Raynor Family

The Raynor Family has a long and proud history. Living quietly throughout the ages and supporting the men of good against the evil powers.

In ages past, the Raynor family lived in Estolad, just east of the enchanted woods of Doriath, part of East Beleriand, as part of the House of Beor. Allied to the Elves and men of good, are ancestors fought many wars against the evil forces of Morgoth.

Battle of Thristiem Woods

Stories are often told of the fierce battles between members of the Raynor family particularly in the days following Dagor Bragollach as Orcs flooded into East Beleriand through Thargelion to the east of Estolad. On one such occasion three sons of Fargunth the Bold were in a company of not more than 300 men when they were spotted by a horde of over 700 Orcs.

In a cunning feign tactic, at least two hundred men pretended to rout into a nearby woods a top a hill, while the finest troops (including the sons of Fargunth) held their ground well against an impossible force. The trap worked however as no less than 400 of the Orcs left their line and gave chase towards the woods. This allowed the troops who had stayed put to easily defeat the better disciplined of the Orcs who had stayed in line. During this part of the battle, the Orc commander, a hideous creature named Shinriku, was decapitated by Marthru, first son of Fargunth, while the Orc was letting out a terrifying War Cry trying to recall his forces. This let all present at the battle thence know that the Orc commander was no more.

At the same time, the men at the edge of the woods, turned back and having the high ground were at an advantage to the Orcs who although heavily outnumbering them, were completely out of formation. Although taking heavy casualties, the men stood their ground at the edge of the woods and with the troops accompanying the sons of Fargunth having defeated their part of the opposing army, they then charged the back of the remaining Orc horde.

The Orcs were surrounded and already demoralised from the loss of their commander, were easily cut down by the force of men. By the fall of night, every last one of the hideous Orcs were dead and the surviving 200 men celebrated their victory.

Fall of Estolad

Over the coming years, after the battle of Dagor Bragollach, thousands upon thousands of Orcs poured into East Beleriand through Thargelion, defiling Lake Helevorn as they went. Estolad was slowly but surely taken by the Orcs. Fargunth the Bold, who in his twenties had lost his young wife while campaigning in the north, had sworn never to leave Estolad (which he had not done for over 50 years). He stayed true to his oath when he and a force of two thousand men defended the Raynor family's home town of Nernioth which was besieged by thousands of Orcs, supported by Balrogs and Worms. Little is known of the fate of these brave warriors who no doubt fought valiantly against the horde, but after the enivitable loss of the town, it is believed it was burnt to the ground by the Worms and all trace of the once beautiful town was either buried or destroyed. By the sinking of Beleriand in later ages, no-one had even found the actual location of Nernioth or the many riches which were once stored there. Or at least if someone did, then it has been kept secret for a very long time, but rumors persist even till this day of the treasures of Nernioth being kept by someone, somewhere.

To Númenor and Back

The siege however allowed the sons of Fargunth and the several thousand connected to the Raynor Family to travel with the other remaining survivors of the defeated House of Beor to travel South-West towards Falas. After many battles against the pursuing Orcs, only a few dozen Raynor family members survived and only Tareigth, the youngest of the three sons of Fargunth was left. Eventually, the few survivors set sail for Númenor. Here they lived until long into the Second Age, until well after the banishment of Morgorh by the Valar, when most of the family members and others connected to the family sailed back to Middle Earth where they settled to the east of Ered Luin (later known as the Blue Mountains) along the river Lune in what was to become Eriador.

A Peaceful Existance

The family has since lived a relatively quiet life. Gone are the days of old when Raynor sons (and occasionally even daughters, to the disgust of other men) did battle with force aligned to evil. Gone are the days of plundering gold from towns of evil men. The flame for adventure must still be alight somewhere deep down in their hearts though.