#bridge of khazad dûm

[autistook]

[theworldsoftolkein]

Brimstone & Hellfire - by Uzi91

Brimstone & Hellfire - by Uzi91

[savage-kult-of-gorthaur]

"...FLAME OF UDÛN. GO BACK TO THE SHADOW. YOU CANNOT PASS!"

PIC INFO: Spotlight on Durin's Bane versus Gandalf the Grey, atop the Bridge of Khazad-dûm in the Mines of Moria (on January 23, 3019 of the Third Age), original painting by SMCreativeart, a.k.a., "smays281," c. 2021.

Resolution at 1378x1742 & 1284x1500.

Sources: www.reddit.com/r/lotr/comments/pvihiv & Pinterest.

[dagordagorath]

15 January: The Bridge of Khazad-dûm

[tolkienillustrations]

The Bridge of Khazad-dûm by Alan Lee

[sillylotrpolls]

Ship names used to be creative and fun, not just the boring portmanteaus you see nowadays littering @fandom. Let's bring that energy back for Valentine's Day 2025 and consider once again the most popular pairing from Tolkien's legendarium.

Extra credit: Gandalf says, "Long I fell, and he fell with me." Would you therefore consider their relationship a "slow burn"?

For additional context, excerpts from The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers are below the cut.

From The Fellowship of the Ring: Chapter 5: The Bridge of Khazad-dûm

Legolas turned and set an arrow to the string, though it was a long shot for his small bow. He drew, but his hand fell, and the arrow slipped to the ground. He gave a cry of dismay and fear. Two great trolls appeared; they bore great slabs of stone, and flung them down to serve as gangways over the fire. But it was not the trolls that had filled the Elf with terror. The ranks of the orcs had opened, and they crowded away, as if they themselves were afraid. Something was coming up behind them. What it was could not be seen: it was like a great shadow, in the middle of which was a dark form, of man-shape maybe, yet greater; and a power and terror seemed to be in it and to go before it. It came to the edge of the fire and the light faded as if a cloud had bent over it. Then with a rush it leaped across the fissure. The flames roared up to greet it, and wreathed about it; and a black smoke swirled in the air. Its streaming mane kindled, and blazed behind it. In its right hand was a blade like a stabbing tongue of fire; in its left it held a whip of many thongs. 'Ai! ai! ' wailed Legolas. 'A Balrog! A Balrog is come!' Gimli stared with wide eyes. Durin's Bane!' he cried, and letting his axe fall he covered his face. 'A Balrog,' muttered Gandalf. Now I understand.' He faltered and leaned heavily on his staff. What an evil fortune! And I am already weary.' The dark figure streaming with fire raced towards them. The orcs yelled and poured over the stone gangways. Then Boromir raised his horn and blew. Loud the challenge rang and bellowed, like the shout of many throats under the cavernous roof. For a moment the orcs quailed and the fiery shadow halted. Then the echoes died as suddenly as a flame blown out by a dark wind, and the enemy advanced again. 'Over the bridge!' cried Gandalf, recalling his strength. Fly! This is a foe beyond any of you. I must hold the narrow way. Fly!' Aragorn and Boromir did not heed the command, but still held their ground, side by side, behind Gandalf at the far end of the bridge. The others halted just within the doorway at the hall's end, and turned, unable to leave their leader to face the enemy alone. The Balrog reached the bridge. Gandalf stood in the middle of the span, leaning on the staff in his left hand, but in his other hand Glamdring gleamed, cold and white. His enemy halted again, facing him, and the shadow about it reached out like two vast wings. It raised the whip, and the thongs whined and cracked. Fire came from its nostrils. But Gandalf stood firm. 'You cannot pass,' he said. The orcs stood still, and a dead silence fell. 'I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass.' The Balrog made no answer. The fire in it seemed to die, but the darkness grew. It stepped forward slowly on to the bridge, and suddenly it drew itself up to a great height, and its wings were spread from wall to wall; but still Gandalf could be seen, glimmering in the gloom; he seemed small, and altogether alone: grey and bent, like a wizened tree before the onset of a storm.

