At the end of Season 1 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the Stranger (Daniel Weyman) and Nori Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh) set out on an adventure into the eastern lands of Rhûn. Halfway through Season 2, things are as difficult as could be expected, as they find themselves lost and chased by mysterious masked riders. Even peaceful people in Rhûn, like the newly-introduced Stoors, are not safe from them. These fearsome foes are acting on the Dark Wizard’s (Ciarán Hinds) orders, who calls them “the Gaudrim,” but there seems to be more to them than being simple evil lackeys.

Who Are the Gaudrim in ‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2?

One of the most interesting aspects of The Rings of Power as a series is how it fills the gaps left by J.R.R. Tolkien‘s Legendarium. As comprehensive as it may be, not all of Middle-earth’s history is told in detail. About Rhûn, especially, what is known is the broader strokes. So much so, it’s the largest realm in Middle-earth, whose name simply translates to “the East.” The Gaudrim are one of the series’ original creations, meant to fill some of these gaps. Their name comes from the tying of two Sindarin words: “gaud,” which means “machine” or “device,” and “rim,” meaning “people.” So, the Gaudrim are literally “machine people,” either a reference to how they dress, wearing bronze masks, or the fact that they are actual plot devices.

The Gaudrim themselves first show up in Episode 2, “Where the Stars Are Strange.” They are summoned by the Dark Wizard to Caras Gaer (which also comes from Sindarin, meaning “city of fear”), when their leader, Brânk (Yasen Zates Atour), pledges to find the Stranger and his Harfoot companions — Poppy (Megan Richards) has already rejoined them by then. He says that this is how the Gaudrim will “heal the curse upon their flesh.” Now, in Episode 4, “Eldest,” he asks the chief of the Stoors, Gundabale (Tanya Moodie), whether she knows why the Gaudrim wear their masks, and then threatens the Halflings, saying that, when they return to the village with the Dark Wizard, the Stoors will find out for themselves.

This cryptic line may not seem like much at first, but it hints that the Dark Wizard is probably the one responsible for whatever curse plagues the Gaudrim. They dress so as not to show any skin, with large robes and armor covering all of their bodies, and spooky bronze masks covering their faces. They also ride carrying black banners with white eyes at the center, probably a precursor to the Eye of Sauron (Charlie Vickers) iconography. Besides Brânk, the only other Gaudrim who has appeared so far is Kilta (Arkie Reece), but their numbers appear to be larger.

The Easterlings Tend To Align With Sauron in the Wars of Middle-Earth

Although not much is currently known about the Gaudrim, the Men of the East — also known as the Easterlings — have long been enemies of the Free Peoples of Middle-earth. When the humans first awaken in the far east, some of them are immediately corrupted by Morgoth and remain in the east, while most humans (the Edain) continue their migration to the west. In the Second Age, as Sauron rises in power and begins extending his influence over Middle-earth, the Easterlings gradually fall under his sway.

The Second Age is mostly marked by Sauron’s growing influence over the West, but that doesn’t mean his forces in the East don’t grow, too. In the books, this is a period in which the Easterlings grow considerably in numbers and start preparing for war. It’s during this period that Sauron gives one of the Nine Rings for Men to Khamûl the Easterling, a powerful warlord from Rhûn. Also known as “the Shadow from the East,” Khamûl eventually becomes one of the Nazgûl under his ring’s influence — he is, in fact, the only Ringwraith whose identity is known. After Sauron’s defeat in the War of the Last Alliance, most of the Easterlings are released from his influence, but corruption still lingers among them.

In the Third Age, the Easterlings once again align with Sauron in the War of the Ring. They are the troops that Frodo (Elijah Wood), Sam (Sean Astin), and Gollum (Andy Serkis) see entering Mordor through the Black Gate in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. It’s possible that not all Easterlings fall under Sauron’s influence, though. They are a complex group, with some tribes occasionally willing to ally with the Free Peoples of Middle-earth. It’s believed that the influence of the Blue Wizards of the Istari, Allatar and Pallando, contributed to partially dismantling Sauron’s hold over them.

Can the Gaudrim Play a Larger Part in the Future of the Series?

The fact that they are always completely covered and hiding their faces behind bronze masks definitely means that there is something more to the Gaudrim than meets the eye. It’s possible that Galadriel’s (Morfydd Clark) lost husband, Celeborn, may be connected to them. In Season 1, Galadriel mentions that he went off to war and was never seen again, which doesn’t mean he is dead. If he didn’t return from war, he may well be someone’s prisoner. Brânk mentions a curse, and this is something that might have been used by the Dark Wizard to keep an Elf in check, for example, and even make him forget who he is. Also, Sindarin words being used in Beleriand implies that at least some people there have knowledge of the Elvish language.

Another connection that can be made is between the Gaudrim and the Nazgûl. Like the Ringwraiths, the riders of Rhûn are faceless men who chase Hobbits around in the wilderness. There are scenes that allude to this possible connection, like Nori and Poppy hiding from Brânk in Episode 2, and, in Episode 4, jumping off a cliff before meeting Merrimac (Gavi Singh Chera) — both scenes being nods to how the Hobbits hide from Nazgûl in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and beyond. Right now, though, theories are all we have, but the Gaudrim are sure to play an important part in The Rings of Power Season 2 moving forward.