About Our Game Rules Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

Dol Guldor Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

Dol Guldur, also known as the Hill of Dark Sorcery, was Sauron's stronghold and base of operations while secretly regaining his power as "The Necromancer". It was located in the south of Mirkwood for over two thousand years in the Third Age.

Dol Guldur was established by Sauron after his return to Middle-earth sometime after TA 1000. Sauron became known as "The Necromancer", and his true identity was long kept secret. Dol Guldur was built on the hill known as Amon Lanc (meaning "bald hill"), and had been the capital of Oropher's Silvan realm. The Silvan Elves had fled north to the Black Mountains (later the Mountains of Mirkwood) after Sauron's return from the Downfall of Númenor. Later, after Sauron captured Amon Lanc, Thranduil, son of Oropher, led his people over the Forest River, where they remained. Sauron later remained there for hundreds of years.

The White Council long feared the power in Dol Guldur might be Sauron, but Saruman opposed assaulting it. However, Gandalf later went to Dol Guldur himself and discovered that the Necromancer was indeed Sauron. He then informed the White Council, and Saruman was unable to protest. The White Council attacked Dol Guldur, and Sauron, not yet powerful enough to challenge them, fled to Mordor.

Sauron continued to increase in power over the next 100 years in his search for the One Ring.

In TA 2845, Thráin II (holder of the last of the Seven Rings of the Dwarves) was imprisoned in Dol Guldur's dungeons. 5 years later in TA 2850, Gandalf once again returned to Dol Guldur and found Thráin, dying. Thráin had no recollection of his own name nor the name of his son (Thorin II Oakenshield). Moments later Thráin died of his wounds. Gandalf then confirmed that Sauron was indeed the master of Dol Guldur.

Gandalf returned to the White Council and urged an attack on Dol Guldur, but was overruled by Saruman. In TA 2941, nearly a century later, Saruman finally agreed to an attack, which occurred at the same time as The Quest of Erebor. This was carefully planned on Gandalf's part, so that Sauron and Smaug could not assist each other, as, otherwise, they surely would have done. The White Council attacked Dol Guldur and drove out Sauron. Sauron fled to Mordor, with his plans nearly ready. In TA 2951, Sauron declared himself openly and sent three Nazgûl led by Khamûl to reoccupy Dol Guldur.

During the War of the Ring, the forces of Dol Guldur (led by Khamûl, the Ringwraith second in command to the Witch-king of Angmar) led three assaults upon Lórien and Thranduil's realm in Mirkwood, causing grievous damage to the outlying woodlands. However, they were driven back each time by the power of Nenya, Galadriel's Ring of Power, which only Sauron himself could have overcome. On March 28, TA 3019 the elves (led by Thranduil of Mirkwood and Galadriel of Lórien) led an assault on Dol Guldur and Galadriel herself threw down its walls and laid its pits bare. Absolutely nothing of the fortress that had stood for 2,019 years was left. Dol Guldur was then renamed Amon Lanc, as it was previously known. Amon Lanc later became the capital of Celeborn's realm of East Lórien in the Fourth Age, while he remained in Middle-earth.

Portrayal In Adaptations
The Hobbit Film Trilogy

Dol Guldur is briefly seen in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, depicted as a huge, decaying castle set on top of a hill. In a scene unique to the film, Radagast the Brown enters the fortress to investigate the evil force within. He briefly battles the Witch-king of Angmar who is shown unclothed and in full spirit form, before glimpsing the Necromancer. He flees to tell Gandalf of what he saw.

In The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, after leaving Bilbo and the party of Dwarves, Gandalf seeks the tombs of nine servants of Sauron (who were the bearers of the nine rings of power gifted to the race of men) located in the High Fells of Rhudaur. The tombs of the Nine Ringwraiths were open, showing that they had been summoned from the dead. After this discovery, Gandalf convenes with Radagast in the High Fells, learning that the Nine have departed to Dol Guldur, answering the call of the Necromancer. He and Radagast then travel to Dol Guldur to investigate further and confront the evil which dwelt there. Gandalf performs revealing spells that remove the illusion displaying the castle as abandoned and ruined. In the extended edition, Gandalf finds Thrain there and helps him escape. Gandalf and Thrain are then attacked by Azog (and a few of his servants) who reveals his hordes of Orcs and Wargs inside the castle preparing for war. Gandalf then uses his magic to escape Azogs grasp, but the Necromancer manifests at Dol Guldur's exit. The Necromancer sucks Thrain in and kills him. The two then start a battle of light and shadow until The Necromancer defeats Gandalf, destroys his staff, and then reveals himself as the Dark Lord Sauron. Gandalf is later seen trapped in one of the cages of the castle watching the vast hordes of Sauron's armies leaving Dol Guldur.

In The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Galadriel, Elrond, and Saruman are seen gathering at Dol Guldur to face Sauron and The Nine Ringwraith's.

