Fifth of the Nazgûl

Iron Crown EnterprisesDecipher

“Akhôrahil the Ringwraith” by Stephen Walsh
Man (early) Wraith (later)
Akhôrahil
Biographical Information
Other names	Friend of the Lord the Blind Sorcerer the Far King
Titles	Storm King of Ciryatanor
Position	Fifth of the Nazgûl
Affiliation	Nazgûl Eye of Sauron
Birth	S.A. 1888 A manor overlooking the Nísinen
Death	25 March T.A. 3019 Morannon
Physical Description
Gender	Male
Height	6 ft 7 in
Eye colour	Eyes of the Well
Clothing	Grey armour Mithril-inlaid helm
Weaponry	Morgul-knife Yellow Hammer
Steed	Black horse

Man (early) Wraith (later)
Úlairë Lemenya
Biographical Information
Other names	the Black Enemy
Position	Fifth of the Nazgûl
Affiliation	Nazgûl Eye of Sauron
Death	25 March T.A. 3019 Morannon
Physical Description
Gender	Male
Steed	Black horse

The Fifth 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 Akhôrahil, 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 Lemenya (Q. Fifth Nazgûl), and assigning the epithet of Black Enemy.

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

Backstory in Middle-earth Role Playing

Akhôrahil was born in Númenor in S.A. 1888 to a wealthy family. He was a cousin of Prince Mûrazôr (the later Witch-king), and was noted as brilliant but spoiled.

In S.A. 1904, his family moved to Middle-earth to found the kingdom of Ciryatanor, with his father, Ciryamir, as its client-king. Akhôrahil enjoyed the authority his family held, but in his greed he sought to usurp his father's throne. In S.A. 1918, he made a pact with a Haradan priest, exchanging his eyes for two magical sapphire gems known as the Eyes of the Well. Though now physically blind, these gems granted him magical powers. Using his new abilities, he cast a spell on his father, who was overcome with despair and took his own life.

Akhôrahil ascended to the throne of Ciryatanor in S.A. 1919 and proclaimed himself the Storm King. He married his sister, Akhôraphil, and began a campaign of conquest, expanding his kingdom into the lands of the Haradrim and along the Bay of Ormal.

His campaigns and growing power caught the attention of Sauron. In S.A. 2000, an emissary offered Akhôrahil a Ring of Power, and thus he became the fifth King to fall under Sauron's sway.

Already eccentric before his transformation, the Storm King now became a recluse. His wife fled with his children, after which he purged his court of both those too loyal to the King of Númenor as well as those who acted too independently. Still, he maintained a nominal allegiance to Númenor and kept sending tributes for 250 years.

As Tar-Ancalimon ascended the throne, he request all colonies to reaffirm their loyalty. His envoy arrived in Ciryatanor in S.A. 2250. Realizing that Númenor would seek to expand again, he held the emissary as a hostage and officially allied himself with Mordor. Tar-Ancalimon, after ransoming his envoy, responded by launching an invasion, which led to a crushing defeat for the Storm King in S.A. 2280.

Having fled to Mordor, he would spend the next ten centuries directing the slaves of Nurn to supply food for Sauron's armies. He fled after Sauron's surrender to Ar-Pharazôn, though after the Downfall of Númenor he returned to Nurn, later leading its host in the War of the Last Alliance. He was defeated with his master and passed into the shadows.

Akhôrahil reappeared around T.A. 1050, residing in the Far South and reestablishing his host before being summoned back to Mordor by Sauron in T.A. 1640. He helped rebuild Sauron's strongholds and became a close companion and trusted lieutenant to the Witch-king, sharing a special rapport due to their similar backgrounds as powerful sorcerers. He stayed with the Witch-king at Minas Morgul after the fortress's capture in T.A. 2002.

During the War of the Ring, Akhôrahil rode with the Black Riders in search of the One Ring. He fought in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, later joining the remaining wraiths at the Battle of the Morannon, where he perished with Sauron's defeat.

Weaponry in Middle-earth Role Playing

Beyond a Morgul-knife, the Ringwraith is noted to have wielded the Yellow Hammer, a gold steel mace inlaid with copper.