Nazgûl Purgatory

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Most impressive topic! I have been always intrigued by that quote of Gorbag - this is why I referred to him "the only Orc who speaks of metaphysics". Okay, a few thoughts.

Originally Posted by Inziladun

Gorbag and the Black Captain appear to be referring to the same thing.
The question is, what is this they reference? A place of physical and spirtual torture? 'Skin the body off you' certainly seems to indicate physical death, but the Lord of the Nazgûl states his threat is not to kill. Consciousness apparently survives in both cases.
Thoughts?

First this. I am not completely sure whether both the places are the same. It seems to be related... but the WK's words might be actually referring to real torture, like somebody mentioned - some place in Barad-Dur or such. Or a metaphorical expression of being brought in front of Sauron?

I always imagined something horrible under that: like, really being brought in front of Sauron, while one's physical body would be really consumed, and only the spirit will remain - but for Sauron, it will be still visible, and he will be penetrating it with his gaze. Something similar was referred to by Lúthien, I believe, when Huan held Sauron by the throat at Tol-in-Gaurhoth:

Originally Posted by Silmarillion, Chapter 19

Ere his foul spirit left its dark house, Lúthien came to him, ghost be sent quaking back to Morgoth; and she said: "There everlastingly thy naked self shall endure the torment of his scorn, pierced by his eyes, unless thou yield to me the mastery of thy tower."

So it indeed may be that Gorbag was referring to the same thing, too. "The other side" would be after (physical) death, again.

Originally Posted by Gordis

"Skin the body off you" doesn't sound like violent death and skinning. The orcs wouldn't be so impressed by simple physical violence, torture and the ugliest methods of death. They were experts at it themselves. And the Orcs were indeed impresed beyond words by what the nazgul could do:

Oh, but I am sured they would, and that they did skin people every now and then. But you are right that the Nazgul incited more fear in them, for sure, and seemingly not fear just of mere violent physical death, but of something too scary (and possibly even ununderstandable, and therefore more scary) for an average Orc.