|
Zalg
| |
|
| |
|
The Ninth Lord of Gundabad
| |
|
Home(s)
|
|
|
Language(s)
|
Orcish (Northern Orcish; Nalt-Gûyâb); Black Speech
|
|
People
|
|
|
Time period
|
Third Age about 1450 to T.A. 1650
|
|
Gender
|
Male
|
"Most canny and the strongest of Skorg's late offspring, save only for Azog and Bolg his spawn, was Zalg. An unscrupulous wary ally of the Witch-king of Angmar, it is said that this cruel despot held the reins of Gundabad for as many as 200 years owing to his carefully-planned policies, his reputed fighting prowess and his ostensible pact with Carn Dûm... though his dabbling in profane worship might have also garnered him valuable favor with the yet-hidden Dark Lord." ― Elrond Peredhel
Zalg (Or. "Reaper") was a powerful and scheming Greater Orc chieftain of the progeny of Skorg who gained some notoriety as one of the hidden Dark Lord Sauron's fervent believers, a guileful ally of the Witch-king of Angmar and the ninth Lord of Gundabad as well as the fourth Ashdurbûk of the North.
History[]
The conniving warrior[]
- "Zalg left a mark on Orc-kind, for these fell things still whisper of his unequaled fighting skills, rumored to have matched the sheer brute strength of Trolls and won him the sworn service of such humbled opponents."
- ― Elrond Peredhel
The eldest surviving scion of the Seed of Skorg bred in the colds of the North, Zalg had been borne into the world for the sole purpose of reclaiming the bloodline's hereditary right to the position of Lord of Gundabad, which had been of late usurped by Balcog. Though despising the despot with all of his black heart, Zalg was wise to keep such thoughts only to himself and dedicated his early life to maneuvering himself into proximity of the latter's seat; his fighting prowess which had allowed him to defeat even Trolls in single combat - thus gaining him the subservience of a number of these brutal monsters -were not the sole foundation of his rise in Balcog's Court, for he was skilled in politics as well: his counsels were always sought on all important matters, while his promises of better placements in his new hierarchy had won him loyal supporters and a many of those who would challenge him disappeared under obscure circumstances orchestrated untraceably with much finesse by him. Through known to most as a practical creature of reason, behind closed doors Zalg was also a passionate proselyte of Sauron like others of his dynasty and silently approved of the Priest Karagat's ritualic placation of him - knowledge of their Master's continued existence was a secret shared only among a select few such as those of Skorg's progeny and covertly carrying out his whims had also benefited them until then through their usual keeping of Gundabad's reins on his behalf.
The political connections Zalg had forged soon extended beyond Mount Gundabad into both the realm of Angmar,where bribes and covert tributes curried him favour there, and across the Misty Mountains, enough so that news of Skorg's descendant had reached the concealed Sauron in the fortress of Dol Guldur as well, who felt that an apparent Diadoch of one of his former commanders could be more useful as a middle-man to the unaware Orc peoples of the North. Confident in his strength and the influential "friends" he had gotten both within and outside the stronghold, Zalg moved swiftly against the ailing Balcog and had him together with his most trusted attendants assassinated - Orc tales say that he himself slit the throat of his rival the moment the latter awakened. In the immediate power vacuum, he assumed the mantle of Lord of Gundabad and also announced his true ultimate intentions which he had veiled until then: to become the new Ashdurbúk. Granted early on acceptance by the Witch-king and blessed by the Dark Lord from behind the scenes, the Orc-king demanded that the lesser tribal chieftains acquiesce his claim to the title and this was done either through negotiations or to the putting of a knife to their necks - only the Great Goblin of Goblin-Town was saved from all this business, enjoying autonomy of him and bending knee only to the Dark Throne itself. Zalg was undettered by this isolate case and relieved he had reinstated his bloodline upon the seat of Gundabad and that he had united nigh all of the Misty Mountains under the dominion of his unseen Master and more importantly his own. Owing to his overbearing pride, the Orc-king stylyzed himself as "Sole Ruler of the Thirty Tribes, Overlord of Gundabad, Lord of the North, Tyrant of the Mountains and the Thrice Dark Lord Blessed".
A new Lord in the North[]
- "Reclaiming the right to the seat in Mount Gundabad as the heir of Skorg from the usuper Balcog, Zalg eventually seemed to have set himself up as a Lord of the North, having forged an alliance with the Witch-king of Angmar and having suborned the wild tribal chieftains of the Misty Mountains. But he was not apparently unopposed, for many a rebellion he is said to have quelled and more than one head he felled."
