Mordor

Mordor (the 'Black Land') is the domain of the Dark Lord Sauron.

Mordor

Summary

Very little is known of Mordor’s history before Sauron's arrival in SA 1000. Fearful of the growing Númenórean presence in Middle-earth, he chose this region for its defensibility, and for the vast potential he saw in Orodruin (believed to be a remnant of Morgoth’s destructive work in the early days of Arda). Sauron began building Barad-dûr at this time, and in SA 1600, assisted by the power of the newly-forged One Ring, the Dark Tower was completed.

In SA 3320, with the fall of Númenor, the sons of Elendil came to create the Kingdom of Gondor. Osgiliath was founded as the capital, guarded by the sister fortresses of Minas Ithil and Minas Anor. Their territory continued to expand until the War of the Last Alliance. Minas Ithil fell to Sauron’s forces in SA 3429, though it would later be recovered by the Gondorians. Sauron was defeated in 3441 when Isildur cut the ring from his hand, and the forces of Mordor were scattered. The Dark Tower was razed, though its foundations, tied to the power of the Ring, remained. Gondor set a watch on the land of Mordor, building towers at the passes of Cirith Ungol and Cirith Gorgor for that purpose. This long period of vigilance came to an end in TA 1640, when, weakened by conflicts elsewhere and by the Great Plague, Gondor withdrew its forces. The land of Mordor was left totally unguarded.

Shortly thereafter, the Nazgûl returned to Mordor, once again besieging Minas Ithil. In TA 2002, they captured the city along with its Palantír. They began gathering forces of evil there while Sauron controlled them from afar. When the White Council drove him from Dol Guldur in 2941, he feigned defeat but returned to Mordor in secret. Ten years later Sauron declared himself openly as Lord of Mordor; Barad-dûr was rebuilt, and Mount Doom began to erupt again.

Regions

• Gorgoroth
• Nurn
• Southern Mirkwood

Settlements

• Barad-dûr, the Dark Tower of Sauron
• Minas Morgul (originally Minas Ithil), the city of the Ringwraiths
• Dol Guldur, the secondary fortress of Sauron in Mirkwood
• Udûn
• Durthang
• Cirith Ungol

Architecture

An early concept for Barad-dûr, based on Tolkien's sketch

As mentioned above, several structures on the perimeter of Mordor are Gondorian in origin. Minas Morgul, Cirith Ungol and the Towers of the Teeth (not the wall between them) follow Old Númenórean style (see the Minas Tirith guide). All other structures will naturally be purely Mordorian in style. This includes Barad-dûr, the Black Gate, and many other unnamed fortifications throughout Mordor. THE BELOW NOTES ARE BASED ON EARLY ARCHITECTURAL TESTS, AND CAN BE AMENDED AS WE FURTHER ESTABLISH THE STYLE.

The Mordor architecture must have a primarily Brutalist quality, with a unique mix of antiquity and modernity. The layout and shapes of larger structures can draw heavily from both Mesopotamian Ziggurats and Han Dynasty fortifications. There will also be Gothic elements such as buttresses and tall, pointed towers.

Roughly-cobbled stone, held together with ash mortar (Roman concrete), is the primary building material throughout Gorgoroth. Larger stone bricks, often Cyclopean in size, are used for the foundations and for internal supports. The pointed towers have roofs of slate shingles, and are usually topped with iron spikes. Windows are generally small, with no glass (though boarded up if needed). More prominent windows are closed with iron bars. The interiors of these fortresses and towers should feel very claustrophobic and labyrinthine. Staircases of wood or stone are narrow and often impossibly steep.

Across the plain of Gorgoroth, and likely in Nurn as well, most of the dwellings will be “huts and long low drab buildings” constructed from the same materials. These buildings are designed to maximize occupancy.

For temporary dwellings, the Orcs are said to inhabit “camps of tents, black or sombre red.”

Men and Orcs are almost invariably segregated; housing for Men is generally placed above ground and upper chambers of the high, heavy towers. Meanwhile Orcs are housed in either underground chambers and mountainside grottos, or ‘tumour blocks’ that are constantly added on to Mannish/Sauronian fortresses.

Style characteristics

• Very blocky and rectangular look, overlapped by and adhered to each other, often forming sprawling and cancer-like lumps
• Styles are varying depending on the degree of what groups are related to construction
• Spike ornaments on rooftops, on corners of parapets, and along railings
• Basic corbel-stepped overhangs on underside of parapets
• Decorative pillars flanking major doors and windows
• Simple linear patterns of contrasting bricks

Infrastructure

Roads

In most cases, roads in Mordor are simple paths of packed dirt. In mountainous areas, roads and stairs are carved into the rock; when needed, the cliff faces above these mountain trails are cut into sheer walls, often several meters high.

