recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Gloin

**Glóin** is the father of Gimli and brother of the late Óin, and cousin of Balin and Dwalin.

## Overview

*Of all the members in The Company of Dwarves who set out on the Quest to The Lonely Mountain, Glóin is the most outspoken and opinionated and is not afraid to challenge authority. He has a tendency to be quick-tempered, but he is also strong, brave, and loyal. Glóin is one of the only married Dwarves in the Company (there being a shortage of female Dwarves in general). His wife is an acclaimed beauty with a particularly fine beard. Glóin is also the proud father of a young son, Gimli, who will later grow up to become part of the famous Fellowship of the Ring.*

## Biography

Gloin was born sometime after Smaug took over the Lonely Mountain. He was well loved by his elder brother, Oin and was close with Thorin and Dwalin.

Glóin is a banker and is responsible for putting up the financing for the Quest of Erebor, which reportedly led to him being "bled dry."

### An Unexpected Journey

Glóin falls with the others when they go to Bilbo's house. Glóin also is rude by ruining Bilbo's other possessions. He sits by his brother, and it is implied that he watched all the signs for Erebor, seeing he knows what to say at dinner. He seems to have to watch over his older brother because he is half-deaf.

### The Desolation of Smaug

After the Spider attack, Glóin as is captured with the others (excluding Bilbo). Glóin is protesting that Legolas has his locket. He opens up the locket and Glóin demands to have it back. Legolas sneers at Glóin's wife, causing him annoyed as well as calling Gimli a "goblin mutant". He says that it is his wee lad Gimli

While the Dwarves are smuggled in Laketown, Thorin looks at Glóin and orders him to give up the money he has. Then he starts making excuses that he was bled dry of money since they started the adventure.  However, upon seeing the mountain again, Gloin forks over his share of money he carried.

### The Battle of the Five Armies

Glóin and his company watched Smaug destroy Lake-town with his fire while wearing for his brother, Óin, Fíli, Kíli and Bofur.  However, they are reunited. In the third part of the film, Gloin fought in the battle of the five armies and reunited with his brother in the Mountain. He does survive the Battle. He says goodbye to Bilbo once and is invited to come back any time.

### Aftermath

Gloin's son Gimli and his wife eventually come to live into the Blue Mountains. Sixty years later, Gloin sends a letter to Bilbo, sending his regard s on his birthday, and tells of the rest of the characters' well-beings.

An elder Gloin accompanies his son Gimli to Rivendell, based on summons by Elrond.
Black Gate

The **Black Gate** or **Morannon** was a gate built across Cirith Gorgor, and the most fortified, direct entrance into Sauron's realm of Mordor.

## Description

The Black Gate was set in an impregnable black stone and iron wall that stretched from the Mountains of Ash in the north to the Ephel Dúath in the west. The wall had but a single gate set into its length and was patrolled unceasingly, with hundreds of Orc holes on either side in which lurked thousands of Orcs ready to attack. On either side were the t

wo Towers of the Teeth, Narchost and Carchost.

## History

The Black Gate was a mighty rampart built by Sauron the Dark Lord of Mordor in the Second Age, to protect and guard the northern entrance into Mordor and to prevent invasion at the gap between the Ash Mountains and the Ephel Dúath. It was built with the power of the One Ring, like the Barad-dûr. After Sauron's fall in the War of the Last Alliance, it was garrisoned by the Men of Gondor, who raised the two great Towers of the Teeth, Narchost and Carchost, which were built on either side of the wall and were tall enough to overlook it.

It was backed up on the south-eastern side by the Isenmouthe, and protected by the castle of Durthang to the west; closing the passage into Mordor to evil creatures. The reconstruction of Minas Ithil, Tower of the Rising Moon, as well as the construction of the Tower of Cirith Ungol was for the same purpose.

However, Gondor's guard on Mordor eventually failed and the fortifications fell into ruin following the Great Plague and were later taken over by the servants of Sauron and were rebuilt. Once controlled by the Enemy, they became a monument of dread, evil, and awe to anyone who saw the gate. Thus the Ringwraiths and Orcs re-entered Mordor, inhabiting the abandoned fortresses and claiming them for their own uses.

During the War of the Ring, Frodo and Sam had a chance to go through the Black Gate when they arrived at Mordor, but it was so heavily fortified and guarded by the forces of Mordor that they turned away and were led on a different route into Mordor by Sméagol. They also saw an army of Easterlings enter the gate.

The Black Gate was the site of the last valiant battle of the War of the Ring, in the East. In March 3019, the Army of the West commanded by Aragorn Elessar and numbering some 6,000 men (plus one Elf, one Dwarf, and a Wizard and one Hobbit) arrived at the Black Gate and challenged the many remaining armies of Mordor. Their intention was to draw the watchful Eye of Sauron away from Mount Doom, to allow Frodo the Ring-bearer to cast the One Ring into the Crack of Doom and destroy it. The delay worked and the Ring was destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom, following which the Black Gate and the Towers of the Teeth immediately collapsed.
Eagles

The **Great Eagles** were beings of Arda said to have been "devised" by Manwë Súlimo, leader of the Valar, and were often called the **Eagles of Manwë**. They were sent from Valinor to Middle-earth to keep an eye on the exiled Ñoldor, and also upon their foe the evil Vala Morgoth, and later upon Sauron.

