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IceKing.org is just a little personal webspace where I can start to develop an online portfolio while experimenting with the nuances of maintaining a site. I use the real estate to explore my creative side (yes, I know the home page needs more development), post up my school homework, and generally make a nuisance of myself. If somehow, you've found this place, forgive the decor - I'm in the midst of decorating and it will be an ongoing process. At any time, if you have useful ideas or suggestions, you can email me and let me know.
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A few tidbits:
Why
IceKing? Well
- I'm a Lord of the Rings fan from long before the movies were made. I even
managed to get through the Simarillion back in the day, and I participate
actively in an online play-by-email game of the genre. If you like wargames,
and the Tolkein universe as a backdrop, check them out at Middle
Earth Games. Anyway, one of the nine Nazgul is Hoarmurath, otherwise known
as the "Ice King". If you're interested in the character's biography,
Hoarmurath, the Ice King
Hoarműrath of Dír / The Ice King
Rank: 6th in ranking of the Nazguls
Story: History: "Hoarmurath was born in the forest of Dir in the land of Urd in SA 1954. His home, one of the northenmost settled domains in all of Endor, spawned a rugged race of hunters and trappers. His mother, Emurath of Uab, commanded the allegience of most of the Urd clans, and served as the matriarch of the Urdar until her death in the Umli wars (SA 1962/75).
Hoarmurath's sister Amurath replaced her according to the Urd matriline. As brother of the queen and uncle to her heir, he enjoyed the highest status accorded a male of the Urdar.HoarmûrathŽs close relations to the Avar Elves to the south, however, influenced his views and set him on a course of rebellion against his family and Urd traditions. The Avari taught him much about magic and power, and opened the young animist's eyes to the ways of the rest of Middle-earth. In time, Hoarmurath quarreled with his sister and preached war, hoping to extract valuable territories from the Myri and Angcla tribes. A struggle followed and Hoarmurath's henchmen slew his sister.
Rather than face the penalty of death, Hoarmurath proclaimed himself the first King of Urd. Supported by Avar warriors, he crushed the opposition and slaughtered the Urd Priestesses. In SA 1992 he became the Lord of the Urdar. Hoarmurath ruled much of the great wooded territory between the Northen seas. Avari groups retained their dominition and extended their influence with the Ice King's aid, but the union soon gave way to bitterness. Elven immortality and wealth haunted Hoarmurath, and the Urdar turned on their allies is SA 1999.
Two great battles followed, but both resulted in Avar victories. Desperate, the King of Urd invited help from Sauron of Mordor. The Lord of the Rings sent Khamul to the court of the Ice King in SA 2000. The Easterling - still fair-seeming and glowing with the power of his own Ring - approached his future compatriot with the gift of a Ring of Power and the prospect of eternal life. Enamored of the Evil OneŽs offering, Hoarmurath accepted the Ring and fell under the sway of the Shadow. He became the sixth King of Men to become an Ulair.
Hoarmurath's new price invigorated him. Two years after Khamul's visit, the Urdar were stronger than ever, and the Ice King led his army southward. The war in the Woods (SA 2002-2053) ended with an Avar retreat, leaving Hoarmurath with a vast kingdom. His long reign as Sauron's client established a new order in northeastern Endor. Once his kingdom and successor seemed sure, the Lord of the Rings called the Ringwraith to Mordor. The need to confront the growing might of Numenor outweight any considerations the Dark Lord reserved for the North. For the next one thousand and eleven years, Hoarmurath resided in Mordor beside the Evil One.
He oversaw the constructions of the defenses surrounding Udun, including the the Gates of Mordor. After the downfall of Numenor and the Dark Lord's return in SA 3319, Hoarmurath flew back to Mordor and participated in the campaigns waged by SauronŽs troops in Rhovanion. With Barad-dur's fall in SA 3431, Hoarmurath passed into the Shadows when the Lords of the Last Alliance entered the Dark Tower and overthrew Sauron at the end of the Second Age.