Across the broken land of Gorgoroth, there are raised causeways about a meter above the plain. These causeways have a high curb along one side, for troop leaders to guide their companies in low-visibility conditions. They are likely paved with stones, using similar materials to the towers and houses. Sauron’s Road is one such causeway, running westward from Barad-dûr towards Mount Doom. Exiting the fortress’s gates, it passes over a deep chasm, and channels flanking the road are often filled with lava when Orodruin erupts. As it approaches Mount Doom, the road winds clockwise up the slope before reaching the Sammath Naur on the eastern side of the cone.

There is a large contingency of low-ranking Orcs assigned to the duty of road maintenance, particularly in the case of Sauron’s Road. Tolkien writes that it is “often blocked or destroyed by the tumults of the Mountain's furnaces.”

Water management

At long intervals along Sauron’s Road, and likely also along the other roads passing through Gorgoroth, there are cisterns built to provide water to troops sent through the volcanic plain.

Government and military

Governmental institutions

The government of Mordor is totalitarian, on par with some States seen in the 20th Century. As god-king, Sauron has absolute power over the entire land, and Barad-dûr itself is clearly the center of all government operations in Mordor. The following orders for guards at Cirith Ungol illustrate this:

Any trespasser found by the guard is to be held at the tower. Prisoner is to be stripped. Full description of every article, garment, weapon, letter, ring, or trinket is to be sent to Lugbúrz at once, and to Lugbúrz only. And the prisoner is to be kept safe and intact, under pain of death for every member of the guard, until He sends or comes Himself.

However, Sauron himself has very little to do with the day-to-day administration of his kingdom, focusing instead on searching for the Ring and brooding over the powers that oppose him. Thus, a tiny council Númenórean Men act as the real leadership of Mordor (the Mouth of Sauron is one such ruler). Directly below them lies a pyramid of subordinate officials, from regional governors to the rulers of individual villages. With the possible exception of the lowest level, all government officials are human. We can figure out how many levels of leadership there are once we determine the number of settlements, population count, etc. The law of the land is imposed by arbitrary decree rather than any legislative process.

Judicial matters are carried out on the local level, by an official (or body of officials) appointed by the governor. These judges are often selected based on heritage rather than merit, leading to gross incompetence. As with the governors, their decisions are arbitrary; in some cases the defendants are tried in absentia. The verdicts are also heavily dependent on the social class of the defendant: if they are not deemed 'useful,' they are sent to the mines or to labor camps.

Possibly a large body of scribes, keeping written record of all reports, messages, decrees, etc.

Military institutions

In Mordor, warfare is a way of life; the entire kingdom is designed top-down for the facilitation of Sauron’s conquest. Most of the border is naturally fortified by the Ephel Duath and Ered Lithui, and Orcs guard the mountain passes of Cirith Ungol and Cirith Gorgor. There are watchtowers lining the border in the open land to the east, with heavier fortifications flanking the road(s) to tributary lands.

There is a clear chain of command, and the Orcs appear to have a classification system:

“'I'll give your name and number to the Nazgûl,' said the soldier, lowering his voice to a hiss.”

The vast majority of the army, both Orcs and Men, have little or no combat training. A disproportionately large number of human soldiers are conscripted slaves from vassal states. In many cases the enormous amount of incoming soldiers would outpace the ability or willingness of the government to provide housing, and many of them would be forced to live in tents. The sheer size of the military force also means that common soldiers are expendable, and orders are extremely strict with threats of harsh punishments for even minor infractions.

With these squalid and oppressive conditions, it should come as no surprise that defection is a major problem. Thus, in addition to guarding against outside forces, the watch posts along the border also serve to keep soldiers from escaping. Shagrat and Gorbag mention a Secret Police which plants spies on all levels of the military to report insubordination. Defectors and suspected traitors would be killed on the spot or sent to work in the mines.

In order to arm such a massive military force, Mordor depends on extensive mining and smelting operations. These seem to be mostly concentrated around the Udûn valley, though there are likely a few outposts on the perimeter of Gorgoroth. Additionally, vassal states would send weapons as part of their tribute (see Imports). Similarly, arms manufacturing is probably done on an as-needed basis, but large-scale manufacturing and storage of weapons is based in Udûn and Barad-dûr. These weapons would largely be mass-produced and of generally poor quality.

