Moriondor

The Moriondor were possibly either the first Orcs or a general term for the Elves who became Orcs rather than being born as Orcs. The Moriondor were invented by Amazon Studios for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

History

When the Elves first awakened at the dawn of the First Age, some fell into the hands of Morgoth. With the help of his lieutenant Sauron, he tormented and corrupted them, transforming them into the first Orcs—an entirely new and destructive form of life. According to Adar, thirteen Elves were either deceived into serving Morgoth through false promises or captured outright. These chosen few were taken to a mountaintop, where they were imprisoned and left without food or water for an extended period, long enough to push them to the brink of death. Eventually, Sauron appeared and offered them red wine; driven by overwhelming thirst, they drank. The wine completed their transformation into the Moriondor, the “first Uruk.”

Although they held a higher status than ordinary Orcs, the Moriondor still followed the will of Morgoth and Sauron. Galadriel believed they never acted independently of these Dark Powers and, despite their elevated rank, remained bound to a Dark Lord. However, this view was later proven incorrect. Adar, a leader among the Moriondor, established his own dominion, commanded an independent Orc army, and even confronted—and destroyed—a would-be Dark Lord in the North.

Only one of the Moriondor is known by name: Adar. He survived the War of the Great Jewels and endured into the Second Age. The fate of the other twelve remains unknown, though it is presumed they perished before the Second Age began.

In the late Second Age, following the battle of Tirharad, Galadriel suspected Adar to be one of the Moriondor during her interrogation of him. He responded with silence, neither confirming nor denying her claim. Weeks later, Adar told Halbrand that he had once been among the thirteen Elves chosen by Morgoth in the Elder Days to be twisted into Orcs.

Etymology

Moriondor is a Quenya word that translates to the "Sons of the Dark" according to Galadriel. It is the plural form of Morion ("Dark One"), which in the context of the legendarium was an early name of Morgoth.