recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Durin's Day

**Durin's Day** was a yearly event noted by the Dwarves, "when the last moon of Autumn and the first sun of Winter appear in the sky together" (i.e. until sunset) on the first day of the Dwarves' New Year, which was "the first day of the last moon of Autumn on the threshold of Winter."

Since each lunar cycle takes about 29.5 days and autumn (by the American definition of winter) in the northern hemisphere runs until about December 21st, the first day of the last new moon of autumn could take place any time between about November 22 and December 21. However in The History of The Hobbit, Tolkien set 19 October as the Durin's Day. That would place the beginning of winter for the Dwarves of Erebor at the beginning of November.

In *The Hobbit*, the writing on the map that Gandalf had received from Thráin II, as read by Elrond, instructed, "Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks, and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the key-hole" (of the secret side-door into the Lonely Mountain). And later on in the story, this is what happened.
Front Gate

The **Front Gate** was a pseudonym for the gate of the Lonely Mountain, the Dwarven realm of Erebor. Close to this entrance was the Dwarven King Thrór's vast chamber.

The entrance was at the head of the valley shaped by the two southern rock ridges that protruded from the Lonely Mountain's southern slopes. The stream that formed into the River Running sprung forth from the gateway.

A stone path led through the Gate, spacious enough for many dwarves to walk abreast. The Gate itself was a tall arch, originally with detailed craftsmanship upon it, but later battered, weakened, and darkened during Smaug's residency in the mountain. A view of Dale (a city of Northmen located directly outside Erebor) was seen from the Gate.

## History

Smaug, blinded by his love of gold, descended upon the Lonely Mountain in the year TA 2770 and penetrated the Front Gate, destroying it due to his sheer size. The greedy Dragon had destroyed and blocked all of the mountains other gates (except the hidden Back Door), leaving only the massive hole (where the Front Gate once stood) solely for himself to use.

Thorin and company entered the mountain through the Back Door and exited through the Front Gate, unaware of Smaug's fate. When the dwarves were informed of the slaying of Smaug by Bard of Lake-town in TA 2941, they returned to the mountain and constructed a high, thick wall of squared stones to act as the new Front Gate. While Thorin waited for the arrival of his cousin, Dáin Ironfoot, Lord of the Iron Hills, this newly formed barrier allowed Thorin and his company to fend off the Elves of the Woodland Realm as well as the men of Lake-town. However, the Goblins of Bolg arrived shortly after Dáin's arrival, and thus the Battle of Five Armies began. Thorin and his fellow dwarves charged into the battle amid the fighting of the armies, pushing the Front Gate wall to collapse outwards. After the battle, Bilbo Baggins said his goodbyes to the remaining dwarves at the Front Gate before leaving homeward.
Seventy eight years later, Dáin II was slain in the Battle of Dale at the Front Gate during the War of the Ring while guarding the body of the fallen King of Dale, Brand. His courage, however, saved countless lives, as mentioned by Gandalf later on.
Long Valley

The **Valley between Erebor and Dale** is the area between the Gates of Erebor and Walls of Dale.

## Background

The valley was originally a fertile coutryside, with small ponds, woodlands and birds singing in the trees. It was set between two elevated spurs of the mountain, and was fed by the River Running. Ravenhill overlooked it.

When the dragon Smaug descended on Dale and Erebor, the flapping of his wings tore up the trees and his fiery breath set a fire to some of the fields. For the next 110 years, Smaug would occasionally leave the mountain and terrorize the surrounding lands. The area became known as The Desolation of Smaug, and was left completely barren.

## The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Thorin and Company passed here during the Quest of Erebor, and the valley was a major theater of the Battle of the Five Armies, where the Dwarves fought the Elves, and both later fought the Dol Guldur Army.
Battle of the Morannon

The **Battle of the Black Gate**, also known as the **Battle of the Morannon**, was the final major battle of the War of the Ring, fought before the Black Gate It resulted in the ultimate defeat of Sauron not by victory on the battlefield, but by means of the destruction of the One Ring by the hobbit Frodo.

## History

### Background

After the victory of the Free Peoples in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, the enemy retreated to Mordor. Sauron was defeated but he still had thousands of Orcs and evil men at his disposal in Mordor. He was aware that the One Ring was somewhat close to the vicinity of his territory, but he did not know that the Hobbit Frodo Baggins and his companion Samwise Gamgee had entered Mordor via Morgul Vale with the intention of destroying the Ring.

### Plot against the Dark Lord

After the Last Debate, the Men of the West assembled the Host of the West, 10,000 strong, led by Aragorn, who marched on the Black Gate as a diversionary feint to distract Sauron's attention from Frodo and Sam, who were carrying the One Ring through Mordor to be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. It was hoped that Sauron would think Aragorn had the Ring and was now trying to use it to overthrow him in Mordor. The Mouth is portrayed as a disfigured emissary, rather than a soldier, and he appears at the Gate alone. He first seems angered by what Gandalf says, but then regains his stature and speaks in a mock-friendly manner, calling him "Old Greybeard". He tells Gandalf that he has "a token he was bidden to show" and then takes out Frodo's mithril vest and throws it at Gandalf. He seems to be getting enjoyment out of seeing the shocked and horrified faces of Frodo's friends. Seeking to hurt Gandalf more, he begins lying about how Frodo suffered greatly before dying.