From out of the shadow a red sword leaped flaming. Glamdring glittered white in answer. There was a ringing clash and a stab of white fire. The Balrog fell back and its sword flew up in molten fragments. The wizard swayed on the bridge, stepped back a pace, and then again stood still. 'You cannot pass!' he said. With a bound the Balrog leaped full upon the bridge. Its whip whirled and hissed. 'He cannot stand alone!' cried Aragorn suddenly and ran back along the bridge. 'Elendil!' he shouted. 'I am with you, Gandalf!' `Gondor!' cried Boromir and leaped after him. At that moment Gandalf lifted his staff, and crying aloud he smote the bridge before him. The staff broke asunder and fell from his hand. A blinding sheet of white flame sprang up. The bridge cracked. Right at the Balrog's feet it broke, and the stone upon which it stood crashed into the gulf, while the rest remained, poised, quivering like a tongue of rock thrust out into emptiness. With a terrible cry the Balrog fell forward, and its shadow plunged down and vanished. But even as it fell it swung its whip, and the thongs lashed and curled about the wizard's knees, dragging him to the brink. He staggered and fell, grasped vainly at the stone, and slid into the abyss. 'Fly, you fools!' he cried, and was gone.

From The Two Towers: Chapter 5: The White Rider

'Yes, together we will follow you,' said Legolas. 'But first, it would ease my heart, Gandalf, to hear what befell you in Moria. Will you not tell us? Can you not stay even to tell your friends how you were delivered?' 'I have stayed already too long,' answered Gandalf. 'Time is short. But if there were a year to spend, I would not tell you all.' 'Then tell us what you will, and time allows!' said Gimli. 'Come, Gandalf, tell us how you fared with the Balrog!' 'Name him not!' said Gandalf, and for a moment it seemed that a cloud of pain passed over his face, and he sat silent, looking old as death. 'Long time I fell,' he said at last, slowly, as if thinking back with difficulty. 'Long I fell, and he fell with me. His fire was about me. I was burned. Then we plunged into the deep water and all was dark. Cold it was as the tide of death: almost it froze my heart.' 'Deep is the abyss that is spanned by Durin's Bridge, and none has measured it,' said Gimli. 'Yet it has a bottom, beyond light and knowledge,' said Gandalf. 'Thither I came at last, to the uttermost foundations of stone. He was with me still. His fire was quenched, but now he was a thing of slime, stronger than a strangling snake. 'We fought far under the living earth, where time is not counted. Ever he clutched me, and ever I hewed him, till at last he fled into dark tunnels. They were not made by Durin's folk, Gimli son of Glóin. Far, far below the deepest delving of the Dwarves, the world is gnawed by nameless things. Even Sauron knows them not. They are older than he. Now I have walked there, but I will bring no report to darken the light of day. In that despair my enemy was my only hope, and I pursued him, clutching at his heel. Thus he brought me back at last to the secret ways of Khazad-dûm: too well he knew them all. Ever up now we went, until we came to the Endless Stair.' 'Long has that been lost,' said Gimli. 'Many have said that it was never made save in legend, but others say that it was destroyed.' 'It was made, and it had not been destroyed,' said Gandalf. 'From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak it climbed. ascending in unbroken spiral in many thousand steps, until it issued at last in Durin's Tower carved in the living rock of Zirak-zigil, the pinnacle of the Silvertine. 'There upon Celebdil was a lonely window in the snow, and before it lay a narrow space, a dizzy eyrie above the mists of the world. The sun shone fiercely there, but all below was wrapped in cloud. Out he sprang, and even as I came behind, he burst into new flame. There was none to see, or perhaps in after ages songs would still be sung of the Battle of the Peak.' Suddenly Gandalf laughed. 'But what would they say in song? Those that looked up from afar thought that the mountain was crowned with storm. Thunder they heard, and lightning, they said, smote upon Celebdil, and leaped back broken into tongues of fire. Is not that enough? A great smoke rose about us, vapour and steam. Ice fell like rain. I threw down my enemy, and he fell from the high place and broke the mountain-side where he smote it in his ruin. Then darkness took me; and I strayed out of thought and time, and I wandered far on roads that I will not tell. 'Naked I was sent back – for a brief time, until my task is done. And naked I lay upon the mountain-top. The tower behind was crumbled into dust, the window gone; the ruined stair was choked with burned and broken stone. I was alone, forgotten, without escape upon the hard horn of the world. There I lay staring upward, while the stars wheeled over, and each day was as long as a life-age of the earth. Faint to my ears came the gathered rumour of all lands: the springing and the dying, the song and the weeping, and the slow everlasting groan of overburdened stone. And so at the last Gwaihir the Windlord found me again, and he took me up and bore me away.

