Blue Dwarves

## Dwarves of the Blue Mountains

The Peaks of Belegost and Nogrod behind Mount Dolmed under the 7 Stars

Split between the clans of the Firebeards and Broadbeams, the Kingdom of the Blue Mountains (or Ered Luin) rounds out the territories of the Free Peoples of Middle Earth in the northwest corner of the map. A great starting location for almost any good-aligned player with an appreciation for the mountain air, the Blue Mountains contain two ancient cities: Nogrod and the capital of Belegost. Together with their brethren of the Durin's Folk faction, they form the Dwarven Lords' Council where they hold 1 of the 6 seats, as well as fill the office of High King of All Dwarves.

## Halls of Ered Luin (Builds)

Despite their relatively small numbers, the Blue Dwarves have worked on many builds and often find themselves helping out their allies, examples being Erebor, Dale or Khazad-Dûm Their own builds consist of the following:

* **Belegost** *(Gabilgathol),* the capital of Ered Luin and native home of the Broadbeam clan, is ruled by the King Azaghal III (*SquatchThunder*). One of the oldest builds on the server to receive continuous work, Belegost went through multiple stages and has through the years proven to be a build that adapts to the highest standard of the time. It impresses visitors with its great halls and caves, as well as its winding streets, corridors stores and living areas. Being the most populous of the two Blue Dwarven mountainhomes, it contains many large mansions in which notable Blue Dwarves make their home.
* **Nogrod** *(Tumunzahar),* the second city of Ered Luin, home to the Firebeard clan. In the old days Nogrod was home to the greatest smiths of the Blue Mountains, such as Telchar and Gamil Zirak. Nogrod in the common tongue translates to 'Hollowbold' referring to the great chasms and ravines traversing the city. In current days the halls of Nogrod lay abandoned, though some say there have been fires seen rekindled in the deeps...
* **Thorin's Halls** *(Thorintumhu)* Settled by Thráin II but expanded by Thorin Oakenshield, these halls served as a refuge of the Longbeards in exile after their flight from Erebor. In the years after Thorin's expedition they were settled and taken over by the Blue Dwarves, after which they were incorporated into the Blue Dwarven kingdom. As Thorin's Halls is settlement constructed in haste, most construction took place outside, with only the key functions of the settlement being centralized. Thus, most of the practical parts and housing is located in the valley around Thorin's Halls. Over the years Thorin's Halls has grown to be a sizeable settlement in the centre of the Ered Luin. Atracting Firebeards and Broadbeams alike. These halls are being renovated by Gondhir.
* **Thráin's Halls** *(Thráintumhu)* Is a smaller settlement settlement of the Blue Dwarves in the southern chain. It was founded by the Longbeards of Thorin's Halls as a mining colony. After the defeat of Smaug these halls and mines have been taken over by the Blue Dwarves.

* **Mount Dolmed**, birthplace of the founders of the Broadbeam and Firebeard clans in the First Age, the mountain will be made into a large shrine featuring the tombs of the two dwarves within a cavern. In the tradition of the Blue Dwarves, many Blue Dwarven Kings and Nobles have been buried here alongside their forefathers.
* **Forodsabar**, *(Fuhmâthuk),* To the far north of Belegost lie the dwarven dwellings of Fahmâthuk. A small mining settlement, only worth a mention in the history books by being the hiding place of king Arvedui of Arthedain in the early third age. These mines are home to simple folk, like miners and craftsmen, that do not care much for the goings-on of wealthy folk in their mansions in the big cities of Belegost and Nogrod. Though ruled by Broadbeams from Belegost, the population of Fahmâthuk consists largely of wandering dwarves from all of the seven clans who (yearning to return to a life in the mountains) ended up in the dwarfhold.
* **Mount Rerir** is the site of an old elven city built by Caranthir, one of the seven sons of Feanor. The city was long since abandoned in the First Age. The city will have a weathered look and be a ruinous shadow of its former glory on the slopes of Mount Rerir.