At this, Aragorn approaches on his horse. The Mouth immediately recognizes him as Isildur's heir and says, "It takes more to make a king than a broken elvish blade". At this Aragorn beheads him, which shocks Gimli, causing him to say sarcastically, "Well, I guess that concludes negotiations!" Aragorn turns around, saying he does not believe Frodo is dead. At this point, Sauron's eye moves towards the Black Gate

In the movie, during the last debate, Gandalf makes it clear that there is a force of ten thousand Orcs at the Black Gate, but the Host of the West is unquantified - they appear to be a few hundred. After slaying the Mouth of Sauron, before facing the host of Mordor that has come out and surrounded them, Aragorn gives his speech.

The Host of the West then charges bravely into the Orcs. Despite having only about 300 soldiers of Gondor and 200 Rohirrim they kill many Orcs while sustaining light casualties, although it later becomes clear that unless the Ring is destroyed they will be completely wiped out as their casualties start getting heavy. When Aragorn is being stepped on by a troll the One Ring is destroyed and the forces of Mordor were almost completely destroyed, with only a few hundred fleeing.
Ciryatur

**Ciryatur** was the commander of the Númenórean fleet sent to aid Gil-galad in the War of the Elves and Sauron. In S.A. 1700, Gil-galad’s Elves had been beaten back to the River Lhûn and Sauron had more forces approaching from the south-east when the great armament from Númenor arrived. Sauron's host suffered heavy losses and was driven back.

Ciryatur had divided his forces, sending some directly to Gil-galad and some to the mouth of the Gwathló River. This second force appeared in the rear of Sauron's army after they had been driven away from Sarn Ford with further losses. In the ensuing Battle of the Gwathló, the host of Sauron was completely routed and Sauron himself barely escaped. A final battle in eastern Calenardhon stripped Sauron of all but a tiny bodyguard. The Dark Lord retreated into Mordor and plotted vengeance upon the Númenóreans.
Mountain Cat Gaming

"Don't forget to like and subscribe!"

Geography

Tagteam25

## History

Mountain Cat Gaming was created on April 23rd, 2018. By the time it was one year old, the channel had grown to 28 subscribers. The channel's main games are now *Minecraft* and *Star Wars Battlefront II*. It is now a bit over two years old and has grown to have geography and history videos as well.
The Hobbit (film trilogy)

The Hobbit is a trilogy of live-action films, directed, co-produced and co-written by Sir Peter Jackson, based on The Hobbit by Professor JRR Tolkien. A prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy but set after The Lord of the Rings prequel TV series, it forms part of the Middle Earth Cinematic Universe. It contains the following three films:

## An Unexpected Journey

Bilbo Baggins, a diminutive Hobbit, joins a company of Thirteen Dwarves (led by their exilarch Thorin II Oakenshield) and the Wizard Gandalf, in a heroic quest. Intending to reclaim the Dwarves subterranean kingdom of Erebor from the dragon Smaug, the Company must cross the mythic lands of Middle Earth from West to East, encountering various dangers and wonders - including Bilbo's finding of a magic Ring and Gandalf's growing suspicion of the shadow Necromancer - as they proceed.

## The Desolation of Smaug

Continuing on their way to Erebor, the company travels through the Wilderland while Gandalf goes to investigate the mystery of the Necromancer and its connection to the Quest. Arrving at the mountain, the company must face Smaug, and the increasing fragility ot Thorin's mind, to prevail.

## The Battle of the Five Armies

Following their failure to slay the dragon, the company is besieged inside Erebor by armies of Elves and Laketown refugees, while Gandalf brings news of an even bigger threat of two Orc Armies.
Calenardhon

**Calenardhon** was the first name of the plains of **Rohan**, when it was still a part of the kingdom of Gondor. The name, in Sindarin, means 'the Green Region' or 'Green Province,' and was an area of sparsely-populated grassy plains west of Anórien and north of the White Mountains.

In the west the Gap of Calenardhon was protected by the two fortresses of Angrenost and Aglarond, although in later centuries Dunlendings increasingly began to infiltrate Calenardhon unchecked. In the reign of Rómendacil II, forts were built at the Undeeps to protect the province from invasion across the Anduin. Never densely populated, the province was decimated by the Great Plague and remained mostly empty thereafter.

During the rule of the Steward Cirion, the province came under attack from the Balchoth. The forts at the Undeeps were repaired beforehand but Gondor lacked the men to garrison them fully and the invaders swiftly penetrated the defense. In order to drive back the Balchoth, Gondor called upon the Éothéod for aid; the horsemen, under Eorl the Young, were successful in vanquishing the enemy at the Battle of the Field of Celebrant.

After the battle, the Éothéod were ceded all of Calenardhon by Cirion in return for their perpetual assistance against mutual enemies, becoming the Rohirrim.
Battle of Osgiliath

The **battle of Osgiliath** in the War of the Ring occurred at the ruined city of Osgiliath in TA 3019, shortly before the Siege of Gondor.

## History

### Prelude

Osgiliath, defended by Boromir and Faramir, had been attacked some nine months earlier, which resulted in Sauron taking control of the city's eastern half. Boromir left Gondor to seek counsel at Rivendell (and would not return).

In the ensuing time, Faramir led several assaults with his rangers deep within Mordor-occupied Ithilien, ambushing enemy armies moving to the Black Gate; Frodo and Sam stumbled into one such attack*.*

While there were men defending the west side of Osgiliath, the Steward Denethor ordered Faramir to lead a force to reinforce them. Faramir and Prince Imrahil regarded the order ill advised, pointing out that they could not afford the casualties; nevertheless, Faramir complied.

