Fornost Erain

{{ME-importance|date=October 2007}}
{{Merge JRRT|Arnor|date=November 2007}}
{|align=right
|-
|{{Infobox LOTR place |
place_name = ''Fornost Erain'' (Northern Fortress of the Kings)|
place_alias = Norbury of the Kings <br/>King's Norbury <br/>Deadman's Dike|
place_description = Seat of the [[Kings of Arthedain]]|
place_built= [[Arnor]]|
place_type = Fortified [[City]]|
place_realm = Arnor|
place_sub_realm =later [[Arthedain]]|
place_time= Unknown|
place_lord = [[Kings of Arnor]]|
}}
In The Fiction of [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], '''Fornost Erain''' ([[Sindarin]] 'Northern-fortress of the Kings' from ''for(n)'' (north) + ''ost'' (fortress); "Norbury of the Kings" in [[Westron]]) was a city of [[Eriador]] in the north of [[Middle-earth]]. It was located at the south end of the North Downs, about 100 [[Númenor|Númenórean]] miles north of [[Bree (Middle-earth)|Bree]]; after Fornost Erain was abandoned, the site became known as '''Deadman's Dike''', visited only by Rangers. At the time when ''The Lord of The Rings'' is set, Fornost had been abandoned for "nearly a thousand years, and even the ruins of Kings' Norbury were covered with grass".

It is not known when Fornost was founded or when the kings of [[Arnor]] moved there from [[Annúminas]], but it is known that the kings moved to Fornost some time around [[Third Age|T.A.]] 861, when King [[Eärendur of Arnor|Eärendur]] died, and Arnor was divided into three kingdoms with Fornost the capital of the greatest kingdom, [[Arthedain]].

Fornost was first attacked by the forces of the Witch-king in 1409, when the border defence system collapsed with the storming of the Forts of the Weather Hills. However the City was successfully defended by the young King Araphor and disaster was averted.

In T.A. 1974, Arthedain was overrun by the forces of [[Angmar]], they captured Fornost, and King [[Arvedui]] fled into the northern wastes and was lost in the Ice Bay of [[Forochel]]. In the following year, a fleet from [[Gondor]] led by [[Eärnur]] landed at [[Mithlond]], fought the [[Witch-king of Angmar]] in the plains west of Fornost, and defeated him and his armies, although the Witch-king himself escaped.

Fornost fell into ruin following the end of Arthedain and came to be known as Deadman's Dike. Gandalf indicated to [[Barliman Butterbur]] that Fornost would probably be rebuilt by King [[Elessar]].

In [[The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar]], the ruins of Fornost have been occupied by an army of the Witch-king preparing to invade the surrounding lands controlled by the Free-peoples. The player character can adventure throughout some of the ruins before entering the more fortified area, an [[instanced dungeon]], to thwart the Witch-king's plans.

[[Category:Middle-earth cities and towns]]

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