| Bellakar | |
|---|---|
| General Information | |
| Location | Between Tulwang and Bozisha-Miraz |
| Map | |
Bellakar was a fan-made kingdom, originally created as a supplement for Middle-earth Role Playing included in Other Hands 29/30, after the game ceased publication. It has since been adapted by other prominent fan projects, such as The Lord of the Rings: Realms in Exile.
It was a warlike realm located in the vast desert of Haradwaith, north of the bay of Tulwang and to the west of Bozisha-Miraz, filling in an empty space of Pete Fenlon's expanded map of Middle-earth. Its people were a mix of native inhabitants and descendants of Númenórean settlers.
Etymology
The name "Bellakar" is said to be derived from an Avarin equivalent of Belegaer.[1]
History
First Age
In the Elder Days, Bellakar was lush and verdant with vast forests and a great lake. The first of the Free Peoples to live there were the Cuind, who settled in caves and sheltered vales. After the rising of the sun, the Honnin, a people related to the Drúedain, were the oldest race of Men to wander the land.[1]
Second Age
Following the War of Wrath, the drowning of Beleriand led to the desiccation of Haradwaith, transforming the interior of Bellakar into a desert and forcing its previous inhabitants to flee or go into hiding. Afterwards, other Men from the mountains to the east established themselves along the coasts, naming themselves the Bellanarod. They were a strong people living in villages when Númenórean mariners first arrived around S.A. 1100.
The King's Men of Bellakar actively opposed Akhôrahil when he rebelled against Númenor and allied himself with Mordor. They fomented unrest in his province of Tulwang, rallied support among the Haradrim, and bribed cities to open their ports to the Númenórean fleet. Their resistance contributed to Akhôrahil's defeat. Númenor subsequently imposed new Adûnaic names on the cities, and fostered a strong sense of Adûnaic identity.
Bellakar was not spared from the Downfall of Númenor, with many being razed by tidal waves. Survivors, led by Belzagar of Nîlûlôni, received emissaries from Pelargir about the survival of the Faithful. While they were glad that Númenór was not entirely lost and the madness of the later Kings was over, they had no wish to deny their Adûnaic culture, and were sceptic of Elendil's claim of precedence.
Sauron secretly began to rebuild his power and enlisted two Dúnadan renegades, Fuinur and Herumor, to persuade Bellakar to join their cause, but they were rejected. Fear of reprisal from Sauron, as neighbouring realms fell under his sway, led the Council of Cities to send a fleet to the aid of Gondor in S.A. 3429. The unexpected assistance of the Bellakaze was warmly received, and Elendil gave the fleet's leader Zagarthôr, descendant of Belzagar, a ring as a token of their aid in case they ever needed Gondor's aid. Zagarthôr himself fell during the Siege of Barad-dûr.[1]
Third Age
The survivors returned to Ballakar to find it threatened by the Tedjin, Easterlings who had fought for Sauron. Over four centuries the council declined in power, though Nîlûlôni remained prosperous, with a hereditary government led by descendants of Belzagar. Zimrêbal Ironhand, lord of the city, convinced the Bâitha to give him dictatorial power to better defend the country, in the understanding that he would relinquish it afterwards. He never did so.
To legitimize his rule, Zimrêbal introduced the Kâthasaptha ("Infinite Wisdom"), a religious system that blended the worship of Eru Ilúvatar with native Bozishnara deities, specifically Ladnoca (the Moon-goddess). He established a new holy site, Izindutârik ("The Pillar of Truth"), for these rites.[1]
The Tedjin Wars and the Golden Age (T.A. 395–748)
The Tedjin threat peaked again in T.A. 515 but the realm was saved by Urdubâr. In T.A. 540, Urdubâr captured the Tedjin capital, renaming it Zimrênzil. This victory ended the Tedjin threat and inaugurated a Golden Age. Nîlûlondê, which had been razed by the Tedjin, was rebuilt as a fortified capital, and the caravan routes through Khibil Êphalak were reopened.
During its Golden Age, Bellakar sought to rebuild ties with the heirs of Elendil. While the mariners of the Pelargirean League (including Dol Amroth) welcomed them, King Turambar refused a formal alliance, viewing Bellakar’s syncretic worship as blasphemy, though trade treaties were maintained.[1]
Religious reform (T.A. 748–840)
With the rise of the Ship-kings of Gondor, Bellakar’s King Nîlûhîn sought to strengthen ties with the North to counterbalance the threat of Umbar. He sent his son, Narkuzîr, to the court of Osgiliath. In Gondor, Narkuzîr was known by the Quenya name Thorondil. He became a close companion to Prince Tarannon. Narkuzîr became privately obsessed with the "purity" of Gondorian religious rites, viewing the Bellakarian Kâthasaptha as corrupted by heathenry.
Upon ascending the throne, Narkuzîr attempted a radical "purification" of Bellakarian worship. He banned the invocation of the goddess Ladnoca on the sacred mount Izindutârik. To prevent a civil war led by his brother Artârik, the King was forced into a political marriage with the noblewoman Zâirinzil an-Aranî. This resulted in a fractured royal household, with the King and Queen holding opposing religious views. The Queen also secretly raised their daughter, Barûthhîn, in the cult of the goddess Ishtra.
To seal the alliance between Bellakar and Gondor, in T.A. 830 Narkuzîr betrothed his daughter Barûthhîn to his friend, King Tarannon Falastur. In Gondor, she became known as Berúthiel. The marriage proved to be disastrous, and the alliance collapsed.[1]