### The battle

Mordor, however, was prepared. Months beforehand, the Orcs in East Osgiliath had been secretly constructing massive numbers of boats and rafts, and swelled with reinforcements from Harad they swarmed across the River Anduin to the Gondor positions on the other bank. After heavy fighting, the garrison under Faramir and his troops were forced to flee, first to the Rammas Echor and then to Minas Tirith itself.

One third of Faramir's troops were destroyed, and he was badly wounded in the retreat, when a poisoned Southron arrow pierced him; more severe damage was done by the Black breath of the Nazgûl. When the retreat was sure to be a disaster, the knights of Dol Amroth, led by Imrahil, initiated a sortie from Minas Tirith; the pursuing hordes were driven back and the garrison reached the city safely.

### Aftermath

In the meantime, the Orcs made makeshift repairs to several destroyed bridges. The main combined army of Mordor then arrived, formed from those that Frodo had seen leaving Minas Morgul; but this was "but one and not the greatest of the hosts that Mordor now sent forth": for on their way from Morgul Vale, the Morgul-host led by the Witch-king of Angmar had been joined by Haradrim from the south, and a far greater host that had massed at the Black Gate attacked Cair Andros. The two forces would then unite to attack Minas Tirith.

With Osgiliath now completely in the hands of Mordor and the Causeway Forts breached, the vast army of Sauron marched from the city and surrounded Minas Tirith, beginning the Siege of Gondor and leading directly into the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

***The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers*** is the second installment of *The Lord of the Rings* series and the fifth one over all of Middle-earth.

## Synopsis

The surviving members of the Fellowship have split into three groups. Frodo and Sam face many perils on their continuing quest to save Middle-earth by destroying the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. Merry and Pippin escape from the Orcs and must convince the Ents to join the battle against evil. Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas encounter a mysteriously transformed Gandalf and battle Saruman's army at Helm's Deep.

## Cast

* Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins
* Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf
* Liv Tyler as Arwen Evenstar
* Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn
* Sean Astin as Samwise Gamgee
* Cate Blanchett as Galadriel
* John Rhys-Davies as Gimli/Treebeard (voice)
* Bernard Hill as Théoden
* Sir Christopher Lee as Saruman
* Billy Boyd as Pippin
* Dominic Monaghan as Merry
* Orlando Bloom as Legolas
* Hugo Weaving as Elrond
* Miranda Otto as Éowyn
* David Wenham as Faramir
* Karl Urban as Éomer
* Andy Serkis as Gollum
* Brad Dourif as Gríma Wormtongue
* Craig Parker as Haldir of Lórien
* Sean Bean as Boromir (Extended Edition only)
* John Noble as Denethor (Extended Edition only)
* Bruce Allpress as Aldor
* John Bach as Madril
* Jed Brophy as Sharku / Snaga
* Paris Howe Strewe as Theodred
* Sala Baker as Lugdush
* Calum Gittins as Haleth
* Bruce Hopkins as Gamling
* Nathaniel Lees as Uglúk
* John Leigh as Háma
* Robbie Magasiva as Mauhúr
* Robyn Malcolm as Morwen
* Sam Comery as Éothain
* Olivia Tennet as Freda
* Alistair Browning as Damrod
* Ray Trickett as Bereg
* Stephen Ure as Grishnakh
Stone Giants

**Giants** were a mysterious race living in the Misty Mountains and North Moors of Middle-earth.

## History

The origins of Giants are unknown, as is when exactly they first appeared in Middle-earth; however, it seems that they entered the history of the peoples of Middle-earth in the Third Age.
Stone-giants are described as hurling rocks at one another as in a game, during a violent thunderstorm. Their physical form was not described, nor was much else about them.

Gandalf used to tell stories to Bilbo when he was young at parties about dragons, goblins, giants, and rescue of princesses, and the luck of widow's sons. During the riddle game Bilbo thought of all the giants and Ogres he had heard of in tales.

At one point Bilbo saw a rock in a stream, and wondered if it had been cast miles into the plain by some giant among giants. He also compared being struck like the crash of battering-rams made of forest oaks and swung by giants.[*citation needed*]
Gandalf later remarked that he would like to find 'a more or less decent giant' to block several of the orc caves.
Bilbo's Farewell Party

**Bilbo Farewell Party** was the fateful event that took place on September 22, TA 3000, and initiated the quest for Gollum and Gandalf learning more about the One Ring and, subsequently, the Quest of the Ring. It is also used as the framing device for the story of Bilbo's past adventures and the beginning of the War of the Ring.

## History

In the morning of his birthday, Bilbo woke early. Intending to leave after the party to relive his adventures in the wild and see Erebor again, he first starts to write the true story of his adventures in the Red Book, for his cousin, Frodo Baggins.

Later that day, Frodo interrupted him, bringing replies to the party invitation. Bilbo warned him about his greedy relatives, The Sackville-Bagginses, and asked him to keep an eye over Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, which aroused Frodo's suspicion, later admitting that Bilbo "spoke for so long about leaving."

Bilbo asks Frodo to hang a sign on the door to deny people admittance, and the young Hobbit than runs off to Eastfarthing woods to greet Gandalf, who is due to arrive. Bilbo sits to reminisce about his adventures with the punctual Gandalf. He later enters his study to write the rest of his memoirs, now intended for a wider audience and so requiring certain details to be left out and requiring a new foreword concerning Hobbits.

Frodo waits for Gandalf, who is late, until he arrives on a carriage. He tells him that Bilbo has been a bit odd lately, which Gandalf reacts to suspiciously, being in on Bilbo's plan to leave Bag End to Frodo. Meanwhile, Bilbo misplaces his magic ring, looking for it frantically, before finding it in his vest pocket. He sits down, holding the ring just as Gandalf approaches, knocking at the door. He admits him in and they discuss Bilbo's plans to leave. Lobelia arrives and Bilbo hides from her.