[pigsducksflowers]

i love the micro expressions that Aragorn has at the bridge of Khazad-Dûm when Gandalf shoves him away. first thing i see is hurt then confusion and it’s just a jumbled mix of emotions but it gets the point across. anyway i love him. fave king of Gondor

[donatoarts]

Another drawing from the halls of Moria, created for the 'Bridge of Khazad-dûm' Kickstarter Campaign. Gandalf in contest with an unseen opponent. SOLD 'Word of Command' 14" x 10.5" in watercolor pencil and chalk on toned paper . #middleearth #jrrtolkien #moria #gandalf #balrog #wordofcommand #donatoarts #fantasyart #redpencil

[ericowsketch]

The Bridge of Khazad-dûm.

This is one of my favorite chapters in FotR. Very fun to paint in this style!

[tobylix-blog]

LotR Week (1/7): The road goes ever on - Gandalf x Reader

Content & Warnings: angst, platonic Word count: 0.6k Summary: When lights fade away, one is left to find their path in the dark or be lost forever. You must learn faster than anyone, for the times turn darker before your own eyes. A/N: @lotrweek entry for day one before it's too late

It was always Gandalf that showed you the many paths of Middle-Earth. In one way or another, but it always was him. His grey robes raising clouds of road dust as he was walking beside you across the vast plains and hills. Or the smoke rings flowing from his pipe as he was telling you unnumbered stories and legends. Or the lonely light of his staff guiding you through the labyrinths of Moria.

He led you through the numerous dangers of Khazad-Dûm, filling your heart with expectations of the open world lying ahead, but his own path was cut short there. Fire and darkness from the bottomless abyss was defeated with the price beyond wildest imagination. Fate played the most cruel of all jokes, giving you hope and then taking it away in one swift motion of a whip.

Gandalf fell down into the depths along with the enemy silently, like silver snowflakes that cover the mountain. And you cried in his stead. Hopelessly and helplessly you struggled in Aragorn’s arms, while the pain was burning its way through your body. From the stinging in the heels that pushed you forward to the crumbling edge of the bridge to the heavy chains clasping your heart in cold misery.

When the sunlight reached your skin again, the anguish didn’t melt away, instead freezing itself deeper into your bones. You were back on your feet, but you had nowhere to direct your steps to. There was no more sight of the white beard and the grey cloak, no sound of his voice calling for thoughts or for action, no smell of the pipeweed measuring the finale of another adventure, no sensation of the guiding thread that his presence always brought to your mind. You couldn’t feel him the way you used to. There was nothing to rely on anymore. Nothing to follow.

You felt blind. And yet Aragorn pushed you on and on, downhill and forward, away from the growing threat of orcs. Not that you could still comprehend the danger of such sort. Still you moved. At first it was just you, shoulders slumped, drowning in the sea of sorrow and grief shared with the rest of the fellowship, while your feet pushed against the hard rocks step after step. Then the first trees began to block off the sun once every few dozen painful heartbeats, which somehow slowly made it possible to see again. Like the shadows were the new light since your own began to fade. Your steps were quieter and softer against the yellowing grass. Then, once you crossed the edge of the forest, the vast world was shut off by the trees and shattered into narrow pathways between the thick trunks. And surprisingly you found yourself taking one of those paths as if pulled by an invisible rope.

You stopped dead in your tracks from the wild guess. But it wasn’t the same guiding line that your imagination drew in the past. There was no sign, nowhere in your aching soul, of Gandalf. It wasn’t his light that shone upon the trail. Instead it was something that came from the parts of your conscience that you hardly ever knew about and the more steps you took the stronger your conviction became. It was as if the path was choosing you, rather than the opposite. Moreover, it was as if each yard passed took away the tiniest crumble of your grief.

The wind of fate blew out the lantern that you followed in the darkness of times, but the road was still there. The road went on. You only had to learn to walk it.

[raointean]

RoP Teaser Trailer Breakdown!