## History

### First Age

The Great Eagles were the messengers and spies of Manwë, and possessed the ability to see through all physical matter except for the blackness of Morgoth's evil pits. Morgoth first discovered the limits of their sight prior to the fall of the great stronghold of Utumno.

For a time the King of the Eagles, Thorondor, kept his eyries at the top of Thangorodrim, the three mighty peaks that Morgoth raised from the Iron Mountains above the gates of Angband. While they lived there, Thorondor helped Fingon rescue Maedhros. Thorondor's folk later removed their eyries to the Crissaegrim, part of the Echoriath about Gondolin. There they were friends of Turgon, and kept spies off the mountains.

Thorondor wounded Morgoth in the face after Morgoth's battle with Fingolfin, and carried Fingolfin's corpse to the Echoriath, where Turgon buried him.

The Great Eagles fought alongside the army of the Valar, Elves and Edain during the War of Wrath at the end of the First Age, intervening decisively with Eärendil in the battle against Ancalagon.

### Second Age

In the Second Age, a pair of Eagles had an eyrie in the King's House in Armenelos, the capital of Númenor, until the Kings became hostile to the Valar. The Eagles also watched the peak of Mount Meneltarma, and three Eagles would always appear when someone climbed to the summit.

Towards the end of Númenor, the Valar sent storm clouds in the shape of Great Eagles in an attempt to warn them of their folly and impending doom.

### Third Age

In the Third Age, Thorondor's descendants Gwaihir and Landroval lived in an eyrie to the east of the Misty Mountains in Wilderland. These Eagles helped the Elves of Rivendell and Radagast in watching the land and in gathering news about the Orcs.

## The Hobbit

Sixty years prior, the Eagles rescues Bilbo, Thorin and their thirteen companions after Gandalf summoned them. They later came to the Battle of the Five Armies.

## The Lord of the Rings

### The Fellowship of the Ring

Before and during the War of the Ring, Gwaihir rescued Gandalf the Grey from the top of Isengard—having been dispatched by Radagast—and again from Zirak-Zigil.

### The Return of the King

The Eagles aided troops of King Elessar at the Battle of the Morannon at the Black Gate. The Eagles arrived in time to overthrow some Nazgûl. Gwaihir, with others of his people, rescued Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee from Mount Doom in Mordor after the One Ring had been destroyed.
Watchful Peace

The Watchful Peace (2540-2941) was a 400-year long period of relative peace in Middle Earth, following the banishment of the Nazgûl from Minas Morgul in 2975 and their subsequent entombment in the High Fells after the fall of Angmar in 2540. Gondor's Wars with the Wainriders (which were conspired in part by the Ringwraiths) also ended shortly before the peace was declared.

While the Ringwraiths didn't return to harass the Free People until their liberation (by their overlord Sauron) in 2940, small conflicts between the different races of Middle Earth continued intermittently, including the Sack of Erebor by the Dragon Smaug (2770), the Battle of Moria (2799) between the Dwarves and Orcs, and a co-ordinated Corsair raid on Gondor and Dunlending invasion of Rohan in 2758.

The Watchful Peace ended with the return of the Ringwraiths under Sauron and their involvement in the Battle of Dol Guldur, while beginning to usher The War of the Ring.
Braga

**Braga** was captain of the Lake-town guard.

In TA 2941, when Bard the Bowman was sneaking a company of Dwarves into Lake-town by smuggling them in fishing barrels, although Braga accompanied Alfrid Lickspittle, the Master's second-in-command, who became suspicious of Bard as he is not licensed to bring in shipments of fish from Mirkwood. Under Alfrid's command, Braga ordered his men to dump the barrels of fish, which carried the the Dwarves, back into the water, but Bard was able to convince Alfrid not to since the morale is low in Lake-town due to dwindling food supplies.

While Bard was leading the Dwarves through Lake-town, they were spotted by several guards, but the Dwarves managed to knock them until Braga and his men arrived. When Braga wanted to know what was going on and ordered every citizen to stay where they were, Bard approached to him and offered him a white dress, saying that it would look lovely for Braga's wife. Braga angrily takes the dress from Bard and left with his guards. After giving the dress to his wife, Braga and his men captured Thorin and the Dwarves that were stealing weapons and brought them to the Master. He was present when Thorin Oakenshield revealed his identity to him and everyone else in the town, and convinces the townfolk, including the Master, that he and his company will share the riches of the recaptured mountain if they are provided weapons and boats and allowed safe passage to the mountain.

The next night, when Bard hears the rumbling caused by Smaug's awakening and attempts to affix the last Black Arrow to the town's wind lance, Braga and his men tried to arrest him, but Bard was able to avoid them until Alfrid and the Master were able to stop him. After arresting Bard and placing him in the cell, Braga and his men were drinking and celebrating at the time when Bard awoke and noticed Smaug flying over to Lake-town. At the sound of the bells, Braga and the guards left the prison (with Bard who was still in there) and ran to the Master's headquarters and escaped in a boat with a large quantity of gold. While trying to make their escape through the fires, Bard and his son managed to kill Smaug with the last Black Arrow and the dead body of the dragon fell in the boat, killing the Master, Braga and the guards, who were all crushed by Smaug's dead body.
Rhosgobel

**Rhosgobel** was the home of the wizard Radagast the Brown. It was said to be located between the Carrock and the Old Forest Road on Mirkwood's western borders, though Gandalf once mentioned Radagast as living near the southern borders of the forest.