At the evening of the **party**, Bilbo tells more of his adventures to a crowd of children before Lobelia arrives and Bilbo and Frodo hide. Bilbo tells Frodo that he'll "be alright". He rises to give a speech, bumbling a bit before announcing his departure and using his ring to disappear.

Gandalf returns to Bag End and confronted him, realizing the Ring's corrupting effect on the Hobbit and compelling him to leave it behind for Frodo. Bilbo left, thinking of an ending for his book: "and he lived happily ever after, till the end of his days." Bilbo leaves for Rivendell, while Gandalf touches the Ring, sensing its evil and is left to ponder on Bilbo's words until Frodo arrives.

The young Hobbit lamented Bilbo's departure and takes the Ring, still on the floor, to Gandalf, who warns him to keep it out of sight, and goes out to seek Gollum and find answers, eventually leading him to discover the Ring's origin and send Frodo off on the Quest of the Ring.
Quest of Erebor

The **Quest of Erebor** was an event that occurred prior to and had a strong impact on the War of the Ring at the end of the Third Age. It was begun by Thorin and Gandalf's decision to retake the Lonely Mountain, and was recounted from the perspective of Bilbo Baggins.

## History

### Background

Gandalf knew that Smaug would pose a serious threat if used by Sauron in war, then dwelling in Dol Guldur in Mirkwood. He was thinking about the matter when he met Thorin Oakenshield at Bree. Thorin also was concerned about Smaug, but had the different motive of vengeance and the reclaiming of the Dwarves' treasure in the Lonely Mountain. Gandalf agreed to help Thorin.

Gandalf thought Bilbo, an unlikely choice, to be a suitable companion of Thorin and his Dwarves for a number of reasons. First, he had observed that Bilbo took an interest in the world at large, and was thus adventurous. Another reason is that Smaug would not recognize the scent of a hobbit, advantageous to a stealthy operation. Thorin also did not think highly of hobbits, and putting Bilbo in the expedition might prevent the proud Thorin from rash actions, such as openly challenging Smaug.

It was Thorin's objections to Bilbo that Gandalf found most difficult to overcome. Thorin believed that Bilbo was incapable of helping their adventure and that Gandalf might be simply meddling in his affairs for his own reasons. After much debate, Gandalf convinced Thorin that Bilbo would be a worthy member.

### The Quest

The Company started from the Shire to the Trollshaws. Three Stone-trolls, Tom, William and Bert caught them. Luckily, they were saved when Gandalf tricked the trolls into arguing all-night until sunrise, thus turning them to stone. Then they passed the Hidden Valley and arrived in Rivendell; eventually leaving to venture over the High Pass. After being captured by goblins, Gandalf saved saved them again in Goblin-town, they were hunted by wargs. They were saved by Gwaihir and the other Great Eagles. After having a night in Beorn's house, they went to Mirkwood. Thranduil caught them and locked them in the cells. Bilbo, who was wearing the Ring, saved the Company by Barrels. And they found Bard who brought them to Lake-town. They encountered the Master of Lake-town and afterwards successfully reached the Lonely Mountain.

### Aftermath

The Quest achieved its purpose, as Durin's Folk could consequently repopulate Erebor, and reclaim their gold. The company's arrival at the mountain, however, set in motion the events that led to the Battle of Five Armies. Additionally, by virtue of Bilbo's finding of the Ring, the quest indirectly caused the War of the Ring nearly eighty years later.
Western guard-room

Outside of the Lonely Mountain, Balin expresses his concern over Thorin's obsession with reclaiming the Lonely Mountain's treasure at the expense of Bilbo's life, and the other Dwarves convince Thorin that they must help Bilbo. Thorin enters the Lonely Mountain alone and is immediately overwhelmed by the sight of the treasure hoard, gripped by the sickness of greed that lies over it. Bilbo appears, warning Thorin that they have to leave, but Thorin halts him with his sword, demanding to know if Bilbo located the Arkenstone. Bilbo is shocked and refuses to give Thorin a straight answer, but their standoff is interrupted by the appearance of Smaug at the other end of the chamber.

Suddenly, the rest of the Dwarves rush in with swords drawn, enraging Smaug further, who charges after them and attempts to burn them to death with his fire breath. They  manage to elude him, and he begins silently stalking the abandoned halls in search of them. They sneak towards a service passage out of the Lonely Mountain only to find it blocked off and littered with mummified corpses, and realize he is blocking their only other route out of the mountain. Refusing to die like their kin, the Dwarves hatch a desperate plan to lead Smaug to the Lonely Mountain forges in hopes that they can trick him into rekindling the smelting vats with his fire breath.

They return to the main hall and are immediately spotted by Smaug, initiating a perilous game of cat an mouse through the halls of the mountain, with the Dwarves doing everything in their power to encumber the pursuing dragon as they race towards the entrance to the Lonely Mountain. They reach the forges and Thorin goads Smaug into unleashing his flames at them, tricking him into relighting the great forges.
The Forging of the Great Rings

The Forging of the Great Rings was done in Eregion and Mordor and performed by Sauron (initially under the benevolent guise of Annatar) and Celebrimbor. It resulted in the manufacturing of many magic Rings, including twenty Rings of Power: three for the Elves, seven for the Dwarves, nine for Men and One to Sauron himself. The latter Ring was forged by Sauron in Mordor a century after the others, and gave him the power to psychically overpower the wielders of the other Rings. This was discovered by Celebrimbor, who hid the other Rings, thwarting Sauron's plans.

