Are you gaming against Canon and if so how?

[Otaku-sempai]

The canon actually supports the existence of villages near the Trollshaws. In ‘Roast Mutton’ the Trolls discuss that they have devoured a village and a half since descending from the mountains.

Yes. That doesn't mean that there was necessarily an actual village or three nearby, but there were at least enough farmholds in the area to make it seem like the Trolls had devoured about a village and a half Men between them (though at least some of those victims were travelers). And someone had to be raising those sheep.

[Glorelendil]

And someone had to be raising those sheep.

Either that or they are Shargs, an intelligent and evil variety of sheep, known to ally with goblins...

[Halbarad]

That is possible OS.

Have a think on this though. For the Trolls to make the comparison, they will have to know what a village is. I don’t believe that Trolls are hugely long lived and thus they must have encountered actual villages quite recently.

Unless, of course, they have simply devoured the inhabitants of a farm and a half and actually have no idea what constitutes a village.

I think that I prefer the earlier option.

Edit: My take on Trolls is that they are not clever enough to deal in anything other than literal interpretation.

[Glorelendil]

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Edit: My take on Trolls is that they are not clever enough to deal in anything other than literal interpretation.

Same here.

[Otaku-sempai]

Edit: My take on Trolls is that they are not clever enough to deal in anything other than literal interpretation.

If we take a close look at the Trolls' dialogue we might find that this is not entirely true; though if Bilbo's account is accurate, they do seem to be awfully literal-minded. But let's not get bogged down in that much detail! This isn't the thread for that.

I am working on a fairly detailed write-up for my Dwarf-city of Hargrod in the southern Ered Luin. I probably won't be posting it in the House Rules forum as I plan to submit it to Doug for the Hall of Fire webzine. Besides the all-new material, I've revised some of my previous notes, including clarifying the precise location of the delving. Unfortunately I am not much of an artist so I don't think I'll have a map, not even an exterior rendering similar to the bird's eye view of Erebor in the Erebor sourcebook.

[Halbarad]

I look forward to seeing what you have come up with OS.

[Otaku-sempai]

I look forward to seeing what you have come up with OS.

Here's a preview:

Draupnir, Lord of Hargrod
Draupnir son of Dolgthrasir, also called Draupnir Forkbeard, is the current Lord of the Dwarf-city of Hargrod. He is the grandson of the previous Lord, Baugi son of Brokkir, who against all odds sired three children--all daughters. Dolgthrasir is descended from the Dwarf-city of Nogrod. It is rumoured that Dolgthrasir is heir to the throne of Nogrod; however, any records that would prove his claim are either destroyed or lost. He won renown in the War of the Dwarves and Orcs, returning to Hargrod to successfully court Baugi’s eldest daughter. However, when it came time for Lord Baugi to declare an heir he chose his grandson over his son-in-law or one of his nephews, a move that disconcerted many of his folk.

Lord Draupnir sees himself as a wise ruler; however, he recalls with bitterness the tales of the treatment his folk received long ago at the hands of the Elf-king Thingol. Draupnir and his closest advisors are distrustful of all Elves. He also worries about the security of his realm and might be susceptible to overtures from agents of the Enemy if he feels that they might strengthen his position.

Attribute Level: 8
Specialities: Old-lore, Rhymes of Lore
Distinctive Features: Stern, Suspicious
Relevant Skills: Axe: ♦♦♦, Battle: ♦♦, Courtesy: ♦♦♦, Insight ♦♦, Lore ♦♦♦♦
Endurance: 26

Note: No Lord of Hargrod has taken the title of King, as the Line of Azaghâl (Lord of the Dwarves of Belegost) continues unbroken: first in Moria, until T.A. 1981 when the Dwarves were driven out by Durin's Bane; relocated to the Hall of the Dwarves in the northern Blue Mountains. Of course this is all just speculation on my part.

Does anyone have any suggestions concerning the last Lord of Nogrod? Did he or his heirs survive the War of Wrath? Did he (or any of the Dwarves of Nogrod) resettle in Moria? Did the folk of Nogrod remain and found the Halls of the Dwarves in the northern Ered Luin? (That would explain why they were established so far from the Gulf of Lune, though a reliable water supply might be enough of a reason.) Do the Halls of the Dwarves even pre-date Thrain and his followers' arrival in the Blue Mountains? Did the Longbeards settle in a different location?

[Vartholkur]

This sounds great Otaku-sempai!

I am really glad I found this forum. And I look forward to that Hall of Fire issue. The Ered Luin Dwarves were another one of those interesting side details that gets thrown out, and never expanded on. So it will be cool to see your treatment of them.

BTW In my campaign dwarves from Ered Luin wear blue hoods, those from the Lonely Mountain, red hoods, from the Grey Mountains, grey hoods. It's a random detail I threw out one night that my players attached some significance too, so when I accidentally described a traveling dwarf as having a BLACK hood they began speculating on where they might be from, and who they were ("it can't just be the iron hills, too obvious," said one suspicious Ranger PC). Since it was a too casual description of an unimportant NPC on my part, I have NO idea where this dwarf is from, or what the deal with the black hoods is. (Were there black dwarfs in Narnia? I cannot remember).

Anyway, yet another opportunity to go off canon presents itself.

[Otaku-sempai]

Maybe the Dwarf with a black hood was an exile and/or from one of the eastern Houses (Ironfists, Stiffbeards, Blacklocks or Stonefoots).

I finished my draft for a detailed write-up for Hargrod, and I've submitted it to Doug. He's got a few manuscripts from me now, so if Hargrod does appear in HoF, it might take a while! I'm hoping that he will include it and my "A TOR Guide to the Blue Mountains" in the same issue.

I incorporated a couple of borrowings from Tolkien's larger legendarium: A mention of Lord Azaghâl of Belegost (The Silmarillion); and references to the Line of Naugladur, King of Nogrod (The Book of Lost Tales).

[Rich H]

Some of the comments on here are interesting. Many are classing things as 'gaming against canon' which I'd just class as 'filling in the gaps'.

Has anyone made some really significant changes to elements that Tolkien described/documented at all? What have your campaigns been like?

I just ask because depending on what happens I could be on the verge of this in my campaign: although the PCs defeated the Gibbet King in the last adventure of Tales from Wilderland, they failed to deal with Raenar who now resides in the watchtower and his planning his next conquest. A dragon of such power could really shape the future of the north which could ripple out to other areas, unless he is defeated.