Rhosgobel is depicted as a ramshackle cottage, with various walls and roofs from other cabins being pieced together haphazardly around the base of an old tree. It has several holes in the roof, through which spiders could be seen.
Valinor

Valinor

Valinor or the land of the Valar is the western continent of Middle Earth. It is the home of the Valar, and of the High-Elves: Vanyar, Noldor and some Teleri. At the end of the Years of the Trees, some of the Noldor went back to Middle Earth after the Dark Lord Morgoth. Earendil later journeyed back to plead for help, which came in the shape of a Valinorean army that defeated Morgoth but destroyed Beleriand along the way.

Since then, Valinor ceased to be a part of Middle Earth history. Many of the High-Elves returned there, but others like Gil-galad, Galadriel and Celebrimbor chose to stay in Middle Earth. The Numenoreans, being mortals, lived halfway between Middle Earth and Valinor, but were forbidden from reaching the undying lands. Only under the compelling of Sauron did they try to break the ban and in fact attempted to conquer it by force, but this resulted in a cataclyms that sunk their island kingdom, leaving only a few survivors who were fleeing to Middle Earth at the time, founding Arnor and Gondor.

By the end of the third, the remaining High Elves would have to return to Valinor. Some members of other races, namely Frodo, Bilbo and later Sam and Gimli, would join them, sailing out of the Grey Havens.
Front Porch

The Front Porch was an trap-door into Goblin-town, concealed as the floor of a cave along the track of the High Pass. With the lower passes considered dangerous due to the Goblins, they burrowed their way up, hoping to trap innocent travelers as they took to the cave for shelter. In TA 2941, Thorin and Company stayed here, taking shelter from the rain and Stone Giants. Just as Bilbo contemplated leaving for Rivendell, the floor opened and the company slid down to Goblin-town and brought before the Great Goblin.
Dimrill Gate

**Azanulbizar**, also called **Dimrill Dale** and **Nanduhirion**, was the valley below the Great Gates of Moria on the east side of the Misty Mountains.

## Description

The valley was very deep and lay between mountain ridges leading up to the peaks of Bundushathûr in the north, and Zirakzigil in the south. The great peak Barazinbar, which was also called Caradhras, towered over the vale in the west. The Pass of Caradhras came down into that valley by the Dimrill Stair, a deep-cloven way that was carved by the Dwarves.

The Great Gates of Moria came out to the huge steps that were called the threshold of Moria. Less than a mile away from those stairs there was the lake Kheled-zâram and the monument Durin's Stone.

The river Silverlode, called *Kibil-nâla* by the Dwarves, ran through the valley eastward through Lothlórien and into the Anduin. Its origins were in deep well of water near Kheled-zâram, but as it flowed through the valley it was joined by many smaller mountain-streams and became a swift and powerful river. An old Dwarven road lay alongside it.

## History

In earlier centuries, the valley was considered beautiful and sacred, but by the later part of the Third Age was barren and desolate, serving as a geographical buffer between the Orc-infested mines of Moria and the Forest of Lothlórien. The final and greatest battle in the War of the Dwarves and Orcs, the Battle of Azanulbizar, was fought here in 2799 of the Third Age. In that battle the Orc captain Azog was slain by Dáin Ironfoot, and Thorin son of Thráin earned the name *Oakenshield*.

Balin son of Fundin also came to the vale in his attempt to retake Moria and fought some battles in the vale. He was murdered in there when he went alone to look into the waters of Kheled-zâram.

The Fellowship of the Ring paused here in their flight from out of Moria, after the loss of Gandalf.
Thranduil

**Thranduil** was the King of Mirkwood during the time of Thorins' Company and the War of the Ring. He was also the father of Legolas and son of Oropher, the first king of Mirkwood.

## Background

It is unknown how old Thranduil is, but he is at least four thousand years old, having fought in The Last Alliance against Sauron with his father Oropher, who died in that battle.

Having inherited his throne, Thranduil became the Elvenking of the Wood Elves of the Green Wood, even though like his father he was a Sindar. He therefore considered himself superior to his Silvan subjects.

At some point, his realm entered the war with Angmar. During an attack on Gundabad, the stronghold of Angmar, his wife the Elven-queen was captured and killed, which grieved Thranduil. He pulled out of the war, and retreated his people to their underground fortress in the Mountains of Mirkwood.

At some point later, an Orc raid from Angmar cost the lives of two of his Silvan subjects. Recalling his own loss, he adopted their surviving child, Tauriel, who became the head of his guard.

At some unknown point in his life, Thranduil had fought with the Dragons of the North.
Army of Dol Guldur

The **Dol Guldur Army** was a large fighting force, comprised mostly of Orcs, but also of Trolls, Ogres, Goblins, Wargs, and Bats, which was led by Azog against Erebor during the Battle of the Five Armies.

## *The Hobbit* (film series)

The army was marshaled in secret at the command of The Necromancer in the cesspits of Dol Guldur under a spell of concealment, drafted mostly from the Moria Orcs that were loyal to Azog.

It was discovered by Gandalf, who was detained in Dol Guldur and only capable of alerting Erebor when the army was well on its way, marching through tunnels burrowed by Wereworms. It was a roughly 31,000-strong army, equipped with siege weapons (mounted over the backs of Trolls and operated by Goblins) and was engaged in fighting the Iron-Hill and Woodland armies in the Long Valley, while simultaneously using its superior numbers to breach Dale and engage the Lake-men army within the city walls.

