Tears of Mirrormere Discussion Thread

[piosenniel]

Legate of Amon Lanc’s character:

NAME: Óin son of Gróin

AGE: 220

RACE: Dwarf of Durin's Folk

GENDER: Male

WEAPONS: Short broad sword made of steel, forged in Dáin the King's forges under the Mountain. A curved knife he keeps behind his belt. He has also a shortbow of oakwood, which he does not carry with him all the time, and a quiver of currently fourteen arrows he does not redeplete.

APPEARANCE: Óin is not very tall for a Dwarf, maybe a bit shorter than average. He is heavyset, but he was never particularly fat, even during his rich years in Erebor, and the stay in Moria did not help it much. He wears a short white beard and has almost shoulder-long white hair. He has bright blue eyes and wears brown hooded cloak, almost all the time having a light chain shirt underneath it, except when sleeping, but even that may change under drastic circumstances. Besides that, he has a leather cap which protects his ears, and sometimes wears with it an iron skull cap of dwarven warriors.

PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES: Óin is a true scout. He is very curious, but also stealthy, cautious, but at times also reckless and not thinking well enough in advance and not evaluating all possibilities. His personality is rather quiet generally, but when it comes to him, he can get really angry and start a fight because of otherwise unimportant things. He is stubborn, most of all, and when he chooses to do something, nobody will convince him otherwise. This played a role in his choice to go with Balin to reclaim Moria.

Óin is not very clever nor he has especially good memory, but there are certain things he remembers well and which simply stuck in his mind. He has a very good orientation sense and good memory when it comes to "architectonic" things: he can remember blueprints, he can even make them, he remembers instructions for various processes and is capable of thinking of directions needed to take to reach certain goal. He is not capable of that much manual work, unless it is connected with some mechanic work which follows a certain set of actions.

He is very good in making fire, he can light a fire almost in any circumstances even with the smallest bit of resources. He always carries a tinder-box with him, what more, he usually has one in reserve had he lost the first one, and that one he is carrying in his backpack (the other one is in his belt pouch).

HISTORY: Óin was born in 2774 TA and spent his childhood in Dunland, where he lived with his family among the folk of Thráin son of Thrór in exile. When he was 25 (very young still), he fought alongside his father in Azanulbizar. Thus, he was in the first assault lead by Thráin, and was among the others pushed back into the wood, and there he was separated from his father, as a large group of swift Orcs split the Dwarves. There he saw his uncle Fundin fall to a large Orc, who was later killed by Balin, who alone remained with Óin in the end, pushed to the corner by goblins, until Thráin came to their aid with Dwalin and others. At that time, Náin's folk at least came, and the Orcs were pushed back, but Óin did not rejoin his father until the end of the battle, and he did not see the battle in front of the gate when Azog was slain, and they were battling the Orcs who first assailed, but later tried to defend themselves in the woods, and they were there all night. Thráin had one eye blinded, and Óin was slashed to his arm by a poisoned Orc scimitar, and he nearly fainted. But by the morning, everything was well, and they joined the victors.

Óin was slightly disappointed when the Dwarves did not reclaim Khazad-Dûm after the victory in Azanulbizar, but his father was serious and told him that he is too young and too rash to understand, reminding him also of the death of his uncle.

In the following years, Óin was living with Balin and the rest of Thráin and Thorin's folk in Dunland, but shortly after they moved to the Blue Mountains. Óin partially did, but partially did not like that change: they could not see anymore the Mountains of Moria in clear morning air; they were longing for that sight, but at the same time they knew how it hurt to see them and know that underneath them, the halls of their fathers lie dark and empty.

Half a century later, Thráin left with several companions for a journey; Óin stayed behind, despite his good friend Balin went, too. But some time later, Balin and the others returned, saying that they lost Thráin. Since then, Balin seemed a bit different, but Óin kept close to him. Nothing interesting was happening until the time when Thorin Oakenshield gathered those of his folk for the journey to Erebor. Óin and his brother Glóin were there, too, and they got to know Bilbo Baggins, and went as far as Erebor and after Smaug's death, they fought in the Battle of the Five Armies alongside Thorin. This was for the second time when Óin fought alongside Balin surrounded by a host of enemies, and saw his friends die.

For the following half a century, he lived in Erebor, helping in arranging the trade with the Lake-Town and the rebuilding of the town of Dale. When the power and splendor of the Kingdom under the Mountain grew, many started to talk about re-occupying Moria. Óin was among those who accepted this from the beginning, he wanted to visit Khazad-Dûm and see for himself what treasures may lie there. And when Balin agreed to go, he was among those who wasted no time to join him and go.

During their first days there, Óin once again fought alongside Balin, but this time as victorious returned exiles, they claimed the Chamber of Mazarbul and Óin explored all the chambers he could, he went alone on several expeditions, supported by knowledge from old records provided by Ori. The most important was his discovery of the upper armouries on Third Deep.


LINKED TO PLAYER - CHARACTER LIST ~*~ Pio

[piosenniel]

FIRST POST FOR THE GAME:

From the quill of loremaster Drok . . .