## Laws Governing the Khagolabbad

* **Council Loyalty Clause:** All dwarven players that choose to reside in the Blue Mountains will answer to the laws and orders put forth by the Dwarven Council. These laws include but are not limited to: treason, disobedience to superiors, and failure to adhere to council laws.
* **Blue Halls Clause:** As seen in the rules of the server itself, a player is not permitted to own and govern the entirety of the biome as well as any individual player builds in said region. The lords of the Blue Mountains ask that any players ask before building within sight of the road or in any valleys adjacent to valleys that house official builds. These players are asked to give information to SquatchThunder about where the builds are placed, how many players are to be permitted, and the purpose and loyalty of the build.
* **Mining Act:** Dwarves are prohibited from mining within 1000-2000 blocks from the builds, roads, and fast travel points. Mining is heavily ENCOURAGED in the southern chain. Any players are welcome to mine in such mountains permitted they don't stake an enemy claim.
* **Violence Act:** Throughout history, the Blue Dwarves have had quite some trouble with players hunting others in their valleys. It is asked that any player, that loyalty is not known of, to be asked of their allegiance by a dwarven player before violence ensues. Current lists of Blue Dwarven and Council enemies will be posted on the Dwarven Lords' Council page.
* **Sale of Blocks Clause:** The Blue Mountains are of course the only place to find the beautiful blue sarlluin stone that gives the biome such an incredible look. This stone is very precious to the land and it is asked that if one is to mine such stone to seek veins in the ground instead of taking from the ground level and causing serious environmental damage. The Blue Mountains are more than happy to sell such items as cobblestone, smooth stone, or sarlluin stone to any allied factions. We do however ask that you do not mine anywhere in the northern chain for such materials if you are unable to afford the materials at the predetermined price. If you are just against the idea of mining in the southern chain and buying for whatever reason, I suggest using light blue clay tiling blocks in place of the sarlluin stone. Prices are as follows:
	+ Gravel: 4 coins per stack
	+ Dirt: 8 coins per stack
	+ Cobblestone: 8 coins per stack
	+ Stone: 16 coins per stack
	+ Sarlluin: 24 coins per stack
* **Environmental Conservation Act:** As said in the "Sale of Blocks Clause", mining in the northern chain is incredibly frowned upon. The dwarves of these mountains ask that, in order to keep our home beautiful for many ages to come, players do *NOT* pillar up mountain sides. This destroys the landscape and is a pain to remove. It is also asked that players not raid dwarven structures. *Please refrain from mining blocks of structures, killing npcs within structures, or in any other way harming or griefing the naturally spawning structures of the Blue Mountains around the fast travels*. Belegost sometimes has miners spawn as well as a large number of Blue Dwarven smithies to trade with to limit time spent destroying land in search of them.

* **Taxation Clause: IN EFFECT** each player will be required to pay a small tax on the *first of each month*. The tax is not meant to drive members away, but to encourage members to be more active in the faction as well as to prove who is active and who isn't. This tax extends across the blues. Those who pay their first tax will be promoted from recruit status to citizen. If the tax is not paid by the first, the player will *have to pay double by the 7th* to remain a member. If the tax is still unpaid, the player *will be evicted from his/her apartment and removed from the faction*. Half of the tax will remain in the city the player is a part of while the other half goes to the Royal Reserve to be used in times of crisis.
	+ Minor Lord Tax: 100 coins
		- Goes to the Royal Reserves to be kept and stored in case of war
	+ Citizen Tax: 200 coins
		- Half goes to the reserve of the city the player is a part of, the other half goes to the Royal Reserve
* **Inactivity Policy:** The Blue Mountains are a very active faction on the server. To ensure that the members remain active, a policy regarding inactivity was created. *Players will be evicted/removed from the faction after not paying 2 months in taxes.* However, should a player go on a vacation or take a break from the server, they are required to state how long they will be gone and when they will return. Players will be notified after 3 weeks of inactivity by SquatchThunder via facebook and a notice in game, usually on their apartment.
* "**Pay to Use Smiths" Act:** With the addition of a reforging system, players will be asked to pay 100 coins to utilize the many smiths, miners, and captains found within the prosperous cities of the Blue Mountains. Dwarves are exempt from this act.

