Essinger!
The fortress guarding the Essin River used the mountain as a natural barrier on one side, and erected high walls for defense on the other three sides.
Strictly speaking, Isengard was a fortress under the jurisdiction of Gondor, but Saruman wrested it from the regent, and it has since become a symbol of his identity.
As long as Isengard is mentioned, everyone in Middle-earth will immediately think of Saruman the White. As the leader of the Five Wizards, his reputation was pushed to its peak, crushing the other four combined with Gandalf.
"Nurtured by the Essien River, there were a lot of trees and grassland here. It was a green and comfortable home. But Saruman destroyed them, and many people died..."
Treebeard looked sad. The tree people once believed deeply in Saruman the White, but they were brutally persecuted. His body was cut off and set on fire, turning into blazing flames for forging swords and armor.
The Essinger in front of me fits Treebeard's description very well. The lush green has become a thing of the past, and it is a mess. The pits left by the uprooting of giant trees can be seen everywhere.
The devastated scene is like an ugly scar in the middle of the mountain chain. The destruction of the environment by Saruman's violent troops is evident.
"Hohohoho——"
When everyone arrived in front of the fortress, they were greeted by corpses of orc deserters all over the ground. Hundreds of wolf cavalry drank blood from their swords and roared at the army.
The orcs stationed at Isengard brandished their swords in protest. The warg under his crotch was restless, pacing back and forth on the spot. His eyes that chose and devoured people flashed fiercely. Stimulated by the smell of blood, he became extremely violent.
Saruman is unwilling to surrender and wants to fight for the last time!
The Rohan cavalry drew their swords, raised their spears and prepared to charge. Gandalf stopped them and said to Théoden: "Isengard can only outwit, not attack by force. Too much blood was shed in the Battle of Helm's Deep, so we can't Let the soldiers continue to sacrifice.”
Théoden wanted to say that not many of the defenders of the Horn Castle died, and that the Rohan Kingdom's troops were still strong, but Gandalf said that they could be outsmarted, so it was better to outsmart them.
"How to outsmart him?"
"I have arranged for Treebeard's people to go to Masidras Peak. We just need to wait quietly. By then, the flood will submerge Isengard, defeat Saruman's last army, and then the Rohan army will reap victory." Gandalf Holding the pearl of wisdom in his hand, he smiled and stroked his white beard.
Essinger Fortress is easy to defend and difficult to attack, at least for humans, but its weaknesses are also extremely fatal. Gandalf planned it ten years ago... Ahem, Gandalf thought hard on the way here and came up with an idea. Yidong came up with a strange plan to flood the fortress.
"Gandalf, he is also a mage. In terms of leading battles, Saruman is far worse than you. He can only suppress with numbers and has no artistic beauty of war." Theoden clapped his hands in praise after listening to Gandalf's story.
"Haha, King Théoden said something serious. I'm just a little quick-witted. Compared with your ability of leading an army in battle, the Cavalry King is far inferior." Gandalf stroked his beard more vigorously. This was the script he wanted.
"Wherever you are, you are the most powerful!"
"Humbled!"
"Everyone is awesome, hahaha——"
"Hahaha----"
The two bad old men were bragging about each other for the sake of business, and Russell felt extremely contemptuous of them. Saruman can only suppress with numbers and has no sense of the artistic beauty of war. Is this a human saying?
Generals who are good at leading armies in battles all know that overwhelming numbers is the best strategy, while using cunning tactics and defeating the strong with the weak is the best strategy. No general is willing to take risks with less than 10,000.
When Han Xin orders troops, the more the better. The key to victory for top generals is very simple: more people!
Russell knew in his heart that the two bad old men understood this truth, but who made Saruman his enemy now? It was impossible to criticize him, and he could only criticize him for being a fool.
Rumble————
In the distant mountains, the gate was destroyed by the tree people, and a huge amount of water rushed out, with a rumbling sound, forming a superimposed violent torrent, sweeping down with the force of destroying the heaven and the earth.
The floods passed by and were unstoppable. The earth and rocks collapsed and were uprooted. Mixed in the monstrous floods, it turned into a natural disaster like a tsunami. The horror of nature was vividly demonstrated at this moment.
Boom! ! !
Apart from Essinger, he noticed the vibration under his feet, and the two parties behaved differently.
The half-orc wolf cavalry's face turned pale, and the calamity of annihilation was coming, but they were unwilling to fight.
"Warriors of Rohan, follow me to crush the obstacles ahead, chop off the heads of the orcs, and pay homage to the fallen heroes of the Horn Keep."
"Kill! Kill! Kill——"
The Rohan cavalry and tree men raised their arms and shouted, followed Théoden and charged with swords drawn. 2,000 iron hooves trampled down, killing less than 300 wolf cavalry under their horses.
Taken away in a wave, simple and crude, at this time, Théoden did not mention the art of war!
In Isengard, the surging torrent was unstoppable and flooded Saruman's underground arsenal. Thousands of Orc defenders were all swallowed up and drowned by the torrent without even a splash rising.
The terrifying amount of water was uncountable, flooding the underground base of Essinger Fortress, knocking down all the superstructures, and the water reached the waist of ordinary people.
This is a height that is very unfriendly to dwarves. Fortunately, there are several gates on the fortress wall, which continuously release the torrent to the outside. Otherwise, with Gimli's impressive height, he would be floating after entering it.
"Be careful. Even if Isengard is destroyed by the flood, as long as Saruman is alive, this place will still be one of the most dangerous fortresses in Middle-earth."
Gandalf sat on Treebeard's shoulder, lighting up the illumination spell and leading the way. The Fellowship of the Ring each rode a tree man and entered this marshland.
The Rohan cavalry were ordered to garrison outside the city gate. The order came from Théoden. To deal with the unpredictable wizard, the more people on one's side, the better.
Arriving under the black tower, Gandalf held up his dazzling staff and wore a very conspicuous white robe, as if he was showing off. But this is not the case. Gandalf's white robe shines so brightly because the white color does not absorb light, and it is not forcibly showing off.
Regardless of whether others believe it or not, Gandalf insists on this view. He is a mature Maia who has long passed the age of fighting spirit, so he did not deliberately show it to Saruman.
"Saruman, how long do you want to hide? Face your fate and face the trial!" Gandalf shouted, and the sound of thunder echoed, as if it could be heard throughout Middle-earth.
As Gandalf finished speaking, Saruman's figure appeared at the top of the black tower. He also had white hair and beard, and the same image of a wise and handsome old man. Saruman was a bit more noble in temperament than Gandalf.
This can be reflected in his white robe, which should have been plain white without any decoration, but was inlaid with luxurious gold threads and gems.
"Saruman, you have fallen!"
Looking at the shining Saruman, Gandalf was heartbroken, the light of his staff surged, and the white robe on his body became even brighter.
Saruman was condescending and shouted angrily: "Shut up, you despicable, shameless, shameless, gray-robed man who only flatters others... I have not fallen, I just found my own path in life!"
