- Type: Market Town
- Inhabitants: 80% Easterling, 20% Northman
- Population: 360
- Origin: Traditional trading site since at least S.A. 1887
- Purpose: A site for commerce; a gathering spot for many Easterling tribes
Ilanin (Lo. "War-trophy") had few permanent buildings. Most structures were simple tents which disappeared as soon as a market ended, loaded into the wagons and boats of their owners. During market-times, no small number of Northmen were present in town.
It rested upon perhaps the most fought over area of land in all of Near Rhûn and Rhovanion. Throughout the history of the region, Ilanin had been destroyed and rebuilt many times. In the Second Age, the lands around the confluence of the Donu and Fola Salenin constituted a great Szreldorn estate ruled by House Hôs. When the Donath rebelled against the Szreldor, the town was taken and briefly became the seat of power of the Londu matriarch. Shortly after the War of the Last Alliance, the Hos warlord returned with a host of disaffected Guvar warriors and retook his lands. Since then, Folyavuld and the descendants of the House Hôs had fought bitterly over the land, prompting the Easterlings who took part in many of these battles to name the site Il-anina, "War Trophy." Whichever side controlled town had invariably retained that name, as a way of mocking the defeat of its rival.
Ilanin in TA ca. 1640[]
Ilanin, as the name has now become, is presently controlled by a new lord, the Sagath warlord Hesnef of the Trôs.House Trôs is a long-time rival of the Hûz (descendants of House Hôs), who has taken advantage of the latter's deal to guard Angmar's trade route in the north, and has moved into lands formerly controlled by Hôs. The Hûz warlord has bitterly protested this move to the lord of Carn Dûm, but has had no success in having his rival evicted. Angmar has actually made a deal with House Trôs, granting them the right to occupy Ilanin and charge a toll for passage over the river from Easterling warriors migrating to Angmar. Between the contiguous lands of the Trôs and Hûz houses, a safe route now exists from Rhûn to Angmar, and migration into the west has reached new heights. Ilanin is a crucial link in this route. The town itself has taken many forms over the years. Presently, it is not walled, but consists of a small collection of stone houses surrounded by an ever-shifting sea of nomad tents and corrals. The permanent structures of the town stand in the shadows of the Khrîm (Lo. "The Rock"), an ancient stone fortress that has served many of the lords of Ilanin, and has been taken by force many times. Each time the walls are repaired, turrets are rebuilt, a new gate is made, and the fortress again becomes the center of the town. The warriors of Trôs-Hesnef man the walls and scout the countryside, levying their toll on all who would pass through the lands of their lord. Angmar's migration route is presently threatened from all sides.House Hûz is powerful, and has many warriors to spare. The Hûz warlord now plots to evict Hesnef, returning his house to its former place as a tribute tribe under the Hûz banner. The Alciswardias, an Aivathiuda tribe from Marhungibaurg, would also like to see the Trôs warlord destroyed, thereby reopening the great river to trade with Folyavuld. And of course, the Realm-master would jump at the opportunity to retake the town. These factors conspire against the present lord of Ilanin, threatening to once again turn the town and its fortress into the trophy of another war.
Characters[]
Notes[]
There were some linguistic and timeline inconsistencies and conflicts in the original text.
Original forms:
Hos = Hôs Folyavuldok = Donath Sagath = Guvar Tros Hesnef = Hesnef of the Trôs Tros = Trôs Huz = Hûz Crim = Khrîm Algifryond = Alciswardias Ehwathrumi = Aivathiuda Buhr Marlinge = Marhungibaurg
References[]
- THE INLAND SEA, by: Mike Campbell and Luke Potter, published 2000