The Rohirric West-march is one of the least-described places to be found west of Mirkwood. In the mod, it is represented by a peninsula of Rohirric land, yet in the books, this is far from the case. The West-march, though reconquered by Folcwine, had in fact turned hostile, and sided with Saruman in the coming war.
Relevant Quotes:
"Freca... claimed descent from King Fréawine, though he had, men said, much Dunlendish blood.... He grew rich and powerful, having wide lands on either side of the Adorn. Near its source he made himself a stronghold and paid little heed to the king. Helm mistrusted him...."
Here we see two things: that the fief of the people of Freca was on both sides of the Adorn, and he had a fortress at the source.
"Beyond the Gap the land between Isen and Adorn was nominally part of the realm of Rohan; but though Folcwine had reclaimed it, driving out the Dunlendings that had occupied it, the people that remained were largely of mixed blood, and their loyalty to Edoras was weak: the slaying of their lord, Freca, by King Helm was still remembered. Indeed at this time [the War of the Ring] they were more disposed to side with Saruman, and many of their warriors had joined Saruman's forces.... [Author's note.]"
In this quote, it is proven that the West-march became hostile and not under the control of Rohan, being of mixed blood and still unhappy about the death of Freca. Furthermore, their warriors reinforced the Dunlendings of Saruman.
Subfaction:
The name of the people who inhabit Adornland and West-march would be the Adornings, and be a subfaction of Dunland. They would be a mix of Dunlendings (majority) and Rohirrim, with names that come from both languages, and texures with dark and blonde hair and both white and swarthy skin, but wear Dunnish clothing.
The subfaction would not get a unique banner or crafting table.
Biomes:
Two biomes would be owned by the Adornings, the West-March and Adornland.
West-march would be the current triangle of Rohan that juts into Enedwaith. It is flat and relatively green, though has pine-woods like Dunland. Villages and houses are more common here, and this is where Dunlending Horsemen spawn.
Across the Adorn is a hill-land clad in dark firs. Shepherds are found here, and structures are rarer. At the head of the Adorn River is a waypoint, called Frecasburg. A small stone castle would spawn here in the future. It is possible that the Men of the Mountains used to live here, and an increase in their ruins could be an interesting addition to make the area more unique.
NPCs:
There would be several NPCs among the Adornings:
- Adorning: The main citizens of the West-march. As an easter egg, in their speechbanks the Adorn Dunlendings should mention their warriors as the "Dunlending Freca"-that being a etymological joke, as "Freca" is the name of their former lord, but also means "Warrior". They would also talk about the death of their lord and their hatred of Rohan.
- Adorning Warrior: The "Dunlending Frecas", soldiers of the West-march. They wear Dunlending armor (crafted with leather and fur, per the books), and use Dunlending weapons (swords only rarely)
- Dunlending Horsemen: Adorn Warriors on a mount. Can be hired from Dunlending Warlords as well.
- Frecaeorl: The leaders of the Adorn Dunlendings. From them one can hire soldiers.
- Adorning Herdsman: A shepherd or horseherd of the West-march.
Structures:
- Adorning Hut: A small clay or wood hut, with an Adorn Dunlending and crafting table.
- Adorning Homestead: A larger home, for the richer Dunlendings.
- Adorning Village: A small village of huts and homesteads, sometimes including a Moothall.
- Adorning Moothall: The main meetingplaces of the Adorn Dunlendings. A long, pillared wood hall with table and open fire. The Frecaeorl would spawn here, with a retinue of Adorn Warriors.
Thank you for reading this suggestion. As always, comments, Kudos, and constructive critiscism is gladly accepted.
Ithilion, Discussions Moderator(Auta i lómë) 23:27, April 22, 2017 (UTC)