ANFALAS

The Langstrand, or Anfalas, sits between Pinnath Gelin and the Bay of Belfalas, and between the Lefnui and Calenhir rivers. Much of this land's wealth comes from the fishing fleet that trawls the waters of the clear bay, the bounty of the sea then traded with the neighbouring Green Hills. The people of the Langstrand are simple folk. Largely unaccustomed to the ways of war on land, they are poor combatants when called upon to fight. In truth, they rely on the forces of their trading partners in Pinnath Gelin to keep them from any invasion that comes overland, but against threats from the sea they are better prepared. Being a coastal province, Anfalas is often preyed upon by the Corsairs of Umbar, whose black fleet raids all along Gondor's southern coasts, and it is this threat against which they have learned to fight. Their ships, though neither as mighty nor as numerous as the great vessels of Dol Amroth, are handled with great skill by sailors who will fight like men possessed if boarded. It is a bold Corsair captain indeed who raids the Langstrand.

HUNTER OF ANFALAS

WARGEAR:
Hunters of Anfalas carry bows and hand weapons.

MAKING THE MODEL:
This Hunter's body is that of a Warrior of Rohan. The left hand has been replaced with that from a Warrior of Minas Tirith, while the sword in his right hand has been clipped shorter in length to form a dagger. The head was carefully reshaped with a craft knife before having some hair sculpted on with Green Stuff.

MORTHOND VALE

The Morthond river flows out of the Ered Nimrais and into the Bay of Belfalas, its headwaters forming on the slopes of the infamous Dwimorberg. Its name, which literally means ‘blackroot', comes from the fact that in the early stages of its course, its path lies ever under the shadow of the mountains from which it springs. As the river lives in this shadow, so too do many of the people of Morthond. As their fellows in Lamedon, the people of the Blackroot valley strive against the attacks of the Orcs that live amongst the snow-capped peaks to their north, but the Morthond vale is a far more forgiving land than that of Lamedon and supports a far greater population. Because of this, there are enough able-bodied Men for the people of Morthond to fight back against their attackers. In the extreme north, upon the foothills of the Ered Nimrais, it is common to see Orcs vie with the warriors of the valley below, fighting fiercely for supremacy by the headwaters of the Blackroot river.

BOWMAN OF MORTHOND

WARGEAR:
The Bowmen of Morthond wear leather armour and carry longbows (Elf bows).

MAKING THE MODEL:
This Bowman of Morthond, by Sam Lee, has had the horsehead crest of his helmet removed with a file before being painted in a striking new colour scheme.

PINNATH GELIN

Upon Gondor's western periphery, between the Calenhir and Lefnui rivers, lie the Pinnath Gelin, the Green Hills of Gondor. Sundered as it is from both the Ered Nimrais and the Bay of Belfalas by many leagues, it is a rare thing for either Orcs or Corsairs to set foot upon the Green Hills. Even so, the lords of the fief have ever maintained a sizeable force of warriors-at-arms. Even more warriors guard the trade wagons that journey eastwards to Morthond Vale, Dol Amroth, and Pelargir, and northwards to Rohan, and thence to Eriador. It is here that the Men of Pinnath Gelin receive most of their training, defending vulnerable traders from bandits and Orcs. Though relatively inexperienced in battle, their armour is amongst the finest available in Gondor, purchased with the profits from the goods that they guard.

As the beacons were lit to signal that war had come to Minas Tirith, Hirluin, the lord of Pinnath Gelin, resolved to ride to the aid of the White City, even though scant days before he had beheld a premonition of his death in battle before its walls. Mustering as many warriors as he could spare from the defences, Hirluin travelled for many days through the southlands of Gondor, until at last arriving at the Tower of Guard. In the great battle outside the city walls, he fell alongside many of his folk, fighting bravely in defence of his home.

WARRIOR OF PINNATH GELIN

WARGEAR:
Warriors of Pinnath Gelin carry a shield, a spear, and wear heavy armour.

MAKING THE MODEL:
Sam Lee's Warrior of Pinnath Gelin is made from a Warrior of Minas Tirith, whose head has been replaced with that of a Warrior of Rohan.

LOSSARNACH

Lossarnach is one of the oldest of Gondor's many fiefdoms, and like Minas Tirith, Lossarnach lies in the shadow of Mindolluin and borders onto the great river. It has always been the first fief to lend aid in time of war. Due in no small part to this, the warriors of Lamedon are as well-trained as those that guard the White City itself. The one element in which they differ from their comrades is in their weaponry, for they wield massive broad-bladed axes instead of the more commonplace sword or spear.

The Men of Lossarnach take great pride in their axes, some have been handed down from father to son for many hundreds of years. Indeed, the tradition of their use goes back to the earliest days of Gondor. As the tale is told in Lossarnach, the first lord was granted dominion over the land for his valorous deeds at Anárion's side whilst the High King's son held Osgiliath against Sauron's forces. The battle went ill, and the prince was forced to flee down the Anduin. Though he escaped the besieged town he was set upon by Orcs as soon as he reached the shore. Anárion was a prince from out of Númenor, one of the mightiest Men of his age. But powerful though he was, the Orcs were too great in number. Anárion would have fallen but for the intervention of a small watchtower garrison who had seen his plight from afar and hastened to his aid. Many of the warriors fell in Anárion's defence, but their captain, Brandil, fought without pause with skill and courage. Taking up a great axe from a slain Orc chieftain, he tirelessly struck down those who would assail his wounded liege until the valour of the Orcs crumbled, and they fled before a man they seemingly could not kill. When Anárion returned to Osgiliath, he did not quickly forget the deeds done in his defence and gifted Brandil with the lordship of Lossarnach.

AXEMAN OF LOSSARNACH

WARGEAR:
The Axemen of Lossarnach wear heavy armour and carry two-handed axes.
They may carry a banner at additional cost:
Banner: 25pts (maximum of one per hero per force).

MAKING THE MODEL:
Mat Ward's Axeman of Lossarnach is made from a spare siege engine crewman whose arms have been set in a new position. The axe is made from a brass rod and the head of a Khazâd Guard axe.

Next: Dol Amroth, Ringló Vale, Pelargir and Lebennin
Previous: Introduction and Lamedon