Sauron's chief stronghold for many thousands of years, Mordor lies in the east of Middle-earth, bordered by Gondor in the west and by Khand and Rhûn in the east. A land that has endured too long under the shadow, Mordor is a ruined and evil place. History does not tell of Mordor before Sauron began to dwell there at the start of the Second Age - no name from earlier times is known. In the years of Sauron's power it became the most feared realm in Middle-earth, a shadow that could stretch across the face of the world. Even its name - literally translated as 'the Black Land' - is a title bestowed as a result of the Dark Lord's evil nature.

Mordor itself is split into two distinct regions by branches of the Ered Lithui and Ephel Dúath. The northern region of Gorgoroth is a barren plateau where little grows, and that which does grow is twisted by the vile fumes that emanate from the dominant feature of Gorgoroth: Orodruin, Mount Doom. It is here, in the mountain's volcanic fury, that Sauron forged the One Ring - an act that would bind Mount Doom to the fate of Middle-earth itself. In contrast, the plain of Nûrn could almost be considered a fertile land - its soil enriched by the many rivers that empty into the inland sea of Nûrnen, but even here there is something unwholesome about the air. The plains of Nûrn are criss-crossed with a great network of roads that ultimately lead out of the black land, to the vassal nations in the east and the south. Day after day great convoys bearing slaves and supplies journey to the camps along the sea of Nûrnen, where countless slaves toil to support the armies of the Dark Lord.

Mordor is ringed on three sides by forbidding mountains. Though primarily they form Sauron's first line of defence, these mountains are also a cage to pen the disloyal and unwilling amongst his servants, as well the innumerable slaves and prisoners interred in the dungeons of Mordor. These silent borders are almost unassailable, for in addition to the substantial natural barrier presented by the towering spires of rock, many fell and foul creatures inhabit the tunnels and caverns beneath the peaks - creatures that even the Orcs dread an encounter with. The mountains of Mordor can only be breached at two points - two cursed and desolate chinks in the armour of Mordor.

The first, the pass of Cirith Ungol, winds through the Ephel Dúath to link the green land of Ithilien with the dusty wasteland that is the plateau of Gorgoroth. Though the route is navigable, passage through Cirith Ungol is by no means easy or safe. Orcs will not enter portions of the pass, fearful of the bloated presence of Shelob, last child of Ungoliant. This giant spider-creature preys upon anything that she pleases, afraid of nothing. Not even Sauron's power is sufficient to cow her, though in truth he welcomes her presence in that forsaken place, guarding as she does the entrance to his land.

The second road into the Black Land is Cirith Gorgor, the haunted pass, located in the extreme north-west of Mordor, at the junction of the Ered Lithui and the Ephel Dúath. Cirith Gorgor is the only road down which an army can easily travel and is the only true weak point in Mordor's western defences. This vulnerable spot is reinforced by the Morannon, the Black Gate of Mordor - a massive bastion of iron and steel that overlooks the morass of the Dead Marshes far below.

As the only true entrances to Mordor, both passes are watched with ceaseless vigilance. Above Cirith Gorgor sit the twin towers of Narchost and Carchost, whilst another tower whose name has been long forgotten rests beside Cirith Ungol. Ironically, these fortresses were built by Gondor in years past, after Sauron fell beneath the Last Alliance. Originally intended to watch Mordor and prevent the Dark Lord from rebuilding his strength, these aged but strong towers have been taken and corrupted. Now infested with Orcs they have been turned to a new purpose - to defend Mordor against their creators.

Next: Playing Scenarios in Mordor.