Free Range Games recently released brand new Lord of the Rings video game – Return to Moria! Since the SAG-AFTRA strike is still in place and struck work is still struck I want to dive in and explore some of the characters and important features of gameplay for you in the new game. We want all Spoilerites to have the best playing experience possible and have the widest knowledge base about the Fourth Age of Middle-Earth. This is a weekly Let’s Get Nerdy article series highlighting a different piece of Tolkien I think you need to know about!
In past articles I have answered the question:
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- What Are the Rings of Power?
- What is Númenor?
- What is the Second Age?
- Who are the Harfoots?
- Who is Prince Durin IV?
- What is Khazad-dûm?
- Who is Celebrimbor?
- What is the Last Alliance of Men and Elves?
- Who is Elendil?
- New Pics! Who are Bronwyn and Theo?
- What is Rivendell?
- The Rings of Power First Reactions Are In!
- What is Lindon?
- What are the Nine Human Rings?
- Empire Magazine’s The Rings of Power Covers
- New Character Pictures
- Will Wizards Appear in The Rings of Power?
- New Promo for The Rings of Power
- What is Eregion?
- Leaked! Rings of Power Trailer Breakdown
- The Rings of Power Teaser Breakdown
- New EW Rings of Power Pictures
- SDCC Rings of Power Trailer Breakdown
- Who is Isildur?
- The Rings of Power is Here! Read the Reactions
- Who is the Stranger?
- Who is Queen Míriel?
- Who is Ar-Pharazôn?
- What is the broken black blade?
- What is Mordor?
- What is Mithril?
- What are the Silmarils?
- What is Narsil?
- Who founded Númenor?
- Who is Galadriel’s Brother Finrod?
- Rings of Power Adds 15 New Cast Members for Season 2
- Who is Círdan?
- Will Celeborn Appear in The Rings of Power?
- Are Galadriel and Sauron Enemies in Book Canon?
- Who is Narvi?
- Jamie Bisping Cast as Viran
- Will the Harfoots Settle The Shire?
- What to Watch Before The Rings of Power Season 2
- Will We See More Rings in The Rings of Power Season 2?
- Will Lord Belzagar Appear in The Rings of Power Season 2?
- Who is Diarmid?
- Will Ringwraiths appear in The Rings of Power Season 2?
- Will Gil-Galad Lead an Army in The Rings of Power Season 2?
- Is the Balrog Durin’s Bane?
- Who is Isildur’s sister Eärien?
- What is Rhûn Where Nori & The Stranger are Headed?
- Will Galadriel Go Dark in The Rings of Power Season 2?
- Where are the Southlanders Going?
- Is Durin Still a Prince?
- How Eärien will use the Palantir in The Rings of Power Season 2
- Is the Rings of Power close to canon? Will it get closer in Season 2?
- What is The War of the Elves and Sauron?
- Who are the Three New Rings of Power Cast Members? Ciarán Hinds, Rory Kinnear and Tanya Moodie
- Who are the Three Witches Trying to Rescue Sauron?
- Rings of Power season 2 Reportedly Wraps Filming
- Nenya will Appear in The Rings of Power season 2
- Will We see Shelob in The Rings of Power season 2?
- How Celeborn Could Appear in The Rings of Power season 2
- Will The Rings of Power be at San Diego Comic-Con?
- How are Hobbits and Harfoots Different?
- Who is Galadriel?
- What are Noldor Elves?
- Who are “Durin’s Folk”?
- What are the Seven Dwarf-Lord Rings?
- How did Humans come to Middle-Earth?
- Who is High King Gil-Galad?
- What are Sindar Elves?
- What is Hobbit Day?
- Finding all the Lord of the Rings at New York Comic Con
- Who are the Rohirrim?
- New Lord of the Rings Video Game – Return to Moria – is Here!
- Who is Gimli, son of Glóin?
- What is the Fourth Age of Middle-Earth?
- What are Cave Trolls?
I’ve written extensively about Khazad-dûm over the years this feature series has run. It’s been an important setting for many adaptations since its conception by J.R.R. Tolkien. So many of the historical and significant events surrounding Khazad-dûm deal heavily with one specific location – The Bridge of Khazad-dûm.
So, what’s up with that?
Why does this very specific piece of geography matter so much to The Lord of the Rings and the larger canon?
As with many important people, places, and things in Tolkien’s works The Bridge of Khazad-dûm is a place of more than one name. It was known by the inhabitants of Khazad-dûm as Durin’s Bridge. While there is no specific date of construction provided for The Bridge of Khazad-dûm many Tolkien scholars have surmised from this name it was built in the earliest days of colonization by the dwarves, thus built (or at least overseen), by Durin The Deathless, himself. King Durin I, of course, being the founder of the great dwarven city of Khazad-dûm.
The Bridge of Khazad-dûm is fifty feet long on the East side of Moria as a defensive structure. Yes, the Bridge serves the purpose all bridges do – to carry people and things from one side of a great chasm to the other. It is also located quite near (relative to an underground kingdom, of course), the Easternmost Gate of Moria. The bridge curves slightly upward in the middle in a slight arc and it narrow enough a being (human, elf, dwarf, hobbit, etcetera), can only pass single file making it difficult for a conquering force to charge across.
The Bridge of Khazad-dûm is on the far side of the First Hall. Should an enemy breach both the East Gate of Moria and the First Hall they would then have to traverse the bridge – which should not be easy – in order to get to the dwarves on the other side. Whether that be Gimli Lockbearer or someone else.
The main reason more casual Lord of the Rings fans may recognize The Bridge of Khazad-dûm (either the name or the image of), is because of the Battle of the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. Although you may not recognize the events by this name, the Battle of the Bridge of Khazad-dûm is the conflict between the Balrog of Morgoth and The Fellowship of the Ring. It is where Gandalf the Grey made his last stand and ultimately fell through fire and shadow in The Fellowship of the Ring before remerging in The Two Towers as Gandalf the White.
The Bridge of Khazad-dûm was a set of immense strife for the dwarves living in Moria who The Fellowship stumble across the remains of. It’s a setting of strife for The Fellowship very soon thereafter. Ultimately, for all of the strategic thought processes which went into its construction it’s debatable whether or not it served its function and protected those who needed it most.