## Design Guide

Recently the blue dwarves have begun the designing process of many of their new builds. In order to give the designers the most insight as to what is expected, design guides will be posted here according to builds. Block choices for each hall are listed below. A few basic rules for designing:

1. *No Lava* Lava is a very dangerous resource to use in the production of builds as units can sometimes teleport into the lava and die.
2. *Only Native Blocks* There are plenty of blocks native to the Blue Mountains such as sarlluin, stone, and dwarven variants of blocks along with lots of wood types to choose from for specialty areas. Please try your best to stick to blocks and items found only in the Blue Mountains biome (exceptions being listed below)
3. *Keep Trimmed Brick Limited* Trimmed brick can make a lovely accent to any dwarven build and the blues are no exception. However, there are some situations where the amount of trimmed brick needs to be little to none. These situations are for all cities save Belegost and Nogrod. The two largest cities should have the most wealth and therefore the most trimmed brick.
4. *No Moon Runes* Moon runes from the Ithildin chisel are a lovely way to add depth and an air of magic to any dwarven hall. Similarly to trimmed brick, ithildin should not be used at all in order to preserve the magic which comes from them.
5. *As Little Wood as Possible* Wood is a nice accent piece for a more homely feel but the dwarves would have no business using flimsy wood to hold up their halls when the stone can do it for them! Wood should only be used in personal areas or those where wood seems fit like a dining area or an area with a table. When wood is used it MUST BE NATIVE to the Blue Mountains. These include oak, birch, spruce, pine, fir, and larch trees.

* **Belegost:** A very earthen style with lots of exposed stone mixed with dwarven brick, sarlluin brick, and stone brick elements. The halls are larger here, smaller than those of Erebor but larger than those of Khazad-dum. The main lighting elements of Belegost are fires with glowing brick along the floors.
	+ Sarlluin (all variants)
	+ Dwarven brick (all variants save obsidian) (light trimmed brick)
	+ Stone brick (all variants)
	+ Smooth stone
* **Nogrod:** Nogrod is a grand build with large halls like Belegost. The halls within are less earthen than those of her counterpart and feature designs along the walls and little to no smooth stone present. Glowstone brick is also heavily used as lighting here.
	+ Sarlluin (all variants)
	+ Dwarven brick (all variants save obsidian) (light trimmed brick)
	+ Stone brick (all variants)
* **Thorin's Halls:** Thorin's Halls is planned to be a small build, nothing like the styles of Belegost or Nogrod. The size of the halls will be slightly smaller than the halls of Khazad-dum's Azanulbizar. The overall feeling of the build is that it is small but homely, a contrast to the grand stature of Belegost and Nogrod. The main source of lighting for Thorin's Halls is to be braziers with fire. No trimmed brick is to be used and some stone may be exposed.
	+ Dwarven brick (all variants save obsidian)
	+ Stone brick (all variants)
	+ Smooth stone
* **Forodsabar:** The Mines of the North will be similar to the early stages of Erebor, featuring mining as its basis for halls. The halls will be situated around various large ravines. The build style is smaller and more cramped and cluttered. The build will feature extreme amounts of smooth stone and exposed ores along the ravine walls. The Mines will feature lots of caved in portions and various caves and mines (some of which can be abandoned!). The blocks used reflect those of an ancient build, cracked blocks here and there and collapsed tunnels and ruins of pillars.
	+ Sarlluin (all variants)
	+ Dwarven brick (all variants save obsidian)
	+ Stone brick (all variants)
	+ Smooth stone (randomized cobblestone can also provide a nice contrasting touch!)
* **Mount Rerir:** Unlike the other builds, Mount Rerir isn't a dwarven settlement. It's the ruin of the fortress of Caranthir, son of Feanor of the First Age. The city is an elven ruin which was sacked by orcs of Morgoth in the First Age. Since the city has been abandoned and reclaimed by the dwarves. The city has its own very unique style which is unlike that of any other High Elven build. It features a very airy and open feel and large cone and dome roofs. No clay tiling is used for roofs, only sarlluin. Wood is also more acceptable here but not used abundantly.
	+ Sarlluin (all variants)
	+ High Elven brick (all variants)
	+ Stone brick