First of all, I would like to say, I'm SO PSYCHED for this season! (Especially since we're going to get to see Elrond in action 🫠)

So, it starts off with a shot of saurbrand with Durin voicing over saying, "An evil, ancient and powerful, has returned!" Obviously, the shot is referencing Sauron and how he’s ancient, powerful, and evil, but I think that that's not what Durin is actually talking about in-universe. I think he’s actually referencing the balrog!

Honestly, given the scenes of panic and destruction in Khazad-Dûm we see later in the trailer, I think there's a good chance the season finale will deal with the fall of Khazad-Dûm at the hands of the balrog.

The next shot is this roiling mass of... things that take on a spider-like form. Obviously, that's going to be Shelob.

Next is a clip with Galadriel and Elrond, along with three elven warriors in a defensive circle. I'll be honest, I have no idea where they are or who/what they're fighting, but I am LIVING for Galadriel's braid crown. Gorgeous, practical, 10/10.

Also, we finally get to see Elrond fight! He toted that sword around all last season and didn't pull it out once! And, I love his new hair! Robert Aramayo, bless his heart, has a VERY angular face and the slicked back style was doing him no favors. It could just be messy hair in this one scene, but it's beautiful.

Next is a shot of the hands of one of the Rhûnic witches we saw last season with blood on her hands. Maybe some kind of blood sacrifice?

After that is a similarly lit shot of a temple (?) with a swarm of moths. I... have no idea what that's about, but I'm excited to find out!

Then there's a brief voice-over of either the Stranger (whom I maintain is definitely Gandalf) or maybe one of the southlanders? saying, "He worms his way inside your mind." As the scene cuts to the golden tree in Lindon as worm-like roots come out of the ground and begin to spread.

I think it looks a little like the mass that made up Shelob, but I don't really know what significance that could have? I can't imagine her crossing Middle Earth to bite the tree like Ungoliant did, but who knows. I also don't know the significance of who's speaking, but that's mostly because I can't tell who's speaking.

Then there's a quick cut to orcs and trolls on the move, presumably in Mordor.

After that, we're back in Ost-in-Edhil as Celebrimbor is watching a bright, orange light with a dark shape in the middle, like someone's coming through. It almost looks like... an eye 🤔

It's GOT to be the coming of Annatar. There's literally nothing else it could be!

Someone else, either Galadriel or Míriel, says "I think he has been here... I think he has been here all along!" Obviously, they're talking about Sauron and how he's been spying on them, making me think it's Galadriel speaking.

Then a shot of Ost-in-Edhil in confusion as Annatar stalks through the town square, a smirk on his face. This could be the beginning of the end of Ost-in-Edhil (and Celebrimbor) but I really don't think they'd do that so soon. Maybe he just got done with the Dwarf rings?

Next, there's a shot of Númenor's coastline along with the release date (August 29th!) then a shot of Galadriel and Elrond on horseback going... somewhere. There's mountains and my first thought was Númenor, but that wouldn't really fit. Maybe this is the discovery of the hidden valley?

What do we think?

Then, it's Míriel in the ocean with a giant sea-monster, possibly the one that attacked the southlanders' raft. I think she's having some sort of vision. Like a "this is the final fate of your people" sort of thing. That or Ar-Pharazon made her walk the plank lol.

Then there's shots of Disa, King Durin III, and a boulder breaking a bridge in Khazad-Dûm as someone says, "Every soul in middle earth is in danger," reinforcing my idea that we're going to see Khazad-Dûm become Moria. Also, Disa seems angry, and Durin III seems to be stuck in a cave? Coupled with the LITERAL BROKEN BRIDGE, it almost makes me think that Disa's gone full Lady MacBeth and is trying to get her husband into power.

Then a shot of Elendil in a crowd being pushed back by soldiers. Maybe something to do with the Faithful? Maybe Míriel's being executed? I have no idea.

The next shot is of Galadriel screaming which, while beautiful to hear, had no context, so I have no clue what it is. It's immediately followed by an orc licking his knife.

Next is a shot of a city (I think it's Lindon, but it could be Ost-in-Edhil or Armenelos) with the words "Darkness will bind them" immediately followed by a shot of the three elven rings on people's fingers. One is definitely Galadriel, another Gil-Galad, and I THINK the other is Celebrimbor.

Then the leaves of the great tree in Lindon turning from green to gold very quickly (I have no idea what that is. Could just be them showing off the tone?)

