Enter the Dark Library of Mordor and discover it’s hidden secrets!

A hidden chamber was unearthed after the War of the Ring

King Elessar sent emissaries into the ruins of Mordor after the fall of Sauron, to cleanse the lands of the last remnants of orcs, trolls and evil men. Much of Mordor lay in abject ruin, but hidden in a vale to the North of where Barad-dûr once stood, a secret door was found in a deep defile. The door was open, and the steps leading down into it’s dark depths was choked with broken rock and stone, but within the labyrinth of chambers found below, a vast wealth of knowledge was discovered. This hidden place, now known as the Library of Shadow held ancient scrolls, maps and books of Morgul magic, that give insight into the dark arts of Mordor.

King Elessar commanded that all such artifacts of the enemy be destroyed, but there was one among the scribes of Minas Tirith, enamored of the knowledge to be discovered, kept in secret many of the maps, books and scrolls found there. And so it was that much of the knowledge of Mordor survived. This along with the Red Book of Westmarch of which various copies were made and at least one of which was brought south to Gondor, chronicles the adventures of the halflings from the North, the finding of the One Ring of power and their quest to take the Ring to the fires of Mount Doom. These and many other items remained in the vast library of Minas Tirith and have been used by our dark historians to make this site.

In the time of Sauron, this secret chamber could only be opened by speaking a Morgul Spell of unlocking. “Gûnd-bazus bág-lunk.” It is believed that Sauron, who was wise beyond count and weighed all things to a nicety upon the scales of his malice, built this underground labyrinth of chambers far from the center of his power, for a reason. If his assault upon Middle-earth should fail once again, then a great portion of his knowledge would be saved from destruction.

In this vast labyrinth of chambers below the secret vale, the Dark Lord had countless scribes writing in the Black Speech, with crebain quills and crimson inks upon dark papyrus. They recorded the histories of the first Dark Lord Morgoth and his favored servant Sauron. The fall of Morgoth and rise of Sauron are said to be recorded in great depth. The making of the Rings of Power and the dark rites used in their forging were also described in great detail. Much of the knowledge of Mordor was kept in this secret Library of Shadow, and much of the knowledge was saved after the fall of Mordor.

Ghásh ~ The Book of Fire

One book was found, that had upon its leather bound cover, the Eye of Sauron inlaid with Mithril surrounded by the One Ring inscription. It is said that if one laid a hand upon the Eye, it would glow red like fire in the darkness and so the book was named Ghásh ~ The Book of Fire Within its pages was a history of the War of the Ring and much about the Servants of Shadow under the thrall of Sauron. It held descriptions of the Dark Domains of Mordor, the towers, fortresses and garrisons scattered across the Land of Shadow. Many descriptions were made of the Brazen Beasts bred to his service in the dark pits of Barad-dûr.

It held much about the ordering of Mordor and the Dark Lord’s plans for his final assault upon Middle-earth. The making of weapons, armor and devices for battle. It held sketches and diagrams for the great machines of war such as Grond, which was forged in the smithies of Sammath Naur. A great store of knowledge about the inner workings of the Dark Tower, from its pitiless dungeons and slave pits, to its treasures troves, storerooms and forges, all the way up to the top most spires and the Well of the great Eye!

There were plans for the staging of vast armies bred in the Orc pits of Gorgoroth, and the ordering of farms and slaves to feed them along the inner sea of Nurn. The plans and preparations made in the Vale of Udûn, that stretched between Cirith Gorgor and the Isenmouthe. Diagrams detailing the guard towers, orc holds and fortresses along its inner walls and the shoring up of the Black Gate with it’s iron plates and pitiless spires of steel.

There were also plans for the ordering of Middle-earth once it fell under the sway of Mordor. It listed the Dark Servants and Emissaries of Mordor, who would be installed as overseers in the many fortresses throughout the lands of the East, South, North and West. How the free peoples of Middle-earth would be turned into vast hoards of slaves, whose only propose would be to satisfy whims of the Dark Lord. Sauron would have his vengeance upon all that had dared stand against him.

Within it’s brittle pages were entire chapters devoted to the Morgul Spells and Dark Magic, that the Lord Sauron used in all his works throughout Mordor.

Rágath-dûr ~ The Map of Mordor

Also found in this ancient library was a map of the Land of Shadow, complete with spells of enchantment. For those who could decipher the Morgul runes, one had simply to place a hand on the map and the name of the place would appear and then fade away when the fingers were removed.

Places long held secret are made known with this map including the hidden vale where the Library of Shadow was concealed.

Many other places are also revealed such as the Plain of the Black Steeds, were the horses of Mordor were bred to tolerate evil servants of Mordor. Also seen is the the mountain of Carn Telloth, where it was the hope of Sauron, that he might one day bring the dragon Smaug to live and work in his service. To the South are the holding pens of the Mûmakil at Daemon Angren and west of Orodruin was the largest of the Orc camps upon the plain of Gorgoroth. Many more of the dark and shadowed places of Mordor can be found with the borders of this ancient map.

Without the knowledge of these Morgul Spells, the map is simply an unadorned rendering of the land-shapes found in Mordor, but through dark enchantment this map of Sauron’s Realm comes alive with knowledge, that has long been shrouded from those without the power to see.

This Map of Mordor eventually fell into the hands of historians in Minas Tirith, where it now lay locked away for fear the Morgul Spells may work a dark magic not only upon the map, but also on anyone one who uses it!

Orkish and The Black Speech

One of Sauron’s grand plans for Mordor and eventually the whole of Middle-earth, was the implementation of a single language for all of his servants and slaves. Sauron was unable to effectively put his plan into action, before his fall at the end of the Third Age. Within the confines of the Dark Tower, he was for the most part able to impose the Black Speech upon his minions, but spreading out from under it’s dark shadow, the use of tribal Orkish and other crude languages from the lands to the East and South permeated throughout the Land of Shadow.

If the One Ring of Power had once more been placed upon the hand of it’s Master, the will of Sauron would have prevailed over every living creature in Middle-earth. The Black Speech would  have been heard from the shores of the Western Sea to the farthest reaches of the East and from the cold mountains of the North to the dry plains of the Southern deserts. With the power of the Ring at his command, the Dark Lord’s reach would have covered all the world in Shadow. Alas, this did not come to pass!

Much knowledge about the Black Speech was found in the Library of Shadow. Reams of pages and scrolls meant to be distributed to his servants throughout the lands of Middle-earth, to teach them the dark tongue of Mordor! Given enough time and with a liberal application of the whip, the Black Speech would have been heard in every corner of Mordor and eventually all of Middle-earth!

Many versions of the Black Speech have filtered down throughout the years and the Shadowlandian Dialect which you can find here in The Land of Shadow.com is one of the most comprehensive versions to be found. Go HERE to get lessons in the Black Speech and peruse the Dark Tongue Dictionaries to learn our version of this masterful language.

We will soon be updating all of the pages in the Black Speech section to Mordor 2015. This will include the many lessons and dictionaries to make it easier to use and learn.

The Library of Shadow holds more secrets yet to discover…

There is much to be found in the Library of Shadow and for those who thirst for the dark knowledge of Mordor, it’s a treasure trove of insight into the Land of Shadow. As more is uncovered and revealed, links and additions will be added here in the Library of Shadow!

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