Arauco (Q. "Great Demon") the Stormbringer was the sixth of the Balrog-lords, the seven great Princes of Hell, as well as one of the most feared Warlords of Angband besides his superior, Gothmog.
History[]
Once a Maia of fire, Arauco was drawn to the destructive allure of Morgoth's power in the earliest days of Arda. The Dark Lord, then known as Melkor, twisted his essence, replacing his natural affinity for light and warmth with a consuming hatred and a fiery wrath that knew no bounds. Thus was born the "Great Demon," one of his favored minions, the dreaded Balrogs,
For unnumbered ages Arauco served as one of his master's most ardent and fierce generals, often seconding Gothmog the High-Captain of Angband on the battlefield. Some accounts of the Battle of Unnumbered Tears even claim that it was this sixth Balrog-lord who held Fingon with his flame-whip from behind while Gothmog treacherously smote the bound Noldo king down with his black axe.
Late in the First Age, he along with his Lord, Gothmog, led the attack upon Gondolin. While his superior ordered the hosts of Angband forth against the Elves on the frontline, Arauco commanded from near Cirith Thoronath, for Morgoth had bidden him to set a watch near the high peaks. It was here that he attempted to ambush fleeing refugees, including women and children, only to be confronted by a valiant defender, Glorfindel of the House of the Golden Flower. The Balrog-lord and the noble Elf warrior fought in a great duel upon the pinnacle of a rock cliff, until at last the skilled Glorfindel threw down Arauco. However, he would also meet his death as the mighty demon grabbed him by his golden hair and dragged him with him into the abyss bellow.
Items[]
- Flame-whip
- Flaming mace
Names[]
- Arauco
- Madweg
- Raumo
- Gorthraumo
- Goromzûl
- The Flame of Cirith Thoronath
Notes[]
This canonical character is unnamed in The Silmarillion though the word "Arauco" does appear in a Quenya Wordlist.