Fall of Cardolan
The Fall of Cardolan was the gradual decline and destruction of the Dúnedain realm of Cardolan, one of the three successor-kingdoms of Arnor in northern Middle-earth. Known as the Land of Red Hills for the ruddy hue of its rocky moors, Cardolan was once a prosperous and strategically important kingdom. Over the centuries it was ruined by dynastic strife, wars with Rhudaur and Angmar, plague, and the malevolent sorcery of the Witch-king, until its last prince, Ostir of Cardolan, was slain in the Barrow-downs in the year TA 1409.
Though the kingdom perished, remnants of its Hill-folk endured, later joined by Bree-landers and wandering settlers, even as its ruins and barrows became haunted places of dread. By the late Third Age, only the Rangers of the North and a scattering of hardy folk remained to guard its desolate land.
History
Origins
After the Downfall of Númenor, Dúnedain settlers brought one of the Vandassari, or Oath-stones of Fëanor, into the Red Hills. With it they forged peace with the native Hill-folk, the Amonedain, some of whom became loyal subjects of Arnor. The region flourished as part of the North-kingdom, especially due to trade passing through Tharbad, where the great bridge over the Gwathló linked Eriador with the south.
Division of Arnor
When King Eärendur, tenth King of Arnor, died in TA 861, his realm was divided among his three sons. The youngest, Tarondor II the Forthright, founded the Kingdom of Cardolan. The eldest son became King of Arthedain, while the second, Eldamacil, became King of Rhudaur. Almost immediately, rivalries between the three realms sparked warfare.
In TA 900, Eldamacil slew his brother Tarondor II, earning the name Kin-slayer. This marked the beginning of centuries of strife between Cardolan, Rhudaur, and Arthedain.
Struggles with Rhudaur and Angmar
Cardolan’s fortunes were tied to its struggles against its eastern neighbor, Rhudaur, and the northern realm of Angmar, founded by the Witch-king in TA 1300.
In TA 1330, King Malgun of Rhudaur invaded Cardolan, but the battle on the Deadmount saw both him and King Artandil of Cardolan slain. Cardolan’s rule then passed to Prince Amondir of Tyrn Gorthad.
In TA 1349, Amondir swore allegiance to King Argeleb I of Arthedain, briefly reuniting the two realms.
The Witch-king struck back by sending evil spirits into the barrows of Tyrn Gorthad in TA 1356, creating the first of the barrow-wights. Prince Amondir was lost in this struggle, claimed by the wight-lord known as the Grey Fear.
Amondir’s heirs fell one by one to the Grey Fear: his sons Amonhathol (1390) and Thannadan (1392) perished in its grasp.
The Grey Fear
The barrow-wight plague culminated around TA 1400, when Tyrn Gorthad was enveloped in fog and the Dead poured forth, slaying many. Prince Ostecthel, Amondir’s third son, attempted to banish the evil but returned shriveled and dying, proclaiming it sealed away in Sarch Vorn, the Black Tomb. His wife, Princess Luilloth, ruled as regent for their son, Ostir.
However, the Grey Fear was not destroyed. In TA 1409, while Prince Ostir rode to the defense of Amon Sûl against Angmar, the Grey Fear ravaged Cardolan. Dol Ernil, the seat of the princes, was destroyed, and Luilloth vanished in the barrows. Returning too late, Ostir found his realm in ruins and was himself slain by the Grey Fear in the Barrow-downs. His death ended the line of Cardolan’s princes, and with it the kingdom itself.
Aftermath
The land was left broken and desolate. The Great Plague of TA 1636 further decimated the remaining population, leaving Cardolan largely empty save for scattered Hill-folk and later Bree-landers. The barrow-wights lingered in Tyrn Gorthad, ensuring the land’s reputation as a haunted waste.
By the time of the War of the Ring, Cardolan was a land of ruined holds, haunted barrows, and sparse settlements, guarded by the dwindling Rangers of the North. The passing of the Nazgûl through its barrows in TA 3018 rekindled dread in the region, stirring the Dead once more.
Timeline of the Fall of Cardolan
- TA 861 – Death of King Eärendur; Arnor divided. Tarondor II becomes first King of Cardolan.
- TA 900 – King Eldamacil of Rhudaur slays Tarondor II, beginning centuries of war.
- TA 1330 – Battle of the Deadmount; both King Malgun I of Rhudaur and King Artandil of Cardolan slain. Prince Amondir becomes ruler of Cardolan.
- TA 1356 – The Witch-king sends spirits into the Barrow-downs. Amondir lost to the Grey Fear.
- TA 1390 – Prince Amonhathol slain by the Grey Fear.
- TA 1392 – Prince Thannadan slain by the Grey Fear.
Legacy
The ruins of Cardolan — Tharbad, Caranost, Dol Ernil, and the haunted Tyrn Gorthad — remained visible reminders of Arnor’s fall. Though its people were scattered, their descendants survived among the Hill-folk, Bree-landers, and Rangers. Cardolan’s fate became a warning of the dangers of division and the enduring malice of Angmar.