## Former builds

* **Durin's City** was once a dwarven build built by iwellner45 at the Mt. Gundabad fast travel point. It once contained a large surrounding wall, with multiple early-stage houses dug out of the nearby mountainsides, and a central hold featuring hallways lined with statues, a shrine to Durin, a throne for the High King of All Dwarves, and a council chamber for Dwarven Lords' Council meetings, among other amenities. However, the world restart erased all of Mt. Gundabad's storied builds, and when the Gundabad orcs paid for the return of their former capital, iwellner needed to find a new location for Durin's City. Work was started on such halls yet was ground to a stop by bargaining with orcish warlords of the region for the removal of all dwarven influence in the northern Misty Mountains. Now, it has returned to Gundabad rule.
* **Azran** was a blue dwarven city in the southern chain, named after the river that used to run west into Beleriand, it was ruled by Tennisdude03. It was the primary city in the southern blues until a world reset where it wasn't replaced and the Minor Lord was banned.
* **Zelem'an Ganad** was a city at the beginning of the river flowing through Lindon on the western side of the Blue Mountains. It was meant to house the few trade ships the dwarves had after the conquest of Meneltarma.

## Becoming a Blue Dwarf

The Blue Dwarves are one of the oldest organized factions on the server with a distinguished history of community service and glorious deeds. Many of the server's most upstanding players have spent time with the faction, and their lands provide an ideal location for a new player of any good race to get started thanks to its abundance of mineral resources, quality of its metals, protection from enemies, and the abundance of wonderful players.

Aspiring Blue Dwarves are treated well and generously with new living quarters and new weapons if need. They should:

1. Speak to a Blue Dwarf and let them know you're interested in joining
2. Earn 100 alignment through killing Gundabad orcs or completing the quests of the native NPCs
3. Journeying to the Blue Mountains for assignments from the king
4. Gaining 1 block of gold, silver, and bronze by mining on their way to the mountains
5. Create or own a discord account so you can communicate with the rest of the faction.
6. Have experience and already have with the mod *SchematicaFairplay.* Players must be able to know:
	* how to put schematic files in the schematic folder
	* how to load schematic files into the game
	* how to rotate and position a schematic with coordinates

### **Titles**

*As it stands, titles are used to signify rank, faction, and even city among the Dwarven Council. By joining a Council faction, you're bound to follow the laws set forth, even titles. Below is a list of what titles should be used and by what players they should be used.*

* **King of the Blue Mountains** - Uzbad Khagalabbadu
* **Minor Lord** - Blue Dwarven Noble
* **Royal Guard** - Blue Dwarven Captain
* **Thane** - Belegost, Nogrod, Blue Mountains
* **Citizen** - Blue Dwarf, Broadbeam, Firebeard, Blue Dwarven Axebearer, Blue Dwarven Champion, Blue Mountains Warden
* **Recruits** (if not already pledged) - Blue Mountains Guest or Blue Mountains Friend

*The color of titles is also important, so below are the lists of colors appropriate for each city. Colors of cities not listed here will be assigned on a need-to-do basis*

* **Belegost** - faded blue
* **Nogrod** - light blue
* **Thorin's Halls** - dark grey
* **Thrain's Halls** - light grey

### **Ranks**

* **Lord of the Blue Mountains:** The single ruler of the entire Blue Dwarves faction who governs the players, monitors the faction, appoints dwarves to positions of power, and owns all builds for the faction.
* **Heir of the Blue Mountains:** The Heir is a Minor Lord who resides within the capital city alongside the Lord of the Blue Mountains
* **Minor Lord of the Blue Mountains:** Minor Lords are the lords of an official city of the faction. These players form the link between the King and his men.
* **Thane of the Blue Mountains:** Thanes are the heirs of the cities of the Blue Mountains. Heirs will take over should their Minor Lord be unfit to rule.
* **Royal Guard of the Blue Mountains:** The Royal Guard is an honorary position awarded to the most outstanding and hard working dwarf of the faction.
* **Citizen of the Blue Mountains:** Citizens make up the bulk of the player base, working hard to build the cities, complete the projects, and carry the faction.
* **Recruit of the Blue Mountains:** Recruits are players who have not yet paid their first tax. These players will be accepted into the faction and treated with as much respect as all other players are.
	+ \*Please note that asking for a rank is a sure enough way to not get that rank. Ranks are awarded to players who have been outstanding members of the faction and deserve their position. These positions are rarely rewarded so please don't expect to get one right off the bat

New recruits can be equipped at their request once being accepted into the faction. Armor, weapons, and food can be provided. Players will also be given food should they request it after becoming an active member. These dwarves can aspire to become well known members of society and become a member of one of the greatest, eldest, and most advanced factions to ever exist on the server!

