Eryn Mith

Situated just east of Calost, this small wood was named for its lack of life: no birds sang; no foxes prowled; nothing moved save the branches swayed by the wind. Legend had it that some great evil entered it along ago and a part of the shadow still lingered. The truth, however was more hideous. During the last days of the First Age Morgoth's host was scattered; many of his minions were hunted down and destroyed by the vengeful Valinorean army. One such Figure was Maroch, a Greater Ordainer (Balrog), who escaped from Beleriand to flee eastwards. Yet the victorious army tracked and confronted him in the Grey-wood. Seeing no way to defeat his enemies, Maroch banished himself to the Void until such time as someone would sacrifice a human in the wood while repeatedly reciting his name. The Valinoreans could find no other way to break the spell, and so left him with the hope that no-one would remember these events and the Balrog's whereabouts. The Ordainers spirit lingers in the wood: those straying beneath the trees usually fled Eryn-myth in terror. Had Sauron known of Maroch's fate, he would almost certainly have freed him and commanded the Ordainer to destroy much of northwestem Middle-earth.