! | Non-canon alert The subject of this article originates from non-canonical sources. To learn about what is considered "canon", see LOTR:Canon. |
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Zog the Eternal is an Uruk necromancer and major antagonist in Middle-earth: Shadow of War.
He is not from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Biography[]
Beginning "as a loyal servant of Sauron",[1] Zog was skilled Orc necromancer belonging to the mystic tribe and had a large group of acolytes. Awakened by the forging of the New Ring, Tar Goroth began to stir in Gorgoroth, attracting Sauron's attention. Zog then concocted an ambitious scheme to raise the Balrog "for the greater glory of the Dark Lord's army". The Bright Lord intervened, however, forcing the Uruk necromancer to retreat. Even so, Tar Goroth was too much of a challenge for even Zog to tame: the Balrog turned upon the acolytes the moment it arose before fleeing to the surface.
Undeterred, the Uruk necromancer found inspiration for his next schemes in the source of his defeat: the Bright Lord. Raising dead Orcs, including the infamous Archers of Morgoth, Zog and his acolytes started gathering an army of revenants to serve Sauron. However, his success only increased his ego and thirst for power. Eventually, Zog betrayed his master, seeking to usurp his place as Dark Lord and "lay claim to the world of Men".[1] Upon Tar Goroth's fall beneath the icy surface of Seregost, the Uruk necromancer and his acolytes travelled to the frozen lake in an attempt to summon the Balrog and use it to challenge Sauron. The Bright Lord, however, intervened and stopped the ritual by crumbling the totems and seemingly slaying the Uruk necromancer.
In Minas Morgul, Zog was resurrected by his loyal acolytes and resumed his plot to supplant his former master. Aided by his followers, the Uruk necromancer began to replenish his depleted army by reanimating the fallen Orc soldiers who had claimed the fortress in the first place. Once more, the Bright Lord arrived to thwart his plans and was able to overpower and defeat him. Carnán, in the form of a Drake, flew over and burned his remains so that he could never return. However, as Zog often reminded his adversaries, a true necromancer never stayed dead for long. Zog would eventually return, as a captain in Sauron's forces.