Ithilien, Moon Over Gondor - Page 6
© Michael Martinez
Ithilien became important again when Eldacar returned from exile in 1447 to confront Castamir the Usurper. Eldacar brought an army of Northmen to Gondor. People from Calenardhon, Anorien, and Ithilien joined Eldacar and helped him win back his throne. Although there must have been Northmen living in Ithilien, its people were probably just sick and tired of Castamir, who was more popular with the people from the coastlands. He paid little or no attention to the needs of the inland areas, and even decided to move his seat to Pelargir so he could be close to the fleet.
Castamir's reign was only the beginning of the decline in Ithilien's fortunes. The battle at the Crossings of Erui, in which Eldacar defeated Castamir, cost a great many lives. Although Ithilien might have recovered its former wealth and influence, in the following generations South Ithilien and Harondor were threatened by Umbar, where Castamir's followers fled after his death. And in 1636, the Great Plague swept out of the east and weakened the entire kingdom. Many people fled to Ithilien to escape the plague and they refused to return to Osgiliath afterward. Their intransigence, coupled with the abandonment of the fortresses in Mordor, ensured that Ithilien would suffer further decline. Minas Ithil and perhaps Emyn Arnen would have remained important to Ithilien, but there would be less demand for its goods and services.
As evil creatures began to repopulate Mordor, Ithilien would become more of a border territory. The wars with the Wainriders in the 1800s pushed Gondor's frontier back to North Ithilien as well, and Ithilien was even briefly invaded in 1944. Over the course of about 500 years, Ithilien was transformed from a major hub in Gondor's empire to a last line of defense. The loss of Minas Ithil to the Lord of the Nazgul in 2043 only served to cement Ithilien's new status as border region.
The next four hundred years saw no change in the status quo. Ithilien probably flourished, after a fashion. That is, it didn't necessarily attract colonization, but its people were untroubled. Only when the Watchful Peace ended and Sauron returned to Dol Guldur, did things start to get hairy again. The Uruks emerged from Mordor and began attacking Ithilien. People began to leave in droves, and life must have become very harsh for those who chose to stay behind. It's hard to imagine the nobles of Gondor dancing in the woods or celebrating ancient victories there. Men probably traveled abroad in armed groups, and families probably drew together in fortified dwellings. The people must have wanted to stay purely for the love of the land, and perhaps out of pride. They would not be driven from their homes by Orcs.
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