It was finally defeated with the help of Thorin and Company, as well as the Great Eagles. Its defeated marked the end of the Battle of the Five Armies, and nearly decimated the Orc population of Moria.

## Members

* Orcs
	+ Azog the Defiler
	+ Bolg
* Trolls
* Ogres
* Goblins
* Wargs
* Olog-hai
Great East Road

The Great East Road, East Road, Great Road or East-West Road, was the long road that ran east to west through Eriador, and crossed the Greenway at Bree.

## History

The Great East Road was a Dwarven road which, since at least the First Age, had connected Moria and the High Pass with Belegost and Nogrod in the Blue Mountains. It originally extended west into Beleriand, where it terminated at Thingol's halls at Doriath, and also extends east to the Dwarven mansions in the Iron Hills.

After the First Age, when Eriador because populated with Men, Elves and later Hobbits, it became one of the major roadways in Middle Earth. It crossed with the great South Road at Bree. It also passed through the Shire, near Hobbiton and Michel Delving.

The road was used by Thorin and Company on their journey from Bag End to Trollshaws, and from Rivendell to the High Pass and east over the Bruinen. There, they had to change course to the Elven Road. Aragorn decided against taking The Hobbits through the East Road, instead going into the Wild and through the marshes, although they drew near it when they scaled Weathertop.
Anarion

**Anárion** was the second son of Elendil and the brother of Isildur. His son Meneldil was the last man born in Númenor before its Downfall.

## History

Anárion, together with his father and brother, were the leaders of the Faithful, the small minority of Númenóreans that resisted the dark rule of Ar-Pharazôn and his councilor Sauron. In S.A. 3319, when Ar-Pharazôn assailed the land of Aman, nine ships of the Faithful escaped to the east (four for Elendil, three for Isildur, and two for Anárion). They were separated by the great storm that arose during the Downfall. Elendil landed in northern Middle-earth near Lindon and there established the realm of Arnor. Isildur and Anárion, however, landed in the south and founded the realm of Gondor in 3320 about the Mouths of Anduin.

Together, Anárion and Isildur were chiefly responsible for the early ordering of Gondor, and their thrones were set side by side in the Great Hall of Osgiliath. In the city of Minas Anor, Anárion established his house while Isildur set up his in Minas Ithil.

Sauron also survived the Downfall of Númenor and reentered Mordor in 3320. In 3429, Sauron attacked Gondor with a force great enough to take Minas Ithil and force Isildur to flee. Whilst Isildur, his wife, and his sons sailed from Gondor seeking Elendil’s aid, Anárion defended Osgiliath and was able to drive his forces back into the mountains. Yet Sauron gathered greater strength and Anárion knew that without succor Gondor would fall.

Aid did arrive when Elendil, Isildur, and the Men of Arnor, in league with the High King of the Noldor, Gil-galad, formed the Last Alliance of Elves and Men and marched south. Anárion led the Gondorians to the plain between Cirith Gorgor and the Dead Marshes and fought in the Battle of Dagorlad alongside the alliance. The allies entered Mordor and laid the Siege of Barad-dûr, but Anárion was slain by a thrown rock in 3440.

## Legacy

Minas Anor and its attached land of Anórien were named following the heraldic meaning of his name.

Anárion had four children, the youngest of whom was a son, Meneldil. It is said that he was well-pleased at the departure of Isildur and his sons. After the Disaster of the Gladden Fields, Meneldil became the first independent King of Gondor and the two realms in exile were estranged.

Anárion's war-helm, which was also used as a crown, was crushed when he was killed. The war-helm of Isildur was used for the crowning of the Kings of Gondor.

The Line of Anárion lasted over two thousand years, their members being known as *Anárioni*. In honor of the founding co-rulers, when Rómendacil II built the Argonath he had the Pillars of the Kings carved in the likenesses of Anárion and Isildur. Yet the line of Anárion dwindled and finally disappeared when King Eärnur died childless. From that time forth the Ruling Stewards ruled in the name of the House of Anárion.
Dragon

**Dragons** were ancient, intelligent, powerful creatures, as feared as they were admired in Middle-earth. Their exact origin is debated, though it was clearly stated that they were created by Morgoth in some sense, millennia ago.

Dragons lived throughout the First, Second, and Third ages of Middle-earth and may have lived longer. They were originally bred by Morgoth during the first age to serve as powerful war beasts. The first dragon ever seen in Middle-earth was Glaurung, the father of dragons, whom Morgoth used to great effect during the fourth and fifth battles in the War of the Jewels. Like most of the creatures made or twisted by Morgoth, they were capable of reproducing independently. Dragons were sometimes referred to as **serpents**, **great Worms**, or simply **Drakes**, with the first two specifying the Wingless Dragons.

During the First Age, the greatest heirloom of the house of Hador was the Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin, which was a helm of great weight that had as its crest an image of the head of Glaurung the Dragon.

The dragons of the Second Age and Third Age were a blight upon the Dwarves and all those who hoarded treasure. Some, like Smaug the Golden and Scatha the Worm, went from the Withered Heath and invaded Dwarven kingdoms.

