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I was curious as to if others have thought about or actually made changes to the C7 official works, by changing characters, events, timing, adding, subtracting things etc...and if so how?

I've spent some time on fleshing out the regions of western Eriador, the Blue Mountains and Lindon that go beyond what is presented in Journeys & Maps and even Tolkien's legendarium. I've provided names for a number of features on the maps and added notes on several previously undocumented communities in the area.

Western Eriador
Aegathir ... 'Fell Spy' is a Fell Wraith sent to search the ruins of Annúminas for relics of the fallen North-kingdom. Once a captain of Arthedain, he no longer remembers his true name.
Anthorp ... Mannish trading post on the west bank of the River Lhûn about 110 miles from Mithlond.
Aracáras ... 'Royal City' the ruined capital of Cardolan located on the east bank of the Baranduin south of the Barrow-downs.
Carchelek ... 'Ice Fang' a Warg/White Wolf hybrid who leads a pack of White Wolves in East Lune.
Siruial ... 'Twilight River' flowing out of the Hills of Evendim to become a tributary of the River Lhûn.
The Rabbit Hole ... A tavern located in Greenfields in the Shire.
Totóru ... Lossoth hunter and potential guide who might be found in the upper marches of East Lune.

Northern Blue Mountains
Aguta ... 'Gatherer of the Dead' an ancient female Cold-drake who settled just below the Great Spear after the ruin of Angband.
Cirith Forod ... 'North Pass' a secret pass through the mountains known only to the Lossoth.
Cirith Nogrod ... 'Hollowbold Pass' a hidden passage through the Blue Mountains that makes use of portions of the old Dwarf-road.
Great Spear ... northernmost spur of the Blue Mountains, extending northeast to the Ice Bay of Forochel.
Halls of Thorin ... assumed to be separate from the Halls of the Dwarves near the source of the Lesser Lhûn. Located on the eastern side of the Ered Luin about 75 miles north of the Grey Havens. Now an embassy of Erebor.

Southern Blue Mountains
Draupnir Forkbeard ... King of Hargrod descended from the Dwarves of Nogrod; distrustful of all Elves.
Emyn Romen ... 'Hills of Sunrise' is a line of hills extending eastwards from the Southern Blue Mountains.
Hargrod ... 'South Delving' is a Dwarf-city in the Southern Blue Mountains just north of the Emyn Romen.
Mount Baldy ... Easternmost peak of the Emyn Romen; location of a ruined Arnorian fortress.

Forlindon
Barad Mithlond ... 'Tower of the Grey Havens' lighthouse and fortress constructed by Gil-galad at the northern point of the Gulf of Lune.
Bay of Thargelion ... Bay in Forlindon located about 30 miles south and east of the remains of Mount Rerir. Called the 'Bay of Himling' on some Númenórean maps.
Faernen ... Maia inhabiting the river Vingelion.
Hadorion ... Sinda Elf commander of Barad Mithond and brother of Thandorion.
Taur-na-Forod ... 'Forest of the North' located just north of the source of the river Vingelion. Called Taur-na-Gelion by the High Elves under Gil-galad.
Taur-nu-Ered ... 'Forest under the Mountains' located south of Mount Dolmed.
Vingelion ... 'New Gelion' river that starts in the Blue Mountains to the north of Mount Dolmed, flowing into the harbor of Forlond in the Gulf of Lune.

Harlindon
Amon Harlond ... 'Hill of South Haven' a small fortress constructed on a rise on the eastern end of Harlond, built to defend the Grey Havens.
Taur-en-Ephel ... 'The Fencing Forest' rings the southernmost part of the Southern Blue Mountains from west to east.
Thandorion ... Sinda Elf harbormaster of Harlond and commander of the fortress of Amon Harlond. Brother of Hadorion.

Again that is impressive.

In your opinion, Southron, are the Halls of the Dwarves in the Blue Mountains supposed to be where Thráin and his followers settled after the War of the Dwarves and Orcs? That could be what is intended, but it seems to me to be too far north. Journeys & Maps gives no clear answer.