We see many times throughout The Return of the King that the Mordor army is technologically advanced compared to the rest of Middle-earth. At the Siege of Minas Tirith, the Orcs dig fiery trenches that continuously burn ''by art or devilry.'' They also bring wooden siege towers (built on-location in Osgiliath, so not present in Mordor itself), catapults which outrange anything Gondor can bring to bear, and of course, Grond. All of these are so large that they can only be drawn by mûmakil or perhaps other large beasts:

As soon as the great catapults were set, with many yells and the creaking of rope and winch, they began to throw missiles marvellously high, so that they passed right above the battlement and fell thudding within the first circle of the City; and many of them by some secret art burst into flame as they came toppling down.

…and in the midst was a huge ram, great as a forest-tree a hundred feet in length (30.5 m), swinging on mighty chains. Long had it been forging in the dark smithies of Mordor, and its hideous head, founded of black steel, was shaped in the likeness of a ravening wolf; on it spells of ruin lay. Grond they named it, in memory of the Hammer of the Underworld of old. Great beasts drew it, Orcs surrounded it, and behind walked mountain-trolls to wield it.

Of course, a summary of Mordor’s military would not be complete without mentioning the nine Nazgûl. Because of their immense power and their telepathic link to Sauron, they are his favourite agents; the Witch-King is Sauron’s second-in-command. They have many roles: agents of terror, frightening human and orcish servants into obedience; overhead surveillance of Mordor and the surrounding lands by means of their winged steeds; and diplomatic envoys to other kingdoms. They mainly reside in Minas Morgul, though at this point in time Khamûl and two others are in command of Dol Guldur.

Communications

Sam looked up towards the orc-tower, and suddenly from its narrow windows lights stared out like small red eyes. He wondered if they were some signal.

It seems very likely that communications in Gorgoroth (at least, regarding settlements within sight of Barad-dûr) involves red lamps at the tops of watchtowers. Perhaps they use a system akin to Morse Code or semaphore.

‘No, I don’t know,’ said Gorbag’s voice. ‘The messages go through quicker than anything could fly, as a rule. But I don’t enquire how it’s done. Safest not to.’... ‘A message came [to Cirith Ungol]: Nazgûl uneasy. Spies feared on Stairs. Double vigilance. Patrol to head of Stairs. I came at once.’

Outside of this, most communications are probably carried out by a relay rider system (similar to the Roman cursus publicus or the Persian system of the angarium). As such, there will need to be relay stations along the main roads, approximately every 900 blocks. This system would be expensive to maintain, so it would be reserved for governmental and military communications only.

Economy and tribute

Industry and professions

There were long hairy breeches of some unclean beast-fell, and a tunic of dirty leather… Over the tunic went a coat of stout ring-mail, short for a full-sized orc, too long for Frodo and heavy. About it he clasped a belt, at which there hung a short sheath holding a broad-bladed stabbing-sword. Sam had brought several orc-helmets. One of them fitted Frodo well enough, a black cap with iron rim, and iron hoops covered with leather upon which the evil Eye was painted in red above the beaklike nose-guard.

The Orc uniform also includes large black cloaks, probably wool. Extensive iron mines in Ered Lithui and Ephel Duath. Worked by slaves and insubordinate soldiers.

After a mile or more they saw, huddled in a hollow at the cliff's foot, the orc-hold that they had guessed was near at hand: a wall and a cluster of stone huts set about the dark mouth of a cave.

Factories for commonly used goods, based on Roman fabricae.

• Produce pottery, tools, weapons and textiles
• Leather for tunics, belts, etc. - produced in Nurn (and Gorgoroth, to a lesser degree)
• Oil for red lamps - animal fat?
• Drums and horns
• Meat would probably be dried or salted for preservation in Mordor’s arid climate
• Cheesemaking is rare or nonexistent
• Salt for preserving meat - mines, maybe saltpans around Nurnen?

Dyes

• Black dye - charred wood and bone
• Red dye - ochre and sometimes cinnabar, maybe red lead too?

Textiles

• Linen
• Hemp
• Wool

Writing media

• Parchment of pigs and sheeps
• Clay tablet
• Fiber paper

Agriculture

The Plateau of Gorgoroth being totally unsuitable for any kind of cultivation, all agriculture in Mordor is found in the comparatively arable region of Nurn. Though mostly scrubland, there is a large area of fertile ground in the delta to the northeast of Núrnen, as well as some smaller areas of agriculture clustered around the other rivers which feed into the sea.

Unlike other realms (Gondor, Rohan, etc), the agricultural system of Mordor is designed from the top down to maximize efficiency and produce. All farmland belongs to Sauron, with appointed owners effectively renting their land from the state. Though little more than vassals themselves, these farmers each have a large number of slaves who work their fields. The farmers are entrusted with a certain amount of seed at the planting season each year, and are required at harvest time to give their entire crop to the regional governor for distribution, along with the same amount of seed they were given. Any deviation from this, whether an insufficient harvest or otherwise, could be treated as treason. In addition, during the harvest season, farm owners need official permission to leave their land for any reason (for their enslaved workers it’s out of the question at any point).

