.

MERP Stats: Co 92, Ag 98, Ig 78, St 98, Pr 87, It 88.

RM Stats: Co 92, Ag 98, SD 89, Me 79, Re 77, St 98, Qu 92, Pr 87, In 90, Em 81.

Appearance: 85.

Skills: Mv 5, Acting 60, Amb 16, Climb 90, Disarm Traps and Pick Locks 50, Disguise 50, Dúnadan Racial Slander 60, Furs 40, Northman History 50, Perception 80, Set Traps 50, S/H 90, Track 90, Tavern Banter 55, Trading 45, Trickery 50.

• +10 Spear of Wolf-slaying. Also good for killing the hounds which the Arthedain use to patrol the frontier; it will return to him 3x/day.
• +10 Falchion. With which he prefers to melee.
• Good-luck Charm. An Arthadan lord's knucklebones on a platinum chain; they are enchanted to act as a +3 spell adder.

MERP: he knows all Ranger lists.

RM: he knows 5 Ranger lists to 20^th level including Nature's Guises.

Serti, a stout, well-trained animal with a gentler disposition than most wolves sired at Carn Dûm, is Harluinor's constant companion. She has a touch of Faerie blood and is unnervingly intelligent, +30 against Fear, Sleep or mental enchantments, and can hear her master's voice a mile away under any conditions.

This dangerous master spy was born, under the name Orgildir, to a respectable Dúnadan family of Cardolan soon after the breakup of Arnor. A member of a group of mystics striving to achieve immortality, or some semblance thereof, he was too public in his rather strident claims against the Gift of Men (mortality) and was suppressed by the direct order of King Thorondur. Taking the name Bavabbêth (Ad. "Speaker to Storms"), he fled the Dúnadan kingdoms and pursued his studies in various other realms in Endor.

The ultimate need of his research, and the ultimate reason for its suppression, was ingredients from the body of an Elf. Eventually, in a distant land, Bavabbêth found an Elf evil enough to deserve death, and completed his work. Possessed of an extended life, with only some occasional potions and elixirs to maintain his vitality, Bavabbêth felt himself tainted by the crimes he had committed to achieve his goal. He would die, somehow, someday, and his philosophy taught him that his fate would be hideous, either trapped as an undead creature in this world or taken beyond Middle-earth to be judged by Eru, the creator of mortal Men. Too proud and stubborn, at first, to admit that he had created his own damnation, Bavabbêth set himself against the Arnorians who had denied him and driven him away. He joined forces with the dark cults plotting the northern kingdoms' destruction.

Hundreds of years later, Bavabbêth has lost much of his bitterness, but his destiny is set and he has little remaining in the way of motivation save his professional pride as a spy and sorcerer. The Elvish components Bavabbêth requires for his Elixir of Invariance have been acquired over the centuries by methods he can rationalize if he avoids any complicated arguments. Bavabbêth still dislikes the Dúnedain and Elves, but does not bother himself to hate them. This lack of fervor has kept him from rising to any higher position than "Master of Gathering" in the service of the Witch-king. This is the Lord of Angmar's loss, for Bavabbêth's rational, coolly logical mind makes him a consistently deadly foe of Arthedain; his intelligence gathering is methodical and productive, his plots are rational and often successful.

Most of the Angmarean elite believe Gandalf the Grey to be an Elf or Half-elf, a long-lived Dúnadan sorcerer, or a legend built from several wizards with similar names. Bavabbêth is one of the few willing to believe that a Maia might walk the earth in such a mundane form, just to meddle in the affairs of men. The Grey Pilgrim and the Speaker to Storms have never met, but each thinks he knows the other well and each holds precious any bit of information he might gather on the other's plans.

