Dol Guldur

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Gordis

Dol Guldur was originally known as Amon Lanc

Oh! Really? Wow, what an interesting revelation...

Originally Posted by Gordis

Anyway, as it used to be a dwelling of Thranduil's father Oropher, it may well be that the Elves had dwelt in the caves within the hill in the manner of Doriath. At least it seems to be implied in this quote:

Yes, I thought about it as well. It is not said what the dwelling on Amon Lanc looked like, but I always imagined it as some above-ground village(s) or several spread up houses and eventually some (probably not natural) caves around there for storage rooms etc. On the other hand, the quote may be also interpretated in the way that this was the first case Thranduil (or his father) made such an underground dwelling, and that's because they had to retreat from Sauron, so they started to think about some fortress, and that reminded Thranduil of Doriath. So this would imply there were no caves, natural or otherwise, in Amon Lanc, and the dungeons and pits were made there later by Sauron. I certainly did not imagine the hill full of holes, ever.

Originally Posted by Gordis

I don't think it was ever that flashy and revealing ("This way to the Evil Overlord!") as in the picture posted above. Most likely it has been quite ordinary and seemingly of no great strength or importance. After all the Wise let it be for a thousand years and were very slow in comprehending the identity of the Necromancer.

I agree. I think if anything, it resembled some rogue keep or even a bandit lair, and only later, after Sauron returned to Mordor and Dol Guldur was inhabited once more "with power sevenfold", it might have become a more impressive fortress.

[Gordis]

Oh! Really? Wow, what an interesting revelation...

I was trying to impress not you, Legate, but the one who started this thread.

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

I think we should beat up Legate for that smug remark.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Gordis

I was trying to impress not you, Legate, but the one who started this thread.

I know. I just couldn't resist

[Stoatly Grimes]

Originally Posted by Gordis

I was trying to impress not you, Legate, but the one who started this thread.

You succeeded Gordis, I am impressed, if that's the right word

Thanks all for the responses. I agree that the artwork above - while nice - has too much of a Jackson-influence about it, with the superfluous horns and ghoulish red light.

[Alfirin]

I would agree that Dol Guldur would have to be fairly modest in apperance, proably a small stone keep with most of the actual archetecture subterrenean. If nothing else, the top of Dol Guldur would have to be below the top of the trees of Mirkwood, or it would be easily visible, if not by the elves, than by someone looking from outside of the woods from a higer elevation.
On a related note to this I have alawys wondered exactly how Saron mamged to travel from Dol Guldur to Barad Dur when it was finally ready. Sauron was presumable already in his eye from by them and while extemely powerful, this form is not particualry motile. Or am I off in my guesses and sauron was still in his Giant warrior form at the time, capable of riding.

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

It does seem to me that the above picture is a trifle flashy for a place Sauron used to hide out while he was rebuilding his strength. It's quite creepy looking, but does it make sense as a place for someone trying to pass himself off as the Necromancer rather than the Dark Lord? This fairly shrieks "someone important (and not just a lesser Nazgul) lives here." I always tended to think of Dol Guldur as your basic medieval stronghold, plain, fortified, and rather unimpressive, but effective.

[Gordis]

Stoatly Grimes -

Alfirin - In the books Sauron had neither the "Giant warrior" nor "the Eye" forms.
At first, back in the Second Age, he had been a shape-shifter, able to assume any guise from a wolf to a snake to Elven-like fair Annatar.
Then when his material body had perished in the fall of Numenor, he lost the ability to assume a fair guise. He made himself a new body - humanoid, higher than any man "but NOT gigantic". This shape was terrible to look upon.

Then Elendil and Gil-Galad brought Sauron down and Isildur took the Ring. In a millennium or more, Sauron was able to make himself a new body yet again - seemingly the exact copy of his last one, with the missing finger. In this guise he stayed till the very end.

[skip spence]

I find it curious that Galdalf was able to enter Dol Guldur when Sauron was present.
How did he manage this? If Dol Guldur was a stronghold you imagine it being foritfied with stone walls and a big main gate, staffed with legions of evil men, orcs and wraiths. But would Galdalf be able to entre through the main gate with Sauron present? Surely not, even if he came in disguise. Perhaps he came into the underground catacombs through some back door he discovered. Or maybe Dol Guldur was more like a haunted village, much like the town of Minas Morgul.