[center][u][h3]Khûdriag's Variags (Ithokh Clan)[/h3][/u]
[i]King's Sworn-ones (Ithokh Clan)[/i]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/Cn2ZU3F.jpg[/img][/center]


[u][b]Stronghold:[/b][/u] [b][i]The Eastern Guard[/i][/b]

Though positioned a great distance along the Khand Road eastbound, the Eastern Guard is a formidable stronghold with great strategic value. It resides on a raised expanse of land on the banks of the Ered Lithui, overlooking the wide Khand Gap connecting the lands of Mordor and Khand. It is protected on the northern side by the first cliffs of a mountain as part of the Ered Lithui, and on the eastern side by a precipitous landslide leading down into the first steppes of Khand. It is approachable by the west, along a furtive pass beginning at ground level and rising with the growth of the Ash Mountains, however the pass is easily defensible by a small amount of men as it is narrow enough to limit accosters to but four abreast. To the south, a wide space of land rises on a steady incline towards the fortress, though it is blocked when reaching the top by the Guard's largest and widest outer wall. The material making up the walls and structures in the Eastern Guard is a sturdy stone, blackened over time by the deposits of ash that gave the overlooking mountains their name, and the volcanic resemblant ground in which it originates. The stone is supported and surrounded by towers of wood, which sections the circle of stone and provides walkways along the several layers of the Eastern Guard. The fortress' interior is quite restricted, a street from wall to wall can only boast a mere twenty buildings, and the only buildings existing are nomadic and rough living spaces, accompanied by various forges and storage houses.  


[u][b]Commander:[/b][/u] [i][b]Tarkhun the Kekhavrathí[/b][/i]

Tarkhun stands at a towering six-foot-nine, and his bulk matches his height at two-hundred and seventy pounds. His excess weight is mostly muscle, meaning he is extremely strong and can lift three times his own body weight. He is fairly dark-skinned, and his hair hangs in traditional black braids reaching down to his upper back. His eyes are a dark brown, almost black, and his face is rough and uncomely, and it rarely smiles. He is a master of weaponry from swords to javelins, but he favours the great-axe, and it is widely rumoured that an axe he keeps by the name of Feogur's Tooth is the same axe that the Khûdriag-Ata Ûvatha used at the battle of Noz Peka. He neglects the usage of a bow and arrow, a strange thing for a Variag as it is the foremost weapon in their society. He is skilled in horse-riding as befits a Khandish warrior. He sports various battle-scars from conflicts throughout his life, and the fourth and little finger on his left hand were cut off in a fight with an Orc not a year before the present. He has no inhibiting diseases or physical afflictions.

[u][b]Description:[/b][/u] 

Tarkhun was born in Lâorki, the son of a wealthy warlord among the Ôsvodeg. His father had been an associate of Kionid and the ruling caste of the Variags based in Upper Khand, though unlike most in the area, he and his son were not part of the Akhev clan. In truth, Tarkhun's father was the leader of the Ithokh Clan from further south - meaning he was a Kekhavrathí, but his clan and it's loyalists had fallen out of favour with Keiseimu, the Variag-King, after their open heresy towards Sauron - known and revered as Tûmrakhi in Varadja. Tarkhun's father and his associates still worshipped the older deities that had been officially dismissed, though many still prayed to them in secret. After this, Tarkhun's father publicly disbanded the Ithokh clan, though the loyalists remained throughout Khand and in communication with Tarkhun's father despite him travelling north. When the time of the War of the Ring came, and the Variags fought the Kingdom of Gondor in Sauron's forces, Tarkhun's father had died of old age and a meeting of the members of the Ithokh clan was required to designate a new Kekhavrathí. They assembled in Eastern Lithlad while the Variag forces travelled through Mordor along the Khand road, in a barren plain close to the Eastern Guard. Several hundred Variags arrived for the proceedings, many of whom were members of the Ithokh clan under Tarkhun's father's leadership.

