Orcs from Mordor travel North to Khazad-dûm, the Black Pit of Moria

Ush-krag raised his hand, halting the company in the dark woods. His group numbered nearly 300 Black Uruk from Valley of Udûn.

They stood silent listening, the only sound the rustle of iron shot feet, the clink of chain mail and the hard breathing of the orcs behind him.

There had been no sign of the elves that lived in the woods to the south. They had just crossed the river and he’d been warned that the Elf-witch was cunning and had patrols along the woods between the river and the East Gate of Moria.

Ush-krag gave the signal for his rabble to move on. He had sent scouts head, but he knew that elves could see in the dark better than orcs. It was almost daylight and he wanted to get this mob in the gate before daybreak.

As the first rays of light from the east cut across the eastern edge of the Misty Mountains, they came upon the great outcropping of rock before the gate. Ush-krag told his boys to leg it up the rocks, but he had no need to make them hurry. The sight of the sun sent them scurrying up the rocky path to the gate. The Uruks jostled and cursed one another as they squeezed into the mountainside. The grinning maggots of Moria laughed as they watched the last of the Mordor orcs cringing in the light of day as they waited their turn to enter.

Ush-krag was greeted by a bowlegged Orc by the name of Thagûrz, there was a bit of a tussle between the orcs of Mordor and the orcs of Moria and it took both of them to quite down the rabble. Ush-krag and his orcs were taken up a twisting set of stairs and hallways to a large room with a great carved seat at one end. Ush-krag felt his blood freeze as he realized there was a large figure shrouded in Shadow seated upon the great stone chair. Drums began to beat with a slow deafening boom that he could feel in his chest like a great rumble. The Shadow rose, and what looked like wings on either side wreathed in smoke spreading out and touching the vast ceiling over head. The creature stepped forward across a grooved channel at his feet that was filled with a rising fire. Suddenly the creature burst into flame and Ush-krag was able to see it in all it’s rage and glory. The great soldier orc, a captain of high rank and power sank to his knees in a quivering mess before the Flame of Udûn.

Ush-krag could hear the echoing laughter of Thagûrz and his goblin hoard behind him, as he sank to the floor in dread before the Balrog of Moria.

Lay your staff on the link below to follow the Time-line of the War of the Ring from the Eye of Mordor.

The Mordor Appendices ~ The Time Line of the Year 3018 ~ 3019