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The Siege of Minas Tirith, also known as the Siege of Gondor, occurred when Sauron sent the Army of Minas Morgul to lay siege to Minas Tirith during the War of the Ring. Legions of Orcs surrounded the city for two days and attacked with siege towers and catapults. Gandalf the White led the defense of the city while Gondor's Steward Denethor had given up hope. The Witch King of Angmar led the armies of evil with Gothmog as his commander.
Prelude[]
To be added
The Siege[]
The Orc legions marched towards the city in groups, split up by large siege towers and catapults. As they neared the walls, a group of Mountain Trolls began beating drums and the Orcs started chanting. Faramir was dragged by his horse after his unsuccessful attack on Osgiliath and only just made it to the gate before the Orcs got too close. The Orc Commander, Gothmog, arrived on his Warg and dismounted, readying himself for the siege. The Gondorians raced the injured Faramir up to his father.[1]
As soon as they were ready, the Orcs began firing the severed heads of the Gondorians who had died in Osgiliath, over the walls to strike fear into the people.[2] Trolls started lifting large boulders and placing them in catapults, which began destroying buildings and walls within the city. Denethor was sure his line had ended, although Pippin tried to tell the Steward that Faramir was still alive and needed medicine. Looking out on the Orc armies, Denethor determined that Rohan had deserted Gondor and gave up all hope. He yelled to the Gondorians to abandon their posts but Gandalf arrived and hit the man with his staff, telling the Gondorians to prepare for battle.[1]
Gandalf rallied the Gondorian soldiers and guards, who had scattered under Denethor's lack of command. Gandalf brought soldiers to the wall and some of them began operating the defensive turrets. When the Orcs began to get crushed by the massive slabs of concrete hurling their way, Gothmog ordered them to stay put. Some of the Gondorians hastily left for the lower levels, knowing the Orcs would attempt to break through the doors. A boulder was catapulted right in front of Gothmog and his command group. He watched it fly towards him before stepping to the side last second and spitting at it.[1]
The Nazgûl arrived after this and flew around the city on their fell-beasts, terrorising the soldiers and guards as well as civilians. One wraith picked up a whole group of soldiers with his beast and dropped them to fall to their deaths many levels below.[1]
As the siege towers approached, the archers were shooting at them but Gandalf told them to focus on the Trolls that were pushing the towers instead, hoping to stop some of them from reaching the wall. Most of them still did and the Orcs entered the city through docking ramps. Pippin was told off by Gandalf for being at the wall, saying it was no place for a Hobbit. Gandalf didn't see another tower of Orcs arriving and was distracted by the Orcs attacking him from another. Pippin stepped up and impaled an Orc coming up behind Gandalf with his sword. Gandalf was thankful but told him to leave all the same.[1]
The Orcs were trying to break down the door with large log but the archers above were picking them off and the makeshift battering ram wasn't getting anywhere. Gothmog was disgusted with their incapabilities and called in Grond to finish the job. As the large battering ram was brought near, the Orcs began chanting "Grond! Grond! Grond!"[1]
The Orcs continued to try and break the door with Grond until nightfall when the door finally began to cave in. Gandalf brought a group of Gondorians to defend the entrance and told them whatever came through the door to stand and fight. As soon as the door was broken, three attack trolls came through with their clubs. They were followed by swarms of Orcs and Easterlings. Gandalf ordered the men to make their way to the second level to re-fortify as the lowest level had been breached. Gothmog ordered his legions to enter the city and kill all in their path.[1]
Denethor prepared to sacrifice Faramir and himself in the Temple of the Stewards and was seen by Pippin who rushed away to find Gandalf. Gandalf was fighting Orcs on the middle levels and Pippin eventually found him.[1] Gandalf and Pippin rode Shadowfax towards the temple as fast as possible but were stopped by the Witch-king of Angmar on his fell-beast who landed in front of them. Gandalf told the Witch-king to fall into the abyss which awaited the wraith and his master. The Nazgûl told Gandalf the power was all his and his sword ignited with a fiery power. The power from the Witch-king broke Gandalf's staff and knocked both the wizard and the Hobbit from Shadowfax's back. As the Witch-king prepared to kill Gandalf he told the wizard he had failed and that the world of Men would fall. They were interrupted by the sound of horns and the Witch-king immediately flew off to see what was going on.[2]
Gothmog and the Orcs outside the city looked up to see King Théoden and the Riders of Rohan finally arrive and line up ready for battle.[1]
Aftermath[]
To be added
Appearances[]
References