- ― Elrond Peredhel
As Ashdurbúk, Zalg was a clever and subtle ruler, who had refined his mastery over the intricate combination of diplomacy, double-dealing, and threat needed to hold onto the throne in Mount Gundabad. is rare summons to Angmar's capital, Carn Dûm, ensured he was well versed with the evil realm's politics in addition to that of the suborned Orcish tribes. Zalg's policy was calculated to preserve his autonomy while giving the Witch-king, whom he knew to be far stronger than himself, all that the latter of their required of their relationship: as a nominal "client" of Angmar, Gundabad had to pay a yearly due in food and soldiery to back the kingdom in the wars it waged against the fractured Arnor, reinforce its defending garrisons and have its smithies toil to craft the Witch-king's minions arms, helms and armour. At the same time, Zalg's greed for both gold and power intensified; with the aid of Angmar he was constantly seeking to extend his control over the other Orc tribes of the mountains and to increase the flow of tribute. The Orc-king had survived several assassination attempts and more than one rebellion; nothing which a few gruesome executions by his butchers could not take care of. For his spouse, Zalg chose a female Half-orc who not only proved a suitable mate but also his best adviser, much to the consternation of his peers and minions alike. Among the additions to the practices in Mount Gundabad, the Orc-king restored the Cult of the Eye as the official main religion and encouraged the priests to public displays of worship through sacrifices to appease the Fell Powers with their offerings; his Consort only fed the Ashdurbúk's mystical beliefs such as that the Dark Lord had divinely fated him for his current role, consulting of Dush and superstitions regarding ancient occult arts.
However, Zalg's authority eventually faced a new challenge as a result of his apparently growing dependence on the counsel of his Half-orc Consort. This relationship was considered most unusual and demeaning among the Orcs who, adhering to their traditional perspective, regarded females as no more than property and certainly of no value for their opinions. Others who traced their illegitimate origins to the seed of Skorg, potential rivals for rulership in Mount Gundabad, seized upon this situation as a focus for dissatisfaction and urge that something had to be done to rid the throne of the influence of the half-breed woman.The dissenters' complaints and schemes were fueled not merely by their own self-interested fear of losing influence to the Consort in the Orc-king's Court ,but also by disquieting legends of Orcish communities where the ordinary patriarchal order had been overturned in favor of a matriarchal leadership, after the Orc females had learned that they, too,could fight and think for themselves. To many of the male Orcs of Gundabad, a traditional society if ever there was one, the example of the Consort posed a dire threat to their very way of life. It had to be squelched before other females began to emulate the Consort's assertiveness and poise. Fearing a betrayal similar to the one suffered by Balcog and unnerved by the more frequent dictates of the Witch-king, the Ashdurbúk became more reclusive and hesitant to deal in person with either the members of his Court or his affiliates; perceiving the weakness both founded and stimulated by aging, Carn Dûm came to be even more assertive in its alliance with Mount Gundabad, requesting more involvement from the other party in the war effort directed against Arnor, knowing that the latter's overlord could not afford risking the ire of Angmar as well as in-fighting.
Despite the backing of Angmar half-needed to prevent his ousting by more younger competitors, Zalg had not become so frail as to accept the hegemony of Carn Dûm over Mount Gundabad even at this low point out of hubris and as a gesture of iron will meant for those who would see him overthrown: to the last, the tyrannical monarch believed himself subjected to the Dark Powers only - under the utmost secrecy, couriers were monthly dispatched to the "Necromancer" at Dol Guldur to pay him Zalg's homage, relay all notable intel and return with seldom precise instructions, not to mention that a few of the latter's best warriors were sent to swell the ranks of the growing Kazgûmhuth battalions. The more frequent dissapearances of Angmarrim emissaries bearing ill proposals on the road between the two realms also grimly reminded Carn Dûm that while Gundabad would always respect the terms of their strained alliance, it would never demean itself to the status of a mere compliant vassal and though the Witch-king was slightly irked by the Ashdurbúk's ways he was forbidden by the Dark Lord to rashly settle things, for that Lord of Gundabad's devout faith was valued and he had brought him one step closer to slowly recovering his old territories and minions in the North through an ambitious but loyal intermediary. To maintain his popularity among the denizens of his mountain-fortress by giving them a chance to stain the ground with blood once more and plunder, Zalg accepted to personally join the Witch-king in waging skirmishes with the Kings of Arnor and their allies; brandishing his set of plate armor and armed with either bow or scimitar the Ashdurbúk often fought on the frontline inspiring fear in the hearts of foe and friend alike in spite of his old age, or helped make the plans for battles alongside his Consort. But the Second Siege of Imladris was to be the final showdown for him: shortly before the assault was fended off, Zalg engaged the even more skilled Elven-lord Glorfindel. The two clashed the steel of their blades, exchanged heavy blows onto one another and wreaked each others' armor almost to shatterpoint, the latter's agility and resistance proving more than a match for the Orc-king's unquenched frustration and defiance in the face of imminent defeat. Ultimately, the weary Zalg was disarmed by one of Glorfindel's swift sword moves and felled with the next descending strike.
Artefacts[]
The regalia of rulership in Mount Gundabad were in Zalg's possession when he reigned: the Ghrazîm Banner, the Ice Helm, and the scimitar Thrakurghash. Zalg went to battle clad in black full plate armor, wielding his enchanted scimitar and his mighty longbow (legends say no other Orc can string it). A skillful tactician, Zalg had rarely lost a battle; indeed, his very presence on the field was often enough to intimidate lesser opponents. During his tenure as Orc-king, rumors claimed that he also possessed an array of special powers conferred to him by an evil artefact, the Ulûkai of Morgoth.
References[]
- MERP: Mount Gundabad
- MERP: Northwestern Middle-earth Campaign Atlas
- MERP: Northwestern Middle-earth Gazetteer