Here in lies the tale of the realm of Khazad-dûm, and the dwarves, who with Balin, son of Fundin, set out on a quest to drive the Orcs out of their ancient colony in hopes of restoring the colony to its former glory. Before it became a place of dread and the Eldar renamed it Moria: The Black Chasm. The tale that you are about to read is about the final days of Balin's glorious re-conquering of Khazad-dûm and of the brave Dwarves who travelled with him. Among these most notable of dwarves were Oin, brother of Gloin, and Ori, the scribe of the company and Balin’s good friend. Many years before Oin and Ori had travelled with Balin on Thorin Oakenshield’s quest for Erebor. The bold quest has also been answered by the call of many warriors: Loni and Nali, brothers, who were also joined by Frar and Floi, fabled for their skill with the axe and bow. The mightiest of those to answer the call was Tror, lieutenant to Balin on the quest. Many other followers came with Balin, but there number is too numerable to be listed here with due respect, and the heart could not bear the pain to recant what has become of them, but let us not be getting ahead of ourselves.

Let me start at the beginning. My name is Drok, a lore master and once scribe of King Dain. I have been charged with telling you this tale to preserve the memory of my kinsman. This tale took place many decades ago when I was young, a mere scribe in the service of the king. It was many years ago that Balin called together the high council of Erebor, he would not reveal the intent of the meeting but insisted that the it was of the highest importance and that the King call for one to convene at the earliest time possible. So it was late at night, deep under the roof of the mountain that Balin revealed a plan of magnanimous proportions: to conquer, nay, take back the city of Khazad-dûm that Men call Dwarrowdelf and the Elves, Moria. King Dain met Balin’s plan with dismay and pronounced that it cannot be, though the entire council was against him. Through many arguments and rash words Dain reasoned with the nobles and won most of them back on his side, but when the King saw that Balin's will was still adamant, he pleaded with his friend to forget the futile idea. It is worth noting at this moment that it was he, Dain II Ironfoot, who long ago had fought in the great battle of Azanulbizar on the very threshold of Khazad-dûm, and dared to look past the gate into the ancient realm. King Dain had long ago prophesized that another power, greater than the dwarves, would have to come before Durin’s Folk could again settle in the halls of their fathers. However, Balin was unmoved by the king’s words and insisted that it could be done and the threat that had loomed there before had long been gone. Such passion was aroused in the in some of the nobles that Dain dared not hinder them lest the gap between them grow wider. Thus it was that Balin set out from Erebor with a mighty company of dwarves all bound for Khazad-dûm, but without King Dain’s blessing. The king grieved for the departure of his friend, knowing that the quest could not meet any other destiny but ruin.

It was after many days and nights of traveling they came within sight of the hallowed mountains, in ages long past their ancestors had called home. Thus it was that the host came to the Eastern gate, surprised and slew the Orc garrison gathered there. The dwarves rushed into their new home with hopes and anger running high. They swarmed over The Bridge of Khazad-dûm before the Orcs could gather in sufficient numbers to repel them and fought their way, through the First and Second Halls, to the Twenty-First Hall where a great melee ensued. Floi fell in the battle, but so great was the fury and might of the dwarves at his death that no Orc opposed them for long. It was lastly the Goblin Chief sprang from his lair in a desperate attempt to drive Balin out or kill him in the attempt, but Balin proved the better fighter, he was on sacred ground and nothing would drive him from it. So it was that Balin slew the great Goblin Chieftain and a great rout began to take place as the Orcs tried to scatter, no Orc ever dared enter Khazad-dûm again for five years.

It was after this victory that Balin found the Axe and Helm of Durin cast aside in some heap of rubble, discarded by the Orcs in fear of its memory. The relics were handled with the greatest of reverence, steel of the helm was undimmed and the blades of the axe were still sharp, and Balin claimed these for his own. A throne was erected in the Chamber of Mazarbul and it was with the greatest joy that the dwarves proclaimed Balin their King, Uzbad Khazaddûmu, lord of Khazad-dûm!

Balin’s people went to work in the following years repairing the evil wrought by the Orcs. Many chambers and halls were explored and the mines were once again being worked in. The halls of Khazad-dûm shone again with a brilliant light and the grander of days long past had been restored. There it was that delver mined and the mason built, weapons were made and gems were uncovered; but of the greatest of all these delights was the true substance for which Khazad-dûm was known for: Mithril, true silver was once again uncovered.

For years there was great prosperity, the miner worked with joy, the graver renewed the faded words and symbols upon the pillars and gates, and the smith made many weapons of great quality. Many expeditions were sent to explore farther and the dwarves mined in deep shafts that were long forgotten. Thus it was that Oin, son of Groin, made plans with Balin to set out from the Twenty- First hall in search of the armories of the Third Deep. It was not until many weeks later that Oin returned with new that he had driven the last remaining remnant of the Orcs from Khazad-dûm, and he returned with scores of weapons and armour from the armouries of the Third Deep.

It was on November the 10th, in the year 2994 of the Third Age that Balin ushered forth from Khazad-dûm, accompanied by his closest companions, to look upon Kheled-zâram, that Men call Mirrormere, a lake at the mouth of Azanulbizar, the Dimrill Dale. It was at this lake that Durin the Deathless the Father of Durin’s People, looked into the water of Kheled-zâram and saw a crown of stars above his head, and it was he who founded the great city of Khazad-dûm.

It had been nearly five years since the dwarves drove the Orcs out of the halls. Everything was as it was in the days of Durin, but it would be short lived. The Orcs of the Misty Mountains had been stirred by rumors of wealth that the dwarves had accumulated during their stay; an army had been mustered and was marching on the Eastern gate that very day. Yet something far more fearful had been aroused in the depths of Khazad-dûm’s mines, Durin’s Bane was aroused and his anger was great.

May it please you gentle reader to hear now the recounting of Balin, son of Fundin, and the brave dwarves who accompanied him. Draw closer to my fire and harken to the tale of my kinsman and how they gave their last full measure of courage in the halls of Khazad-dûm.

~ Groin Redbeard

[piosenniel]

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