[Rohan Spoilers] The <<Blank>> of Nan Mordeleb

[zedturtle]

I'd put a spawn of Ungoliant in there myself.

It's just a personal thing with me; I'm a bit tired of Spider-like foes (not that I won't use those that exist to maximum effect in my games). I was truly excited to see the hint there, and I think there's enough room in the canon to justify Joe-Schmo Balrog, just like not every Elf of the First Age was Glorfindel (or Fingolfin).

(I suck at Tolkien names...suggestions welcome)

Naur-a-fuin is a bit on the nose, but you'd have to change the fluff on the poison to make it so that it makes you feel like your insides are burning.

[Láthspell]

Just a bit of an aside regarding Glamdring. Given it was forged for Turgon and was undoubtedly present at the Fall of Gondolin, Durin's Bane was likely not the first Balrog the sword played a part in killing. It would certainly give the Orcs even more of a reason to be terrified of the blade.

[Glorelendil]

Looks like the recent announcement answers the question about Balrog stats.

Oh, look! Flying speed.

[Mim]

Tolkien himself was somewhat contradictory on the number of Balrogs in Middle Earth. In some writings he speaks of hordes and thousands, in others he limits their number to 3-7.

IIRC, his son Christopher confirms your point in the final manuscripts:

The idea that Morgoth disposed of a ‘host’ of Balrogs endured long, but in a late note my father said that only very few ever existed—‘at most seven (Book of Lost Tales 2, The Fall of Gondolin).

So, how many may have survived into the Third Age?

But it availed him not. The Balrogs were destroyed, save some few that fled and hid themselves in caverns inaccessible at the roots of the earth; and the uncounted legions of Orcs perished like straw in a great fire, or were swept like shrivelled leaves before a burning wind. Few remained to trouble the world for long years after (The Silmarillion, Of the Voyage of Eärendil).

Thus, an LM can certainly introduce a second Balrog into Middle-earth in the Third Age, albeit very carefully .

In terms of weapons, we often assume that they wielded flametongues (or whatever you chose to call 'em) and whips, but note when Gothmog slew Fingon:

Then Gothmog hewed him with his black axe, and a white flame sprang up from the helm of Fingon as it was cloven. Thus fell the High King of the Noldor; and they beat him into the dust with their maces, and his banner, blue and silver, they trod into the mire of his blood (The Silmarillion, Of the Fifth Battle).

Your players will drop their jaws if you throw a (lesser) Balrog -- with other weapons -- against 'em.

[zedturtle]

That, or they'll just glibly insult it Monty Python style and chop its hand off.

[Glorelendil]

The trick when hunting Lesser Balrogs, whether for a quest or just for sport, is to mock them mercilessly for their "Lesser" status. It just drains the Hate right out of 'em.

[Deadmanwalking]

Our group has a running joke based on the resurrection of Gandalf and Glorfindel that if you kill a Balrog you get an extra life. Seems consistent with the canon.

[zedturtle]

Our group has a running joke based on the resurrection of Gandalf and Glorfindel that if you kill a Balrog you get an extra life. Seems consistent with the canon.

Yep, I think it's right there in the opening scroll: "Kill Balrog for 1-UP" along with some blather about rings or whatever.

[Arthadan]

I'm late to the party, sorry. As a proofreader of the Spanish edition, I have been given access to Horse-lords so I can finally coment.

I wouldn't place a balrog in Nan Mordeleb. Not only because my personal concerns of using them in Northwestern Middle-earth (I think they'd be more easily integrate in other areas), but also because they don't seem to have a corrupting influence in the surrounding land (and here we have all those strange trees deformed trees and mushrooms and fungus). And the most important reason is that he is a spirit of fire in a wood! He would burn Fangorn to the ground in a heartbeat and claim the land instead of cowering in some cave.

The spawn of Shelob works better, but as noted before we have quite a few spiders in near Mirkwood, so something different would be more interesting.

I have been reading, playing and thinking about Middle-earth for years, so there are some obscure references of creatures I have given thought about how they could be. One of those creatures would fit nicely here...

I give you my take on Wereworms! (Ok, not that exciting, I know)
I picture them having all the malice, cunning and magic of a dragon, but in a weak, slimy, ugly body. As the balrog, he fled the destruction on Angband hiding deep into the earth. Then, by the secret paths of creatures far below the surface, he travelled long miles exhausted and wounded until emerging in the cave of Nan Mordeleb. His corrupting influence left an impront in the land, but he has been very careful about not revealing himself (he is not interested to bow to Sauron or enrage his ent neighbours ).

His words can drive a person mad and he thrives causing suffering (think of Glaurung playing his cruel game on Níenor). He is a scheming mastermind and a potential ally of Saruman. Crebains fly from the dark forest to Orthanc and back.

I know wereworms are supposed to dwell in the east (according to hobbit legends ) but having just one here doesn't seem too bad. Moreover, he is a hidden threat presenting no problems with canon compatibility.

Thoughts? Too weird and far-fetched or do you think he may work?

[Falenthal]

Something like this?



Or more like a typical dragon?



Hodgson has already done the drawings.