This system draws from Ptolemaic Egypt, Soviet Russia, and Roman vilica.

Crops

Using the agriculture of the Seljuk Empire as a basis, the primary crops grown for consumption are wheat, barley, rice and setaria millet, likely using a 2-field rotation. In early days, barley (a more drought resistant crop) would have been the primary crop. However, the current system ignores regular risk-management strategies in favour of maximizing production, and farmers would have built extensive irrigation canals in order to sustain the other grains which are more desirable but also more susceptible to drought.

• Plants grown for textiles: Cotton? Flax? Hemp?

Livestock

Sheep, goats and cattle and pigs are raised in Nurn, in very large herds. Over time this would lead to overgrazing, contributing to large-scale soil erosion. Oxen are also needed for ploughing and transportation. Pigs can also be raised in Gorgoroth, kept in indoor sties or in the basements of fortresses. Dung can be used as fertiliser or burned as fuel.

Horses are fairly rare, used only by designated messengers and the Númenórean elites. All are likely brought in from vassal states (from which they are sent as part of their tribute) or from Rohan (where they are stolen). If we intend to place mobs in-game, they should all be black horses.

In addition, Mordor employs Trolls, using their incalculable strength for large-scale construction and transportation. If they are kept in Nurn at all, they will need either natural or man-made shelters in order to protect them from sunlight’s deadly effects; in Gorgoroth this is much less of a concern as the land is perpetually covered in clouds of ash and smoke.

Fell-Beasts

Finally, there must be housing and accommodations for the winged steeds of the Nazgûl. These creatures are large enough for a grown man to ride. Their description is somewhat vague:

…it was a winged creature: if bird, then greater than all other birds, and it was naked, and neither quill nor feather did it bear, and its vast pinions were as webs of hide between horned fingers; and it stank. A creature of an older world maybe it was…”

The Gondorians call them "hell-hawks", which implies that they are perhaps closer in appearance to birds than to bats or dragons. Tolkien admits a resemblance to pterodactyls in a letter to Rhona Beare, although his knowledge of pterodactyl physiology was limited:

Pterodactyl. Yes and no. I did not intend the steed of the Witch-King to be what is now called a 'pterodactyl', and often is drawn (with rather less shadowy evidence than lies behind many monsters of the new and fascinating semi-scientific mythology of the 'Prehistoric'). But obviously it is pterodactylic and owes much to the new mythology, and its description even provides a sort of way in which it could be a last survivor of older geological eras.

However, he envisioned the Nazgûl's mounts as having wings stretched over lengthened finger bones (like modern bats), whereas pterosaur wings were hung on a single hugely extended finger. Additionally, the mounts were strong enough to dig their claws into a horse's body, whereas no pterosaur had feet that were capable of grasping anything. As such, it is probably something between a pterosaur, vulture, and bat.

Tribute

[G]reat roads… ran away east and south to tributary lands, from which servants of the Tower brought long waggon-trains of goods and booty and fresh slaves.

Mordor might export weapons and slaves to Mirkwood. It imports lumber and related products (such as charcoal and pitch) from Dol Guldur, and bring in an enormous amount of treasures, delicacies and manufactured goods from Rhûn and Harad (especially from the Umbar area). There are checkpoints at all the borders, to control what items are brought into the kingdom.

Financial institutions

Mordor has no standard currency, relying instead on a barter system for all of its financial exchanges. Most slaves are only given what they need to survive; “middle-class” workers and soldiers are paid in goods, slaves, and status as a reward for productivity.

Foreign states under Mordor’s control are demanded to pay a heavy tariff of money, goods and slaves. Mordor citizens themselves are not taxed per se, because all of their output is the property of the government and is immediately seized by local officials for distribution. This system creates near-constant shortages on almost everything, which only helps to keep the populace under the control of the ruling elites.

The elites themselves have amassed enormous wealth from the tribute paid by vassal states, including jewellery and foreign coinage. There should be many private treasuries in fortresses throughout Mordor, though the main treasury is in Barad-dûr itself. It cannot be overstated how wealthy Sauron must be after over 50 years of demanding payment from many kingdoms in the east and south. The Dark Lord’s private treasury should also include a very large amount of mithril, spoils from Moria brought to him by his Orcs.

Lastly, there should be small treasuries at trade checkpoints, in order to pay independent merchants (see Trade Facilities).