## Sagas of the Blue Dwarves (Server History)

In the beginning of the server, a young warrior by the name of squatch\_thunder7 entered the world of Middle Earth. The world was quiet with the occasional elf and man conversing about trade agreements. He walked quietly and all alone to the great mountains in the west known as Ered Luin. It was here that the great city of Belegost had started to take root.

Not long after the Blue Mountains had been claimed by squatch, yet another dwarf chose to join the ranks of the mountains. He went by the name of iwellner45. He assisted in the first stages of Belegost and helped to supply squatch with materials needed to forge his own halls. After quite a while, iwellner became the first lord of Nogrod. He was tasked with building the wonderful forges and halls that would help further populate the Blue Mountains.

The blue dwarves were engaged in quite a few conflicts with the scavenging orcs from the mountain of Gundabad; however, both parties were reasonably friendly with each other and sometimes invited each other to their halls to see the progress being made. There were many skirmishes with the orcs and blue dwarves but many were resolved.

As the dwarves grew in number, they planned to take the Mount Gundabad back from the orcs after they heard word that the current warchief of Gundabad had abandoned his position. A host of dwarves marched from Framsburg east of the Misty Mountains and made their way to the city. The Lord of Ered Luin however, had already made the trek and knew the path so he arrived much more quickly from the west. Squatch planned to hold off the orcs himself and to have the dwarves come in to help finish off the attackers.

As Squatch made his way into his future halls and prepared the area in case of attack, an attack did indeed come. What appeared to be a dwarf bearing mithril armor strode to the gate. This "dwarf" was actually an evil orcish warlord of Angmar to the west. His armor and shield bore the mark of the ruined orc kingdom of Angmar. In the silent staredown, an orc horn sounded. Legions of orcs, many trolls, and armed wargs ran to their chief. They were halted behind him. Squatch then summoned his own party of dwarves. They were heavily outnumbered. The battle began with dwarven and orcish horns sounding in unison. The orcs took the gate as the dwarves retreated into the halls themselves. As they emerged to continue the fight, they were met by Angmar's violent warg bombardiers. These wargs slew the dwarves in massive numbers. The dwarven king was assumed dead and the orcs, successfully coming to the aid of the Gundabad orcs, returned to their ruined halls.

The dwarven king awoke in the Halls of Durin as his men stood over him. He rose and walked out into the blizzard that blew above the bloody slopes. Squatch soon learned that the halls that Durin awoke in had been bought off the orcs by the thane of Ered Luin, iwellner45 and his troop of dwarves, for 64 coins.

Many dwarves on the server had made their way to the blue mountains when they heard of a lord that would equip them and send them on their journeys. The most notable of these lords include the lords of Moria, the Iron Hills, former lords of Erebor, and even the lord of the Grey Mountains all came to the blue mountains and were equipped for their travels.

The blue dwarves often found themselves occupied with projects that weren't even theirs to complete. After iwellner went to build Durin's City, Nogrod became largely vacant and Belegost became the only real city in the mountain range. Squatch was often found working on builds such as Khazad-dum, Fornost, and even some builds in Gondor and beyond. Many wonderful trade agreements, friendships, and alliances came out 987of all these charitable acts; making the Dwarves of Ered Luin very friendly with many factions and granting them protection from many enemies.

A young player named LuckySilverStar found himself as the new Lord of Nogrod. He works very hard for the faction and is constantly helping new players find their ways into the ranks of the Blue Dwarves. Lucky has done wonderful work on the city of Nogrod and has helped it to house the majority of Blue Dwarves on the server.

After Nogrod was working nicely, a few new holds were started to further the hold of the dwarves in their realm. These halls were Zelem'an Ganad and Azran. Zelem'an Ganad's beginning came from the small island of Meneltarma to the west of Far Harad. This hold was fairly fortified and was not more than a small town. This small town was then claimed for Ered Luin and named a province of Zelem'an Ganad. Azran has a much less colorful history. It was founded by a young dwarf and was the central hold in the southern blues.

