The Gates of Naerband
The Gates of Naerband is a fortified encampment and strongpoint guarding the approach to Naerband in Talath Úrui, upon the Plateau of Gorgoroth in Mordor. The position lies within the ruins of Orodir, a structure overlooking the dread prison-fortress and the surrounding ash-choked plains.
The encampment occupies the highest and most defensible portion of Orodir, a ruined tower complex believed to have once been a watch-post of Gondor before the lands of Mordor were fully reclaimed by the servants of Sauron. Over time the ruin was seized and repurposed by Orcs, who strengthened its walls and established guard-posts among the shattered masonry. From this elevated position the defenders maintain watch over the approaches to Naerband and the surrounding wastes of Talath Úrui.
The Gates of Naerband serve as the principal outer defence of the prison complex below. Travellers approaching Naerband must pass through the encampment and the broken towers of Orodir before reaching the great stairways and arches that lead to the prison itself. Because of this strategic location, the site is heavily occupied by the Ghâsh-hai Orcs who patrol the Plateau of Gorgoroth. Among them are warriors, skirmishers, and captains charged with guarding the prison and preventing captives from escaping.
Beyond the encampment rises the looming bulk of Naerband, known also as the Direhold, which served as one of the greatest prisons of Mordor. Countless captives were held within its dungeons, including many of the enslaved peoples brought from the southern lands. The proximity of the Gates of Naerband to this dreadful fortress made the encampment an important staging ground for those who oversaw the transport and confinement of prisoners.
During the later years of the Third Age, as the power of Mordor spread across the lands surrounding Orodruin, the region of Talath Úrui became a place of industry, imprisonment, and war. The Gates of Naerband formed part of the network of fortifications that protected the prison and ensured that those held within its depths could not easily flee the grasp of Mordor's servants.
In the turmoil that followed the renewed activity of Orodruin and the struggles within Talath Úrui, the encampment became the focus of efforts by enemies of Mordor seeking to disrupt the prison's operations and free those held captive within Naerband. Its capture represented a crucial step in weakening the hold of Mordor over the surrounding lands and reclaiming the approaches to the dread fortress.