Bavabbêth has the appearance of a Dúnadan male of average size and good health, with just a hint of frost around the temples and a weary look about the eyes, only occasionally touched by the light of a wry, ironic humor. He often travels in disguise, but prefers his old-style robes with his tasseled cap and a staff or walking stick. Bavabbêth has a sense of honor lacking in other Angmarean agents, which he rationalizes as a necessary component of deal-making. He makes agreements and sticks to them, and avoids death and viciousness on an individual level. This has allowed him, on occasion, to slip out of situations wherein a dark priest or black ranger would have had to die fighting his outraged enemies.

Level: 29.

Race: Dúnadan, magically extended and supported life.

Home: Carn Dûm, in apartments known to few; he is seldom there, but is often found traveling in Eriador.

Hits: 180 Melee OB: 80qs Missile OB: 60da AT: No/2 (-65), but Ch/15 vs slash and puncture criticals.

Profession: Mage/Magician.

MERP Stats: Co 83, Ag 82, Ig 101, St 78, Pr 98, It 95.

RM Stats: Co 83, Ag 80, SD 95, Me 99, Re 101, St 78, Qu 84, Pr 98, In 95, Em 81.

Appearance: 95.

Skills: 145DS, 58 BS, MAst (II) 40, Mv 15, Acting 85, Administration 70, Amb 5, Card games 50, Chess 45, Climb 60, Diplomacy 70, Disarm Trap 40, Falsification 50, Gambling 50, Perception 70, Pick Lock 50, Poetry 40, Public Speaking 80, Ride 70, Singing 30, S/H 40, Tracking 30, Trickery 90, all other magical skills 100.

• The Storm Staff. An ancient Númenórean artifact, made of gnarled wood struck and burned by lightning. It has allowed Bavabbêth to draw power and knowledge from the winds and storms for his magic. It itself casts 40 PPs of the Nature's Lore list per day, acts as a x 4 multiplier, and allows 40 points of spells to be cast through it without preparation each day. The bearer is +30 to Perception regarding weather and the skies around him. It is also a +20 weapon and does an extra electrical critical on every strike. Bavabbêth can simply "touch" someone with it to do an "A" electrical crit without a full combat swing.
• Robes. These are +20 to DB and RR, proof against all but the most extreme effects of rain, snow and chill, and also halve the effects of fire and lightning attacks. Their weave provides the protection of chainmail against slash and puncture criticals.
• Ring. Made of platinum with seven small diamonds set around the outer edge. It is +20 to DB and RR. It gives him a additional +30 resistance to all scrying and detection magic.

• Amulet. An Essence +2 spell adder; it also casts a Shield spell instantly whenever its wearer is attacked from the front. His tasseled cap gives him Dwarvish night vision and the protection of a +20 open helm.
• Silver Spoon. Purifies any food or drink simply by being touched to the substance or its container, up to 10x/day. His shoes cast 30 points of the Moving Ways list or the Run spell per day.

MERP: he knows all open Essence and Mage spell lists, plus Nature's Lore. Bavabbêth knows all the languages that might be spoken in Eriador and 90% of those spoken in all of western Endor.

RM: Bavabbêth knows all Magician base and closed Essence lists to 20^th level, and all open Essence lists to 10^th. He knows the Channeling spell list Weather Ways as an Essence list. He can also cast all the spells from the following lists that might be applied to the open air and weather, knowing them as a single Weather Control Essence list known to 25^th level: Gas Destruction, Fluid Destruction, and Nature's Lore.

Less experienced but more "correctly" enthusiastic than Bavabbêth, his chief rival, the Unseen is the primary organizer of the Angúlion's more complicated schemes in Eriador. A handsome, finely built, articulate, intelligent, well-mannered fanatic, Zimrubâr idealizes what the College of Dark Priests in Angmar wish of their students.

