r | Ozaes - Based on RR, Pare Basie Si OF rel RINGSCONTENTS 1.0 Introduction. 2.0 The Pillars of Leechc«: 3.7.1 The Hobbits... 2.1 Skills .. 3.7.2 The Lossoth 2.2 Spells. 3.7.3 The Umli 2.3 herbs se 3.7.4 The Men of Dorwinion 3.0 The Healer’s Lore. 3.8 Easterling Traditions... 3.8.1 The Wainriders 3.1 Elven Traditions ... 3.8.2 The Vari 3.L1 The High Elves ags . 3.1.2 The Grey Elves an 3.8.3 The Asdriags and Odhriags 3.1.3 The Snow-elves 3.9 Southron Traditions 3.9.1 The Haruze 3.1.4 The Dark Elves SSSeUARe St eCmnnar 3.2 Dwarven Traditions 3.9.2 The Bozishnarod 3.3 Numenérean Tradition: 3.9.3 The Narodbriji 3.3.1 The Faithful of Gondor and Arnor 3.9.4 The Covshek-pust 3.3.2 The King’s Men of Umbar 3.9.5 The Siranians and the Southlands 2s 3.9.6 The Ayten 3.3.3 The Eriadorians 7 3.9.7 The Danak . 34 Northman Tradition: 3 3.10 Traditions of the Utter South 3.4.1 The Horse-lords 3.4.2 The Men of Dale and Lake-town 3.4.3 The Woodmen 3.4.4 The Beornings . 3.10.4 The Pel 3.5 Daen Traditions 3.10.5 The Méimakani 3.5.1 The Dunlendings 3.10.6 The Kirani... 3.5.2 The Oathbreakers 3.10.7 The Hathorians 3.5.3 The Hillmen of Rhudaur 3.10.8 The Sharae! 3.5.4 The Dénan/Donaen 4.0 Herbs, Curatives and Poisons. 3.5.5 The Ethir-folk .. 5.0 Appendices. ... 3.6 Drdigic Traditions 5.1 Definitions and Terms 3.6.1 The Drughu 5.2. Scenarios for MECCG. 3.6.2 The Beffraen 5.3 Herb Index sun 3.6.3 The Honni %3.6.4 The Chaialla 3.6.5 The Yatali-gan.. 3.7 Other Traditions of the Westlands 3.10.1 The Adena 3.10.2 The Sederi 3.10.3 The Drel The plants described in this sourcebook are fictional creations for the world of Middle-earth. None of the plants or herbs or fungi on these pages can be found outside in your garden, park, or wilderness area. Even should some of the plants described in Hands ofthe Healer seem to resemble real-world plants, they are NOT the same, Severe illness and death can result from uninformed experimentation with herbs, fungi, and other medicinal or non-medicinal plants. Consult well-researched books of fact (NOT fiction) and persons expert in the field if you wish to learn more about the plant life abundant on our planet Earth, This book is a work of fiction and is not a reliable ot accurate source of information concerning the plants around us.Frodo receives @ Morgul-wound 1.0 INTRODUCTION at és a thing passing strange to me that the dealing band shoyld also wield the sword. It is not thus in Gondor now, though once it was so, if old tales be true. But for long years we healers have only sought to patch the rents made by the men of swords. Though we should still have enough to do without them: the world is full enough of burts and mischances without wars to multiply them.” ‘Ue needs but ane foe ta breed a war, not two, Masirs Warden,’ answered Eowyn. ‘And those who have not swords can still die upon them. Would you have the folk of Gondor gather you berbs only, when the Dark Lord gathers armies?” —The Return of the King, p. 236 It is told in the Ainulindalé, the Music of the Holy Ones, chac Melkae marred che Song of Creation befare the world was made; thus did Evil enter Middle-earch, and wich it all manner of hurt, illness and suffering, Ie is also said that Bru Thdwatar, the One True God, wove into the Musica counter- theme to oppose and redress the violence of Melkor's: discord. Inthis counter-movement the coming of the Eruhini, the Childcen of Ilivatar-—Elves and Men—was heralded, a theme “deep and wide and beauciful, but slow and blended with an immeasurable sorrow (Sil, pp. 16-17)” It is in this sorrow, mingled with hope, that healers find their callingand power. The healing hand guides one of the most venerated professions among the Free Peoples af Middle-earth, and each culture possesses a unique body of lare which its healers seek to master. Within certain societies, leechcraft exists as a formally-recognized vocation; in others, all mem- bers of the society are expected to command some degree of medical expertise. In this tome is com- piled a wealth of information about the healing lore of Middle-earth’s inhabitants for chose who wish to create characters skilled in that lore, Leechcraft has rarely been absent from the most desperate turning points in the struggle of the Free Peoples against the Dark Lord. Heroic tales of healing abound in che legends of che Elder Days. Lichien Tindviel, daughter of Melian che Maia, twice put forth her healing power to save Beren from certain death during their quest to win a Silmaril from the Iron Crown. Beleg Strongbow, Elven-captain of Doriath, was a master of healing, and used his skills ¢o aid Trin and his outlaws in the wilderness. Also skilled in leechery was Brandir, chieftain of the woodsmen of Brethil, who— alas—nutsed both Tiirin and his sister to health only to see them fall prey co Morgoth’s horrible curse. The healing craft is equally prominent chrough- out the Second and Third Ages. le was the divinely ordained grace of the priest-kings of Numenor, descendants of Lithien the Fair, which gave birth to the prophetic rhyme: The hands of the king are the hands of a healer, and so shall ibe righyful king br known. Aragorn, last inheritor of that cevered lineage, deew upon his power several times during the War of the Ring, and finally claimed the realm of his forefathers under the name of Envinyatar the Renewer. Among the Elves, it was Elrond of Rivendell, eldese scion of Luchien to cemain in Middle-earth, who alone possessed che potency necessary to remove the deadly Morgul-blade from Frodo’s shoulder. Even Gandalf the Wizard assumed the healer’s role when, aided by the power of Narya, the Ring of Fire, he rekindled the flame of King Théoden’s waning spirit, poisoned by Wormcongue's venomed whisperings, co valor and great deeds—or when he recalled Pippin from che paralyzing terror of a face-to-face encounter in the palantir with the Dark Lord himself. But the Children of Ihivatar do not stand alone before the menace of the Shadow. Many of the Ainur who had partici- pated in the Song of Creation and who had not been corrupted by the Discord of Melkar chose co enter into the world—to oppose the destructive deeds of their rebellious peer and to bring aid to the Children in their distress. These were the Valar, the Powers of the World, three of whom devoved themselves especially to the sphere of healing. The first and greatest of these was Yavanna, Queen of che Living Earth, and from her come all herbs and plants of healing virtue, such as the noble atbelas, or the humble pipeweed of the Hobbits that brings tranquillity to the croubled mind. Then there is Nienna the Mourner, whose tears bring solace to chase af wounded spirit. The third is Esté, bringer of rest and renewal to the body; and her handmaiden Melian stands ac the founcof the greatest healing tradition shared by Elves and Men alike.