Middle-earth: The Last Alliance Crisis Committee Background Guide

Transcription

1 1 Middle-earth: The Last Alliance Crisis Committee Background Guide Central Texas Model United Nations Spring Crisis Conference 2017

2 1 CTMUN Crisis Conference 2017 Middle-earth: The Last Alliance Background Guide It began with the forging of the Great Crisis Committees Seven were given to the OSG: Immortal, wisest, and fairest of all beings. Ten to the Daises: Great speakers and craftsmen of debate and decorum. And ten ten committees were gifted to the Crisis Directors who, above all else, desire power. For within these committees was bound the strength and will to deliver the greatest Crisis Conference ever but they were all of them deceived. For another committee was made... In the land of Texas, in the fires of Mount Austin, the Dark Board Chair Kumar forged in secret a Master Committee to control all others. And into this Committee, he poured his cruelty, his malice, and his will to dominate all of Crisis. One Committee to rule them all. Delegates of the Last Alliance, This is a committee I have been thinking about for a few years now and it is an absolute pleasure to bring it to life at Crisis Conference this year. For those of you who don t know me, my name is Nicky Kumar and I am the current Chair of the CTMUN Board of Directors, a former USG of Crisis, and a former CTMUN Secretary-General, but even after everything else, Crisis Directing seems to be the one itch I can never seem to get rid of. That s why, despite having decided to finally retire from Crisis Directing after this conference, I could not be happier to be taking this committee to Middle-earth for my final ride. The notion of running a Lord of the Rings committee is not necessarily a new one, but the issue has always been deciding where to place it in the timeline of the story. While the Council of Elrond comes to mind as one choice, I always felt that scenario was extremely limiting to the individuals involved. To give more freedom for the committee to grow in its own space, I

3 2 decided to make it take place during the War of the Last Alliance. This conflict took place in the Second Age when Sauron s threat was more tangible and the individuals involved in the fight against evil were kings and rulers of realms that had legitimate power to build alliances and raise armies to stop Mordor. Those familiar with Peter Jackson s cinematic Lord of the Rings trilogy will recognize this period from the prologue of The Fellowship of the Ring. What is particularly fun about this period in the history of Middle-earth is that it is not really well-defined. We don t have a breakdown of what happened like we do with the War of the Ring, so that lets us define on our own how the world works and how we want to defeat Sauron. The films made some substantial simplifications of the lore for this period, so this background guide will cover more of the history written by J.R.R. Tolkien in the literature and some liberties I took to provide more potential avenues for the overall crisis. Since the history is not entirely clear, I will do everything I can to make this guide as comprehensive as possible, so you don t get lost along the way. While I certainly hope that you will follow the research suggestions that I go through at the end of the guide, my goal is to make this background guide your primary stop for preparing for the committee. Anyways, that s enough from me. If you have any questions up until the morning of conference, me at nicky@ctmun.org and I will do what I can to help out. Now, let s get into the good stuff. I can t wait to get started and I ll see you all in Middle-earth when April 22 nd rolls around! Happy researching! Nicky Kumar Crisis Director for The Last Alliance Sauron and the Rings of Power For hundreds of years after the defeat of his master, the Dark Lord Sauron kept a low profile in order to grow his powers and reassess his ability to complete the task of subduing the races of Middle-earth. Earlier in the Second Age, Sauron finally decided the time was right to put a new plan into action. The primary step was to conquer the Elves, the most powerful race in Middleearth. He approached the great smiths of Eregion, an Elven kingdom to the west of the Misty Mountains, under the guise of a celestial being known as Annatar, the Lord of Gifts. He brought great lessons in craftsmanship and magical arts, and these Elves were deceived easily enough. Under the leadership of Celebrimbor, they helped Sauron create nineteen Rings of Power. He intended to use these nineteen rings in order to claim dominion and assert his will over the entire Elven race. This was to be his greatest of triumphs, and with these rings falling into the hands of Elven leaders, the time had come for the master stroke. The Dark Lord went into the heart of Orodruin, a volcano also known as Mount Doom, and secretly crafted the One Ring that which would have the ability to control all the others. 1: Celebrimbor forging the Rings of Power