Tarkhun was the obvious and most appropriate choice to be promoted to Kekhavrathí, as the son of the previous leader and a mighty warrior. He was indeed elected, though a handful of competitors grew angry of their own ambitions being crushed and either left the reformed clan or made attempts on Tarkhun's life. They were promptly defeated by the new clan-leader and his loyalists, leaving the Ithokh as a strong and close faction without the years of strife other clans had built up. Tarkhun was the leader and commander of everything relating to combat, and he chose a handful of advisers to help him with other matters. These advisers held some power in the clan and they had great input into each of their respective fields of expertise. The rest of the men were equals, as workers and warriors, depending on what the situation required. A great deal of respect was awarded to Tarkhun, and he returned the good intent to his men. The new clan with their days of proceedings had fallen back to the last dregs of Variags travelling to Sauron's aid - a large force that travelled slowly through the dangerous conditions the Khand road provided. As such, the Ithokh clan had barely breached the Gorgoroth plateau when Orodruin erupted in a devastating fury and Barad-dur's destruction heralded the death of Sauron.

They were able to escape the rapidly spreading lava and fatal products of Sauron's defeat, unlike many of the Variags and the other dark forces, and they retreated north-east, following the outstretch of the Ered Lithui that separated much of Gorgoroth from Lithlad. The clan's only option was to continue moving east, and it took them some time until they finally sighted the Eastern Guard and the plain where they had reformed the clan. The resources the Variags had had been ample for the intentions of travelling through Mordor, but they were not enough for an extended stay in the region - and so Tarkhun had to organise rationing with the help of his advisers to try and maintain most of the clan's forces. Some still died from airborne diseases and malnourishment, though they made it to the shadow of the Eastern Guard without many of their men dying. After hours of scouting and surveillance of the seemingly empty fortress, a couple of men located the beginning of the pass that would take them up to the fortress above. Tarkhun and his men found only a couple of small parties of Orcs in the stronghold, who quickly dispersed at the sight of the formidable clan. They had no knowledge of any other Variag clans surviving, and they likely would not be a welcome sight to many Orcs throughout the land because of countless disputes since the Second Age, so Tarkhun thought it best to remain in the fortified stronghold to wait out the aftermath of Sauron's defeat and see what opportunities for a re-entry into Variag prominence arose.

[u][b]Resources:[/b][/u]

Fell Wargs: [Larger, stronger versions of the Orc's favoured Warg. Not used as the typical transportation creature, they are more effective as quick, heavy units in battle - though their ferocity if uninhibited could turn to their owners also.] 3 for 5.
Horses: [Optimal beasts for mounts, fast and long-lasting.] 1 for 20.
Sabre-tooth Cats: [Adept trackers and hunters. Domesticated beasts commonly used by Variag clans.] 1 for 20.
Aryx: [Large, docile oxen-resemblant creatures from eastern Khand. Effective for storage and the safe meat found on their breast and legs. Relatively useless in combat, unless used as a vantage point.] 2 for 15.
Fell Beasts: [A variation of the lesser drake, with a larger wing and tailspan. Previously used by the Nazgûl as mounts. Occasional combatants, using their size and sharp claws and teeth as weapons.] 4 for 2.

[u][b]Agenda and Concerns:[/b][/u]

The Eastern Guard is a bulwark of safety, yet it simultaneously proves as a hindrance in matters of transporting goods and large numbers of men. The large Aryx are not able to pass along the walkway towards the Guard, meaning they need to be left in the exposed areas below and require constant supervision to make sure none of them wander off. The fortress' position in the middle of the Eastern Desolation means there is no viable source of cultivation close by and despite it's relatively short distance to Khand it would still be dangerous to travel there in search of aid. 

[u][b]Resource Allocation:[/b][/u]

Horses: 3 Points (60 Horses)
Sabre-tooth Cats: 1 Point (20 Sabre-tooth Cats) 
Aryx:  2 Points (15 Aryx)
Fell Beasts: 4 Points (2 Fell Beasts [Breeding Pair])