Rangers of Ithilien
From t2twiki
The founding charter for the Rangers of Ithilien guild
Background: The Annals of Kings and Rulers states that at the height of their power at the end of the second millennia of the third age, the Kings of Gondor ruled an area that included lands east as far as the Lake of Rhun. Throughout the third age Gondor suffered wave after wave of invasions by Easterlings, Haradrim, Wainriders, Southrons, Orcs and foul creatures of Mordor, crumbling the boundaries of the kingdom. By the 26th century Ithilien was the eastern most region of Gondor, a land plagued by orcs, watched over by the ruin of Osgiliath.
During the Stewardship of Turin II the enemies of Gondor began to stir once more, as Sauron, safe in his stronghold of Dol Guldur, sent emissaries to the Haradrim and incited attacks upon the southern borders of the Kingdom. Uruks of Mordor attacked Ithilien, driving out all but the most determined inhabitants. In this atmosphere of terror, Turin II created the Rangers of Ithilien to repel attacks on that land and ordered secret refuges to be created, of which Henneth Annun was the first. Charged with watching the movements of the enemies of Gondor, Rangers explored as far east as Rhun and north into the depths of Mirkwood.
When Sauron was expelled from Dol Guldur in the year 2941 and dark and evil things began to crawl the slopes around Mordor with ever-increasing frequency, the Rangers strengthened their numbers in Ithilien. They were among the first to know when, a decade later, the Enemy returned to the Dark Land and began to rebuild the Barad-dur. When Mount Doom again erupted into flame and the last inhabitants fled Ithilien, the guild of the Rangers of Ithilien was established in the second of the secret refuges, the Torech Neliath*, to give the Rangers a permanent presence in the land that was sure to become a front line of battle.
Present day:
A unit of the Rangers of Ithilien, the guild served as a deep cover guerrilla force in Ithilien. Unlike the majority of Faramir's men, who only crossed the Anduin to carry out specific attacks and surveillance, guild members lived within a secret base in Ithilien, maintaining a constant watch over enemy movements and harrying the Enemy at every opportunity.
As the shadow spread westwards from Mordor and Faramir's men mounted a last defence of Cair Andros and the fords at Osgiliath, the guild was to serve as the rear guard for the final evacuation to Minas Tirith. The sheer force with which Sauron's forces engulfed the crossings of the Anduin and the hurried retreat to the Causeway Forts in the Rammas meant that the guild was in fact left behind, stranded in a sea of enemies.
With a retreat to the safety of Minas Tirith no longer possible, it was decided that guild members would remain in Ithilien, ambushing the Enemy at every opportunity and hopefully serving as the vanguard for the liberation of that land.
All links with the command structure in Minas Tirith have been severed by the siege of that city. The Guildmaster has taken the heavy burden of command. Members continue to honor the order of the Steward: to slay all those who walk in Ithilien without the leave of the Lord of Gondor.
Role within the Two Towers:
The guild will serve as an offensive force against the Enemy, fighting to liberate Ithilien and Gondor from the occupying forces. Actions against the evil races, both non-player characters and players, will not be limited to those areas; the guild seeks to weaken the Enemy wherever it may be, including within the land of Mordor.
The guild will also serve as the first line of defence against evil races seeking to invade Gondor from the South.