By the way, in my head-canon Dís, sister of Thorin Oakenshield, did return to Erebor. However, she found it unbearably sad for her to remain and returned to her former halls in the Blue Mountains where she oversees the upkeep of the Embassy of Erebor and is a highly respected (if unconventional) figure among the Dwarves.

Dís daughter of Thráin
Dís is the only daughter of Thráin II. She is the sister of the late Thorin Oakenshield and mother to the brothers Fili and Kili who perished defending their uncle in the Battle of Five Armies. Lady Dís joined the rest of her folk in returning to Lonely Mountain after it was reclaimed from the dragon Smaug. However, after a period of mourning for her sons and brother Thorin, she found that she could not remain there; the memories associated with Erebor were far too painful for her. Dís was only ten years old when Smaug claimed the Mountain. Many of her friends and their families were killed by the dragon and devoured. Her younger brother Frerin was slain years later by Orcs in the Battle of Azanulbizar. Most of her happy memories were of the Blue Mountains, where she grew to womanhood in the Halls of Thorin, met her husband-to-be, wed and bore two strong sons.

In T.A. 2944 Dís returned to the Blue Mountains and became the Lady of the Halls of Thorin. She acts as the Mistress of the Halls, ensuring that they are well maintained and that chambers are kept ready for envoys from Erebor, the Iron Hills and the other Dwarf-kingdoms and for special guests. She is educated and wise, and can also be stubborn and opinionated. She is also far too old to be bothered with customs she considers to be outdated nonsense. While Lady Dís carries an air of grace and dignity, she also defies the dwarven convention of 'dressing down' in the manner of a male for outsiders and when in public. Dís is typically garbed in hooded, white dwarven mourning robes, elegant and tasteful. While many conservative Dwarves are scandalized by this, she has accumulated a following among the younger set, especially with Dwarf-women who are themselves widowed or have determined never to marry.

Attribute Level: 8
Specialities: Rhymes of Lore, Leechcraft, Trading
Distinctive Features: Bold, Lordly, Robust
Relevant Skills: Courtesy ♦♦♦♦, Insight ♦♦♦♦♦, Lore ♦♦♦♦

Otaku-sempai wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 08, 2017 7:22 am

In your opinion, Southron, are the Halls of the Dwarves in the Blue Mountains supposed to be where Thráin and his followers settled after the War of the Dwarves and Orcs? That could be what is intended, but it seems to me to be too far north. Journeys & Maps gives no clear answer.

IIRC in ROTK appendix A on Dwarves it states that Thrain and his followers did return to the Blue Mountains. Your write up about Dis is pretty awesome. For what little we know of her, she has always been an interesting character to me.

Southron wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 08, 2017 9:29 pm

IIRC in ROTK appendix A on Dwarves it states that Thrain and his followers did return to the Blue Mountains. Your write up about Dis is pretty awesome. For what little we know of her, she has always been an interesting character to me.

Yes, we do know that the refugees from Erebor settled in the Northern Blue Mountains. I'm just not certain that their halls would have been that far north. I favor about where Karen Wynn Fonstad placed them in The Atlas of Middle-earth. However, her dates for the occupancy of Thorin's Halls should probably be 2802-2942 as the Quest of Erebor was in 2941 and Durin's Folk in the Blue Mountains would not have been able to return to the Lonely Mountain until the next Spring.

I see. Yes, in that case, the Southern end of the Blue Mountains would have been my guess too. Perhaps some trade with Mithlond and always thought that is where the East-West road ended.

Well, the Great East-West Road would have ended at either the Tower Hills or Mithlond. The Dwarves doubtless would have used another path to travel north and south along the Ered Luin, possibly not one that would have been accounted a 'good road'. In game terms: A "well-trodden track or path" that would allow easy travel (modifier x1) through otherwise hard terrain.

Yes, I was too focused on the rpg time period. The road once went to Beleriand.

Southron wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 09, 2017 2:16 am

Yes, I was too focused on the rpg time period. The road once went to Beleriand.

You mean the old Dwarf-road and not the Great East Road, right? I placed my pass Cirith Nogrod at the point where the Dwarves of the First Age would have crossed the Ered Luin, just south of Mount Dolmed. The Great East Road would not have been built yet during the First Age. The Dwarves would have used a route that would have taken them to the West Gate of Khazad-dûm.