Thieves of Tharbad module

Princess Nirnadel   M32 : Princess NIRNADEL™

The last king of Cardolan went to his death in battle with Angmar on the Barrow-Downs in the year 1409 of the Third Age. His death was one of the blows that finally destroyed the North Kingdom. Many of Cardolan’s knights and hiratar (barons) fell alongside their king in that final bloody rout.
The king’s death left but one heir, his daughter, Nirnadel.
Nirnadel, then dwelling in Tharbad, and barely old enough for the task, was crowned queen, and all expected her to fail. Nirnadel ruled over the fractious feudal realm of Cardolan for three tumultuous years. She had to balance the demands of envoys from Arthedain and Gondor, and fend off the plots and intrigues of the Witch King and his minions. She ruled over a land filled with ambitious and often hostile barons. It was a land bloodied and wounded by the disaster on the Barrow Downs. Despite this, Nirnadel proved to be a worthy ruler – honest, generous, intelligent and wise. She ruled as a Prince of the Dunedain should, and it made her many enemies – and many admirers through the north.
History records that Nirnadel and his regent, Nimhir, were slain in the winter of 1412, after a reign marked by feudal quarels, courtly intrigue and many assassination attempts. Her death marked the true end of Cardolan, though many princes would name themselves king of Cardolan in the following centuries. Tradition holds that her body was laid in a boat and sent down the Greyflood River out into the eternal sea. But since then, rumours and songs have claimed that she did not die in the assassination attempt and instead was spirited out of Tharbad by adventurers in the service of Elrond of Rivendell; the songs say that she was adopted by the House of Foros in Arthedain and lived a long life. She had several children, the songs say, and her grand-daughter married Argeleb II of Gondor. The truth of this, as in many things about the wars of Cardolan, is unknown.

Nimhir  M41 : NIMHIR™ the Regent

Nimhir was an aged Dunedain scholar whose family had been stewards of the Royal Estates at Thalion for generations. Nimhir was called to Tharbad in 1398 by his king to serve as an advisor. Nimhir’s quiet honesty and deep intellect was much valued. Later he would be annointed Lord Chancellor of Cardolan, second only to the king. His appointment, over the heads of more “worthy” figures – such as the hiratar of the rich Cardolan hinterlands caused much resentment. But he was an able Chancellor, and when the king of Cardolan marched north to war, he was named Regent of Cardolan.
When the king of Cardolan died, Nimhir made the fateful choice to name his charge, Nirnadel as Queen of Cardolan. Supported by the Gondorian legate, and Tardegil, the captain of the guard, he moved quickly and ruthlessly to overrule the hiratar and claim the crown in the name of Nirnadel. In the three years of Nirnadel’s reign, he skillfully played the various powers and contenders off each other. Offering the prize of marriage to Nirnadel, he negotiated the loyalty and peace of the various barons, while keeping a sharp eye on Arthedain’s ambitions and Angmar’s military intentions. Between Nimhir’s cunning, Tardegil’s firm command and Nirnadel’s nobility, the crown of Cardolan managed to stave off chaos for three long years.
Nimhir was slain along with his charge in 1412.

Dirhavel the Alchemist   M33 : DIRHAVEL™ the Alchemist

Dirhavel is a purveyor of potions, medicines and chemicals. His clients include clothing makers seeking better dyes, physicians seeking drugs and even high born ladies seeking mixtures to improve their complexions. He is also a mystic of some repute and is frequently visited by strangers from afar.

Dirhavel is a true blooded Dunedain. He is nearly a century old, but is still in the prime of his life. He is tall, vigorous, sharp witted and serious. He misses little. He may spend his days in his workshop surrounded by strange admixtures and bubbling pots, but little occurs in the city that he does not know about. He may not be a member of the Hildinolë, but he is no friend of Angmar’s either. He is loyal to the House of Cardolan and has spent his life working to try and keep his beloved land safe.

Dirhavel’s lifelong project is to recreate the Palantiri. With a constellation of new Palantirs, Dirhavel believes, the Crown of Cardolan would have advance warning of the movements of all enemies – and they could keep a weather eye on the plots and ambitions of Arthedain and Gondor, too. Had the Crown of Cardolan a Palantir, the disaster on the Barrow Downs would never have happened. Alas, though he has had some promising successes, the means of making a Palantir are far beyond him. Feanor, Dirhavel guesses, used some form of sand to make the glass that does not exist in the Hither-Lands. But he still attempts to recreate the glass using exotic ingredients.

Dirhavel will often hire adventurers and travellers to go abroad and find exotic ingredients for him. The cost matters little. If he could deliver a Palantir to the Throne of Cardolan, then his life’s work would be complete.