Before the coming of Smaug, there had not been notable activities observed during the Second Age, as they are largely independent while they still posed threats to men along with "demons" and "misshappen beasts", and Sauron gathered *"all the evil things of the days of Morgoth that remained on earth and beneath it"*, possibly including dragons, beginning the Accursed Years.

There was an inn in the Shire called *The Green Dragon*, and a type of flower and firework called a Snap Dragon. For Bilbo Baggins' 111th birthday, Gandalf made a special dragon firework.

It is presumed that, after the death of Smaug in the Third Age, the great dragons had become extinct. According to Gandalf, the fire-drake race survived until at least just before the War of the Ring, and some lesser kin survived even after the war. It may have been possible that some races of dragon still existed throughout the Fourth Age.
Mithlond

The **Grey Havens**, known also as **Mithlond**, was an Elvish port city on the Gulf of Lune in the Elven realm of Lindon in Middle-earth.

## Description

Because of its cultural and spiritual importance to the Elves, the Grey Havens in time became the primary Elven settlement west of the Misty Mountains prior to the establishment of Eregion and, later, Rivendell. Even after the death of Gil-galad and as the Elves dwindled in numbers by the year, the Grey Havens remained a major Elven settlement and the main departure point of Elven ships to Aman.

Despite being a major port, by the late Third Age the Grey Havens had sparse population, like Rivendell and northeastern Mirkwood.

## History

### Second Age

The Grey Havens was founded at the beginning of the Second Age by the surviving Elves of Beleriand, those who chose to remain on Middle-earth after the wars against Morgoth.

It was frequently visited from the west by the Númenóreans. In SA 1700, Tar-Minastir sent great fleets from Númenor to the Havens, driving back the forces of Sauron that had been besieging them in the War of the Elves and Sauron.

After the War of the Last Alliance many of the Ñoldor and Sindar living in the Havens sailed for Valinor, leaving the city under the rule of Círdan.

### Third Age

In TA 1000, the Istari arrived in Middle-earth, and it was here where Círdan gave Narya, the Elven Ring of Fire, to Gandalf.

During the War of the Ring, Galdor of the Havens was among the members of the Council of Elrond.

After the defeat of Sauron and the coronation of Aragorn II Elessar, Gandalf, Galadriel, and Elrond left for Valinor from the Grey Havens. The Ring-bearers Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins accompanied them. Years later, Samwise Gamgee did likewise, himself being a Ring-bearer (although briefly).

## Fate

The Grey Havens still existed into the Fourth Age under Círdan, but its population declined along with the Elven presence in Middle-earth generally. It is unclear just what the Fate of the Elves of Middle-earth was in the early Fourth Age and how long Círdan or his remaining folk dwelled at the Havens and continued to build the great ships that carried the Elves to the Blessed Realm.
Nogrod

**Nogrod** was one of two Dwarven cities in the Blue Mountains. It lay in the middle of the range, near Mount Dolmed where the Dwarf-Road of Beleriand crossed into Eriador.

Nogrod was home to the great Dwarven smithies Gamil Zirak and Telchar.

## History

The realm of Nogrod was dolven and founded not long after the awakening of the Dwarves. They soon met the Elves of Beleriand and established a trading relationship with them. For many centuries, the trade relations grew strong and the Dwarves of Nogrod were employed by Thingol, the King of Doriath and helped in the delving of the caves of Menegroth, and creation of treasuries and weapons. The dwarves trafficked along a long road that ran from the nearby dwarven city of Belegost to Nogrod into Beleriand, and finally to Menegroth.

Eöl "the Dark Elf" often went there, as did his son Maeglin.

While initially friendly to the Elves of Beleriand, the Dwarves of Nogrod attempted to kill Thingol of Doriath in his treasury, after having crafted the treasure Nauglamír for him (leaving him for dead) but were driven out. Thingol would later be killed during a wolf hunt, after treacherous Elves helped returning Dwarves enter past the Girdle of Melian More then entered to sack the city after the departure of Melian and her protective Girdle of Melian. On their way back from Doriath, they were hunted down by Beren Erchamion and killed by his army of Laiquendi and a group of Ents. Despite that utter defeat, Nogrod apparently survived the rest of the First Age.

At the end of the First Age, Nogrod was ruined in the War of Wrath, and around the fortieth year of the Second Age the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains began to migrate to Khazad-dûm, abandoning Nogrod and Belegost.

## Inhabitants

The Firebeards and the Broadbeams were the two Dwarf-clans associated with the Blue Mountains in "Of Dwarves and Men" (from volume XII of *The History of Middle-earth*). Nogrod, then, was presumably founded by one of these two, and the rather scanty evidence marginally favours the Firebeards as its inhabitants.
Gwathló

The river **Gwathló** or **Greyflood** is a river in the middle of Eriador in Middle-earth.

## Description

The Gwathló's overall length flowed through immense forests which covered Minhiriath to the north and Enedwaith to the south. It was one of the few rivers also given an Adûnaic name: **Agathurush**. The Gwathló was wide enough that it could be sailed on all the way to where its tributary Glanduin met the river. Its was formed where the Hoarwell met the Glanduin, where a marshy area known as *Nîn-in-Eilph* or *Swanfleet* was formed.

## History

When the Númenórean Ship-kings required more and more wood to build their ships, they set up a haven-fortress on the Gwathló called Lond Daer or *Lond Daer Enedh*, Great (Middle) Haven and another outpost at Tharbad further up-river. From there the lands were rapidly deforested, and by the Third Age all the forests were gone.

