[Kransha]

Interesting things to remember about the dwarves that dwelled in the east...

Well, we know that there were 7 original dwarf fathers. One of them was Durin the Deathless, originator of Durin's Folk. Also there were the unamed fathers of the "Broadbeam" and "Firebeard" clans who founded Belegost and Nogrod in the Blue Mountains. There are still 4 dwarf fathers remaining. We are told (I believe in the Silmarillion), that those 4 were "born" in pairs in the far east and began two or more other unamed dwarf clans somewhere around the Water of Awakening or the eastern mountains. Who knows? There may still be remnants of a Moria-esque dwarf underground kingdom in the Orocarni Mountains.

So, in conclusion, there are at least 2 whole dwarf clans somewhere in the east. What happened to them? We also have the Avari and we couldn't forget the Blue Wizards, Alatar and Pallando. There have, I think, been several threads on the subject of the Blue Wizards who remained in the east, but no resolution about the dwarves and elves who lived "way out east", far from the rest of the world.

Also, what of the great beasts of Middle-Earth? The west, were LotR takes place, is only a small portion of Arda. What of dragons? It is most likely that the last great dragon, namely Smaug, was deceased during the War of the Ring, but couldn't there still be a few petty uruloki dwelling in the southeast or northeast lands of Arda? A few smaller, less imposing monsters of Melkor loosed from Angband?

Finally, what of Balrogs? Is it possible that another creature rivaling Durin's Bane might lurk in the east, terrorizing the Easterlings or some such thing? There are still a lot of Balrog deaths unnacounted for after the wars against Melkor.