
   [angband3.gif] What is Angband?
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       What is Angband?
       Angband is a single-player, text-based, dungeon simulation derived
       from the game Moria, which was in turn descended from Rogue. It is
       often described as a "roguelike" game because the look and feel of
       the game is still quite similar to Rogue.
       Angband features many enhancements over Moria: unique foes,
       artifacts, monster pits and vaults to name a few. Many of these
       new creatures and objects are drawn from the writings of J.R.R
       Tolkien, although some of the monsters come straight from
       classical mythology, Dungeons and Dragons, or the minds of the
       orginal Angband coders. Gameplay and mechanics are also very
       similar in feel to Dungeons and Dragons or many other fantasy
       role-playing games. This results in Angband having a strong
       Dungeons and Dragons "feel."
       The ultimate goal of the game is to build a character strong
       enough to defeat Morgoth, who resides on dungeon level 100. Upon
       doing so, you will receive the exalted status of "winner" and your
       character must retire. Then it's time to go on with your life. :)
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       Who is Morgoth?
       Morgoth was 'the Dark Enemy of Middle-Earth' during the First Age.
       He was banished by the Valar (offspring of Eru, "god" of J.R.R.
       Tolkien's world) at the end of the First Age and thus never
       appears in The Lord of the Rings, set during the Third Age.
       Sauron, who does figure into those tales, was the most powerful of
       his servants.
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       What about the name Angband?
       [tower.gif] When Melkor sought to establish himself as Lord of
       Middle-Earth, he built for himself a giant fortress, Utumno, in
       the far north of Middle-Earth. Being afraid of possible
       interference by the other Ainur from Valinor, he also constructed
       a strongly fortified outpost, Angband, near the western shores of
       Middle-Earth, north of Beleriand. Sauron (also called Gorthaur)
       was its captain.
       When the Valar, for the sake of the Elves, came and put Melkor
       (now called Morgoth) into captivity in the halls of Mandos for
       three ages, they destroyed most of Utumno. When Morgoth finally
       returned to Middle-Earth, after having destroyed the Two Trees, he
       rebuilt Angband anew, and made it the seat of his power. He raised
       above its gates the mighty towers Thangorodrim, and ruled there
       until finally defeated by the final incursion of the Might of the
       Ainur into Middle-Earth.
       According to Tolkien, Angband means "Hell of Iron." The prefix
       'ang-' denotes iron, which is why it occurs in the names of so
       many swords and other weapons (e.g. Angcrist, "Iron-cleaver," the
       dagger of Beren).
       The complete story is laid out in detail in Tolkien's
       Silmarillion.
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