Nameless Terror, Durin's Bane

Character Name: Durin's Bane, Nameless Terror, Flame of Udûn, Shadow and Flame

Age: Ageless

Date of Birth: Before the creation of Arda

Race: Balrog, Corrupted Maiar

Residence: The roots of Barazinbar, Moria

Profession: Nameless Terror

Appearance: He has the appearance of a great shadow, in the middle of which is a man shaped form, taller than a human but not great in height, with a mane of flame, and flames within. The Balrog is cloaked in darkness, and terror going before him. He is able to manipulate his shadow to take on the form he desires, and make himself seem large and great, or give the appearance of wings. Durin's Bane bears a fire whip and sword of flame.

Personality: It can be said that Durin's Bane is hot-tempered. He can control and create fire around him, and can control some powerful magic in force and of darkness. His mere presence can cause an immoveable fear in his enemies.

He could also be called arrogant, cunning, and terrorsome.

Durin's Bane is primarily self serving, and his will could only be broken by someone more powerful than himself. It is likely that he would team alongside another great power to destroy those Maiar or elf kings, particularly who fight on the side of 'good'.



Parents: N/A

Sibling(s): N/A

Spouse: N/A

Children: N/A

History: The Maiar was present and descended to Arda along with the Valar. Becoming corrupted by Morgoth before even the Awakening of the Elves. The Balrog lived in the pits Utumno, or Udûn, carved by Melkor himself of obsidian, fire, and ice.

Here dwelled the Nameless Terror, residing with all manner of Morgoth's corrupted creatures; trolls were bred as a mockery of the ents, the first orcs were created here after the corruption of the Lost Elves. Spirits, phantoms, and demons dwelled within and haunted the surrounding forests. He served under the command of Morgoth and his fallens servants; Gothmog the Lord of the Balrogs, and Sauron the Sorcerer.

The Nameless Terror assisted Melkor in his victory and destruction of the Lamps of the Valar, which sent the Valar fleeing to Aman. Later, Morgoth, Ungoliant, and their legions destroyed the Two Trees of Aman, then fleeing to Arda to live in Angband. When Morgoth and Ungoliant had a dispute, Morgoth raised the balrogs from their slumber and they drove Ungoliant away.

The Nameless Terror defended Angband for many years, battling Fëanor, and later helping to destroy the army of Maehdros. He stood by Gothmog's side as Fingon was killed, and returned to Angband for the torture of Hurin. The Nameless Terror saw the destruction of Gothmog during the Fall of Gondolin where he rode on the back of a dragon killing many foes, and made an unsuccessful attempt at destroying young Eärendil.

At the end of the First Age, he traveled with Mogoth's armies across Beleriand fought in the War of Wrath for forty years until Morgoth was bound and thrust into the Door of Night. Angband was destroyed and the Nameless Terror and other remaining Balrogs scattered and came to hide deep in the forgotten caves of Arda to sleep for many years.

The Nameless Terror came to hide deep beneath the Misty Mountains and lay dormant at the roots of Barazinbar, called Caradhras, for five thousand years through the second and most of the third age. When the Dwarf King Durin sent his miners too deep in search of Mithril, he was awakened, and he slew the Dwarf King himself, coming to be known as 'Durin's Bane' to the dwarfkin.

Khazad-dûm was destroyed, for no art of dwarves could best the power of the Balrog, and many were killed, while some fled further to the east. Khazad-dûm became what is now called Moria or the 'dark abyss', and was ruled for 500 years by the Balrog alone, until Sauron began to send his hoardes of orcs and trolls to live beneath the mountains, and they forged a strange alliance, which was mostly controlled by Durin's Bane as the orcs feared him.

Durin's Bane remained a terror to the dwarves for long years, when Dain II Ironfoot tried to reclaim Moria, his dwarf army managed to kill the majority of the orcs dwelling beneath Barazinbar, yet he sensed the presence of evil and declared Moria unfit to conquer.

It is now 21 years past the last dwarf invasion of Moria, when Balin attempted to reclaim the halls of Khazad-dûm once again and failed utterly with the loss of his army to the orcs, and Durin's Bane ruling beneath.