## History

With the High-Elves of Eregion, headed by Celebrimbor, being thirsty for knowledge, they turned to the aid of Annatar, a benevolt-seeming character whom the other Elf-lords found suspect and avoided. Annatar, a master craftsman, concieved a plan to forge Rings of Power together with Celebrimbor and the Craftsmen Guild of the realm, the Gwaith-i-Mirdain. In SA 1500 they begun forging the Rings and imbuing them with the power to rule kingdoms and peoples with them, with the intention of sending them to the various lords of Elves, Dwarves and Men in Middle Earth. Many lesser Rings were made, possesing magical powers but nevertheless considered mere trifles. However, by SA 1590, ninteen Great Rings were made. Of these, Celebrimbor made three for the Elves while Annatar was away.

Unbeknowst to Celebrimbor, Annatar was Sauron, the Dark Lord. He returned to his land of Mordor and in the fires of Mount Doom he forged a Master Ring to control the others. When he put it on, Celebrimbor saw through his guise and hid the Rings: the three was sent to Galadriel, Gil-galad and Cirdan, and the Dwarves claim one was sent to Durin III, a personal friend of Celebrimbor's.

The other Rings were captured by Sauron when he besieged Ost-in-Edhil, the capital of Eregion, and given the other Dwarf Lords and Numenorean lords by his hand. While the Dwarves were largely unaffected, the Numenorean Lords (believed to be Lords of Numenorean colonies of Middle Earth as opposed to members of the council in Numenor itself) slowly succumbed to Sauron's power and became Ringwraiths.
Belegost

**Belegost** was one of two Dwarven cities located in the Blue Mountains during the First Age in Middle-earth.

## History

Belegost was one of the seven great kingdoms of the Dwarves. With her sister realm, Nogrod, Belegost was dug deep beneath Mount Dolmed in the Blue Mountains in the Ages of Stars.

Amongst the Dwarves of Belegost were the finest smiths and stone-carvers in Middle-earth. In their armourer's halls they made many bright weapons and were the first people to forge chain-mail. The Dwarves of Belegost traded with the Sindar Elves of Beleriand and supplied them with weapons of incomparably tempered steel; furthermore these Dwarves carved the stone chambers of Menegroth. One of their payments for these services was Nimphelos, a great pearl.

In the First Age, the Dwarves of Belegost and their lord, Azaghâl, won great fame in the War of the Jewels. In the Nírnaeth Arnoediad, the Dwarves alone could withstand the heat of the Dragon-fire because being a race of smiths were used to great heat and on their helms they wore masks of steel. Their axes too that they forged were strong enough to hold the Dragons in check. Though Azaghâl was slain, he wounded Glaurung, the Father of Dragons and the Dragon brood fled the battleground, all the way back to Angband. The Dwarves of Belegost were asked by the Dwarves of Nogrod for aid in their war against Doriath, but were refused.

At the end of the First Age, Belegost 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.

Although a great many Dwarves did indeed emigrate across Eriador some forty years after the war to join with Durin's Folk in Khazad-dûm, the mountains and flatlands north and west of the Little Lhûn remained Dwarf country.

Additionally, one of Tolkien's earlier maps, as shown by Christopher Tolkien in *The Treason of Isengard* (and echoed in Karen Wynn Fonstad's *Atlas of Middle-earth*), still shows Belegost in the Ered Luin in the time of the Third Age, indicating either a limited survival of the city, an indication of its ruins or an error on the part of these authors.

## Inhabitants

In the twelfth volume of *The History of Middle-earth*, *The Peoples of Middle-earth*, an essay appears entitled *Of Dwarves and Men* which sheds some light on the people of Belegost. Circumstantial evidence given there suggests that the Dwarves of Belegost were unrelated to Durin's Folk, the Longbeards that appear in Tolkien's better-known work, and instead belonged to a different clan, either the Firebeards or the Broadbeams. The word-order used there suggests that Belegost was founded by the Broadbeams, while nearby Nogrod was populated by the Firebeard clan.
Hobbit

**Hobbits** or **Halflings** are a subspecies of Man, characterized by diminutive stature (around three feet), leathery feet (removing the need for footwear) and a strong resistance to corruption. Having emerged in the Gladden Fields (and therefore being akin to the Northmen of Rhovanion and Beleriand) in the early Third Age, Hobbits were called Halflings by the Numenoreans before they fled due to the threat of Angmar, eventually arriving to Breeland where they settled and eventually established their own realm, The Shire, west of the Baranduin.

Known for their rural lifestyle, Hobbits disappeared from the knowledge of most mankind, and even the wizards didn't think much of them until Gandalf. He recalled a young Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, who was outgoing as a child, and suggested him as a burglar to aid the Dwarves of Erebor in their quest to retrieve the Arkenstone from under the dragon Smaug. This decision resulted in Bilbo and his cousin Frodo (and his friends) becoming embroiled in the War of the Ring, with Frodo carrying the One Ring to Mount Doom as the move to end the war.
Lhun

The river **Lune** or **Lhûn** was a river of north-western Eriador in Middle-earth.

In the Second and Third Age, it emptied into the Gulf of Lune that broke through the Blue Mountains, and thence into Belegaer.

It had three (unnamed) tributaries: two of them arising in the Blue Mountains, and one beginning in the Hills of Evendim north of the later capital of Arnor, Annúminas. It was not connected to Lake Nenuial, the origin of the Brandywine river.

