Battle of the Deadmount

The Battle of the Deadmount was a major conflict between the Dúnedain realm of Cardolan and its eastern rival, Rhudaur, fought in TA 1330 during the Wars of the Arnorian successor-states. It took place on the Deadmount, a hill on the eastern marches of Cardolan, near the borderlands with Rhudaur. Both King Artandil of Cardolan and King Malgun I of Rhudaur were slain in the battle, leaving their realms weakened and vulnerable to the rising power of Angmar.

Background

Following the Division of Arnor in TA 861, rivalry between the successor realms of Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur quickly descended into recurring wars. By the early fourteenth century of the Third Age, the balance of power in the North had shifted. Cardolan retained strength through its fortresses in the Tyrn Gorthad and its control of Tharbad, while Rhudaur, increasingly influenced by Hill-men and hostile to Dúnedain rule, sought to expand westward.

King Malgun of Rhudaur launched an invasion of Cardolan in TA 1330, hoping to seize territory along the Hoarwell and break Cardolan’s defenses before Arthedain could intervene. King Artandil marched east to meet him, and the two armies clashed upon the Deadmount.

The Battle

The Deadmount was a rocky hill long associated with the Hill-folk, and it became the site of a brutal struggle. Chroniclers speak of desperate fighting between the Dunedain of Cardolan and the mixed forces of Rhudaur, which included many Hill-men levies.

The outcome was indecisive but devastating: King Malgun of Rhudaur was slain in the fighting, as was King Artandil of Cardolan. With both commanders dead, their armies broke apart, and the Deadmount was left strewn with the fallen.

Aftermath

Although neither side gained lasting advantage, the battle gravely weakened both kingdoms. Cardolan’s throne passed to Prince Amondir of Tyrn Gorthad, who later swore allegiance to King Argeleb I of Arthedain in TA 1349. Rhudaur fell into further strife, with its Hill-men lords gaining greater control.

The battle marked a turning point in the decline of the Dúnedain realms. With their rulers dead and their armies depleted, both Cardolan and Rhudaur were left vulnerable to the growing power of Angmar, whose Witch-king established his realm only decades later in TA 1300.

Legacy

The Battle of the Deadmount was remembered as one of the great tragedies of Cardolan, a kingdom already beset by kin-strife and border wars. Later generations viewed the battle as an omen of the greater doom to come, for within a century Cardolan would be overwhelmed by war, sorcery, and plague, and its royal line extinguished.