Dwarves

Thrór was King Under the Mountain from TA 2590-2770, and King of Durin's Folk in Exile from TA 2770-2790. He redounded the Kingdom under the Mountain after leading his people back from the failed Grey Mountains colony to Erebor, following the deaths of his father (Dáin I) and younger brother. When Smaug appeared in TA 2770, Thrór led the surviving dwarves into exile in Dunland, but he grew weary and dispirited. Ten years after the start of his exile, he went wandering in the wilderness, and by chance decided to enter Moria. There, he was killed by Orcs.

A dwarf of Durin’s Folk, b. TA 2767, d. TA 3019. Dain son Náin of the Iron Hills. 3rd cousin and successor of Thorin Oakenshield. Dáin first appeared in The Hobbit, where he and his forces played a vital role in the Battle of Five Armies. When Thorin and Company were besieged in the Lonely Mountain by Bard and the Elvenking a message came to Dáin who set out from the Iron Hills with 500 heavily armed dwarves and supplies to withstand the siege. When Gandalf announced the arrival of Bolg and his goblins (orcs) Dáin abandoned his plan to attack the Men and Elves, and formed an alliance with them and Thorin to fight the Battle of Five Armies. Thorin and his nephews Fili and Kili were slain in that battle and Dain being the nearest kin became King under the Mountain. He was a wise and generous ruler and attracted other dwarves to his realm. He gave the Emeralds of Girion to Bard along with a 14th share of Smaug’s hoard to aid the people of Esgaroth and restore the town of Dale. Dáin was named Ironfoot. He and his warriors wore iron caps and shoes and protective stockings of fine mesh mail. Their beards were forked and plaited and they carried broad-swords and shields and great two-handed mattocks. Dáin had fought in the Battle of Azanulbizar in TA 2799, although at 32 he was still rather young for a dwarf. There he slew Azog, father of Bolg with a great axe. Dáin’s father Náin was slain in that battle and Dáin became leader of their people. In the invasion of Dale and Erebor by Sauron's Easterlings during the War of the Ring in TA 3019, Dáin was killed standing over the body of his ally Brand wielding his axe until, in turn, he fell. He was 252 years old.

Dwarf and King Thorin II of Durin’s Folk, b.TA 2746, d. TA 2941. Son of Thráin II. He was the elder brother of Frerin and Dís, the only dwarf-woman mentioned in these tales. He remained unmarried and died without offspring. Thorin was raised in the dwarf realm of Erebor, which his grandfather Thrór had re-established, under the mountain, returning there with the Arkenstone the glittering symbol of their House. They prospered and had good trade relations with the Men of Dale. But in TA 2770, when Thorin was but a youth, the dragon Smaug in jealous rage, decscended upon the mountain in flame and terror. Thrór and many of his kin escaped, but Smaug gathered the Arkenstone and their other wealth into a hoard within the mountain and lay upon it for a bed. Even the town of Dale was destroyed and Thorin’s family wandered away penniless into the Wild. Thorin earned the name 'Oakenshield' in TA 2799 during the Battle of Azanulbizar in the War of the Dwarves and Orcs. Thorin marched into battle with a dwarf army, but during the course of the fighting his shield was broken. He cut a great branch from an oak tree with his axe, and used it as both club and shield. Thorin was injured in that battle, but the oak bough gave him his popular name. After the battle Thorin and his father returned over the Redhorn Pass to Dunland and from thence wandered north with their kin until they settled in the northern Ered Luin beyond the Gulf of Lhun. In TA 2841 Thráin wandered off into the Wild and never returned. Thorin worked on in mine and forge dreaming of restoring the Kingdom. Thus we read that when Gandalf the Wizard brought to him a key and a map of the Lonely Mountain in TA 2941, Thorin set out on the Quest of Erebor. With him he took 12 of his kin; Dwalin, Balin, Óin, Glóin, Dori, Nori, Ori, Fíli, Kíli, Bifur, Bofur and Bombur, and the reluctant hobbit Bilbo Baggins. The wizard Gandalf accompanied them part of the way. The tale of that Quest is told in The Hobbit, how Thorin acquired the elf-sword Orcrist, fought Goblins in the Misty Mountains, encountered great spiders in Mirkwood, was imprisoned by the Elvenking, escaped down-river in a barrel, and eventually won back the mountain. Thorin was slain by spears in the Battle of Five Armies and his second-cousin Dain Ironfoot succeeded him as King. Thorin was laid to rest under the mountain, with the Arkenstone on his breast and his sword Orcrist was laid upon his tomb. Thorin was proud and rather gruff, but colourful. His favoured hood was sky-blue with a silver tassel, and he played the harp with skill. He was particular about his food, favouring red wine, and liked ham and 6 eggs for breakfast, fried and with unbroken yolks. He smoked a pipe and like Gandalf was an expert blower of smoke-rings. Nevertheless he was driven by his duty of revenge and his lust for gold. He wanted to tackle the Necromancer but was warned off by Gandalf. Once on the quest he became more driven, ruthless and self-centred. He threatened to abandon Bombur in the forest, had no sympathy for the plight of the Lake Men, and even threatened to kill Bilbo at one point. Yet Thorin died a hero’s death, sadder and wiser, blessing Bilbo as “child of the kindly West” and earning his respect.

A dwarf, descendant of the Dwarves of Moria but not of Durin’s line. In The Hobbit, Bombur is recorded as wearing a pale green hood. He played the drum and had a liking for pork-pie and salad. He was very fat. With his brother Bofur and cousin Bifur, Bombur accompanied Thorin II on the Quest of Erebor in TA 2941. Though fat he was reasonably fit, and carried Bilbo for a while in the tunnels of the Misty Mountains despite being terrified and grumbling constantly. In Mirkwod, Bombur fell into the Enchanted River which sent him into a deep sleep which lasted some days. Being rather fat, it took four dwarves to carry him. At the Lonely Mountain after the death of Smaug it was Bombur who swapped his watch period with Bilbo who used the time to slip away and bargain with Bard and the Elvenking. Bombur survived the Battle of Five Armies, after which he settled in the Kingdom under the Mountain where he became ever more corpulent until it took 6 young dwarves to carry him from his chair to the table.

A dwarf of Durin’s Folk, b. TA 2859, d. TA 2941. He was the elder son of Dís, sister of Thorin Oakenshield. In The Hobbit, Fíli and his younger brother Kíli, accompanied Thorin to the Lonely Mountain in TA 2941. At Bilbo's Unexpected Party he was recorded as having a yellow beard, a blue hood and a silver belt. He played the fiddle well, and was skilled in the making of fires. With his brother it was Fili who found the cave where the company was captured by goblins (orcs), and being young and sharp-eyed it was Fili who threw the rope to hook the boat at the Enchanted River in Mirkwood. Fili had a longer nose than Kili and Bilbo recognised it sticking through the threads when the dwarves were captured by the Mirkwood Spiders. Fili helped free the others, but had lost a good deal of his beard as Bilbo cut him free. Fili was young, upbeat and helpful. He coped better than most with hiding in a barrel. With Kili, Balin and Bilbo he reconnoitred the Front Gate of the Lonely Mountain and with Kili went to retrieve the surviving ponies and supplies after the disappearance of Smaug. Fili and Kili fought with honour in the Battle of Five Armies, and fell there defending Thorin.