Seventh of the Nazgûl

Iron Crown EnterprisesDecipher

“Adûnaphel” by Liz Danforth
Man (early) Wraith (later)
Adûnaphel
Biographical Information
Other names	Lady of the West the Quiet Avenger Ard Once Vain
Titles	Seventh of the Nazgûl
Position	Bard
Affiliation	Nazgûl Eye of Sauron
Birth	S.A. 1823 Forostar
Death	25 March T.A. 3019 Morannon
Physical Description
Gender	Female
Height	6 ft
Clothing	Black scale armour Lion's cowl helmet Fell-turtle helmet
Weaponry	Morgul-knife Fire's Edge Night-piercer
Steed	Black horse

Man (early) Wraith (later)
Úlairë Otsëa
Biographical Information
Titles	Black Specter
Position	Seventh of the Nazgûl
Affiliation	Nazgûl Eye of Sauron
Death	25 March T.A. 3019 Morannon
Physical Description
Gender	Male
Steed	Black horse

The Seventh of the Nazgûl was never differentiated in Tolkien's works, but several adaptations did attribute individual traits to this specific Nazgûl.

Iron Crown Enterprises constructed an elaborate non-canonical backstory for Middle-earth Role Playing, identifying the character as Adûnaphel, a Númenórean woman, a backstory which was also used in the Middle-earth Collectible Card Game.

Decipher, for their Trading Card Game, instead limited this individualization to naming the character Úlairë Otsëa (Q. Seventh Nazgûl), and assigning the epithet of Black Specter.

While some other adaptations also individualized the Nine, none are known to have assigned specific numbers.

Backstory in Middle-earth Role Playing

Adûnaphel was born in the Númenórean province of Forostar in S.A. 1823. Her family was of noble blood, and she was noted for her exceptional beauty.

Her father's early death left her in prolonged grief and deep conflict with her mother Alcariel, whose ties to the Elves had long strained the family. This animosity fueled her support for her uncle Adûnâzil's Adûnaic faction during the reign of Tar-Ciryatan, which sought to sever ties with the Elves and expand Númenórean influence and power over Middle-earth.

In S.A. 1914, driven by a desire for a crown, like many of her allies she left Númenor for Middle-earth. She established a domain centred around a citadel at Vamag on the northwestern tip of a peninsula near the haven of Umbar. By S.A. 1939, as Ard the Vain she controlled a vast coastal region between Umbar and the river Harnen. She gained great influence over the local Haradrim, who came to revere her as their king.

Adûnaphel's ambition led to conflict with her own king, Tar-Ciryatan, who demanded homage and taxes. The ensuing fourteen years of diplomatic disputes were seen by Sauron as an opportunity to counter his rival for influence over the Southrons as well as a way to delay Númenórean expansion.

After a few small wars against her, based on information he got from his agents, Sauron changed his approach. Appealing to her vanity, hatred of the Elves, and yearning for immortality, he offered her a Ring of Power in S.A. 2001, making her the seventh King to fall under his sway.

Over the next three centuries she withdrew into seclusion, shunning sunlight, and no longer playing her lute in the morning hours. Her Haradrim subjects dubbed her Ard once Vain, while her Black Númenórean subjects called her Adûnaphel the Quiet.

In S.A. 2280, Adûnaphel's forces attacked Umbar, but they were defeated by disciplined Númenórean warriors at the Battle of the Gleaming Shore. This loss ended her hopes of ruling Harad, and she abandoned Vamag, moving northward. She established a new capital at Lugarlir on the Harnen river, where she ruled for nearly a thousand years on behalf of Sauron. When Sauron surrendered to Ar-Pharazôn, she retreated to Mordor, directing his campaigns until she passed into shadows as Sauron was overthrown in the War of the Last Alliance.

She reappeared in the Third Age around T.A. 1050, returning to Lugarlir, just after Hyarmendacil I conquered Harad. For six centuries she fought Gondor by inciting and coercing rebellions.

When the Great Plague weakened Gondor and the Watch on Mordor ceased, she joined her fellow Nazgûl in preparing the Black Land for her master's return. With Ûvatha and Akhôrahil she first she first went to Nurn. After Sauron's return to Mordor, she joined Khamûl to reopen Dol Guldur in T.A. 2951.

During the War of the Ring, Adûnaphel rode with the Black Riders in search of the One Ring. She returned to Dol Guldur after their defeat at the Ford of Bruinen, launching failed assaults on Lothlórien and the Woodland Realm. Later, she fought at the Battle of the Morannon, where she perished with Sauron's defeat.

Weaponry in Middle-earth Role Playing

Beyond a Morgul-knife, the Ringwraith is noted to have possessed the following weapons:

• Fire's Edge: A black ithilnaur broadsword inlaid with gold. It had a ruby-tipped pommel.
• Night-piercer: A steel composite bow which can make its target glow.