Black Númenórean

The Black Númenóreans emerged from the King's Men party; they were cruel oppressors and overlords over the primitive Men of Middle-earth. Since they were colonising the continent, they survived the Downfall of Númenor but swiftly diminished.

Background

The Númenóreans' power and knowledge had grown throughout the course of the Second Age, and became increasingly preoccupied with the limits placed on their happiness—and eventually their power—by mortality, the purpose of which they began to question. They started fearing the Gift of Men and attempted to delay it or recall life. This growing wish to escape death made most of the Númenóreans envious of the immortal Eldar, who they had come to physically resemble. The Eldar sought ever to remind the Men of Númenor however, that death was a gift of the One God, Ilúvatar, to all men, and the will of Ilúvatar could not be gainsaid.

During the reign of the Númenórean kings Tar-Ciryatan and Tar-Atanamir, who were both greedy for wealth, the Númenóreans formed two parties, the party of the Faithful, who remained faithful to the Valar and maintained their friendship with the Elves and the party of the King's Men, who followed the policy of the King to oppose the Ban of the Valar that forbade to sail to Aman and did not maintain the friendship with the Elves. The King's Men sailed far away to the south of Middle-earth and established lordships and strongholds in Umbar, Harad and many other places on the coasts of Middle-earth. The Númenóreans in the service of Tar-Ciryatan and Tar-Atanamir oppressed the men of Middle-earth and levied heavy tribute from the men of the coasts and their ships brought back metals and gems from Middle-earth.

Three of the Ringwraiths were Númenóreans lords corrupted by Sauron. Over 1000 years before the Downfall, they served Sauron, being enslaved to his will.