Its overall length was over one-hundred and fifty miles.

## History

In the First Age, the course of the river is not known. The Gulf of Lune was not created until the War of Wrath so the river may have had a different lower course. In TA 1975, an army led by Prince Eärnur of Gondor crossed this river on their way to defeat the Witch-king of Angmar at the Battle of Fornost.
Mountain Trolls

**Mountain-trolls** were a large type of Troll that were closely related to Cave-trolls and Hill-trolls. They were allies of Orcs.

## History

Like all Trolls, Mountain-trolls originated from Morgoth's twisting and crossbreeding of other creatures of the world, and later became minions of Sauron.

Mountain trolls could be found in the mountains of Middle-earth. Their type helped move the great battering ram Grond into place during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, which they wielded and shattered the large gates of Minas Tirith with. Members of the species also were seen opening the gates of the Black Gate.

## Physical appearance

Mountain-trolls were very large, larger than Hill-trolls, and had brownish skin.**(Non-canon)**

## Behaviour

The Mountain-trolls make dangerous opponents in battle. These trolls are smarter than Cave-trolls, and their power to lift massive objects to use as weapons makes them deadly. They are assumed to be strong enough for other heavy tasks as well. They are stronger than cave trolls due to their harsh environment.
Battle of Moria

The Battle of Moria (also known as the Battle of Azanulbizar) was a battle that took place in the Dimril Dale in TA 2799 between the Dwarves and the Orcs. It ended in a Dwarvish pyhrric victory.

After the sack of Erebor by Smaug, the refugees led by king Thrór, his son Thráin and grandson Thorin, arrived at Dunland. From there, Thror tried to lead them back to Moria, their first kingdom, only to find it infested with Orcs, led by the Gundabad Orc Azog.

In the battle, Azog swore the wipe out the royal line of Durin. He beheaded king Thror, defeated and captured his son Thrain (taking his Ring) and almost defeated his own son, Thorin. However, the young Dwarf prince picked up an oaken branch to repel Azog's attacks, and using a sword, cut off Azog's arm. The Orc was hauled back through the Dimril Gate and Thorin led the Dwarves, including his companions Balin and Dwalin, to victory.

However, their loses were too heavy to reclaim Moria, and Thrain's fate was unknown to the Dwarves. While Balin and Dwalin mourned the loss of their father, Fundin, Thorin looked through the bodies for his father, to no avail. He deluded himself into believing Azog died of his wounds, but in fact he would return to hunt him during The Quest of Erebor. Thorin also accused the Elves of nearby Lothlorien for looking over and doing nothing to stop the Orcs.
Dimril Dale

**Dimrill Dale** was a valley on the east side of the Misty Mountains, beneath the Redhorn, Silvertine, and Cloudyhead peaks. It was the eastern end of Redhorn Pass and was bordered by the **Dimrill Stair**. Dimrill Dale was the source of the Silverlode river. At its southeast corner was Mirrormere, a sacred lake to the Dwarves of Durin's Folk.

During the Years of the Trees, Durin the Deathless wandered south to Dimrill Dale and founded the Kingdom of Khazad-dûm beneath the surrounding mountains. Thousands of years later, after Orcs had turned the Dwarven city into the "Black Pit" of Moria, the climactic battle of the War of the Dwarves and Orcs was fought here. The **Battle of Azanulbizar**, which occurred in T.A. 2799, ended as a defeat of the Orcs and their leader Azog. The Dwarves, though, were unable to take back Moria because of the Balrog that still dwelt there.

The Fellowship of the Ring briefly rested in Dimrill Dale after escaping from Moria, following the loss of Gandalf.
High King of the Noldor

The High-King of the Noldor was the title of the overlord of all the High-Elves in Middle Earth.

The position was first established in Valinor, where Finwe was High-King of the Noldor, second only to the High-King of the Vanyar. However, Finwe was slain by Morgoth, and his son Feanor temporarily took the title before dying in battle before Morgoth's fortress.

The High Kings of the Noldor in Middle Earth were descended from the House of Fingolfin, starting with Fingolfin himself, who ruled from the seventh year of the First Age until his demise in battle at FA 456. He was succeeded by Fingon, who ruled until his own demise in 472. Turgon, the King of the hidden city of Gondolin, then became High-King until the sack of the city in FA 510. In Beleriand, the High-King's authority was nominal, since the sons of Feanor acknowledged the Kingship, but paid its bearer little heed, following their own agenda under the general leadership of Maedhros.

After Turgon's death, the lordship then went to the House of Finarfin, with Ereinion Gil-galad, having lived in shelter on the isle of Balar, becoming king towards the end of the First Age and throughout most of the second.

After the house of Feanor was decimated (apart from Celebrimbor, Feanor's grandson), Gil-galad's authority extended to all the remaining High-Elves in Middle Earth, ruling them from his realm in Lindon. It seems the Sindar, who were now ruling the Silvan Elves, also acknowledged his overlordship, making him effectivelly the overlord of all Elves in the Westlands.

Gil galad had no offspring, but he declared Elrond his vice-regent and entrusted him with Vilya, the chief of the three Elves Rings. Being a descendant of Turgon's, Elrond was indeed the natural heir to the position (although Galadriel could have also had a claim) but he never took it. Indeed, by that time the ranks of the High Elves had dwindled to such an extent that the title was a mere courtesy.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

***The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug*** is a 2013 epic action-adventure fantasy film, preceded by *An Unexpected Journey* and followed by *The Battle of the Five Armies*.