In the late Second Age and early Third Age the Gwathló formed the border between the Kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor, and a great bridge was built at Tharbad where the North-South Road crossed the river at its only crossing in the lower stream. However by the late Third Age Gondor had retreated far south and Arnor had been destroyed. Tharbad and its bridge were abandoned and ruined after great floods in TA 2912, and the river could only be crossed at Tharbad by a dangerous ford.
Ravenhill

**Ravenhill** was an outlying hill beneath the Lonely Mountain. It was ruled and inhabited by Ravens.

## History

Ravenhill extended southward from the mountain, looking over the River Running and the valley of Dale. The Dwarves built a guard-post there, above which the Ravens resided, led by Roäc. In the time that the Dwarves were driven from Lonely Mountain by Smaug, Roäc's father Carc was the chief of the ravens. It was for the ravens that the hill was named.
It is a ruined exposed fortress lying on the rock. The fortress has a tower that looms over exposed tunnels and stairways. Next to the fortress is the running river, Celduin, that is frozen in the winter. Underneath the frozen pool is a waterfall that cascades down the cliff face. This too, is frozen solid. Above all this, is a crumbling rock tower were Azog places his command post on, during the battle. It is here where Azog uses makeshift totems to command the legions below.

Azog seizes Ravenhill as his command post from which he coordinates his forces against the allied Dwarves, Elves and Men. Using a series of banners and a horn to communicate battle strategies, he sends signals to the two different armies under his charge, initiating a war on two fronts (at the gates of the Lonely Mountain and within Dale). The Pale Orc shouts out commands to his fellow Orcs. One Orc blows the horn, while others use the huge banner-totems to command the legions down below.

When Thorin and the Dwarves emerge from Lonely Mountain, they rally the Dwarves under Dáin II Ironfoot to break the Orc lines. Thorin sees Azog on the broken tower of Ravenhill and he decides to "cut the head off the snake".

Thorin, along with Dwalin, Fíli and Kíli ride upon the backs of rams to charge the hill and confront Azog. It is there that they are ambushed by Azog as his army from Gundabad approached from the north, Azog's Orcs overcame Fíli, executing him in front of Thorin from across the River Running, beginning the climactic confrontation. It is at Ravenhill that Fíli, Kíli and Thorin fall in battle, as well as Azog and Bolg.
Greenway

The North Road also Greenway was the part of the North-South Road in Eriador, which connected Arnor with Gondor far in the south.

## Route

The portion of the road which the Bree-folk called Greenway began at Fornost Erain in northern Eriador, it met with the East Road near Bree, and then continued south through Andrath between the Barrow-downs and the South Downs. After traversing Minhiriath, It reached Tharbad on the Gwathló, where it crossed the river. Then it was known as the **Old South Road**.

## History

In the later Third Age after the division of Arnor in three realms it became lesser used. Use of the road virtually ended after the Great Plague and Long Winter when Tharbad was abandoned and its bridge ruined, and the Old South Road to Dunland was mostly lost. The patch of the road around the Bree-land became grass-grown because of disuse and so was called Greenway.

Kili and Fili took the Greenway south escorting traders from the Blue Mountains to Dunland, trading silverware for furs. Thorin later took it to look for Thrain, his father, where he was espied by vagabonds. Gandalf was also making his way up the road, intercepting the warrant for Thorin's head from the vagabonds, and contacting him when both arrived at the Prancing Pony in Bree. Boromir took this road, crossing Tharbad but losing his horse, on his way to Rivendell. In the Reunited Kingdom of King Elessar the road was restored and became important again.
Gwathuirim

The Gwathuirim were the native people of Eriador and Enedhwaith. They were the forefathers of the Haladin and "Swarthy Men" of the First Age, which were decimated in the Wars of Beleriand. They continued to inhabit much of the densly-forested lands when the Numenoreans came and establishe contact. Suspicious but friendly, the Gwathuirim managed to communicate with the Numenoreans, but became angered when they started cutting too much lumber off of their woods to feed their shipyards in Lond Daer. Gwathuirim attacks set fire to the haven several times.

Being suspicious of the Elves, the Gwathuirim retreated from the borders of the realms of Lindon and Eregion. They sided with Sauron when he attacked the Elves, but were dismayed when his "scorched earth" policy finally deforested their lands, while the Numenoreans, offering aid to the Elves, began expanding further into Eriador, Enedhwaith and the lands that would become Gondor, overruning the Gwathuirim, who split into multiple groups.

In the south-east, they became the Men of the White Mountains. Others fled from Minhiriath into Eryn Vorn; those from Enedhwaith took refuge in the eastern mountains and would become known as the men of Dunland or Dulendings. Some moved even further north until they reached what became the Breeland, those were the Men of Bree who would be absorbed into Arnor.

Because of the Númenórean advance, those peoples, including the Dunlendings, remained bitter enemies of the West. The Men of the Mountains were activelly worshipping Sauron, and refused Gondor's call to fight him, earning Isildur's curse which caused them to die out and become the Dead Men of Dunharrow.

The hostility of the Dunlendings prevented the Dúnedain to populate permanent settlements in Enedhwaith. The Dunlendings also dwelled alongside the Stoor Hobbits during their Wandering Days and the latter even formed a related language to theirs.

