Azog



Azog was the name of a Goblin King who lived in Moria from about TA 2480 to TA 2799.

He started the War of the Dwarves and Orcs in TA 2790 by killing Thrór, who came to revisit the ruins of Khazad-dûm.

In the following years, he was the common enemy of all dwarves, and the war he started had its climax in the Battle of Azanulbizar, where he killed Náin, only to be himself slain by Náin's son Dáin.

His son, Bolg, inherited the rulership in Moria and continued it for another 150 years.

History
Of Azog's origins we know little. He was the chief of the Goblins of Moria, and apparently the most important Goblin of the northern lands. The average lifespan of a Goblin is unknown, but it is conceivable that he was one of those sent to Moria by Sauron in about TA 2480. He had one son that we know of, Bolg.

Azog entered history in the year TA 2790 due to King Thrór's desire to revisit and perhaps refound the lost realm of Khazad-dûm, in whose mighty ruins Azog dwelt. When Thror was found in the armories of Khazad-Dum he was brought before Azog being accused of thieving. He tortured Thror for two days until he was informed of a second dwarf outside of Moria he decided to kill Thror after he defied him with the words “ These are the halls of Durin!". He beheaded Thror and carved his name in Thror´s head. Then he threw  Thror`s body over the stairs, and Azog then called out to Nar from the gate, demanding that he deliver a message back to Thror's people, warning that beggars who dared to enter Moria and attempt thievery would meet a similar fate. Azog then proclaimed that he had killed Thror and that he now ruled Moria as king. He had carved his name in runes onto the brow of Thror, and in turn, forever branding his very name into the hearts of the Dwarves. Nar was barred from retrieving the head of Thror, only being struck with a small pouch of coins of little worth as a final gesture of scorn. Nar took the pouch and turned and fled. When he looked back, Goblins had emerged from the Gate and were hacking apart the body and flinging the pieces to the ravens.

When news of this reached Thrór's heir Thráin, he was greatly angered, and mustered a force of Dwarves to seek revenge on Azog. So began the War of the Dwarves and Orcs. The dwarves hunted Azog, and many battles were fought beneath the earth. After nine years of war, the climatic Battle of Azanulbizar was fought before the gates of Moria itself.

King Thráin and his son Thorin were in that battle (it was here that Thorin gained the surname Thorin Oakenshield). Near the end of the battle, Azog himself emerged and fought with Thráin's cousin Náin and, after breaking Náin's neck, his young son Dáin. Though only 32 years old, Dáin swept the head from Azog's shoulders, and helped to win the day. After his death, they put inside his mouth the bag of coins he have given Nar nine years before.

Dwarves made no attempt to press their advantage, though, because Dáin had glimpsed Durin's Bane during his battle, and warned the Dwarves not to attempt to enter Moria. Azog's underground dominions in the north, though greatly reduced in the War, fell to his son Bolg, who held them for more than 150 years until he too met his end at the Battle of the Five Armies.

Films
Azog will be in the Hobbit films played by Conan Stevens, possibly replacing The Great Goblin.

Video games
Azog is also a playable evil hero of The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II: The Rise of the Witch-king. Azog was not featured as the goblin leader in BFME2, being replaced by Gorkil the Goblin King. Although he appears in the expansion pack, it is still unclear who the leader of the goblins is.

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