4 3 One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. Through the magic linking the other Rings of Power to this Master Ring, Sauron would be able to bring the wearers under his spell and enslave them to his omnipotence. However, Sauron may have underestimated the full extent of the power of the Elves, because when he placed the One Ring upon his finger, the Elves became aware of this deception and Annatar was truly revealed to be Sauron the Deceiver. They took the rings off and started making plans to hide them from Sauron so he could never complete his plan of total domination. Unfortunately, the Dark Lord would not be so easily resisted. Angered that the Elves had discovered the truth, Sauron went to war with Eregion in order to reclaim the rings. In the year 1693 of the Second Age, the War of the Elves and Sauron began as he came forth with his armies in order to take the rings by force. Gil-galad, the High King of the Ñoldor further west, began to mass his own armies in Lindon and called upon the men of Númenor for aid. By 1695, Sauron had begun his siege of Eregion. Gil-galad tried to help his kin by sending a force under the command of Elrond, but they were not enough to stop Sauron. In 1697, Eregion was completely destroyed. Celebrimbor, the Lord of Eregion, was captured and killed and Sauron was able to recover sixteen Rings of Power from Ost-in-Edhil, the primary fortress of Eregion. Three of the nineteen rings were crafted without Sauron s help by Celebrimbor himself and since these were the most powerful, the Elves were lucky to get them far away. Elrond retreated from Eregion with other survivors and founded Imladris (Rivendell) as a sanctuary, but Sauron was not yet done in his retribution. With the head of Celebrimbor impaled upon a banner at the front of his army, he continued his surge and laid siege to Imladris in 1699 and cut it off from reinforcements from Lindon. Almost all of Middle-earth was under his control. He burned down great forests and killed thousands of Elves in the process. This success was soon to be short-lived. In 1700, a great navy and army commissioned by the King of Númenor finally arrived to help the Elves. They landed in the west and the south and caught Sauron on two sides. With the armies of Numenor fresh and ready for a fight, Men and Elves combined to defeat the armies of orcs, corrupted men, and trolls, and forced Sauron back to Mordor. Sauron was extensively defeated, but not without great cost. Eregion was of course wiped from the face of the earth, and most of the world from the Blue Mountains to the Misty Mountains still burned. Furthermore, with sixteen rings recovered, Sauron was able to find another way to implement his plan. He gifted seven of them to the Dwarven lords and nine to great kings of Men. Sauron knew Men were the race most easily corrupted, so unsurprisingly to him, those nine kings were completely bent to his will over time. They became the Nazgûl, the ring-wraiths that were bound to his life force and totally subservient. The rings did not corrupt

5 4 the Dwarves to Sauron s will, but did corrupt their hearts as they became even more greedy and hungry for golden treasures. Sauron then rebuilt his strength in the fortress of Barad-dûr and waited for the right time to strike once again. After a brief stint in Númenor that ended badly and left him without a body (which shall be discussed later), Sauron spent hundreds of years biding his time to rebuild once again. His armies had grown and his fortresses have been built higher, but Sauron himself lost the ability to take any fair form like the one he used when he deceived the Elves as Annatar. Now, his form must reflect his intentions: dark, ominous, and evil. After spending centuries building up and letting the civilizations of Middle-earth settle into a false sense of security, Sauron, standing tall in ornately twisted armor, knows the time to reassert himself has come. 2: Sauron watching his armies as they march from Mordor Now, in the Year 3429 of the Second Age, the armies of Mordor have emerged and attacked one of the key fortresses of Gondor, a fairly new realm founded by Númenóreans who settled in Middle-earth. By seizing this fortress, Minas Ithil, Sauron has initiated a new war, and this time, none will stop him. As his armies, further powered by the dark magic of the One Ring, wreak havoc and destruction upon the lands in the east, the leaders of the free realms of Men and Elves in Middle-earth have decided to meet at the great watchtower of Amon Sûl in order to deliberate the options ahead of them. After seizing Minas Ithil, Sauron has mysteriously halted his main advance, but the stakes are higher than they have ever been for those who do not wish to be under Mordor s subjugation. If this council does not act swiftly, then they could all soon be either dead or eternal servants of the Dark Lord. The Realms of the Eldar The Eldar, known more commonly as the Elves, are the wisest and fairest of beings in Middle-earth and have a long history in this world. There are a few prominent clans currently residing in the world and they are the Ñoldor, the Sindar, and the Silvan. The Ñoldor is an old clan that has been present in Middle-earth since the First Age. Ñoldorin legends are the great rulers who fought Sauron s master, Melkor (also known as Morgoth) during his reign of terror and they have long been wary of Sauron s power in the East. Gil-galad is the High King of the Ñoldor and resides in Lindon, a realm on the western coast of Middle-earth, and oversees many of the Ñoldor settlements including Imladris (Rivendell) and Eregion when it existed. Since the