Durin III picks up a ring of power. I could really see this being a major point of conflict in the coming season. We already know that political tension is rising in Khazad-Dûm: Durin IV has been disinherited by his father, Disa wants Durin IV to be king, Durin III is against mining mithril while Durin IV and Disa are all for it, and presumably there's a brother in there somewhere who would very much like a chance at the throne. A ring of power in that situation would be like throwing a torch into a tinderbox!

Next, we see Arondir flipping and shooting an orc with Isildur in the background, which means we're going to see Arondir and Isildur team up! Not as cool as Elrond and Isildur would be, but there's still plenty of time for that. I think Arondir is probably trying to help him get home to Númenor.

After that is a shot of Númenor with a GIANT eagle coming in for a landing and then it switches to a shot of Ar-Pharazon drawing his sword in front of the eagle.

Y'all, this is INTERESTING! Giant eagles are signs/emissaries/agents of Manwë, the head dude of the valar! In book canon, Númenor is destroyed and Ar-Pharazon dies because he challenged the valar in his pursuit of immortality. Here, it looks like he's swearing to fight FOR the valar, like he has the backing of the gods. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THIS SCENE OR IT'S GOING TO EAT ME!!!

Next is a shot of Theo crying, probably at his mom's funeral. (Bronwyn is dead, folks. Super dead. I don't know how it happened yet, but it will probably be offscreen as I heard the actress has decided to take a break from acting. We need to be respectful of that though, even if it leads to weird narrative choices, because real world problems trump fantasy 😔)

Then, there's a short shot of Isildur looking up (🤷‍♂️) and, more importantly, a shot of flaming catapults firing on Ost-in-Edhil.

There's one of two things this could be. Either, it's Sauron's army trying to conquer the city to get to the rings, or more likely, it's elvish forces (led by Elrond?) trying to free Ost-in-Edhil from Sauron's hold and rescue Celebrimbor. If THAT’S the case, it makes more sense that the Galadriel and Elrond riding horses shot was them finding the hidden valley, AND that means we might also get to see Celebrimbanner 😈.

Next is a shot of the new Adar, who doesn't look half bad, followed Gandalf the stranger in Rhûn hitting his staff on the ground and I think creating a wind. I think we're really going to see him come into his power this season!

Then, we see Galadriel pulling back a FLAMING arrow and blowing up a regiment of orcs. Then Elrond leading a cavalry charge. I'm guessing this is all during the attack to break the siege of Ost-in-Edhil.

After that, a very disheveled looking Celebrimbor drops seven (SEVEN!!! ALMOST DEFINITELY THE DWARF RINGS) into the forge fire. If I had to guess, I would say this shot is some time during his captivity and maybe he's escaped and is trying to destroy the rings of power he knows Annatar/Sauron had a hand in.

Next, we cut to a shot of Annatar in the debris of the forge (possibly destroyed when Celebrimbor tried to destroy the rings?) surrounded by sword wielding elves. Interestingly, they do NOT look like Elrond’s forces. Instead, they look more like Celebrimbor's own workmen. We can also see Celebrimbor in this shot WITH A MISSING HAND!!! (Seriously, what is with the Tolkien stories and losing a hand? First Maedhros, then Beren (as well as someone else I can't remember right now) and now poor Celebrimbor!?)

Galadriel gasps, "He is Sauron" and Annatar turns his hands and explodes the guards away, which immediately cuts to an explosion in a mountain valley. The smoke clears to reveal what I think is going to be the foundations of Barad-Dûr.

All in all, I think we're in for a TREAT this season with lots of Elrond, lots of dwarves, and LOTS of Celebrimbor whump. Honestly, I think we may even have a shot at seeing Celebrimbanner during the season finale! I doubt we're getting the fall of Númenor yet, the the fall of Khazad-Dûm is DEFINITELY on the table. SO EXCITED!!!

[autistook]

January 15th - The bridge of Khazad-dûm

[theworldsoftolkein]

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Favourite Chapter of The Lord of the Rings, Part 2 of 8

The favourite chapter in the first half of The Fellowship of the Ring was “Strider”, at 24%!

[cad-faoi-maeglin]

*listening to The Sacrifice* You know what, that's enough of that.

*turns on The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm* Wait a second...