Zimrubâr also serves a model of what the Witch-king hopes to make of the lands and people of old Arnor. He has been raised in Angmar almost from birth. Zimrubâr was taken by the Troll-warlord Rogrog from the tent of a great Dúnadan lord at the battle of the Tyrn Hódhath in TA 1409 when only a few days old. He may be a descendant of Dúnadan royalty. Rather than use him as a sacrifice, the Angúlion turned him over to a captive wet nurse to save his life and raise him as an example of the quality of his religious schools. Zimrubâr has well repaid his efforts, showing great gifts for the kind of complicated political games and demoralizing subversion that are considered high art around the temples in Carn Dûm and Litash. In addition, Zimrubâr spends time every year in Arthedain and Cardolan, risking his life routinely and escaping oftentimes only through his considerable skills and a supposed blessing granted him in his youth by the Lord of Darkness.

Zimrubâr's labors have paid off in spectacular fashion. The company of dark priests and rangers he led into the Barrow-downs in the wake of the Great Plague succeeded in triggering an invasion of evils spirits. This crushing blow to Dúnadan morale and civilization had been in the Witch-king's mind for centuries. The success of the enchantment, dependent on Zimrubâr's careful dispersal of artifacts and spells throughout the downs, broke a two hundred year stalemate in the long war with the Dúnedain. It also confirmed Zimrubâr as the favorite of dark priestess Ulgarin, and reinforced his formidable arrogance and vanity.

With a handsome face and a fine, highly polished speaking voice, the Unseen passes easily and charms the innocent wherever he travels in Eriador. Persuading loyal servants that their masters mean them ill, seducing faithful wives into adulterous liaisons, all these things come naturally and pleasurably to him. Only rarely does a diabolical light come into his eyes and betray his sadistic intent. Humiliating defeats have also come his way, but he shakes them off, knowing he must ultimately prevail and will probably enjoy himself doing it.

Level: 18.

Race: Torfir, though possibly of higher lineage.

Home: Carn Dûm, but is usually traveling in Eriador or visiting one of his many mistresses in Angmar and Rhudaur.

Hits: 190 Melee OB: 130qs/ss Missile OB: 100da AT: Ch/14 (-80).

Profession: Animist/Evil Magician (he is called a Sorcerer-Priest).

MERP Stats: Co 88, Ag 99, Ig 97, St 91, Pr 100, It 92.

RM Stats: Co 88, Ag 99, SD 95, Me 99, Re 95, St 91, Qu 88, Pr 99, In 92, Em 77.

Appearance: 100.

Skills: BS 36, DS 45, Mv 30, Acting 85, Amb 18, Climb 45, Disarm Traps 40, Disguise 80, Foraging 40, Herbalism 50, Pick Locks 55, Poison Lore 85, Ride 45, Seduction 90, Traps 55, S/H 60, Swim 50, Tactics 40, Track 35, Trickery 50.

• Staff of Questioning. +15 quarterstaff, has red laen "veins" that wrap around a black staff head in the shape of a human heart. Will cast 40 points per day of 1^st to 14^th level RM Flesh Destruction spells (or any reversed MERP curing spells). There is a permanent illusion on it that can be summoned up to make it seem an ordinary staff.
• +15 Eket. Delivers an extra slash critical; the wound will be tainted if the attacker fails to resist a 10^th level Curse, so that any treatment, magical or otherwise, to stop any bleeding will have only one half its normal effects, rounded down.
• Leather Armor. A shirt and leggings that protect as +20 chain and greaves without encumbering the wearer.
• Medallion of Darkness. This artifact has extended Zimrubâr's life and will eventually turn him into a wraith. It is a x 4 PP multiplier, is +20 to general defense, gives him the benefits of a 103 Constitution, and reduces bleeding wounds and stuns by 1 point each/round.
• Dagger of Poisons. +15 weapon with four chambers that allow it to drip four different poisons; which one is active in a given round is up to the wielder. Zimrubâr prefers a 3^rd level keftak poison of his own blending that causes terrifying illusions, causing the victim to go berserk, with a 10% chance per round of attacking himself.
• +10 Headband. Gives him 100' night vision and allows him to cast each of the spells on the Physical Enhancement list (up to 10^th level) once per day.
• +10 Arm Bracers. Add to RR and negate 30% of arm criticals.