6 5 first war with Sauron, the Ñoldor have established a good relationship with the Númenórean settlements in Middle-earth led by King Elendil. Much of the Elven strength in Middle-earth owes itself to the fact that the Ñoldor have prospered for thousands of years both economically and militarily. The realm of Lothlórien further to the east was originally founded by the Silvan clan, but by the Second Age, Sindarin elves were the primary population of the kingdom and it was ruled by a Sindarin elf, Amdír. A powerful magic lies over the forest of Lorien and it remains well hidden from the evil eyes of Sauron. The Silvan elves are known to be less interested in seeking the finer arts and knowledge that other Elven clans have sought, but they are gifted frontiersman warriors despite not being as advanced or well-equipped as the Ñoldorin armies. They are commonly referred to as Wood elves and Silvan elves populate the Woodland Realm in the forest of Mirkwood. The Woodland Realm was actually founded by members of the Sindar clan who did not want to be under the control of the Ñoldor. Their lord, Oropher, founded the kingdom and life has prospered with the Silvan elves in that forest who helped the Sindar find a simpler way of life. These Silvan elves are the dominant demographic in Mirkwood and they like to keep to themselves for the most part. They do not care to interact with others, and certainly not those of other races. Neither the elves of Mirkwood nor Lorien are excited about the idea of yielding authority to the Ñoldor. The Men of the West Corrupting the race of Men has long been a goal of Sauron s, and while he has succeeded in enthralling some, the Men of the West who live in the kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor are not so easily conquered. These are young kingdoms in the history of Middle-earth and were founded by the High King Elendil after he and his followers fled Númenor before its destruction. Númenor was once an island of great culture and prominence off the southwestern coast of Middle-earth. The collapse of the civilization was a cataclysmic event that wiped out the entire island, and it was in fact, spurred on by Sauron. During the years after his defeat in his war to reclaim the rings, Sauron turned his attention to conquering the race of Men. In an attempt to counter such a threat, a rather arrogant Númenórean king named Ar-Pharazôn, who marched to the Black Gate of Mordor and demanded that Sauron surrendered and bent the knee. Sauron was not in the 4: The Downfall of Númenor 3: Lothlórien mood for a fight just yet and actually saw an opportunity in

7 6 this. He presented himself in the guise of a pleasing figure, agreed to swear his fealty to Ar- Pharazôn, and went with him back to Númenor. There, he went from being a political prisoner to one of the king s most cherished counselors. Sauron was finally able to sicken Númenor and corrupt it so that they may do his will. King Ar-Pharazôn s lust for power grew and Sauron convinced him to sail a massive fleet and attack Valinor, the Undying Lands and sacred havens of the Valar. Ar-Pharazôn s blind greed angered the Valar, and the gods sent a giant wave to obliterate Númenor. Despite losing his body, Sauron s spirit escaped to Mordor to recuperate once again and take physical form. Some escaped the Downfall of Númenor, but many were not so lucky. The ones that were not corrupted by Sauron were called the Faithful and were led by Elendil to found the kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor. His two sons, Isildur and Anárion, ruled Gondor in the south, while Elendil resided in Arnor, despite ruling both kingdoms in name. Drawing on the past when Númenóreans came to the aid of the Ñoldor, Elendil and Gil-galad have friendly relations. In order to easily communicate and manage their realms together, Arnor and Gondor spoke using magical orbs known as the Palantíri. These remnants of Númenórean magic are extremely powerful and each palantír has a direct line to the other six. With the loss of Minas Ithil, Gondor is the most uneasy about Sauron s reach. Osgiliath, the Gondorian capital, is now on the frontline and if another massive attack comes, its defenses are not likely to hold. Uneasiness breeds desperation and desperation can cause even the greatest of men to do horrible deeds. And of course, Sauron knows that Men are the most easily corrupted The Dwarves 5: A palantír The Dwarves are a tough race to deal with after the Rings of Power inflicted the corruption of greed upon them. Long ago, the dwarves of Khazad-dûm (known also as Moria) had friendly relations with the elves of Eregion. They were on trading terms and both prospered. However, once Sauron came to destroy Eregion for resisting him, the dwarves of Moria closed their gates and locked themselves deep within their mines where they knew they could resist the war around them. Once the effect of the Rings of Power took hold, nothing could convince them that opening up to the outside world or helping anyone would be worth their while. The Dwarves are as obstinate as any race could be and it will be hard to come to any sort of compromise with them now. 6: The Mines of Moria

