Glaurung
Glaurung by John Howe
Fire-breathing dragon of Morgoth. Glaurung was large and could not fly. He also let off a fowl odor. He had, however, a good sense of direction and smell. He could also speak. And, if someone looked him in the eye, they would fall under a spell and he could make them fight for him. In 260 of the First Age, during the Siege of Angband, Elves guarded the Gates of Morgoth. Glaurung came forth and chased them away and continued to haunt the areas near Morgoth for only several years. When he was only a young dragon, Fingon came to confront Glaurung, so he returned to Angband, where Morgoth scolded him for going out without order. In 455, The Battle of Sudden Flame surprised Morgoth's enemies. Glaurung led Balrogs and orcs to victory over Edain, Elves, Dwarves, Easterlings, and Druedain. In the Battle of Unnumbered Tears of 472, Elves of Maedhros and Fingon gathered all armies to them to challenge Morgoth at Angband. These included Easterlings, Druedain, Edain, and Dwarves. But Glaurung split the diverse forces of Fingon and Maedhros with his Dragons, orcs, wolves, Goblins, Trolls, and Balrogs. The bloody Masacre resulted in a terrible defeat for the opposers of Morgoth. At the end of the Battle, Azaghal the Dwarf stabbed Glaurung. Glaurung killed Azaghal and went back to Angband to regain his strength. He was ready to fight again in 495, when he led an enormous army from Angband to attack the Elves in Nargothrond. They were not prepared for the attack and had no time to contact their allies. Glaurung entered the city and put Turin under his trance and killed the King Orodreth. The Elves eventually lost and Nargothrond was destroyed. Glaurung captured Finduilas, daughter of Orodreth and sent her with orcs. He then tricked Turin and sent him after his mother, Morwen, and sister, Nienor. He said they were in Dor-lomin, when they had really left. Since Turin did not go after Finduilas, she died. Morwen and Nienor set out to find Turin. Glaurung tricked Nienor into climbing his mountain. He then put a spell on her and she forgot who she was. She later met Turin and married him. Glaurung named himself King of Nargothrond, the destroyed city. In 498, he sent orcs after Turin in the Forest of Brethil, where many Edain lived. They may also have had Druedain servants guarding the Forest. Turin led an army to defeat Glaurung, and he learned of this in advance. In 499, Glaurung went to the edge of the forest. He slept at the small part of the Tieglin River, called Deer's Leap. He then prpared and attack but was stabbed by Turin. Glaurung's last words said that Nienor was Truin's sister. The couple killed themselves. Druedain guards burned Glaurung's body where it lay.