MERP: knows all open Essence lists and can reverse the lists Surface Ways, Blood Ways, Bone/Muscle Ways, and Creations to destroy instead of healing or creating.

RM: the Unseen knows 6 open and closed Essence lists to 10^th level, Illusion Mastery and Mind Sense Molding to 20^th, and all the Evil Magician base lists to 20^th level.

Thus Gandalf the Grey first met, along the Old East Road near the Last Bridge, an old nemesis. Umaug, Chieftain of the Breakbacks, had first made his name as one of the wolf-rider captains who swept over the Baranduin in TA 1409 and scourged the Elves of northern Siragalë, thus clearing ground for the future Hobbit settlement and getting a reputation that forced him to spend a century out on the plains of Rhûn, avoiding Elvish vengeance. Either that experience or something unusual in his bloodline gave Umaug a competence and survival instinct unique among the Orc-captains of Angmar. Like Bavabbêth, Umaug's calm judgment and his willingness to throw in a losing hand make the Angmarean leadership suspicious of him. But, like Bavabbêth, he is too valuable to be discarded.

The Breakbacks are wolf-riders. Operating out of a fort called Blind Ox, on the banks of the River Hoarwell just west of Cameth Brin, they are nominally assigned to patrol the river valley on behalf of the puppet-king, Ervegil of Rhudaur. In fact, they are the Angúlion's eyes, ears and legs for most of Cardolan and southern Arthedain. The Breakbacks run messages and supplies to Dagorhir the Warlord in Minhiriath, pick up spies' reports from secret drops within a bow-shot of Tharbad, and escort assassins to within walking distance of the villages of Breeland. They are the true lords of the South Downs, establishing supply dumps, guiding Orc-raids, and picking off snoopers from Dol Tinereb and Faerdor who try to intervene.

Umaug is not imposing in appearance. As tall as a Dwarf, he is not bulky. His warty face looks unshaven, and his glittering, mithril-tipped canine teeth are more startling than frightening. His gear is well kept, decorated in the broken-skeleton symbol of the Breakbacks and otherwise reflecting a well-brushed pale greyness that clever opponents might take for sensible camouflage. Umaug's manner and glance are what frighten the sophisticated observer. He sees all that goes on around him, moves quickly and carefully to "size up" matters, and rides his wolf like one born to the harness. When tending to "his trade," which is scouting and battle, Umaug gives orders in a rough but clear and unmistakable whistling howl. He then deploys his force expertly, without a step of wasted motion, keeping a firm control over his savage Goblinish temper until the moment arrives to strike home for victory and blood.

Level: 15.

Race: Common Orc.

Home: Blind Ox Vale, near Cameth Brin.

Hits: 150 Melee OB: 145sc Missile OB: 150sb AT: Ch/13 (-70).

Profession: Warrior/Fighter.

MERP Stats: Co 89, Ag 91, Ig 99, St 93, Pr 101, It 98.

RM Stats: Co 89, Ag 91, SD 92, Me 97, Re 100, St 93, Qu 101, Pr 101, In 87, Em 88.

Appearance: 40.

Skills: Amb 20, Acrobatics 40, Climb 70, Diplomacy 40, Leadership 80, S/H 85, Strategy 50, Tactics 90, Track 60, Trickery 60, Tumbling 60, Wolf-riding 100.

• +20 Scimitar of Man-slaying. Edged in black laen, it strikes as a mithril weapon and does an extra slash critical.
• +20 Chainmail. Made of mithril, coated with a special flat black enamel that renders it silent; it is non-encumbering.
• +10 Shortbow. Double normal range, fires every round without penalty.
• Arrows. Include 5 of Horse-slaying and 3 of Wolf and Dog-slaying. All rest are coated with a 5^th level nerve poison.
• +10 Helm. Halves the effects of head criticals; his shield is +10 and casts Blur three times per day; his arm and leg greaves are non-encumbering.

MERP/RM: Umaug knows 5 open Essence lists to 5^th level.