8 7 King Durin IV is in charge of Khazad-dûm now and he has inherited much his father s stubbornness and all of his wealth. That being said, they could prove to be necessary in order to secure the various fronts as Sauron looks to push out and conquer Middle-earth once more. The Northern Front The front to the north is open thanks to the Dwarves reclusiveness. When they locked themselves away in Moria, a large contingent of Orcs captured a Dwarven holding called Mount Gundabad. Gundabad holds significant weight as the origin point of the line of Duren, but the Dwarves have so far been unwilling to make any attempt to reclaim it. It sits at the top of the Misty Mountains and is the gateway to mysterious lands that are believed to be a home to dark magic and evil threats to Arnor and the Elven realms west of the Misty Mountains. The danger of what may lurk beyond is reason enough to find a way to secure that front. The Eastern Front Sauron s dominion, Mordor, is the greatest threat in the East. Beyond his gates and the jagged mountains, armies of hundreds of thousands of orcs and trolls patrol the desolate landscape and garrison the Black Gate and the fortress of Barad-dûr. Sauron has already seized Minas Ithil, one of the great Gondorian cities on the border of Mordor and Ithilien, so Mordor is obviously Gondor s highest concern. Fear of exposing Minas Anor and Osgiliath to capture makes Gondor wary of their war strategy and fearful that Sauron could launch another massive attack to strike at their strongholds. Apart from Mordor, the men of Rhûn serve the Dark Lord. Armies of Easterlings are massing and can attack from the northeast, which remains largely unguarded despite the presence of the Woodland realm. The Northmen of the Rhovanion are a noble people and are Men who have not fallen under the shadow of Sauron s influence. If rallied to a position of strength, these men could unite and form a strong buffer against attacks from this front. This is why Alrion, a great warrior and leader of these settlements, has been selected and sent to be a part of this council. Convincing him and his people to form a defensive line with the Woodland Realm could prove decisive in this region. The Southern Front 7: Mount Gundabad Not all of the men who escaped the destruction of Númenor were as unimpeachable as those who fled with Elendil. Some were those who had fallen for Sauron s tricks and continue to seek his power. Landing at Umbar, these men, known as Black Númenóreans, still serve Sauron and have enough forces to threaten the safety of Gondor and support Sauron s attacks further west. They combine the military fortitude of Númenor with the dark arts of Mordor and are fierce commanders and strategists. Furthermore, the Haradrim (Southrons) are a collection of indigenous tribes of men who occupy the area surrounding Umbar. Like the Easterlings of Rhûn,

9 8 they have long been under the influence of Sauron, but are not as cohesively organized as the Black Númenóreans. They do however have substantial military power in the form of giant Mûmakil, gargantuan war elephants mounted with towers loaded with skilled Harad archers. Protecting the southern flank is extremely important to the Gondorians because they are the eventuality of a combined attack from the East and the South could totally overwhelm their defenses. There are men who dwell in the White Mountains near Dunharrow that could prove vital in protecting Gondor s weak underbelly. 8: The Corsair Fleet Overall Committee Objectives Determine whether the parties involved in the council can form an alliance Broker agreements with various free peoples of Middle-earth not present at the council Find suitable solutions to counter the threats on the Northern, Eastern, and Southern Fronts Figure out why Sauron has mysteriously halted his advance west for the time being Either catch Sauron s armies in the field or push them back into Mordor End Sauron s threat once and for all by whatever means necessary Establish peace in Middle-earth Important Locations Lindon Capital of the Ñoldor. Osgiliath Capital of Gondor Minas Anor Stronghold of Anárion in Gondor Minas Ithil Former home of Isildur, now in the hands of Sauron s forces Amon Sûl Outpost Fortress on the Great East Road and the initial location of the council meeting 9: Minas Anor Annúminas Capital of Arnor and Seat of Elendil s Power Khazad-dûm (Moria) Dwarven stronghold in Misty Mountains Mount Gundabad Formerly a fortress under Dwarven control at the northernmost point of the Misty Mountains, now in the hands of Orcs

10 9 Orodruin (Mount Doom) The fiery volcano in the heart of Mordor where Sauron forged his ring. Barad-dûr Sauron s great fortress deep within Mordor The Black Gate A massive gate at the northwestern tip of Mordor Lothlórien A magical Elven realm within the forest of Lorien. Powerful magic protects it from evil. Amon Lanc The capital fortress of the Woodland Realm in Mirkwood Imladris (Rivendell) A peaceful and hidden Elven sanctuary under the lordship of Elrond Esgaroth A great lake on the northeastern side of Mirkwood surrounded by a giant solitary mountain and hills with great defensive potential. 10: Mount Doom and the Fortress of Barad-dûr Umbar A Númenórean 11: Imladris (Rivendell) settlement that is now home to Black Númenóreans to the south of Gondor and Mordor. An Umbaran Corsair fleet remains there that could threaten Gondorian territories. The Grey Havens The docks on the western coast of Middle-earth that lead to Valinor, the Undying Lands 12: The Grey Havens

