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The date is Year 3 of the Reign of King Aragorn Elessar, the place is the Eastern Mark of Rohan - the lands beyond the Anduin granted by King Aragorn to King Eomer for the services of the Rohirrim at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
The War of the Ring may have been won, but the struggle was great and the price that the free peoples have paid has been great. The city of Minas Tirith stands shattered and burnt; the lands of Gondor have been devesatated and fully half the men of Rohan never returned to their farms in the Mark. For this reason, the Eastern Mark, while envisaged by the King as a march for both Rohan and Gondor against the Easterlings, is still an unpopulated land.
King Eomer has granted land across the river to several thanes, and they have established small forts on the eastern banks of the Anduin and are recruiting men to form their theods or personal followings. Such is the shortage of men of arms-bearing age that they are taking the fealty of Gondorians and even Haradrim and Easterlings as well as Rohirrim.
To protect their holdings and to fulfil the requirements of the King that they should stop orcs and easterlings from raiding into Gondor and Rohan, they are maintaining irregular forces or rangers as well as a personal hearthguard to defend their forts.
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