Board Thread:Suggestions forum/@comment-5601442-20151231172926/@comment-5601442-20160102004638

Tarver wrote: Carter938 wrote: High King Ithilion wrote: Carter938 wrote: High King Ithilion wrote: We don't specifically know they were a horse nation, but we do know they supplied Mordor with horses, hinting at a love of horses.

I have had that rant prepared for a long time :) But we dont. There is no text example that says they supplied Mordor with horses. If there is, source it. I know I've heard it somewere... let me see what I can find. Anyway, Tolkien left Middle-Earth open to interpretation. Since many people believe that Khand is a Mongol-like nation, and how we have almost no info about them, it is likely that the mod will go with Mongol influences, plus their own ideas. However, I do agree that a Turkish-like faction is a good idea. The Khandish faction could be part Turk-based, or there could be an Easterling faction taking that role.  I'm just saying. I beleived the mods first duty was to be true to the books. If thats being done, then logically the Wainriders would be the candidate for Mongol/Hun influence along with their own ideas, and the Variags would be more open to the modders ideas. My point in this post is soley to point out that in actual canon the Variags are NOT inspired by nomads or steppe peoples, and that the Wainriders have far more in common, and that I hope the modders take that into consideration as its more faithful to Tolkien than otherwise. And thats the mods main point. What's the evidence for the Variags not being based on nomdic cultures. The few things given in the texts point to them being nomadic, and theres nothing in the texts to contradict this. Wainriders as a nomad like faction is perfectly fine, but that doesn't mean the Variags can't also be based on the mongols. The reason I don't agree with the idea of the Wainriders being the faction based on the mongols is because of their use of chariots, which the mongols did not use. Because there is NO evidence in the text that the Variags were nomadic whatsoever. The only things the text specifies are as follows: They hated the sun, they lived in Khand, they were allied to Mordor, they fought at Minas Tirith. Thats literally it. Nothing even remotley suggests they were nomads.

The Wainriders on the other hand were very obviously nomadic. Easterlings also have the distinction of being the only culture other than Rohan specifically said to have horse archers (this is specifically said in the books), which is very mongolic. The Wainriders were said to use Chariots for their Cheiftans and officers, not the regular soldiery. The Mongols actually did have their Khans and generals ride in carts, wagons, or wains and use them as a mobile command station.

It also comes down to the climate. Khand is right next to a huge desert, meaning it would be quite arid. Thats bad ground to have horses graze on. Rhun on the other hand was more temperate and very much suited to this, but im getting into speculation now.

It all comes down to the fact that Tolkien barely describes the Variags, and he goes into detail with the Wainriders. What he says about the Variags doesnt suggest they were nomadic, horsemen, or mongol-like in any way, while what he said of the Wainriders does.