11 10 Committee Members 1. Elendil As the High King of Gondor and Arnor, Elendil is the pinnacle of honor and leadership for the Men in the West. He believes his relationship with Gil-galad is strong enough to at least ensure an alliance with the Ñoldor, but is unsure if that will be enough to defend Gondor, the kingdom ruled by his sons, from Sauron s armies. He is equally concerned about what lies to the north of Arnor and is wary of the darkness growing beyond Mount Gundabad. He is a highly-skilled warrior and military strategist and with the great sword Narsil at his side, he believes he can lead his people to victory. 2. Gil-galad Gil-galad is the High King of the Ñoldor and one of the most powerful and influential Elves in Middle-earth. He has overcome much in his life, but is especially eager now to find a way to rid the world of Sauron s diabolical menace. He has faith in Men, but must use his influence and Ñoldorin military superiority to bring the other Elven kingdoms into a possible alliance. Gil-galad is taking it upon himself to impress to the others that they must unite to defeat Sauron. He knows that his armies are ready to lead the line and is eager to make the orcs in Sauron s host fear his mighty spear Aeglos once again. 3. Galadriel Galadriel is the most highly respected elf in Middle-Earth and was formerly a prominent leader in the realm of Eregion. She escaped Eregion with her husband, Celeborn, and has since lived in Lothlórien and provided Amdír with counsel when he has asked for it. Galadriel was one of the very few Elves who did not fall for Annatar s deception and now rues the fact that her former home paid the price. She is also looking for a way to put a final stop to Sauron s presence in this world and may take matters into her own hands if the other councilors cannot come to an appropriate decision. 4. Oropher As King of the Woodland Realm, Oropher commands a substantial piece of Elven territory and could be vital in working to establish counters to the threats in the North and the East. However, the degree to which the Woodland s Realm will contribute to the war effort is what has been in dispute at Amon Lanc. Oropher s overall reluctance to yield any power to Gilgalad is a major hindrance to ensuring his total commitment to the cause. Still, he remembers the fate of Eregion and is becoming more convinced that Sauron still has the ability to wipe any one kingdom off the map. That said, thanks to Taulion s influence, he is also convinced that the Woodland Realm has better natural defenses than Eregion had. Even though he is somewhat of

12 11 two minds when it comes to what he should do, he is at least willing to accept that he has to help in order to receive any aid in return. 5. Isildur Isildur is Elendil s eldest son and the Joint-Ruler of Gondor with his brother. Isildur only narrowly escaped his former stronghold, Minas Ithil, when Sauron s forces attacked it and initiated the war. Feeling somewhat disgraced at having ceded his home to the enemy, Isildur feels he has a point to prove and is eager to retake his fortress and further protect Gondor. He knows that Gondor is the first firewall against Sauron s main advance, so he is extremely blunt when dealing with those who do not have such an imminent threat on their doorstep. He adamant in finding any option available that will help protect Gondorian borders. 6. Elrond Lord Elrond is one of Gil-galad s most trusted friends and allies and the founder of Imladris, otherwise known as Rivendell or the Hidden Valley. Elrond witnessed Sauron s wrath during the fall of Eregion and when Imladris itself was under siege. He fears what could happen if the Men and Elves in the west are not ready when Sauron s armies reach this part of Middleearth again. It is not something he is willing to risk and will use whatever influence he has and serve whatever role necessary to make sure Sauron faces a unified front. 7. Celeborn Like his wife, Celeborn is widely respected and has the reputation of a great warrior amongst the Elves. He has already faced down Sauron s armies in the attempt to defend his former home, Eregion, and is willing to do the same now that Sauron has once again clearly stated his intention to conquer or destroy Celeborn s kin. Celeborn wants to rally as many to the cause as possible, but remains extremely distrustful of the Dwarves. He knows many share this sentiment, but are less vocal about it, so he knows he may have to speak for them. 8. Thranduil Thranduil has an immense personal pride and takes his honor very seriously. He is the son of Oropher and heir to the Woodland Realm and wants to make sure his father allows his kingdom to make a good account of itself in this council meeting. Thranduil is enthusiastic about committing as much of the Woodland military as possible and wants to show the Ñoldor that they are not the only Elven clan able to stand toe to toe with an army of orcs. He is aware that the Woodland Realm does not have the same diversity and quality of weapons and armor that the Ñoldor do, but he is ready to command them with all the pride and ability he can muster. 9. Amdír As the King of Lothlórien, Amdír believes that his people are safe from the darkness of Mordor thanks to mysterious magic that is helping conceal the forest under his dominion. Yet, he is not opposed to helping the others repel Sauron s threat. He wants to show that the soldiers

