Fornost Erain

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Infobox LOTR place
place_name = "Fornost Erain" (Northern Fortress of the Kings)
place_alias = Norbury of the Kings King's Norbury 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 Númenórean miles north of 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 T.A. 861, when King 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 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.