The Gwathuirim suffered from the Great Plague less than other peoples owing to their isolation and were still found in the foothills of the Misty Mountains. In TA 2510 Gondor granted Calenardhon passed to the Eotheod who came from Rhovanion and the wild hillmen and herd-folk who the Dunlendings viewed as competitors and usurpers. As the ensuing enmity did not concern the Stewards of Gondor, the Dunlendings kept hostilities to the Rohirrim and attacked whenever the latter were weak or in trouble. Kings Brego and Aldor drove the Dunlendings out of Rohan beyond the Isen until Enedhwaith. After the death of King Aldor, the Dunlendings passed and settled northern Westfold, the mountain glens around the Ring, and southern eaves of Fangorn Forest. In some places, the two peoples mingled in some peaceful circumstances
Laketown Town Hall

he **Great Hall** of Lake-town was the town's official meeting-place, and may have been the Master of Lake-town's personal residence.

Thorin and Company were brought to the hall on their coming to Lake-town in TA 2941, during the Quest of Erebor, and eventually invited to stay for a time.

It was later destroyed, as was the rest of Lake-town, by the dragon Smaug.
Battles of Lorien

The **Battles of Lórien** (never given a proper name in the books) were a set of three battles in the north during the War of the Ring: fought between the Uruks (Orc-folk) of Dol Guldur and Mordor against the Galadhrim of Lothlórien under the Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel, which took place March 11, 15, and 22 of 3019. The battles resulted in victory for the Elves and allowed Celeborn to lead an assault on Dol Guldur, where Galadriel ended the evil influence of Sauron.

## History

### The battles

It is unknown how the Orc army crossed the River Anduin, though the North Undeep seems the most likely place to ford. Forces from Dol Guldur, reinforced with Orcs from Mordor assaulted Lothlórien three times, assisted at least once in a joint attack from the west by the Orcs of Moria. Though the battles are not described in detail by Tolkien, the fair woods of the borders of Lothlórien suffered grievous harm by fire, though the valour of the Elves prevented the enemy from penetrating too deeply into their forest realm. Thrice the enemy attacked, and the three times the assaults were driven back. The valour of the Elven people that lived in Lórien was great, but Tolkien states that the main reason why Lórien was not conquered was "the power that dwelt there was far too great for any to overcome, save if Sauron had come there himself". Such power was the Lady Galadriel, wearing Nenya, who was able to defeat the Orcs.

Some of the Orcs then peeled south, either fleeing the defeat or more likely to deliberately invade Rohan and draw off any aid being sent to Gondor. Treebeard and a host of Ents, having already laid ruin to Isengard some days before set out to prevent them entering Rohan. The Orcs encountered the Ents on The Wold where they were either killed by the tree-shepherds, drowned in the River Anduin or fled to Dol Guldur.

### Aftermath

Following the battle, Celeborn and Galadriel led the Galadhrim across the Anduin in a fleet of many small elf boats. They entered Mirkwood and attacked Dol Guldur. Then, Galadriel came forth and threw down the walls and cleansed its pits with her power, and ended the grasp of evil in the forest. Dol Guldur was no more. As news of the victory of King Elessar down south reached the Wood-elves, Thranduil (who had recently defeated an army in the Battle Under the Trees) met with Celeborn on April 6.

Mirkwood, renamed Eryn Lasgalen, was divided between Thranduil (who claimed the North), the Beornings (who settled in the middle, the 'Narrows') and Celeborn who added the southern half to his realm, renaming it 'East Lórien'. Despite these victories, the Elves began to dwindle and Celeborn himself departed over the Sea during the early Fourth Age.
Buckland

**Buckland**, later known as the **Eastmarch**, was a small colony of Hobbits lying in between the Old Forest and the Brandywine River, which separated the region from the Shire. Although Shire-hobbits colonized it, it was not formally a part of the Shire until early in the Fourth Age, hundreds of years after it was founded.

## History

Buckland was settled around TA 2340 (SR 740) by Gorhendad Oldbuck, an ancestor of Meriadoc Brandybuck. Gorhenhad thus became the first Master of Buckland. He renamed himself Brandybuck, which remained his family's name after that.

Because Buckland was east of the Brandywine, it was not part of the land given to the Hobbits by King Argeleb II of Arthedain. Therefore it was not formally part of the Shire until the beginning of the Fourth Age when King Elessar officially granted the land to the Shire.

## Geography & villages

Buckland was located east of the Brandywine River. The hobbits living in Buckland grew a hedge to protect themselves against any evil that may have snuck through the near Old Forest, which bordered Buckland to the east. This "wall" was named the High Hay. Buckland was bordered in the north by the Hay Gate, the only entrance to Buckland near the Brandywine Bridge. In the south, the borders of Buckland follow the High Hay until the Withywindle joins the Brandywine near the village of Haysend. The most notable settlement of Buckland is Bucklebury***,*** where Brandy Hall is located. Brandy Hall is the home of the Master of Buckland, one of the chief officials of the Shire.

An important landmark is the Bucklebury ferry, a raft-ferry used as the second main crossing point of the Brandywine river from the Shire to Buckland (the first being the Brandywine Bridge, which is twenty miles further north). It is left unmanned to be used by hobbit travelers as needed. In route to the new house at Crickhollow, Frodo Baggins, Sam Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck, and Peregrin Took crossed using the Ferry just before the arrival of a Black Rider, who was forced to go around to the Brandywine Bridge as there were no boats kept on the western bank of the river. (In the film version by Peter Jackson, the encounter is more immediate.)

