Dwarves of Khazad-dum

The **Dwarves of Khazad-dûm** were the Dwarves of Durin's Folk who mined and worked mithril for long ages in the halls of Khazad-dûm, and who had the friendship of the Elves of Eregion during the Second Age.

## History

### First Age

Khazad-dûm is the oldest and most famous of the Kingdoms of the Dwarves. It was the home of Durin, the first of the Dwarf Fathers. He began to work on the mansions after finding caves in the Misty Mountains.

Durin the Deathless thus became King Durin I of Khazad-dûm and ruled for many years, causing him to be named "Durin the Deathless" until he died during the First Age. Afterwards, other rulers of Khazad-dûm were sometimes named Durin, as they were considered to be his reincarnations, who the dwarves believed came to live again among his people.

The Dwarves of Khazad-dûm also colonized the Iron Hills, which became Durin's Folk's primary source of iron-ore.

### Second Age

In the second age, the Dwarves were joined by the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains, fleeing the ruin of Belegost and Nogrod. Their numbers were enriched by them, as well as their craft and skill.

Around that time, Khazad-dûm was in a confederation with Men of the Vales of Anduin, where the Men provided food in return for Dwarven weapons and precious items. This cooperation continued until the reign of Durin IV.

Also fleeing the destruction, the Noldor founded a country of their own by the western gate of Khazad-dûm, Eregion. A rare friendship sprang up between the Dwarves and the Elves of this new land. By that time, Khazad-dûm had expanded so much that it completely traversed the Mountains from east to west, ending to the western rocky cliffs at their base, the Walls of Moria. Narvi with Eregion's ruler, Celebrimbor, constructed the magical West-gate of Moria, and indeed Celebrimbor went so far as to present King Durin III with an Elven Ring of Power.

The friendship of Khazad-dûm and Eregion came to a sudden end, however, in S.A. 1697. Sauron overran the country of the Elves, and despite the best efforts of the Dwarves to help them, he succeeded in destroying Eregion and driving away the survivors. Durin sent a great force of Dwarves to protect the Doors of Durin, but with the Elves dead or fleeing far away his warriors withdrew and the gates to the city were shut against Sauron, also secluding the kingdom off from the outside world and communication with their kinsmen in the Iron Hills was cut off.

Their seclusion was broken for a time with the beginning of the War of the Last Alliance. The Dwarves of Moria fought alongside the Last Alliance of Elves and Men in their campaign to defeat Sauron for the last time. With the conclusion of the War the Dwarves went back to their city.

### Third Age

The Dwarves of Moria remained secured and safe since the Dark Years, until their numbers dwindled and many of its mansions emptied. Most of the Dwarves's great wealth was based on the *Mithril* that was found in the mines of Moria, and as the centuries passed, they mined deeper and deeper for the precious metal. In the year T.A. 1980, they dug too deep, and unleashed a nameless terror from the depths beneath the city. The creature wreaked dreadful destruction, and in slaying the King, Durin VI, became known as Durin's Bane. In the following year, Durin's son, Náin I, was also lost, and the Dwarves fled their ancient home.

The Dwarven people separated and joined their folk at the Grey Mountains although others followed the King to Erebor to found another Kingdom.

Descendants of the Dwarves of Moria, Bifur, Bofur and Bombur, and some members of the House of Durin, joined King in exile Thorin II Oakenshield to reclaim Erebor in T.A. 2941.