The year is 2804 of the Second Age of Middle-earth,
the place is in the far northern land, later to be known as Rhovanion.
A realm of scrublands and undulating plateaus of upthrust limestone, these
lands suffer under the scouring cold of the winds that sweep down from
the lofty peaks of the Grey Mountains (S."Ered Mithrin") for many months
of the year. A land of short seasons, these rugged steppes are nonetheless
partially protected to the east by the bulk of the Iron hills (S."Emyn
Angren"), so named after the great quantities of ore to be found there.
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The domain of Dwarves for many centuries, the Iron Hills and Grey Mountains
are now home to those that hold their allegiances to both Durin the Deathless
and his sibling, King Thelor. However, not only do the mountain fasts ring
to the echoes of Dwarven hammers. Here too have come Goblin tribes out
of the north and west and fearful Drakes once again roar in the wastes
of the Withered Heath from where they brought terror and destruction in
ages gone by. Both the Grey Mountains and the Iron Hills are part of a
larger ancient chain of mountains that linked them to their sister range,
the Barl Syrnac mountains in the east, during the first days of the world.
At one time, a formidable line of peaks, the Iron Mountains (S."Ered Engrin")
rose impossibly high to scratch the roof of the world and reached far across
the north land from the Eastern Sea to the great Belegaer in the west.
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They stood as an interminable barrier into the realm of eternal darkness,
the domain of Morgoth the Dark Enemy. Melkor, one of the mightiest servants
of the One God - Eru Illuvatar, had rebelled against the command of his
master and sought to destroy all that his siblings had created in the dawn
of the world.In answer to his treason, he was thrown down from his former position and
passed from the Undying Lands into Endor, retreating behind the lofty barrier
of the Iron Mountains to plot his return. For ever after was he known as
Morgoth the Dark Enemy for evil was in his heart and in his mind for all
creatures of the light.In great pits beneath the northern waste did he
create foul creatures of evil and hatred and loosed them through rifts
in the Iron Mountains to destroy and harass all that lived in the southern
lands. So great was this effect and the fear that the Valar had for the
safety of the Firstborn Children of Eru, that they swept down as a great
host upon Morgoth's realm and rent the land asunder in their righteous
victory. It was a cause of this retribution that the great peaks of the
Iron Mountains were thrown down and their deep roots torn up and laid waste
until only the remnants of those once fearful mounts still rise towards
the stars, forming a barrier to the frozen wastes into which only a few
will venture.
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