## Synopsis

*Main Article: The Desolation of Smaug (synopsis)*

Bilbo, Thorin and their companions undergo a quest to reclaim the Dwarven homeland of Erebor from the dragon Smaug. Having crossed the Misty Mountains and being pursued by Orcs, they now have to cross the Wilderland before reaching Erebor and attempting to retrieve the Arkenstone and slay the dragon.

En route, complications arise regarding the implications of the quest on the lives of the inhabitants of Laketown and the Woodland Realm, and the gold's corrupting effect on Thorin.

Simultaneously, Gandalf explores the exploits of the mysterious Necromancer whose fortress lays on the route to the Mountain.

## Cast

* Alfrid
* Azog
* Bain
* Balin
* Bard the Bowman
* Beorn
* Betsy Butterbur
* Bifur
* Bill Ferny Sr.
* Bilbo Baggins
* Bofur
* Bolg
* Bombur
* Braga
* Butterbur Snr.
* Dis (mentioned only)
* Dori
* Dwalin
* Elros the Guard
* Feren
* Fíli
* Fimbul
* Galadriel
* Galion
* Gandalf
* Girion
* Glóin
* Hilda Bianca
* Khamul (Mentioned only)
* Kíli
* Lakemen
* Legolas
* Lethuin
* Master of Lake-town
* Narzug
* Necromancer
* Nori
* Óin
* Ori
* Percy
* Radagast
* Sigrid
* Smaug
* Squint
* Tauriel
* Tilda
* Thorin II Oakenshield
* Thráin II (Extended Edition only)
* Thranduil
* Thrór (Mentioned only)
* Witch-king of Angmar (Mentioned only)
Beleriand

**Beleriand** was the westernmost region of Middle-earth in the First Age, which was largely destroyed and sunk during the War of Wrath that ended that age.

## History

Beleriand was the land of the Sindar, ruled by Thingol in Doriath, and of the Petty-Dwarves. But they were soon joined by Noldor who came from the West to fight the Dark Lord Morgoth, who resided north of Beleriand; as well as by Green Elves, Men and Dwarves from the Blue Mountains. Ents lived in the forests of Beleriand, among which was Treebeard.

After Beleriand's destruction, its only remnants were the Blue Mountains (and the adjecent mount Rerir) and Lindon, as well as the highlands of Himring, Taur-nu-Fuin and Morwen's grave, which became the islands of Tol Himring, Tol Fuin and Tol Morwen.

To the west and south, Beleriand had a long coast with the Great Sea Belegaer; to the north were the highland regions of Hithlum, Dorthonion, and the hills of Himring; to the east the Blue Mountains reached nearly to the sea. The land of Nevrast in the north-west was sometimes considered part of Beleriand.

Sirion, the chief river of Beleriand, running north to south, divided the continent into West Beleriand and East Beleriand. Crossing it east to west was a series of hills and a sudden drop in elevation known as Andram, the Long Wall. (The river sank into the ground at the Fens of Sirion, and reemerged below the Andram at the *Gates of Sirion*.) To the east of the Long Wall, was the River Gelion with its six tributaries draining the Blue Mountains, in an area known as Ossiriand or the Land of Seven Rivers. The River Brithon and the River Nenning were the two lesser rivers of the western land of Falas.
The Lord of the Rings (prequel TV series)

**The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power** is an upcoming web television program by Amazon Studios, in co-operation with the Tolkien Estate and Warner Brothers TV, which is a loose part of the Middle Earth Cinematic Universe.

Set in the Second Age, it is "“different but familiar", intended to not clash with the films but several recurring artefacts are designed differently. Condensing the timeline, the show will tell the stories of The Forging of the Great Rings, the War of the Elves and Sauron, the Akallabêth and the War of the Last Alliance, in effect an extended version of the prologue of *The Fellowship of the Ring*.

## Characters

* Young Galadriel: Morfydd Clark
	+ Child Galadriel: Lady Amelie Child-Villiers
* Young Elrond: Robert Aramayo
* Gil-galad: Benjamin Walker
* King Durin III: Peter Mullan
* Durin IV, son of Durin: Owain Arthur
* Disa, bride of Durin IV: Sophia Nomvete
* Tar Palantir
* Tar Miriel, Queen Regent: Cynthia Addai-Robinson
* Pharazon: Trystan Gravelle
* Kemen, Pharazon's son
* Elendil: Lloyd Owen
* Young Isildur: Maxim Baldry
* Carine, Isildur's sister: Ema Horvath
* Finrod: Will Fletcher
Evenstar

The **Elessar** or **Elfstone** was a gem set on a silver eagle-shaped brooch. It had the light of the Sun within it and those who looked through it saw everything that was aged and withered as young once more.

## Origins

The elfstone was crafted by an elven-smith in Gondolin named Enerdhil, whose skill in jewel-crafting was second only to Feanor. He gave it to Idril which she bore upon her breast during the fall of Gondolin, accounting for its escape, and in turn she gave it to her son Eärendil, who bore it upon his breast on his flight to the Undying Lands.

Two versions are hereafter recorded as to the fate of the stone.

