Zog

> "*What an honor to meet the most famous dead man in Mordor. You really shook the world with that ring forging trick of yours. After that Tar-Goroth only needed a little coaxing. Now it rises to the surface. And it comes for you*"
> ― Zog's first encounter with the Bright Lord - *Shadow of War*
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**Zog** is an Uruk who appears in *Middle-earth: Shadow of War* as an antagonist.

Once a servant of the the Dark Lord, he began making plans to supplant Sauron and rule over Mordor.

## History

### Servant of the Dark Lord

> "*Swallowed by the darkness!*"
> ― Zog about to make his disappearance
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Zog was a skilled orc who learned the arts of sorcery at the hands of the Dark Lord Sauron. He came to desire to be the greatest necromancer and wanted to prove himself to his master.

He is briefly seen during the Siege of Minas Ithil, riding upon a Caragor and is possessed by the Witch-king.

### Bringing Tar-Goroth back

> "*Tar-Goroth we call you from the shallows. Rise and join our glory! Rise and join the Shadow's army! Come to us, rise, rise, rise!*"
> ― Zog during a ritual to ressurect Tar-Goroth - *Middle-earth: Shadow of War*
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He was sent by his master to Gorgoroth in order to ressurect Tar-Goroth and persuade him into joining his army once again. Despite being forced to flee when the Bright Lord attempted to stop him, the Balrog rose once again.

### Betrayal

> "*We meet again. I am Zog, and I have been watching you for some time. You're the inspiration for all of this! What better army to defeat a dead Man than a legion of undead Orcs!*"
> ― Zog to Talion - *Shadow of War*
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He became enamoured with the ways of Sauron's predecessor Morgoth and deeply studied his great power and brought back to life many of the former's fallen followers to fight in his army. This led him to growing tired of being servant to another and he began seeking ways of gaining the same level of power as the Black Foe of the World. He eventually settled on supplanting Sauron as Dark Lord and ruling over Middle-earth. With a vast network of loyal acolytes, he began preparations for his scheme.

### The Ritual

> "*You will not foul the ritual! Tar-Goroth will rise, but not for Sauron. He will fight in MY army. A legion of the dead that will rival any army of Mordor! You will hear them when they come for they will chant my name: ZOG! ZOG! ZOG!*"
> ― Zog to the Bright Lord - *Shadow of War*
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With the Balrog's defeat at the hand of Talion, Celebrimbor and Carnán, Zog sprang his plan into action and came to resurrect Tar-Goroth, but, as he later revealed, this time he would try to submit the demon to his will and make it serve him and not Sauron. The Bright Lord managed to defeat the acolytes and undead soldiers, before destroying the totems and killing Zog himself to prevent the Balrog's re-emergence.

### Minas Morgul

> "*Look around you: the Orcs who took this city. This is our army. Not Sauron's. Not the Witch-king's. The dominion of these slave masters is at an end for today, we rise!*"
> ― Zog to his acolytes
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His adepts ensured his return to the world of the living in Minas Morgul where he revealed his plan to make legions of undead soldiers and destroy Sauron and his Ringwraiths, thus rising as the sole ruler of Mordor. He was forced to once again fight with Talion and lost his life again, with Carnán in the form of a fire-drake burning his remains.