Gundabad was a mountainous stronghold in Mount Gundabad, far-north of the Misty Mountains, where they intersected with the Grey Mountains.
History[]
Dwarves built the stronghold in Middle-earth and Durin the Deathless awoke there at some point in early history.[1] The fortress was lost to Orcs and retaken multiple times during the Second Age although the Dwarves were eventually pushed out for good.[1]
Orcs began to thrive in Gundabad and it became the unofficial Orc capital in the north. It was closely aligned with the Kingdom of Angmar during the War of Angmar. Orcs in Gundabad became hunters and bred their own breed of vicious Wargs which would serve in their military and hunting packs. Orcs from Gundabad were stronger and more skilled than many of the other Mountain Orcs. Azog the Defiler and his son Bolg hailed from Gundabad.
The Necromancer's campaign[]
Orcs and Wargs from Gundabad continued to come down along the ridge of the Misty Mountains. Azog hailed from Gundabad, and became the leader of the Orcs that settled in Moria after it was vacated by the Dwarves. His son, Bolg, became the leader of the Orcs of Gundabad itself. Both Orc colonies came under the command of The Necromancer. Under his orders, Bolg and Azog would menace Thorin and Company during the Quest of Erebor.
Legolas, chasing Bolg out of Laketown, saw him regroup with Orcs carrying the mark of Gundabad on their helmets, and later took Tauriel to investigate the place, intending to infilitrate it. However, before he could do so, Gundabad was emptied as its forces marched against Erebor and Dale. This was done under commands from Azog, and at the behest of Sauron, who wanted to re-establish Angmar by first conquering Dale and Erebor. The resulting Battle of the Five Armies decimated the Orcs of Gundabad (who were attacked by Beorn and the Great Eagles) and Moria.[2]
War of the Ring[]
Gundabad continued to serve as an Orc stronghold in the north during the War of the Ring. Andriel, Eradan and Farin infiltrated the mountain with the help of the Great Eagle Beleram. There they encountered an injured Dwarf , Anar. He told them to help his friends activate the "weapon" inside the fortress before he died from the poison arrow which had pierced his flesh. They helped the Dwarves of Nordinbad activate the weapon which caused a huge chunk of the fortress to cave-in which killed many of the Orcs inside the strgonhold.[3]
Behind the Scenes[]
First appearing the game The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, the stronghold was finally brought to the big screen for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies as visited by Legolas and Tauriel.
The designers at WETA were excited to bring Gundabad to the screen as the stronghold was barely mentioned in Tolkien's The Hobbit . Concept Art Director John Howe imagined Gundabad to be the shape of a blade and covered in rust due to it's age.[1]
Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Chronicles: Art & Design
- ↑ The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings: War in the North