13 12 of Lorien are capable of exerting military might. Furthermore, he wants to make a show of gratitude to Celeborn and Galadriel for their many years of counsel, so he is more than willing to help avenge the fall of Eregion. He wishes to maintain his autonomy from Gil-galad and is not enthusiastic about serving under the Ñoldor in any fashion. 10. Círdan Círdan is a renowned shipwright and the most trusted lieutenant to Gil-galad. He is the Lord of the Grey Havens, the ports established by the first Elves in the history of Middleearth. These ports are of vital significance to the Elves because it is the location from where they embark for Valinor, the Undying Lands and holy place of immortality when they wish to leave Middle-earth. It is a place Sauron is unable to go, and many are aware that it is the back door by which the Elves can escape his wrath. Círdan is not ready to let his people abandon the other races of Middle-earth and will not allow any talk of a mass exodus. Círdan is considered one of the wisest voices in any room and was one of the few to argue against the forging of the Rings of Power. Now, he will work with all his strength to ensure Sauron s defeat and make Middle-earth a safe place for those who live here. 11. Anárion As Elendil s youngest son, Anárion knows he does not have the title of High King of Gondor and Arnor in his future, but will proudly continue to serve with his brother as the Joint-Ruler of Gondor. His stronghold is a great city called Minas Anor which remains, with Osgiliath, the only Gondorian strongholds of note that could put up a fight against Sauron s armies. In fact, Anárion is not present at the council because he was adamant that one of Gondor s rulers should remain there to lead the defense of the kingdom. He is communicating to the other council members through a palantír from Minas Anor to Amon Sûl. Of the council members, he is the most in favor of enlisting the aid of the Dwarves of Moria. 12. Amroth Amroth is not an elf made for war-time. He is the son and heir of Amdír and would make a fine ruler for Lothlórien, but he is untested in battle and prefers to study the finer arts of crafts and sailing. While he is by no means a gifted tactician or warrior, his input usually helps those around him remember what exactly it is that they are fighting to protect: the ability to live freely, love freely, and express your culture in peace. Amroth s honest and calm demeanor makes him a great candidate for any ambassadorial or peace-making role should the opportunity arrive for him to put his skills to good use. 13. Halbar As the representative of the Dúnedain Rangers who patrol the lands of Arnor, Halbar is constantly seeking resolutions to issues that threaten the safety of his homeland. Halbar

14 13 has traveled beyond the mountains in the north and brought back tales of goblins, monsters, and worse. Few believed him, and while they laughed at his stories, they still respected him as one of the best rangers in the realm. While unsure whether or not to fully believe him, Elendil is wary enough of the dark threat beyond Arnor s northern border and has asked him to be a part of this council and help the others assess the importance of strengthening that front. 14. Damril Damril is the Captain of the Ithilien Rangers who patrol the forest of Ithilien between Gondor and Mordor. He also called Minas Ithil home, but was out on a ranging mission when Sauron attacked. His wife and child were slaughtered by the orcs and he now finds himself with a newfound fervor to avenge them. He has traveled with Isildur to the council meeting and receives reports of enemy movements in the eastern theater. Damril has instructed his rangers to continue to patrol Ithilien, so Osgiliath can be warned of any incoming attack and eliminate as many soft targets as they can. 15. Alrion Alrion is considered the most noble and bravest of the Men living in the land known as Rhovanion. The settlements here are scattered and primitive when compared to Elendil s kingdoms, but they are numerous and if consolidated, could prove to be a worthy adversary to Sauron. Alrion has come to this council to hear what proposals the others have concerning the future and the role of the Men in Rhovanion. He is wary to not be used as an easily expendable tool to these great lords and wants to make sure his brethren are treated fairly. Alrion is aware that the lands around Esgaroth are an ideal spot to make a stronghold, but is concerned that his people would not be able to fortify them without aid and weaponry. 16. Erestor As one of the more prominent elves from Imladris, Erestor is Elrond s chief advisor in the council. Erestor was badly wounded when Sauron laid siege to Imladris long ago, and has never forgotten the great loss inflicted upon his people during that war. After witnessing the power of Sauron s Ring, Erestor thinks the council should fight fire with fire. Long ago, three Rings of Power were crafted by Celebrimbor alone and were the most powerful of the nineteen created. Of course, all know their history and are aware that those three were successfully hidden from Sauron. Erestor suspects that the some of the powerful individuals here are hiding them and unwilling to unleash their power upon Sauron s armies. And he believes that is a mistake that they may not live to regret. 17. Aramir Aramir is one of Elendil s most trusted advisors and is at the meeting in Amon Sûl to persuade the councilors and his king that the nightmares of the north of Arnor are just that:

15 14 bad dreams that keep children up at night. Diverting resources to that part of the map would be detrimental to the war against Sauron, and Aramir believes the rumors of darkness in the North are just sorcerer s tricks Sauron is playing on them all to distract them from his main advance. Of all the council members, he is the biggest advocate of gathering everyone s forces and beginning an immediate, direct march on Mordor while they still have time. If Sauron thinks he can surprise everyone with the capture of Minas Ithil, then perhaps he can be surprised in return when he learns hundreds of thousands of soldiers have broken through the Black Gate. 18. Khaladân The presence of a Southron was not something everyone was on board with, but Damril and Anárion have vouched for Khaladân s integrity. As a Haradrim defector, he comes to the council with knowledge of Haradrim battle tactics and army specifications. Yet, he is no simple soldier who ran away from the life of a pawn Khaladân is the son of Suladân, a wellknown general in the Far East and the supreme commander of the Haradrim armies. His lineage is not to be ignored, and perhaps could be advantageous to the war effort. To avoid the shaming of his line, Suladân has only informed his closest advisors of his son s treachery. If Suladân and his inner circle can be removed from the picture and Khaladân installed as the heir apparent to the command of the armies of Harad, then Sauron could lose one of his hordes and Khaladân could lead an offensive front from the South. The only problem is that Suladân is constantly trying to find ways to have his son killed for betraying Harad. 19. Baranor Baranor is the Lord Captain of Isildur s Guard and fought in the defense of Minas Ithil before it had to be abandoned. He is responsible for rescuing the palantír in Minas Ithil and keeping it out of the hands of Sauron s minions. Because these magical seeing stones are all connected to one another, if one was captured by a listening enemy, then any secrets and plans discussed in proximity to any of the other stones would be forfeited. Despite his loyalty to Isildur, Baranor is not convinced that retaking Minas Ithil is the best idea for the immediate future. He urges that his lord is more cautious and looks to fortify Osgiliath before launching any attacks that would likely fail without adequate planning. Yet either way, Baranor will lay down his life to protect Isildur on whichever battlefield necessary. 20. Taulion Taulion is a truly reluctant member of this council. She is Oropher s chief counselor and while others find her terribly disagreeable, Oropher has taken a liking to her blunt opinions and points of view (and perhaps other things, as it is suspected that the two may be lovers. But that is just unsubstantiated rumor). As far as Taulion is concerned, the might of

16 15 Sauron is hardly as dangerous as it all sounds and is convinced that the natural defenses of the Woodland Realm can keep her people safe. Why risk everything for everyone else when your home is all you need? Taulion s isolationist tendencies are frowned upon by the other council members, but of anyone in Middle-earth, she is the elf Oropher trusts the most and has far more sway over the king than his son, Thranduil, does. If there is to be an alliance that includes the Woodland Realm, then Oropher may need to be pried from Taulion s influential grip. Time and Continuity Time can get a little wonky in committees like these, especially when we are dealing with characters where the vast majority of them are immortal and those who aren t at least have extremely long lifespans. I will always look to keep time linear and simple, but don t be surprised and shocked if a few decades jump during the conference. For the characters in our committee, it would really feel like a few months. Continuity could get a little experimental because of how adaptations have been inspired by Tolkien s original literature. Peter Jackson s movies have taken liberties with the world and so have popular video games like Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. For this guide, I used literature as my first resource, so I could lock in as much tangible information as possible. As committee progresses, we can start having a little more fun by blending continuities and taking ideas from different adaptations to really build a unique Middle-earth experience! Position Papers Many delegates at various conferences in my experience have seemed to find it hard to nail down the Crisis position paper. Sometimes they seem irrelevant because the nature of Crisis means the notions you had before the committee could totally change by the time we hit a lunch break. So, are they irrelevant? Not in the slightest! Your position papers are what get your ideas going and help you set targets and goals before you get to conference. Are those targets and goals allowed to change? Absolutely! You are not bound to what you propose in your position paper when in a Crisis committee, because the whole idea is to help train you to adapt. So, how does one go about crafting a top-notch Crisis position paper? When I take a look at yours, I want to see that you follow this formula. By the way, it is a formula that you should stick to for all Crisis committees you attend! Paragraph 1 Describe the situation at hand. This is where your general research on the committee topics comes into play. This is where the background guide is your best friend. I have had delegates write position papers where they don t even reference the topics in the guide, and that is an inexplicable thing when the very first step of your research is to read the background guide! So, in this paragraph, talk about the issues the committee is facing and other general information to show us that you know where we are and what we re trying to accomplish.