* Olorin brings the stone to Middle-earth as a sign that the Valar had not forsaken Middle-earth. He gave it to Galadriel but he prophesied that, "...it is not for you to possess. You shall hand it on when the time comes. For before you grow weary, and at last forsake Middle-earth one shall come who is to receive it, and his name shall be that of the stone: Elessar he shall be called." (Aragorn, son of Arathorn II).
* The stone remains with the Valar, and Galadriel longs to once more return to Valinor but remains under the ban of the Noldor. Thus she turns to Celebrimbor and laments to him, "I am grieved in Middle-earth, for leaves fall and flowers fade that I have loved so that the land of my dwelling is filed with regret that no spring can redress. I would have trees and grass about me that do not die - here in the land that is mine." Celebrimbor, who is in love with her, remakes the jewel and gives it to her. He learned the art of elven blacksmithing in Gondolin when he was a friend of Enerdhil and ever his friendly, competitive rival. Galadriel then passes the stone to her daughter Celebrian, who in turn gives it to her daughter Arwen. Galadriel keeps it once more in Lothlorien to pass it on to Aragorn.

Evenstar was a silver necklace with a white stone, which is given to Aragorn by Arwen in Rivendell. This jewel was probably inspired by a jewel that Arwen gives to Frodo after the destruction of the One Ring.
Witch King of Angmar

**Witch-king of Angmar** is one of the secondary antagonists of *The Lord of the Rings*

## Overview

**The Witch-king of Angmar** was the leader of the Nazgul and a servant of Sauron. Before he was a servant of Sauron, the Witch-king of Angmar was once a mortal human king, but had become a ring wraith because of men's weakness for power. In TA 2941, the Dark Lord had returned and resurrected the Witch king, who was a ghost. However, after Sauron was defeated by the White Council, Sauron fled to the east with the Witch-king transformed into a ringwraith thus the undead.

He later stabbed Frodo Baggins on Weathertop, but was later chased by Aragorn out of Weathertop. However, he intercepted Frodo and his elf companion, Arwen with others, but was washed away with the others because of Arwen's magic to use the water as their downfall. However, it was revealed that he survived the ordeal with Arwen as no mortal man can kill him. He also acted as Sauron's lieutenant during the War of the Ring, where he had waylaid Gandalf (then known as Gandalf the White) and young Peregrin "Pippin" Took, intending to destroy the wizard and the Hobbit. Otherwise, he was summoned on the battlefield when Rohan intended to destroy the Nazgul.

In defense to save her uncle, Eowyn and Merry Brandybuck killed the witch-king, thus ending his reign of terror.
Gondolin

**Gondolin** was a hidden city of the Elves located approximately in the middle of the land of Beleriand in Middle-earth. It was founded by Turgon the Wise, a Ñoldorin lord in the early First Age. It endured the longest of all the Ñoldorin kingdoms in exile, lasting nearly four centuries during the Years of the Sun.

## History

As recounted in *The Silmarillion*, the Vala Ulmo, the Lord of Waters, revealed the location of the Vale of Tumladen to the Noldorin Lord Turgon in a dream around the year FA 50. Under this divine guidance, Turgon travelled from his kingdom in Nevrast and found the vale in FA 53. Within the Encircling Mountains just west of Dorthonion and east of the river Sirion, lay a round level plain with sheer walls on all sides and a ravine and tunnel leading out to the southwest known as the Hidden Way. In the middle of the vale there was a steep hill which was called Amon Gwareth. There Turgon decided to found a great city that would be protected by the mountains and hidden from the Dark Lord Morgoth.

For nearly seventy-five years, Turgon and his people built Gondolin in secret. After it was completed in FA 116, he took with him to dwell in the hidden city his entire people in Nevrast — almost a third of the Ñoldor — as well as nearly three quarters of the northern Sindar. The city stood for nearly 400 years until it was betrayed to Morgoth by Maeglin, Turgon's nephew, and sacked shortly thereafter by the Dark Lord's forces.

Gondolin was described as this - "Now the streets of Gondolin were paved with stone and wide, kerbed with marble, and fair houses and courts amid gardens of bright flowers were set about the ways, and many towers of great slenderness and beauty builded of white marble and carved most marvelously rose to the heaven. Squares there were lit with fountains and the home of birds that sang amid the branches of their aged trees, but of all these the greatest was that place where stood the King's palace, and the tower thereof was the loftiest in the city, and the fountains that played before the doors shot twenty fathoms and seven in the air and fell in a singing rain of crystal; therein did the sun glitter splendidly by day, and the moon most magically shimmered by night. The birds that dwelt there were of the whiteness of snow and their voices sweeter than a lullaby of music."

During the end of the First Age, the great city fell and the King of Gondolin perished. His swords, Orcrist, Sting, and Glamdring were lost.

### Legacy

The swords eventually ending up with the trolls in the troll shots before they were founded by the dwarf King Thorin Oakenshield, the wizard Gandalf, and The Hobbit Bilbo Baggins.
Sebastian

Radagast is then seen investigating the Greenwood, noticing that much of the vegetation is beginning to decay and much of the animal life is sick or dying. Radagast brings one of them, a hedgehog he calls Sebastian, back to his woodland house at Rhosgobel where he is able to nurse the hedgehog back to health. Radagast comes to the realization that a type of powerful witchcraft has caused the decay of the Greenwood and its transformation into what would now become known as Mirkwood.

After Rhosgobel is swarmed by Giant Spiders and manages to save Sebastian
Ettenmoors

The **Ettenmoors or Troll-fells** are a region in Eriador, to the North of Rivendell, which was infested by Mountain Trolls. The Witch-king of Angmar apparently used Trolls from this region against Arnor, but after his defeat, the Trolls remained in the hills, and kept in check by the Dunedain Rangers, descendants of the Northern Kingdom.

Only the rising evil of the Necromancer spurred some Trolls - specifically, Tom, William and Bert - to venture south and invade the farms near the Great East Road. The woods in which they settled (and were later turned to stone) was recalled Troll-shaws.