Question about Stonefoots, the best dwarven smiths

mastermanje · **Posted:** Fri Jul 06, 2012 4:58 pm

Well, I have a question about the live areas of dwarves: On the LOTR wiki there is an article about the Stonefoots(one of the 7 dwarven families), which learned me that tehy live inside the Orocarni mountains of Rhun, together with the Blacklocks, Stiffbeards and Ironfists. Although the Ironfists moved away after a long time to take Gundabad, the others kept their halls. It is told that the easterling emperor once attacked these holds with his entire army, but was outnumbered and lost. Now, my question is: is there any proof the dwarves are driven out of their halls there, as it'd be amazing to have an army of them, especially because they use warhammers as primary weapons, and those are my favorite weapons.

Draugluin · **Posted:** Sun Jul 08, 2012 2:51 am

I wouldn't listen to anything on the wiki about stuff east of Mordor. Most of it's made up.

Lord Hurin · **Posted:** Thu Aug 09, 2012 8:37 pm

I agree with Draugluin. Nothing about any of the other Dwarf clans was laid out by Tolkien in either the main story or the appendicies. Somewhere (though I can't remember where) he named the other four clans and said only that they arose in the East of Middle-earth. Other than what can be gleaned from their clan names (Blacklocks likely have predominantly black hair and beards, for example) they were given very little to no characterization.

Elsewhere, Tolkien does mention that every race except Elves fought on both sides during the War of the Last Alliance. It can be assumed that one or more of the eastern clans of Dwarves fought on the side of Mordor. It's also said that Dwarves from every clan fought in the War of the Dwarves and Orcs because every clan considered Thror to be the heir of the father of their race.

Glorfindriel · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2012 9:23 am

Mastermanje, you are right. Tolkien does talk of the Eastern Dwarves (see HoME 12, The Peoples of Middle Earth). The four Tribes you mention arose in two places - the Irons and Stiffs in one, the Blacks and Stones in another, both places being as far East or farther from Gundabad (originally a Dwarven city) as Gandabad was from the Blue Mountains. Tolkien says despite this distance, they sent aid to their Western kindred, and that they sent delegates for assemblies. They were great and hardy travellers and skilled road-makers (and all Dwarves spoke the same tongue).

mastermanje · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2012 1:51 pm

Is that true?! Than I'll start creating warriors and other minis for them

Oldman Willow · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2012 2:30 pm

Quote:

I agree with Draugluin. Nothing about any of the other Dwarf clans was laid out by Tolkien in either the main story or the appendicies. Somewhere (though I can't remember where) he named the other four clans and said only that they arose in the East of Middle-earth. Other than what can be gleaned from their clan names (Blacklocks likely have predominantly black hair and beards, for example) they were given very little to no characterization.

You are correct it is not in the main work or the main appendicitis. However, it is in the History of Middle Earth as Glorfindriel pointed out.

mastermanje · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2012 3:09 pm

So, that'd mean much stuff to make up for them, they'd need a whole new line of kings, they'd probably've got contact with allatar or pallando, which would mean there'd be a chance they'd have learned how to use magic. I could make up rules for warhammers, or even granite armor(although heavy, very durable). That'd mean a new fan made army book.

Glorfindriel · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2012 3:39 pm

Well, the info I gave you is I'm fairly sure about all we have, so it would be difficult to flesh out those very bare bones. It would all be highly speculative, very highly. But the speculation should, I think be based on sound research in the indirect sources.

The East is big and what happened to the Blue Wizards is unknown. It's unlikely the Dwarves of the East would learn magic, as the Western Dwarves, who had far more exposure to such, did not learn much to speak of. My understanding of Dwarves is that it was not in their nature to do so (but as a Minnónar, I could be wrong!)

Doubtless they came into contact with Men. In the early days these may have been Good but for much of the history the men of the East seem to have been mostly Evil. It seems likely to me these Dwarves would have had prolongued wars with the men of the East but these would likely have been primarily defensive.

Would they have contact with the Avari Elves? Maybe... The Longbeards were the most secretive and proud of the Tribes according to Tolkien, so the Eastern Dwarves would be less so. Would they have got along better with Elves? Then again the Avari themselves were secretive and less 'civilised' than the Eldar.

The big shift/destruction in the planet's surface at the end of the First Age drained the huge inland sea (the Sea of Rhun was a small remenant of this) and would have affected the Dwarves in the East greatly.

But it is an interesting area, the whole East... at th very least you could have a contingent aiding the Dwarves of the West seeings as T said directly they sent help when needed.

Lord Hurin · **Posted:** Fri Aug 10, 2012 8:29 pm

Oldman Willow wrote:

You are correct it is not in the main work or the main appendicitis. However, it is in the History of Middle Earth as Glorfindriel pointed out.

Ah, excellent thanks. Which volume is it in?

Oldman Willow · **Posted:** Sat Aug 11, 2012 3:32 am

Quote:

Which volume is it in

12 the People of Middle Earth http://www.amazon.com/The-Peoples-Middl ... 0395827604

Lord Hurin · **Posted:** Sat Aug 11, 2012 12:26 pm

Ah, bugger! I have 1-3 and 5-9. Somehow I managed to pick up multiple copies of several of them... Going to see if I can't scour some used book shops for the others.

Thanks for the info though

Question about Stonefoots, the best dwarven smiths

Who is online