## Culture

The Bucklanders were a prudent hobbit breed, and their preparations for danger made them less naïve than Shire-hobbits. Each night they would close the Hay Gate and their front doors, prepared to rush to arms when the Horn of Buckland blew. Most Bucklanders were originally of Stoor stock, and they were the only Hobbits known to use boats.
Withered Heath

The **Withered Heath** was a region at the eastern extreme of the Grey Mountains in Middle-earth. There, the Grey Mountains broke into two spurs, north and south, between which was the Heath.

## History

In the eastern part of their length, the Grey Mountains forked into two thin ranges, with a narrow valley between. On the floor of this long east-west valley between the mountains was a heath, but a heath burned and blackened by its inhabitants. This heath was famed and feared in the north of Middle-earth as the breeding-ground of the dragons. At one time they had infested the Grey Mountains and the lands beyond, and even in the closing decades of the Third Age, the dragon Smaug still terrorized the inhabitants of the north.

Smaug was the last of the great dragons, but lesser members of his kind remained, so perhaps these still occasionally returned to the Withered Heath to continue their race. However, in TA 2941 Thorin spoke of the Withered Heath as the place 'where the great dragons bred', implying that it was by then deserted, or at least not frequented by dragons that could be described as 'great'.
Orcrist

**Orcrist** was an elven sword wielded by the Turgon , Thorin Oakenshield (and briefly) Legolas Greenleaf.

Orcrist (meaning Orc or Goblin Cleaver) was forged in the Elvish hidden city of Gondolin in the First Age. It was wielded by Ecthelion of the Fountain, a Lord of the city, who used to "slice a thousand necks" in battle. The sword's pommel was made of a dragon's tooth. It was however lost during the sack of the city (in which Ecthelion died) and became part of the plunder of the city.

Curiously, the sword ended up in the hands of Mountain Trolls - Bill, Bert and Tom - who came down from the Ettenmoors and left the sword (along with Glamdring and a dagger of similar make) in their hoard in Trollshaws.

## An Unexpected Journey

After encountering the Trolls who ended up turning to stone at sunrise, Thorin and company surveyed the hoard and found the sword. Thorin very nearly refused wielding an Elvish blade, but was convinced by Gandalf when he said "you could not wish for a finer blade." The sword was later identified and named by Elrond, a descendant of the people of Gondolin. It was also identified as "Biter" by the Goblin-King who ordered Thorin and Company flogged and be killed upon seeing the blade.

## The Desolation of Smaug

Thorin wielded Orcrist against the Wargs, Goblins, Orcs and finally the Giant Spiders, when Legolas appeared. Identifying it as a Noldorin sword from Gondolin, the Sindar Elf accused Thorin of having stolen it, and took it for himself. He wielded it in his first battle with Bolg, and again in their second encounter.

## The Battle of the Five Armies

However, repaying a favour to Thorin, who was being menaced by Gundabad Berserker Orcs above, Legolas threw the sword at the chest of one of the Orcs, saving Thorin and allowing him to reclaim it for his final battle with Azog. Thorin used it to deliver the killing blow to Azog. It was laid on his chest when he was entombed at Erebor.
Minhiriath

**Minhiriath** was a region of Eriador in Middle-earth.

Its expanse covered the western half of the lands between the Misty Mountains and the Blue Mountains. Minhiriath had no clear border in the north, but to the south, and east and west it was bounded by river and sea: the Brandywine, the Greyflood and the Belegaer.

## History

The original inhabitants of Minhiriath (Minhiriathrim) were descended from the same Men as the ancestors of the Númenóreans, but because they spoke mutually unintelligible languages, the Númenóreans did not class the Minhiriathrim as Middle Men.

When the large-scale deforestation of their land began under the Númenórean 'Ship Kings' after the 7th century Second Age, the Minhiriathrim became openly hostile, and were persecuted. Only those who "fled from Minhiriath into the dark woods of the great Cape of Eryn Vorn" survived. Most, if not all of these forest-dwellers subsequently "welcomed Sauron and hoped for his victory over the Men of the Sea", but they were to be disappointed - and permanently trapped - by Sauron's burning of much of the rest of the surviving forest, and final defeat, in SA 1701.

From SA 3320, Minhiriath became part of the newly established Kingdom of Arnor, at which time it formed the upper part of *..a land that was far and wide, on either bank a desert, treeless but untilled.*

From TA 861, Minhiriath was inherited by one of Arnor's three successor states, Cardolan, but the "ravaging" of Cardolan by the evil forces of the Witch-king of Angmar in TA 1409 no doubt caused extensive depopulation of the whole country. Even worse was the advent of the Great Plague in TA 1636, after which Minhiriath was "almost entirely deserted". After TA 1975, even though "a few secretive hunter-folk lived in the woods" throughout the Third Age (probably a reference which includes Eryn Vorn), Minhiriath was claimed by no kingdom at all.

Although "still in places well-wooded" by the time of the War of the Ring, the once continuously forested Minhiriath bore the permanent scars of over 5000 years of felling, burning, and war.

The same is not necessarily the case for its human population, however, when talking of Eriador (and particularly the lands south and west of Bree) to an innkeeper at the end of the War of the Ring. For example, Gandalf confidently predicts that *..the waste in time will be waste no longer, and there will be people and fields where once there was wilderness.*