17 16 Paragraph 2 Who are you? This is where your research about personal character information comes off the bench to get some game time. Tell us who you are, what role you play, what your connections are to the surrounding world, and anything else that is relevant to what you ve learned about your character. This is where we make sure you understand how you fit into the committee. Paragraph 3 Now, what are you going to do about all of this? This is where you combine the knowledge in the first paragraph with that of the second paragraph and start making proposals for the committee that come from your character s unique perspective. In this paragraph, you need to be an Ideas Machine. Who should we be making deals with? Where should we station armies? What should we attack? What should we defend? What should we do once we win? This is where you get to show off as an informed delegate. There we go, Crisis position papers need not be any more complex than that! One final note when writing Crisis position papers always, always, ALWAYS write in 1 st person. We do not want a report or an essay about what is going on. We want a personalized proposal that shows you are already in your role-playing mindset. Model UN is all about assuming the part of someone that has their own ideas/goals/motivations. Crisis takes it a step further and immerses you even deeper where you have to become a unique person, not just a delegation. Writing your position paper by jumping head first into the 1 st person, role-playing mentality gets you into the game early and will help you formulate the right kind of thoughts. Committee Procedural Notes As anyone familiar with Crisis will know, this committee will largely be conducted through moderated caucuses. This will help keep debate fluid and spread ideas as quickly as possible. Once the committee feels it is in a good place to start writing Directives, then it can motion for unmoderated caucuses in order to get things written. At any time, delegates can send their personal Action Orders to Crisis, which are actions you can personally take unilaterally based on your Portfolio Powers (abilities that are unique to your character). These will be defined closer to conference, but will be open-ended enough to let you take initiative and be creative. Contrary to what may be the popular perception of Crisis committees, I am going to encourage all of you to not be as rapid-fire with directives as you may have previously been in other committees. I would prefer that I don t receive *five* directives in an hour that accomplish similar things when the committee can make *one* bigger and better thought-out directive that accomplishes a lot. Even though we like to have fast-paced crises where the haste of your reactions matter, I really want you guys to discuss and debate properly and get lots of ideas on the table. To help accomplish this, every directive will need 7 sponsors and will require 3/4ths of the committee s approval for it to pass. I m hoping this will help encourage as many ideas and points of view as possible, so two or three delegates aren t just running the whole show. If we need to up the pace, then we always have that option, but I would like everyone to come in to prepare for substantial and meaningful discussion and deliberation. Furthermore, there will be some degree of super delegates in the committee. These delegates are Elendil, Gil-galad, Amdír, and Oropher. As the kings of their realms, no piece of a

18 17 committee directive that directly pertains to their kingdoms can go into effect without their approval. For example, if 3/4ths of the committee agrees that a detachment of elves from Lothlórien should lead an attack against an Orc camp, but Amdír does not agree to it, then that will not happen. These rulers need to be convinced by the committee to agree, otherwise, another way will have to be found. Research Suggestions There are a few good places to look when it comes to researching this committee. Honestly, the Lord of the Rings/Hobbit movies are not the best place, so sorry if you were hoping to have a binge session. Well, you can anyways, but know that it won t be too useful. The first five minutes of The Fellowship of the Ring can help you see how the War of the Last Alliance ended, but it s all quite condensed and not entirely representative of what we re going to be doing in our room. The sources that informed this background guide the most were the literary ones. The Silmarillion, the appendices at the end of The Return of the King novel, the Tolkien Gateway website, and One Wiki to Rule Them All (the Tolkien wikia page) were the most useful resources and that is where I would point you to conduct your own research as well. Like I said earlier, there isn t too much information on the Second Age, so find what you can, do some exploring, and come in with some fun ideas. Again, if you need any help/assistance or have any questions, please me at nicky@ctmun.org and I will be happy to help point you in the right directions. No question is a dumb question as long as it pertains to preparing for our committee or your character (place in the world and committee, portfolio powers, etc.). Hope you all enjoy preparing for this committee as much as I am and I m sure that if we are diligent, we can all celebrate at the end once we beat Sauron and bring peace to Middle-earth.