The Nazgul, Dark Riders, Ring Wraiths
1. Witchking
In origin,a prince of the Royal house of Numenor in the Second-age, the Witch-king was seduced by the power of the nine rings and fell thrall to Sauron, as the price paid for that terrible gift. The Witch-king became the greatest of the Nazgul and second only in power to the Dark-lord himself. During Sauron's final attempt to become Lord of Middle-earth during the Third age, the Witch-king played a vital role in his master's designs. As a plan to subvert and finally destroy the Northern realm of Arnor, the Witch-king established himself in the north of Eriador in the barren land of Angmar, where he gathered his power and sent out spies. His evil machinations were largely responsible for the fragmentation of Arnor into three successor kingdoms each of which was confronted and finally destroyed by the power of Angmar. During the War of the Ring, the Witch-king led the Dark host to battle at the Pelennor fields and perished there at the hands of Eowyn Dernhelm with some help from Merry.
Chief of all the servants of Sauron, the Witch-king was, in origin, one of the black Numenoreans who the Dark-lord seduced to his own service by the gift of one of the Nine rings. The rings conferred great power upon their wearers but also subjugated them forever to the will of Sauron. As well as his great talents in sorcery the Witch-king was Sauron's ablest military commander. He founded the Northern Kingdom of Angmar and was the architect of both Arthedain's and Cardolan's destruction. He also successfully wrestled from the Southern kingdom of Gondor the great citadel of Minas Ithil.
2. Khamul the Easterling
He served the Dark-lord at the tower of Barad-dur during the Second-age and with his master, perished after the battle of Gorgoroth. At the end of the first millenium of the Third-age, Khamul re-appeared with Sauron at the tower of Dol-Guldur,and dwelt there with him while Sauron's power grew in secret. After the Dark-lord's return to Mordor, the Nazgul Lieutenant Khamul and Adunaphel returned to Dol-guldur, where they were to hold in check the power of Lorien. When the final war broke out the nazgul lieutenant Khamul was sent out to search for the Shire, and if possible to locate the One Ring.
Khamul and other of the Nazgul tracked the Halflings through the Shire but lost their track as the latter departed through Buckland. Khamul's origins are veiled in mystery save that he was of one of the races from beyond Rhun in the furthest east of Middle-earth. Like all the ring-wraiths he was bound to Sauron by one of the nine rings of power and his fate was thus tied to that of his master. So when Sauron went into the shadow at the end of the Second-age, Khamul also disappeared from Middle-earth re-appearing with his master after a millennium of the Third-age.
3. Adunaphel
After the great plague ravaged Eriador in the mid Third-age, Gondor's watch on Mordor became less vigilant and Sauron sent Adunaphel to the black land to prepare for his eventual return. Adunaphel dwelt secretly in Nurn until the arrival of the Witch-king; whose coming heralded the Nazguls' assault on the tower of Minas Ithil. Its fall signified the end of Gondor's hold on the dark land. After Sauron's return to Barad-dur, Adunaphel was commanded to make fast the ancient stronghold of Dol guldur on the eves of Mirkwood, and later after the outbreak of the War of the Ring was involved with the other Nazgul in attempting to recapture the One Ring.
4. Akhorahil
5. Dwaw of Waw
6. Hoarmurath
7. Indur Dawndeath
Indur Dawndeath was born in the Second-age in the far south of Middle-earth, where he ruled his tropical kingdom despite the growing threat of Numenorean power. After being ousted from his throne he fled to Mumakan and sought refuge with the agents of the Dark-lord who resided there. Here he was offered one of the nine rings of Sauron, and all its accompanying power. He accepted and although, with its power, he re-eastablished himself over both Mumakan and his previous realms Indur was now thrall the the will of the Dark-lord. He accompanied Sauron to Mordor at the end of the Second-age and fought for him at the war of the Last alliance. Here Sauron was overthrown and his nine servants vanished also from the face of the earth. When the Dark-lord began to re-emerge during the Third-age, the Nine re-appeared also, as terrible beings of shadow and invisibility, and bound even more completely to the will of their lord. Indur the wraith ruled Mumakan once more and held the land in fief to his master. During the war of the Ring, he led the Mumakil assault on the Gondorian citadel of Minas Tirith.
8. Ren the Unclean
9. Uvatha the Horseman
Originally a Variag from Khand, Uvatha was, like all his people, a great horseman. He fought in civil war in his native Khand and eventually united all the tribes under his own rule.He accepted the gift of the ring of power shortly after achieving this. The Variags were useful allies to the Dark-lord protecting his eastern and south-eastern borders and were later to prove a valuable addition to the armies of Mordor, their fearsome and bloodthirsty reputation alone striking terror into the hearts of many of their enemies. When Sauron fell at the end of the Second-age Uvatha also passed into the shadow, but re-appeared along with the Dark-lord after a thousand years or so. He re-established his rule of Khand and expanded his kingdom into northern Harad. He took part in the Nazgul attack on Minas Ithil, and re-occupied the tower of Sorcery when Sauron had moved to Mordor. He was sent by Sauron to seek the One ring and along with others of the Nine caught up with the Hobbits at the ford of the Bruinen. He perished later, after the battle of the Morannon, when the One ring slipped into the Crack of Doom on Orodruin.
10. Ringwraith
In origin all the nine Nazgul were once great and powerful Lords, ruling many lands in Middle-earth. Each had accepted a ring of power from Sauron: a ring which imbued its wearers with sorcerous abilities and great longevity. Each had used their rings to enhance and expand their kingdoms to even greater limits. But the power of the rings was bought at a terrible price. For the same ring that imbued its wearer with power and life also increasingly subjected his will to that of the Dark-lord, until after many years the Nine were but cyphers in which the Dark-lord could act out his own wishes. When Sauron perished at the end of the Second-age, the nine, so closely bound up to him, perished also. When the Dark-lord re-emerged from the shadow in the Third-age, the nine re-appeared also. What lingering mortal qualities they may have still possessed before the destruction were now entirely gone, and they now appeared as the terrible shadow beings, famous in the Third-age as the Ringwraiths.
Note: I have no connections to J.R.R. Tolkien, New Line Cinema or the books. I am just a fan. Thank you.
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