Introducing S.E.E. - Director's Cut: The Balrog news

Introducing S.E.E. - Director's Cut: The Balrog

Summon the Balrog of Morgoth in The Special Extended Edition, Director’s Cut as the final Misty Mountains fortress upgrade; a Goblin-crafted totem pole is constructed, and Durin's Bane arises for an assault against the Free Peoples of Middle-earth. It is the most expensive unit, and the most powerfully destructive of any RTS game.

As an end game, super power, the Balrog flies the short distance into an enemy's fortress, screaming terror and igniting buildings beside it. The flame pouring forth destroys all in its path, and a fiery sword and a whip with tongues of flame will kill foes who are beneath it's awesome and ancient power.

In S.E.E. - Director's Cut, the Balrog has been vastly expanded with special effects, increasing the iconic shadow and flame surrounding its form. The player can view this during the Ignite special power, activated from the Palantir.

The Balrog, Durin's Bane

The most feared of the servants of Morgoth, the fiery Balrogs where all but vanquished during the epic War of Wrath which destroyed the old world. However, some escaped and hid in the caverns at the roots of the earth; a certain Balrog took refuge and slept in its rocky prison under the Misty Mountains, until released by the miners of the Dwarf King, Durin VI in his greed for the precious Mithril. The Balrog killed both King Durin VI and his successor, King Nain, in their efforts to hold Khazad-dûm. The surviving Dwarves of Khazad-dûm fled far away to the Blue Mountains and to Erebor where they began rebuilding their kingdom. Some of the elves of Lothlórien also fled this Nameless Terror, as they named this unknown being of shadow and flame, and sailed west, never to return to the horrors of Middle-earth.

Durin’s Bane, now the name of the Balrog of Moria, allowed the armies of Sauron to take the upper levels of Moria to ensure that the dwarves could never return, while it remained and slept in the black pit’s depths. Azog styled himself the ruler of Moria, and led more Orcs from Gundabad to occupy it; this led to the ruinous War of the Dwarves and Orcs. While the Dwarves were victorious after The Battle of Azanulbizar, they dared not enter Moria to kill the fleeing Orcs because they saw in the black pit the shadow and flame that haunted their nightmares; Dáin Ironfoot warned that Moria was unable to be taken, until such a time as when some other force could destroy the Balrog.

Goblins and their slave, the Cave Troll, were occupying Moria, with the Balrog still dormant, during the time of Balin’s failed colonisation. The entirety of Balin’s expedition were killed off in various battles, until at last they had taken refuge in the Chamber of Mazarbul and overrun by reinforcements of Orcs from Mordor.

Later on, the Balrog encountered the Fellowship of the Ring, nine walkers forced to travel through Moria in their expedition to Mordor. While resting in the Chamber of Mazarbul and piecing together the clues left by Balin’s failed expedition, goblins, with their imprisoned Cave Troll attacked and almost killed the bearer of the Ring. The Fellowship managed to fight their way out; however, they had awakened the Balrog that gave chase as a being of shadow and flame suffusing the great Dwarrowdelf of Khazad-dûm*.

It was at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm that Gandalf the Grey fought the Balrog. From a wall of fire, the Balrog leapt towards Gandalf, who stood alone on the bridge.

“You cannot pass! I am the servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you! Flame of Udûn!”

The Balrog ignited and screamed at the wizard. It struck with a sword of fire* however Gandalf parried the blow with the sword Glamdring, and disintegrated the Balrog’s sword.

“Go back to the Shadow!”

It took out its ancient whip and cracked it near Gandalf.

“You – Shall – Not – Pass!”

The Bridge of Khazad-dûm collapsed into the depths, and took the Balrog down, however its whip lashed up and dragged Gandalf down with it.

They fell into the endless chasm of swallowing darkness; locked in combat, Gandalf and the Balrog fell into the sunless sea at the foundations of the earth. There the Balrog’s flame extinguished and it turned into a thing of slime, like a strangling snake. For eight days, Gandalf followed the slime Balrog into ancient tunnels carved by the nameless things, which seek to destroy Middle-earth by gnawing at the foundations of stone. Finally, they discovered Durin’s Stairs, and from the lowest dungeon to the highest peak of Zirazigil, they fought in combat. The Balrog reignited when they reached the top.

To outsiders, the mountain was assaulted by thunder and lightning, but inside this great storm the Balrog mortally burned Gandalf, who died. However, Gandalf charged Glamdring with lightning and electrocuted his enemy with a final strike, smiting his ruin upon the mountainside. The mountaintop was broken with the fall of the Balrog.

* (1) In the novel, Gandalf the Grey attempted to block the doorway with a shutting spell, he expected another sortie from the goblins and planned to delay them. The Balrog cast a counterspell and Gandalf had to use a Word of Command to keep whatever it was, something powerful that he had just perceived outside the door, from entering and chasing the Fellowship. However, this shattered the door and the chamber collapsed, this encounter severely weakened Gandalf.

* (2) The Surtr (the black one) of Norse Mythology possibly inspired the Balrogs of Tolkien’s Legendarium. He is a giant volcano demon and guards the realm of Múspellsheimr with his sword of fire.

In the next few days, two more articles about the heroes of the Misty Mountains faction will be released on ModDB. You can find all our work at Revora Forums, I hope you enjoy The Special Extended Edition, Director's Cut.

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