Orc-draught

Orc-draught^[1]^[2]^[3] was a burning, yet refreshing, liquid force-fed from a flask to Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took by the Uruk Uglúk.^[4]

Other versions of the legendarium

In an earlier outline, Frodo Baggins is said to have recovered his wits in the Tower of Cirith Ungol following Shelob's sting due to a draught given to him by the Orcs to counter poison.^[5]

Portrayal in adaptations

The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)
Middle-earth Collectible Card Game: The Lidless Eye
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game: The Uruk-hai Nightmare
The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth

1978: The Lord of the Rings (1978 film):

An Orc steals another's draught and hits him with his mace, throwing him backward. He feeds the draught first to Merry and then to Pippin.

1997: Middle-earth Collectible Card Game:

The orc-draught is depicted in the 1997 expansion Middle-earth: The Lidless Eye on the card Orc-draughts illustrated by Daniel Frazier. The card has the following effects:

Discard to give +1 prowess to all characters in bearer’s company until the end of turn.

2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers:

Pippin sees an Uruk drinking orc-draught and asks him to give some to Merry, as he is sick. Uglúk yells "Sick is he? Give him some medicine boys!" and the Uruk feeds Merry the orc-draught as he coughs and splutters and Pippin begs him to stop. The Uruks laugh and Uglúk exclaims "Can't take his draught!".

2014: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor:

The green fungus Orchamarth is said to be one of the primary ingredients in orc-draught.

2015: The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game:

The draught is depicted in the 2015 expansion The Uruk-hai Nightmare on the "Orc-draught" card, illustrated by Rafal Hrynkiewicz . The card has the following effects:

Peril. Surge.
When Revealed: Either discard an ally you control, or increase the pursuit value by 1.
Shadow: Exhaust a character you control.

2023: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth:

The orc-draught is depicted on the "Orcish Medicine" card, illustrated by Irvin Rodriguez. The card has the following effects:

Target creature gains your choice of lifelink or indestructible until end of turn.
Amass Orcs 1. (Put a +1/-1 counter on an Army you control. It's also an Orc. If you don't control an Army, create a 0/0 black Orc Army creature token first.)

References

↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, "The Uruk-hai": Merry got up. 'Yes,' he said, 'I can manage it. Lembas does put heart into you! A more wholesome sort of feeling, too, than the heat of that orc-draught. I wonder what it was made of. Better not to know, I expect. Let’s get a drink of water to wash away the thought of it!'
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, "The Uruk-hai": The warmth of the orc-draught had gone. Pippin felt cold and sick again.
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Treason of Isengard, "XXI. The Uruk-hai": At the point where Pippin is given the ore-draught my father wrote a brief outline in the body of the text:
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, "The Uruk-hai": Uglúk thrust a flask between his teeth and poured some burning liquid down his throat: he felt a hot fierce glow flow through him. The pain in his legs and ankles vanished. He could stand.
↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Sauron Defeated, "Part One: The End of the Third Age: I. The Story of Frodo and Sam in Mordor": Frodo lying bound and naked; he has recovered his wits owing to a draught given him by orcs to counter poison

[1] J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, "The Uruk-hai": Merry got up. 'Yes,' he said, 'I can manage it. Lembas does put heart into you! A more wholesome sort of feeling, too, than the heat of that orc-draught. I wonder what it was made of. Better not to know, I expect. Let’s get a drink of water to wash away the thought of it!'

[2] J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, "The Uruk-hai": The warmth of the orc-draught had gone. Pippin felt cold and sick again.

[3] J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Treason of Isengard, "XXI. The Uruk-hai": At the point where Pippin is given the ore-draught my father wrote a brief outline in the body of the text:

[4] J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, "The Uruk-hai": Uglúk thrust a flask between his teeth and poured some burning liquid down his throat: he felt a hot fierce glow flow through him. The pain in his legs and ankles vanished. He could stand.

[5] J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Sauron Defeated, "Part One: The End of the Third Age: I. The Story of Frodo and Sam in Mordor": Frodo lying bound and naked; he has recovered his wits owing to a draught given him by orcs to counter poison

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