Arcane Topic Warning: Part the Third

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I still believe there would have been some kind of continuing continental commerce between the Houses.

Sure. More so, I don't see it unlikely that there would be commerce between Dwarves and some clans of Orcs too. Apart from other hints of this already mentioned I believe, the episode that led to the War of the Dwarves and the Orcs is quite telling. When Thrór was killed the name AZOG was written on his face in Dwarf-runes. That some Orcs would have knowledge of Dwarf-runes to me suggests that the contacts between the two Peoples weren't exclusively hostile. And even more telling is the bag of spare change that the Orcs threw at Thrór's companion: his beggar's fee, "a few coins of little worth". That insult would be quite lost if not both parties were familiar with the currency.