Galadriel keeps her promise made to Gandalf in the first Hobbit film and comes to his aid in Dol Guldur. In the extended edition, a large orc is seen throwing Gandalf around. Gandalf then attempts to defend himself grasping a loose chain and striking the orc with it. The orc, unfazed once again grabs Gandalf. The Ring of Fire, Narya is then seen by the said orc. The orc without hesitation gets ready to cut off Gandalf's arm. Momentarily Galadriel reveals herself and states "I come for Mithrandir, and I will leave with him.

If you try to stop me, I will destroy you". The orc in defiance shrieks at her. With the power of her Ring of Power, she with ease blasts him to pieces, causing light to "ride" the clouds for miles. She then carries the unconscious Gandalf to safety, but as she does such, Sauron summons the Nazgûl. Galadriel is horrified by the sight of them. Sauron proceeds to taunt her for being alone, Galadriel proceeds to state clearly that she indeed isn't alone. Elrond arrives on the scene, drawing his sword. Saruman, appearing shortly after Elrond, witnesses the Nazgûl with his own eyes, realizing he was wrong to doubt Gandalf's claims. Shortly thereafter Elrond strikes defeating a few of them, Saruman then entering the fray. While the two of them are locked in a fierce battle with the Nazgûl, Galadriel heals Gandalf with a kiss.

When he comes back from the dead, he and Galadriel acknowledge that Sauron has once again, returned. Radagast then arrives in Dol Guldur to take Gandalf to safety, but he is hesitant to leave Galadriel's side. Gandalf also insists Galadriel should come with them, but Galadriel suddenly enters a trance and forcefully commands Radagast to leave with Gandalf. Radagast, terrified does as such.

When Sauron manifests before them, Saruman cowers in fear as Galadriel takes on a terrifying and corrupted image, challenging Sauron, and banishing the Nine almost instantly. Sauron attempts to sway her to his side, but she denies him. Galadriel's power eventually overrules Sauron, and by her efforts, Sauron is banished from Dol Guldur, his spirit fleeing back to Mordor. Elrond escorts Galadriel to safety after her struggle with Sauron on orders from Saruman, while Saruman himself is tasked to deal with Sauron. This was later revealed as an excuse for him to search for the One.

Elvenking's Halls Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

Description
The halls were just inside the eastern border of Mirkwood on the north bank of the Forest River, some miles upstream from Esgaroth. The great cave had many passages and wide halls and was more wholesome than the goblin tunnels in the Misty Mountains. While most of the Elves lived in the woods the king's halls served as his palace and treasure vault, and was also a fortress for the Elves in times of danger.

The entryway to the halls had huge stone doors that were closed and secured by magic. The throne room for Thranduil was a great hall with pillars carved from the living rock. In lower levels were cells for prisoners and at the lowest part of the caves were the cellars of the king. These cellars were built over an underground stream so that empty barrels could be dropped into the water and floated out to the Forest River through a gate barred by a portcullis.

History
About TA 1050 the Shadow began to fall upon Greenwood (causing it to be called Mirkwood).

In response, King Thranduil led his people to the north-east corner of the forest and delved there a fortress and series of great halls underground. He was inspired in this enterprise by Thingol's halls of Menegroth in Doriath during the First Age, and like Thingol, he used the skill of the Dwarves to aid in making his stronghold, though the Elvenking's Halls of Mirkwood were less grand than that magnificent ancient cavern.

In the autumn of TA 2941 Thorin and Company were traversing Mirkwood and had run out of food. Spotting some woodland feasts the Company attempted to enter these gatherings but were thwarted each time. On the third attempt Thorin was captured and brought to Thranduil's halls where he was interrogated by the king. Angered by Thorin's refusal to answer his questions, Thranduil had Thorin locked in his innermost cell.

Soon after, the twelve remaining dwarves (but not Bilbo Baggins) were taken by the Elves and brought to Thranduil's halls. They fared no better with the king and were also locked in the king's dungeon. Bilbo though, through the invisibility conferred by his ring, roamed about the halls and discovered the cellars and the trap door leading to the underground stream.

Through good luck Bilbo was able to obtain the keys to the dwarves' cells, free them, and pack them into empty barrels in the cellar. Workers then came and rolled the barrels through the trap door and thus the hobbit (riding one of the barrels) effected the escape of the Company from Thranduil's halls.

In TA 3017, Aragorn captured Gollum in the Dead Marshes and brought him to Thranduil's halls. As was told in the Council of Elrond, Gollum was kept in prison but had been allowed to climb a tree, with guards to watch him. About 20 June TA 3018, Orcs attacked and Gollum disappeared.

During the War of the Ring Thranduil's realm had been invaded but on 15 March TA 3019 he was victorious over the forces of Dol Guldur. With the passing of Sauron Thranduil's domain was extended to the Mountains of Mirkwood but presumably he continued to live in the same halls.