Hoarmurath retured to Middle-earth in Third Age 1050. Entering his ancient hold in the Forest of Dir, he slowly reassured his strength and refounded his lost kingdom. Sauron (who then resided at Dol Guldur in Rhovanion) sent eight of the Nazgul (those other than the Witch-King, who stayed in Angmar) into the Black Land. Hoarmurath joined the other Ulari in Mordor, where they quietly prepared the land for the return of the Lord of the Rings. All of the Nine gathered upon the return of the Witch-king to Mordor in TA 1975. Assembling for the surprise assault on Minas Ithil in TA 2000, they stormed the stronghold that served as the last bastion of Gondorian guardianship. Ithilien's capital became Minas Morgul, and served thereafter as the hold of the Ringwraiths. Its prized Palantír eventually went to Barad-dur.
The Lord of the Rings left his threatened fortress at Dol Guldur in TA 2941 and returned to Mordor. Ten years later, his minions began rebuilding the Dark Tower, and three of the Ringwraiths flew back to Dol Guldur to reopen the citadel. Hoarmurath stayed in Minas Morgul, but soon turned to the search for the One Ring. Hoarmurath rode with the other eight Black Riders up the Nan Anduin in hope of finding the Shire near the Gladden Fields. Failing to fing the Shire, they turned south , skirted Lorien, and rode through Rohan and past Isengard into Eriador.
Their search took them up the Greenway to Tharbard and beyond to the crossroads in old Cardolan that served as the junction with the road to the land of the Hobbits. There, Hoarmurath, Adunaphel and Khamul split from the others and rode toward the Stone Ford. As the three headed into the Shire's South Farthing and on to Sackville, the Witch-King and the other Riders went directly north toward Andrath and Bree.
Hoarmurath and his companions nearly captured the halflings as they travled through the Green Hill Country. Khamul's acute sense of smell almost uncovered Frodo's hiding place below the road, but the Hobbits escaped into Woody End in Tookland. Although Hoarmûrath and his companions tracked them through Buckland (where they entered the Bolger yard in Crickhollow), the three Black Riders did not see the lucky halflings again until the challage at the Bruinen Ford. Hoarmurath and the other two Nazgul met Uvatha on the Great East Road beyond Bree, and joined the other five Ringwraiths in Eriador. Running their pray down at the Bruinen Ford just west of Rivendell, the Ulari - including Hoarmurath - found themselvs engulfed in the magically summoned floodwaters that Elrond used to cover the Hobbits' flight.
Later in the war, the attack against the Gondorian capital stalled when the Witch-King died on the Pelennor fields and Aragon II led the army of the Dead in a charge that broke the Mordorean horde. A more climactic battle occurred less than two weeks later, as the army of the Free Peoples assembled on the arid slag-plain before Morannon. There, the eight Nazgul briefly engaged the Great Eagles above the chaotic conflagration, but at the height of the duel, Hoarmurath and the others turned away to follow the Dark LordŽs orders. Flying to stop Frodo and Sam from destroying the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom, the Ringwraiths broke off the attack. Their LordŽs fear proved true, though, and their desperate journey ended before they reached their goal. With the Ruling RingŽs destuction, Hoarmurath and his bretheren passed out of Ea." -- MERP
What's the site about? Well, I began the pursuit of a career in digital animation. The latest news (depending on when you last heard from me) is that I've graduated the DAVE school with an occupational associates degree, and am back in the northeast working for Impact Studios TV. So I'll toss a couple links in here and then leave you to the misery of navigating a site with poor global navigation. Yes, I know what "good global navigation" is, I'm just too lazy to throw it up here yet. I'll get around to it... eventually.
Arright... on to those links...
DAVE School Projects - the most recent stuff I've been working on. -- updated 07/12/05
General (hand drawn) Artwork - I had to learn to draw a little, right? -- updated 04/29/05
Media School Assignments - the media projects and school assignments from Gibbs College
The Hey Baby Band - MP3s from the "good ole days" when I was a musician
News Log: Okay - time for me to try my hand at updating the news every now and again. Consider it a BLOG... or maybe just a journal... but I'll try to put some interesting tidbits in here from time to time.