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2007-03-26T19:50:32Z

Dain Ironfoot: War of the Dwarves and of the Orcs

War of the Dwarves and of the Orcs

It was a war fought in the Misty Mountains between 2793 and 2799. The Dwarves led by Thrain II declared war on the Orcs of the Misty Mountains in 2790 after the Orc-leader Azog killed Thrain's father Thror at the gates of Moria. For three years, Dwarves from different houses and different parts of Middle-earth gathered to form a great army. In 2793 they launched an attack against the Orcs.

Many battles were fought in the caves and tunnels beneath the Misty Mountains. The Dwarves sacked the Orc stronghold of Mount Gundabad as well as numbers of others. The Dwarves had superior weapons and strength, and they were driven by their desire to find and punish Azog. After six years of fighting the Orcs of the Misty Mountains had retreated to Moria.

The Battle of Azanulbizar:
In 2799, the final battle of the war was fought outside the East-gate of Moria in the valley the Dwarves call Azanulbizar also known as the Dimrill Dale. The Dwarves came into the valley on a dark winter day and found that they were outnumbered by an army of Orcs positioned on the mountain slopes, with more coming from the East-gate.

Thrain led the first assault, but his troops were driven into the woods around Mirrormere. Many Dwarves were killed including Fundin and Thrain's youngest son Frerin. Thrain was wounded, as well as his eldest son Thorin, who lost his shield and used an oak branch in its place, earning him the nickname Oakenshield.

Later in the day a troop of fresh warriors arrived from the Iron Hills led by Nain. They advanced all the way to the East-gate, where Nain challenged Azog to come out. Azog responded and he fought with Nain on the doorstep. Nain was tired and angry and as he struck out a Azog, the Orc kicked him in the leg, causing him to stumble, and then broke his neck. Nain's son Dain Ironfoot avenged his father by beheading Azog.

The tide of the battle had turned in favor of the Dwraves. Many Orcs were slain, and the rest fled southward. The Dwarves were victorious but they had lost too many. Half their army had been gravely wounded or killed. They could not build stone tombs as was their custom for so many dead, so they were forced to burn the bodies. Afterwards the fallen of the Battle of Azanulbizar were proudly referred to as the "burned dwarves"

After the battle, Thrain wanted to reclaim Moria, but the others refused. They were to weak to hold Moria against the return of the Orcs, and Dain warned Thrain that the Balrog still lurked within. The Dwarves returned to their homes, and Thrain's people - who were driven from the Lonely Mountain years before - relocated to the Blue Mountains.

Some Orcs fled to the White Mountains, where they troubled Rohan, but others returned to their tunnels beneath the Misty Mountains and rebuilt their strength. The Orcs were later led to another defeat in the Battle of Five Armies by Azog's son Bolg, but the MIsty Mountains and Moria were still infested with Orcs until the end of the Third Age.

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