Fell Beasts
Fell Beast in the New Line film
Winged Beasts of the Nazgul. These horrible creatures lived deep inside Mordor with Sauron. They made an awful screaming noise. At the time of the war of the Ring, after the Nazgul's horses had been drowned at the Ford of Bruinen, Sauron sent his Nazgul riding the Fell Beasts. There were nine Nazgul, and there may have been only nine Fell Beasts. There were probably more, since at least one was killed in the Battle between the Fellowship and a clan of Uruk-Hai by Legolas and there were still at least eight remaining. They were not seen again until the time when Frodo and Sam were in the Dead Marshes came about. It was on February 29, 3019. It lurked overhead and swooped several times, sensing the Ring's presence. The two hid with Gollum until the Fell Beast and its Nazgul gave up and left. Gandalf saw Nazgul in Rohan around this time. They would not stop swooping down and frightening people. Nobody ever knew quite why they were there. At the Battle of Pelennor Fields, all nine Nazgul rode Fell Beasts. The screamed to deafen people, then swooped down, caught them with their claws, and killed them by either crushing them or dropping them a great distance. The Lord of the Nazgul rode the largest Fell Beast. It killed thousands of Gondorians and Rohirrim. It then swooped down from Minas Tirith to confront Eowyn, who challenged it. She chopped off its head and soon killed its master, the Witch-King. After this loss, The Fell Beasts fought at the Battle at the Black Gate. They were killed by Eagles and by lava from Mount Doom.