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Lotr03104

The Black Tower of Barad-dûr

  • Type: Fortress-city of Darkness.  
  • Inhabitants: 30% Mixed Men of Darkness, 10% Dark Elves, 10% Mornaugrim, 40% Orcs of various tribes, 10% Trolls of various tribes.
  • Population: 50,000 (including subterranean regions).
  • Origin: Built by the sorcery of Sauron, Lord of Mordor, and his One Ring, in addition to considerable Orc labor, in the Second Age, destroyed after the Battle of Dagorlad due to Sauron’s death, but later rebuilt after his return to the corporeal world.
  • Purpose: The residence, seat of power, and command center of Sauron the Great, and a combined capital-military fortress for Mordor.
  • Symbol: Red Eye on black background, sometimes flaming.
  • Other names: The Dark Tower, Fortress of Sauron, The Great Tower, Lugbúrz, Lúnaturco, Taras Lúna.
Baraddurmap

Barad-dûr overview

Built on a spur of the Ered Lithui, and fashioned by the power of Sauron's Ruling Ring, Barad-dûr (Or. "Lugbúrz") was the largest structure ever built by the Infernal Powers. A grim, dark, and absolutely massive building, it functioned as the combined capital and fortress of Mordor, and consisted of a great, pinnacle-laden central tower with nine radial soldier-towers connected to it by fortified bridges. It was moated with a great chasm of magma and fires, the Abyss of Mordath, under and around which lay level upon level of dolven pits, tunnels and staircases, which comprises the underground fortress.

Ever the seat of Sauron's power, Barad-dûr was first destroyed at its roots when Isildur cut the Ring from Sauron's hand. Accordingly, the shell of the Tower collapsed, but its superstructure and foundation remained intact, for they were built with the Ring's demonic power. After its fall, the Tower's area was garrisoned by men of Gondor, who avoided the Tower itself for fear of its power, but fortified the local area with towers, delvings, and fortresses. This was the state of the Tower, until the Men of Gondor became corrupt through the prosperity of their realm, and drawn by other wars and by the promise of wealth, they left to fortify other zones of the South Kingdom, leaving Orcs and Trolls to reconquer the region. These peoples controlled the area for many long centuries and no Man, save the occasional Black Númenórean pilgrim, visited Barad-dûr since the Plague until Sauron returned from Dol Guldur in T.A. 2951. At this time, the Tower was rebuilt and refortified, and remade the capital of Mordor. In this capacity it served all throughout the War of the Ring, until, by the work of Frodo Baggins, it was, alongside the One Ring and Sauron himself, destroyed and collapsed in fire and ruin.

Inhabitants[]

9461 Ârlok Argdush Argshacoida Azra Baghrat Bairat Balrat Bakûra The Beastmaster Bloodfang Bolingúl Bolvag II Bolvag I Bug Burdîlgoth Burz Buulka Carrog Celedring Ciryaher Darimon Darlung Dror Dulgabêth Eglorz Elphros Eraus Gordmúl Gartor Garub Ghen Gimbrakh Globber Glúrugoth Golodhros Gorghâsh Gorzag Hrimil Hyarmur Ileth Kalvad Kardush Kathanûl Kothnakh Krabanak Kralshanack Krassa-phûrsa Kumai Kushnakh Lestor Little One Lob-Zagh Logri Lômazar Luftak Lugbol Lughak Lug Lurz Mine Master Mordú Mornok Mudbag Naelia Narchaw Narghash Rabôkhor Radnag Radlag Raskal Rât The Ratter Sapakár Sefut Sharuk Skell Slikah Snarra Thostir Tormog Ugrukhor Váskmun Greytooth The Witch Yadêphal Yagthak Zaken

Places of Note[]

From lowest level to the very highest point Barad-dûr was over 1.1 miles high, consisting of more than 30 levels ( and countless sublevels) over ground and an unknown number of levels (or "deeps") down into the Abyss of Mordath and to the underdeeps of Ambar.

It's main castle consisted of seven more or less concentric semicircles winding up the western slopes of the mountain of Amon Dur and the great main tower of Barad-dûr proper.

Img129
Img130

Dark Tower - crosscut

Img131

Dark Tower - Base, schematic sketch

Battleofbaraddur

Battle of Barad-dûr - main gate

Baraddurmap2
Baraddurtowerscheme
  • Abyss of Mordath
    • Black Pits 
      • Beast pits
      • Breeding Pits
      • Catacombs
      • Chamber of the Watchers
      • The Crematories
      • Coal mines
      • Fathomless dungeons
        • Beastmaster's warrens
        • dungeon armoury
        • Glurnákh, the Pit of Greed
        • the hole
        • the jails
          • Oldest chamber
          • Ring Prison
        • Mines
          • the cracking bridge
          • Execution chamber
          • the Mormak
          • the Rattler
          • service gate
          • the silent stairs
          • slave barracks
        • the Sewers
      • Great Furnaces
        • Coal Chambers
      • the pit
        • Pit of Flame
        • Pit of Frost
      • the vault
    • Black Stairs of Durshnul
    • Checkpoint
    • Lithannon
    • Screaming Deep
    • The treasuries
      • Sauron's relic-chamber
    • The Undercourts
  • Amon Dur
    • Black Castle
      • Bird tower
        • Candleman's quarters
          • Library
        • Breeding halls
      • Hall of Grond
        • Architects building
      • main gate
      • the black tower
        • Bio-labs/Chamber of plagues
        • Chamber of the Eye
        • Chamber of the Mouth
        • the dephts
          • Chamber of the Watchers
        • Feasting Hall
        • Great gallery
        • Hall of Teeth
        • Kitchens
          • larder
        • main hall
        • Mess-Hall
      • Sauron's sanctum
        • Throne room
        • Torture Chambers (l 253)
      • the wagon hold
    • Great bridge
      • Bridge Towers
      • Checkpoint
      • outer wagon yard
      • Angathrai - the cursed ravine
    • Tower of light

References[]

  • merp.com wiki
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