Fire-drakes

A serpent of flame by deagol

"Morgoth loosed upon the people of Narog the great host that he had long prepared; and Glaurung the Urulóki passed over Anfauglith."

—The Silmarilion: Of Túrin Turambar pg. 212

Fire-drakes or Urulóki are fire-breathing dragons. They are very large, bigger than Cold-drakes, they can withstand fire, and can kill with their fiery breath. Fire-drake broods often live in hills, mountains, caves, or icy wastelands.^{[citation needed]}

These creatures are described by Tolkien as being more like giant scaled serpents with wings than dragons as commonly depicted today. Fire-drakes often grew to immense size. The fire from one of these dragons was so intense that it was said the great dragons could consume and melt the Rings of Power, with the exception of the One Ring. Most of the famous dragons throughout the ages were fire-drakes although only some of them fought for Morgoth.

Tolkien confirmed in a letter that Smaug was the last of his kind, the last of the "great" Fire Drakes of Middle Earth. Dragons of lesser stature, such as smaller kin of Cold-drakes and Fire-drakes lived on. This was also mentioned by Gandalf.

History

First Age

Glaurung and Ancalagon were Fire-drakes, and were among the most famous of the breed. Glaurung was a key player in the sacking of Nargothrond and in the fulfillment of Morgoth's curse on the children of Húrin. He was a fearsome bane to the Elves. Ancalagon and his armada of winged Fire-drakes by themselves drove back the Host of the Valar during the War of Wrath at the end of the First Age, such was their incredible power. Fire-drakes also joined the Balrogs in the attack on Gondolin.

Second and Third Ages

Smaug, one of the last generation of great drakes by Charles-Burggraf

All Fire-drakes were thought to have been slain before the Second Age, but some including Smaug the Golden survived and in the Third Age descended on Erebor in TA 2770 and sacked the Lonely Mountain, at the time held by Thrór, the Dwarven King under the Mountain. In TA 2941 Thrór's grandson Thorin Oakenshield returned with a small group to reclaim his grandfather's kingdom, unleashing a chain of events that led to the death of Smaug when he attacked nearby Lake-town and was slain by the Black Arrow shot by Bard the Bowman.

According to Gandalf, there were still fire-drakes just before the beginning of War of the Ring.

Etymology

Urulóki was the Quenya name for Fire-drakes in plural form which meant 'Hot', 'Heat', or 'Fire-serpents'.

Notable Fire-drakes

Smaug the Golden, by John Howe

Few of fire-drakes were named in Tolkien works. These were:

• Glaurung the Father of Dragons
• Ancalagon the Black
• Smaug the Golden
• Fire-drake of Gondolin

Portrayal in adaptations

The Hobbit film trilogy

In The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Thranduil had claimed to face a "fire drake of the North", and presumably suffered damages caused by dragon's fire. It is unknown whether this dragon was in the First Age, or those in the Grey Mountains in later days including Scatha, but seemingly in the Third Age after Smaug's attack on Erebor.

Video games

The Fire Drake in LOTR BFME II

"The Fire-drake has been released"

—Goblin officer in Battle for Middle-Earth II

The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II describes another powerful Fire-drake, Drogoth. A contingent of Goblins and Ringwraiths were sent to bring him over to Sauron's side, but the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain and the Men of Dale were able to kill him. However, this is non-canon.

The Fire-drake is a Drake that destroys the enemies in The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II. This drake has large horns, sharp fangs, frightening eyes large legs/arms, spiny back and long tail but no wings at all. They all breath huge flames and are used with the Goblins with a Dragon's nest, an upgrade for the goblin's base or sometimes summoned by Gorkil the Goblin King as his final power.

In The Lord of the Rings: War in the North: Urgost a winged fire drake who lives in the Grey Mountains .

Agandaur offers him Nordinbad in exchange for his service to Sauron, Urgost responds by saying you will have your answer in my own good time. Later on he meets the company Farin, Eradan and Andriel and makes a deal with them to bring him Carn Dûm from Agandaur and he will not fight for Sauron.

Fire drake broods

File:Fire drake brood.jpg

The Fire-drake Broods in LOTR BFME II : ROTWK.

Fire-drake broods are similar to the Fire-drake except for their size, being smaller than the larger, level 10 Fire-drake. They arise in groups of three and their combined attack is just as powerful as their larger cousins; only two Fire-drake broods can be recruited at one time.

The Fire-drakes appear in Battle for Middle-earth II while the Fire-drake broods only appear in The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II: The Rise of the Witch-king.

External link

• Fire-drakes at Tolkien Gateway