The Angle
The Angle is the land between the Mitheithel and Bruinen rivers, inhabited by the last remnants of the Dúnedain of Arnor.
| The Angle | |
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 Dúnedain emblem |
Summary
Main article: History of the Angle
The Angle is a wooded area between two rivers in the north-east of Eriador and south of the Great Road. This region was once part of the kingdoms of Arnor and Rhudaur, which built now-abandoned villages and fortresses in its north. The Stoor hobbits lived in the south for some centuries before eventually migrating to the Shire. Today it is inhabited only by the last of the Northern Dúnedain, who have created hidden farms and villages.
Climate and ecology
Government and military
Government
The Chieftain of the Dúnedain (currently Aragorn II), also known as the Chieftain of the North, is the hereditary title of the rulers of the Rangers of the North. The Chieftains are raised in Rivendell, where the heirlooms of the House of Isildur are also kept.
Military
The military force of the Dúnedain are the Rangers of the North, consisting of around three hundred men in total.
The earliest historical document about the Rangers is their official foundation in T.A. 250 under King Eldacar: the purpose of the King’s Rangers was to institutionalise royal hunts as an occasion for the key people of the realm to become close to the land and to each other. The first to join the King and his hunting companions were the sons of the Dúnadan families forming the nobility of Arnor. As Rangers, they would learn courage, strength of character, selflessness and a stalwart loyalty to each other; and in time they would form a brotherhood of Men defending the North Kingdom against its enemies.
The nature of their training made members of the King’s Rangers the ideal candidates for important missions which required secrecy and knowledge of the land. Rangers were selected as scouts, explorers, spies, envoys and messengers to hostile lands, and their successes strengthened their cohesion, perseverance and discipline.
In Arthedain the total number of members shrunk to half of what they had been in the past, but in this period these Rangers gradually developed into a more professionally organised structure. Now the former noble hunters informally accompanying the king in his hunts and travels became members of a more standardised military Order tasked with the protection of the borders, now beset by many dangers. They were also active outside the kingdom’s borders, travelling incognito in the old lands of Cardolan and Rhudaur, where they liaised with former members of the King’s Rangers, and carried out missions for the king of Arthedain.
Architecture
Most houses are very rudimentary log cabins, usually with foundations of cobblestone. Roofs are made of thatch or turf. Some houses feature a simple veranda.
Agriculture
Many inhabitants of the Angle live a semi-pastoral lifestyle, leading their herds of sheep or cattle during the summer and returning to their homes during the cooler months.
Industry and professions
Culture
As these folk are directly descended from the Faithful Men of Númenor, they maintain the old ways and customs. They build no temples or shrines, though in permanent settlements there could be evidence of westward-facing structures in memory of their destroyed home.