All halls and lords but those of the two capitals fell to the great quaking of the earth (another world reset). Meneltarma's dwarven rule has fallen into the sea as mysteriously as it had arrived. Many years later, the king commissioned for the abandoned forts and holds of the north to be reclaimed and as to bring wealth into the kingdom, as well as for the ruins of Thorin's Halls to be rebuilt as a training center.

With the construction of such halls, the spotlight of Middle-earth soon found its way onto the mountains of the West. While traveling, SquatchThunder found himself waylaid on the road by a Southron bandit looking for a quick kill. Believing this to be a political affair by the Astrasi on behalf of Dol Guldur who had since attacked the dwarves' kin within Khazad-dum, the Southrons under the Astrasi Empire were not to be permitted in the Blue Mountains and would be slain when seen. This inevitably and rightfully so, lead to outrage from the Serpent-lord of Near Harad. After sending his assassin forward as revenge for the blacklisting of his people, the Blue Mountains saw this as an act of war. Khazad-dum and Erebor stood alongside the Blue Mountains in war against the Southrons. In time the dwarves marched south, meeting with Dunedain and elven forces willing to aid them. After finding the capital city of Near Harad, Harnen, near abandoned and poorly defended, the dwarves and allies stormed the build, claiming it under the dwarven banner. In time the dwarves pressed farther south, across the Great Desert, to Ajiatz-al Harad, capital of the Astrasi. Preparing to mount a frontal assault on the city alongside elves and men, the dwarves found the city to be much more defended than they had first anticipated. After a battle outside, the dwarves and allies fell back, as the resources required to sack the city would be much too expensive with little to no gain. Eventually a peace accord was created between the warring states, instating a peace treaty, trade agreement, reparations, and commissioning a library to be built within Harad to house the treaty. This treaty was to be called the Treaty of Harnen, officially ending the War of Humility.

As of late, the Khazad living in Ered Luin have been busied with their own holds and creating defenses for their halls to protect from invaders. They are always welcoming and seek to create many more friendships and alliances in the majestic world of Middle-earth.

### Honorary Dead

1. iwellner45, First Lord of Nogrod, Lord of Durin's City, a Founder of the Dwarven Council
2. DamonSilverstone, Thane of Belegost and Heir to the Blue Mountains
3. LuckySilverstar, Second Lord of Nogrod
4. TechFuze45, Third Lord of Nogrod
5. Oct2pi, Fourth Lord of Nogrod
6. SquashGaming, Lord of Zelem'an Ganad
7. Tennisdude03, Lord of Azran
8. FundinThunderaxe, Minor Lord of Belegost and Heir to the Blue Mountains
9. Laferator, Fifth Lord of Nogrod
10. Balin987, First Royal Guard and First Ruler of Arvedui's Mines

**Dwarves:**
Durin's Folk •
Kingdom of Khazad-dûm •
Kingdom of Durin's Folk•
The Dwarves of the Mountains of the Wind •
Dwarves of the Red Mountains •
**Blue Dwarves** •
Dwarves of the Grey Mountains•
Northern Longbeard Dwarves

**Elves and Ents:**
High-Elves •
Rivendell •
Galadhrim •
The Avari Elves •
Wood-Elves •
Dorwinion •
Fangorn

**Orcs and Uruks:**
Angmar •
Dol Guldur •
Gundabad •
Mordor •
Isengard

**Northmen and Dúnedain**
Gondor •
Kingdom of Dale •
Rangers of the North •
The Riders of Rohan •
The Republic of Lebennin •
Dol Amroth •
Dunland •
Hobbits •
Bree •
Wood-Men of Mirkwood

**Peoples of Harad and Rhûn:**
Half-Trolls •
Morwaith •
Near Harad •
New Taurethrim Empire •
The Golden Easterlings of Rhúdel •
Eastern Tribes (Far Rhun Easterlings) •
The Variags Of Khand •
Umbar

**Disbanded factions:**
Kingdom Of Anduin •
Galdhrim •
Fire elves •
Kingdom of the Golden Wash •
Kingdom of the Isles •
Rúnandor •
Smaland •
The Northshire Republic •
Clans of the Northmen •
Lossedhil •
The Brotherhood •
Dwarves of Erebor •
Dwarves of the Iron Hills•
The Gladden Fields •
Vanwar •
Thartorogrim •
The Scourge