Culture and daily life

Religion

Ever since the King’s Men colonised the lands of Harad and Khand, their beliefs and practices have become predominant in those regions. Their major settlements include temples, based on the one on Númenor: 150 meters tall and 150 meters in diameter, with walls about 15 meters thick; capped with a silver dome with a louver at its apex; and an altar of fire in the centre. The temples in Middle-earth might have a symbolic throne for Sauron, the true High Priest.

In their belief system, one’s own death is seen as the greatest evil, and blood sacrifices (especially human sacrifices) are offered to Melkor in the hope of gaining power and longevity. Human victims would often be prisoners of war or criminals, and would be housed in or near the temples. An order of priests, secretive but highly influential, oversees the sacrifices.

The priests also perform embalming and funerary rites, all carried out in the Houses of the Dead. The first step is to remove the internal organs and bodily fluids in order to slow the decomposition process, by way of an incision made on the flank. The abdominal cavity is then thoroughly rinsed with wine and filled with a mixture of spices (typically myrrh, cassia, and other aromatics). The body is placed in a bed of salt for up to 70 days, then wrapped in a linen shroud and prepared for burial. Since this process is very expensive, only the most wealthy can afford it.

Mirroring the reverence that the Men of Gondor have for their past kings, the descendants of the King’s Men hold certain historical figures to saintlike status. Ar-Pharazôn is seen as their greatest saint, a heroic and tragic figure. Other “saints” can include Herumor and Fuinur, two lords who rose to power in Harad shortly after the Fall of Númenor.

As Black Númenoreans and Haradrim make up most of the human population of Mordor, they would undoubtedly have brought their beliefs and practices with them. This is beneficial for Sauron, as it keeps his subjects divorced from reality and wholly devoted to him. He himself is seen as the great prophet of Melkor and a divine ruler. Even the name of Sauron is held as sacred, and he forbids it from being spoken or written except by his most trusted advisors (mocking the Númenórean reverence for Iluvatar).

There might be statues of Sauron and the revered kings, though none are seen by Frodo and Sam during their journey. The images of Sauron are probably symbolic rather than direct representations of him, much like the one seen at the Crossroads (with a single red eye and a leering mouth).

• Consider additions or changes made to the Black Númenorean worship in the last 3,000 years
  • Do they have any “sacred texts”?
• Figure out Easterling religions and how they would factor in
• Top chambers in many strongholds have a symbolic throne facing a red window, and the front lies a small altar for blood sacrifices which are burnt off with perfumed oil.

Medical institutions

Most of Mordor is squalid and unsanitary, and with large numbers of people living in close proximity it is likely that disease is rampant among the lower class. A few people coming in from neighbouring lands might have some rudimentary knowledge of medicine, and thus would act as herbalists on a very small scale. However, these would be few and far between, and on a very unofficial basis.

Any official medical institutions are reserved for the most wealthy among Mordor’s populace. There are houses of healing in major settlements populated by Black Númenóreans, using the advanced medical knowledge from ages past. Expand upon this. They can probably draw more from Roman valetudinaria than the Byzantine/Islamic systems we’re using for Gondor.

Meanwhile, the Orcs have medicine of their own, which is unpleasant but highly effective. The folk of both Mordor and Isengard are said to have some sort of draught that acts as a painkiller. It fills the drinker with “a hot fierce glow” which is less wholesome than the lembas and miruvor of the Elves. In addition, Uglúk treated Merry’s head wound with a dark salve, seemingly an antiseptic. Both the orc-draught and the salve are likely “home remedies” and vary somewhat throughout the region.

Recreational institutions

Gladiatorial arenas are a major source of entertainment for the people of Mordor. The fighters may be criminals or foreign slaves, though some might be willing volunteers seeking fame and fortune. Within these arenas, they may fight other gladiators, wild animals, orcs or trolls. Winners of the games would receive substantial prizes in the form of food, clothing and other material goods; despite their comparative affluence, however, they would still be treated as low-class citizens.

Outside of the official games, fighting among slaves would be strongly prohibited. However, some might be able to hold animal fights, particularly dogs and chickens. These fights would probably take place in the streets or in other open spaces, though a very few might have designated spaces: small rooms with a fenced-in ring in the centre. Some might have benches, though more likely, spectators would simply stand.

Lastly, with the enormous amount of slaves being brought into the land of Mordor, some may be forced into prostitution. Most would probably become courtesans for the ruling elites, but there could also be brothels for the middle class throughout Mordor.

Educational institutions

The vast majority of Mordor’s people are completely uneducated, though out of necessity there are a few exceptions. Among these are the Black Numenorean elites.

• Scribes?
• No one learns the Elven letters or tongues