Morgul-blade: The Wraiths' Poisoned Weapon

The Morgul-blade's origins can be traced back to the fell realm of Minas Morgul, once the fair city of Minas Ithil. After the Nazgûl captured and corrupted the Tower of the Moon in Third Age 2002, they established their dark fortress there and began crafting weapons of terrible power. These ancient weapons represented the perversion of what was once a center of Gondorian knowledge and craft into a place of evil and corruption.

The creation of Morgul-blades involved complex and malevolent enchantments that drew upon the darkest aspects of sorcery. The Nazgûl, being powerful sorcerers before their transformation into wraiths, imbued these weapons with spells of fear, shadow, and domination. The process required rituals that corrupted the very metal of the blades, making them vessels of evil will.

The primary purpose of these weapons was to create new servants for Sauron by transforming their victims into wraiths. This aligned with Sauron's strategy of corrupting and dominating rather than simply destroying his enemies. The blades were specifically enchanted to extend the Dark Lord's power by adding to his forces of shadow-bound servants.

The physical form of a Morgul-blade was distinctive in its deadly elegance. These weapons were crafted as long daggers with needlessly cruel points, designed to inflict maximum damage while delivering their dark enchantments. The blades were thin enough to break off in their victims, yet strong enough to pierce deeply.

Witnesses described Morgul-blades as having an otherworldly appearance that inspired terror. They gleamed with a sickly pale light that seemed to draw from and intensify nearby shadows. The cold radiance they emitted was unlike any natural illumination, serving as a visible manifestation of their evil nature.

The surfaces of these weapons bore inscriptions of dark significance. Ancient runes of power and malevolent symbols were etched into the metal, each contributing to the blade's fell purpose. These markings were not mere decoration but integral components of the weapon's enchantment, focusing and channeling its evil properties.

Perhaps the most insidious aspect of the Morgul-blade's physical properties was its ability to break and dissolve after wounding its victim. Upon striking its target, the blade would splinter, leaving only the hilt in the wielder's hand while the shards worked their way through the victim's flesh. This characteristic made the wounds particularly difficult to treat, as the weapon itself would vanish, leaving its evil work to continue unseen.

The Morgul-blade's primary enchantment caused it to shatter upon striking its victim, with the fragments beginning a terrible journey toward the heart. These splinters moved of their own accord, driven by evil will rather than any natural process. Each fragment carried the blade's full enchantment, making the weapon's effects nearly impossible to counter without immediate intervention.

The curse laid upon these weapons was among the most terrible in Middle-earth. Victims struck by a Morgul-blade would gradually transform into wraiths, becoming invisible to mortal eyes and entering the shadow realm where the Nazgûl dwelled. This transformation would bind them forever to the will of Sauron, making them slaves to his dark purposes.

Wounds inflicted by Morgul-blades resisted normal healing arts. Even the most skilled healers found these injuries challenging, as they were caused by both physical and spiritual corruption. The wounds would remain cold to the touch and continue to cause pain long after they were inflicted.

Those struck by these weapons reported an intense and persistent cold that seemed to spread from the wound throughout their entire body. This supernatural chill was more than physical discomfort; it represented the victim's gradual slide into the wraith-world. The cold would intensify as the transformation progressed, serving as a marker of how far the curse had advanced.

The transformation process inflicted by a Morgul-blade was gradual but inexorable without intervention. Victims would slowly become transparent to mortal eyes as they faded from the physical world. Their form would become increasingly difficult to perceive in the normal world while becoming more visible in the shadow realm.

As the victim's transformation progressed, they would fall under the dominion of Sauron, their will becoming bound to his. The process would eventually complete with the victim becoming a lesser wraith, forever enslaved to the Dark Lord's commands. This fate was considered worse than death by the free peoples of Middle-earth.

The progression of symptoms included an increasing sensitivity to light and a growing affinity for darkness. Victims would experience the world around them dimming as if in twilight, while simultaneously gaining the ability to perceive the shadow realm with growing clarity. This dual awareness caused great distress as the victim straddled both worlds.

The most famous instance of a Morgul-blade's use occurred on Weathertop in October of Third Age 3018, when the Witch-king of Angmar struck Frodo Baggins during the Quest of the Ring. The Hobbit was wounded while attempting to resist the Nazgûl's attack, receiving a grievous injury to his left shoulder that would trouble him for the remainder of his life.

Aragorn's quick response and knowledge of herb-lore proved crucial in preventing Frodo's immediate decline. His experience as a Ranger and healer allowed him to slow the weapon's effects through the application of athelas and other remedies. Without his intervention, Frodo's transformation would have progressed much more rapidly.

The ultimate salvation of Frodo came through the healing powers of Lord Elrond in Rivendell. Elrond's abilities as both a master healer and wielder of one of the Three Elven Rings enabled him to remove the splinter of the Morgul-blade that had been working its way toward Frodo's heart. This intervention prevented the Hobbit's complete transformation into a wraith, though he would carry the effects of the wound for the rest of his life.

Athelas, also known as kingsfoil, served as the primary treatment for wounds inflicted by Morgul-blades. This humble plant possessed remarkable healing properties when properly prepared, particularly in the hands of those with Númenórean heritage. Its effectiveness against the Black Breath and similar evil influences made it especially valuable in treating Morgul-wounds.

Complete healing of Morgul-wounds required the advanced healing arts of the Elves, particularly those who possessed great power and wisdom. Their understanding of both the physical and spiritual realms allowed them to combat the weapon's evil enchantments. The healing process often involved complex rituals and the application of powers that went beyond conventional medicine.

The treatment of Morgul-wounds was extremely time-sensitive, with the victim's chances of recovery diminishing rapidly as time passed. Each hour that elapsed brought the victim closer to complete transformation, making swift action essential for any hope of recovery. The journey to reach appropriate healing was often as dangerous as the wound itself.

Even after successful treatment, victims of Morgul-blades never fully recovered. They carried permanent reminders of their brush with the shadow realm, often experiencing recurring pain and cold sensations, particularly on the anniversaries of their wounding. These lasting effects served as a testament to the weapon's terrible power.

The Morgul-blade stood as a powerful symbol of the Nazgûl's ability to corrupt and transform the world around them. Just as they had turned the fair city of Minas Ithil into the dread tower of Minas Morgul, their weapons represented the power to twist and pervert the natural order of Middle-earth.

These weapons were considered among the most fearsome examples of evil enchantment in the Third Age. Their ability to inflict both physical and spiritual harm, combined with their purpose of expanding Sauron's dominion through corruption rather than simple destruction, marked them as particularly insidious tools of the Enemy.

The legend of the Morgul-blade persisted long after the War of the Ring, serving as a cautionary tale about the dangers of evil artifacts and the importance of resisting corruption. Stories of these weapons continued to inspire fear and fascination among the peoples of Middle-earth, even after the defeat of Sauron and the departure of the Nazgûl.