Obscurities of Mordor: The “Other” Wraiths

Well, we’ve seen plenty of news lately involving Shadow of Mordor, an upcoming action RPG set to release on September 30th (October 2 for the PC). This game will take place between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (almost said “Flies” there – boy that would have been a hoot handing Piggy a Ring of Power). The story will be a different spin on the canon from what has been written in the lore, though developer Monolith has been working with Middle-earth Enterprises and others to make sure the characters fit into the staple lore (and shelve well between the two movie trilogies).

Basically, we have our hero, a ranger by the name of Talion, who probably had picked the short straw and was stationed to watch over the Black Gates of Mordor. Stuff happens, Talion is slain, and what happens next turns out to be a pretty wild ride. By some means, Talion is resurrected, but not without being fused/possessed/linked with that of a wraith, whose identity has since been revealed. This is what makes the gameplay so neat – you not only have the diverse skill-set that rangers possess, but now Talion has access to all sorts of wraith-y stuff – like teleportation and imposing fear on enemies.

All of this made me think – what if we saw these undead whisps of spookiness, or possibly even the ringwraiths (Nazgul) themselves, impose their will upon our other Free Peoples? Should they decide to bind themselves upon the flesh of those who are either ill-equipped to enter Khazad-Dum, or possibly idiotic to continue helping lost hobbits in the Barrow-Downs, how would this have an impact upon our well-being?

 

Case 1: Elfgul

Well, first off, it was the elf that elected to demote themselves to Cargul status, because “those dark robes were just too drab for my tastes.” The Elfgul is an elegant creature, more apt to sitting around in libraries and forcing their minions to come to them time after time. That is not to say they will shy away from battle – catch one in a bad mood, and you are likely to get your head lopped right off in one fell swoop, though not without receiving a pleasant “Mae govannen” just before the killing blow.

These pretentious hybrids know how to throw an elaborate party for their cohorts, though about half of them cannot handle their wine, and will ultimately end up speaking broken Black Speech to the locals of Carn Dum. If an Elfgul asks you to go pick Sauron’s nose with a Westernese blade, they either had one too many Limael’s Vintages, or it might be an actual elf in disguise.

 

You may be in the presence of an Elfgul if:

• They claim they saw you from a great distance away, but are having trouble focusing close up. Their colorful cloaks are well-known to bunch up in weird ways, and often obscure their otherwise excellent vision.
• You are a dwarf, and receive a really nasty glare. Both sides of them probably hate you, after all.
• They keep humming “They’re taking the hobbits to Isengard.”

 

 

Case 2: Hobbigul

Well, this wouldn’t exactly be the first time a hobbit was possessed by something. Trick a halfling with a carrot cake, and you can pretty much get him to do anything. If you can detect a Hobbigul before they slip behind you and steal your goods (especially that last piece of pie), you are well on your way to becoming a famed ranger. Not only does their hobbitness keep them under cover, but they also don black capes that keep them well-hidden from all but the best hunters. To identify one, try hanging some food…any food…ANY…from a tree limb, which may cause them to halt and tilt their heads, possibly revealing their face underneath. Check for wispy pupils.

From a distance, Hobbiguls may look like no bark and no bite. However, should one spot you and not be in the position to book it, their wraithy-ness wields a mighty tool: livestock telepathy. At a simple whim, the mighty Hobbitgul has the ability to summon flocks of wild and domestic animals under its control, and sometimes, Lobelia Sackville-Baggins. You can’t tell me you’d want to face the wrath of wolves shredding your legs, deer nipping at your arms, and Lobelia talking your ears off.

 

You may be in the presence of a Hobbigul if:

• You are NOT in the town of Budgeford, Shire.
• A dark-cloak hobbit catches you delivering mail, and mutters something about, “Back in my day, we used a palentir to pass notes.”
• They want nothing to do with a discussion on golf.

 

 

Case 3: Dwarfgul

It’s a bit difficult to pinpoint the origins of the Dwarfgul. Some stipulate that when the Rings of Power were forged, one of the seven meant for the Dwarves was lost for a week when the wearer accidentally dropped it in a mine shaft while plundering someone else’s stash. During that week, the ring had fused with a vein of iron, and from it sprung the first of the Dwarfguls. These creatures are a hardy bunch, and are much more resilient in a fight than the others. The dwarf’s initial encounter with the wraith also gave them an extra foot in height, so don’t waste your time offering the Dwarfgul a box.

Unlike the Elfguls, who they’d refer to as their very ugly cousins, the Dwarfgul can handle his ale – so much that their wraith counterpart (who had a really bad hangover for the first couple months after bonding with the dwarf) has tapped into this potential. As such, this breed is able to cast a dizzying effect upon non-dwarves and non-Bombadils, which places the target in a drunken stupor for 5-6 hours. If you aren’t slain during the encounter, you make awake without pants.

You may be in the presence of a Dwarfgul if:

• You are told that you’re, “Ill-equipped to enter the Gates of Mordor.”
• A dwarf walks up to you, and OFFERS gold in trade for the location of a creature named Gollum.
• You catch one flashing his Smaug Fan Club card to a minion.

 

Coming soon to a Middle Earth dealership near you: Mounted Fell-Hobbits!