Part 4/8:
The constant Easterling invasions defined this region during the Third Age. These invaders utilized the vast, flat lands between the Sea of Rhun and the Arid Lii to march toward Gondor. In fact, it was here in the year 541 of the Third Age that Gondor faced a serious uprising. The land, nominally under Gondorian control after their victories, was ultimately relinquished when the Easterlings claimed the land following the catastrophic battle of the Plains in 1856.
By this time, Gondor had all but abandoned the area, leaving it open for the various invading factions. The sparse population of the region reflects a harsher environment where settlement was not favored, leading to its role as a mere thoroughfare for armies rather than a place for permanent habitation.