Outer Guard

The Hidden Way to the city of Gondolin began with a concealed cleft in the Encircling Mountains, through which the Dry River had once flowed out. This led into a dark tunnel beneath the mountains, that eventually opened into a smooth-floored, silent cavern. Within this cavern waited the Outer Guard, the first defence of the long and strongly protected way to the Hidden City.

Guarding the darkness¹ under the mountains as they did, this force of Elves was also known as the Dark Guard. From the inner wall of the cavern of the Outer Guard, a passageway led to the Outer Gate, the First of the Seven Gates of Gondolin, called the Gate of Wood. Beyond this gate lay the way into the Orfalch Echor, a narrow ravine that ran through the mountains, guarded by six further gates. Any traveller who would journey on into the ravine, however, would first need to be allowed to pass out of the darkness by the Outer Guard.

By the law of King Turgon, the Outer Guard were ruthless in the defence of their city. They would permit only those who had previously been sent out from the city to pass back through the Hidden Way, and even then under strict questioning. According to Elemmakil, the commander of the Outer Guard, he had the authority to slay or imprison any who attempted to find their way into the Hidden City through the Outer Gate.

The Hidden Way into the Encircling Mountains had been guarded for centuries, from the establishment of Gondolin in I 116 to the time of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad in I 472. The Elves of Gondolin had gone out to fight on that great battle, but had barely escaped from the victory of Morgoth. King Turgon then commanded that the way through the mountains should be blocked so that it could never be used again, and after this time there was no longer an Outer Gate for the Outer Guard to protect.