The Seven Dwarven Rings
Sauron was furious when he first put on the Ruling Ring and discovered that he was unable to control Durin III, the Dwarf-king who still wore one of the Seven given to him by the E...
Sauron was furious when he first put on the Ruling Ring and discovered that he was unable to control Durin III, the Dwarf-king who still wore one of the Seven given to him by the E...
Sauron was furious when he first put on the Ruling Ring and discovered that he was unable to control Durin III, the Dwarf-king who still wore one of the Seven given to him by the Elf-lord Celebrimbor. Durin III, like all Naugrim, was difficult to comprehend and did not submit to domination. Some legends say that he was somehow affected by his Ring of Power when he rejected Celebrimbor's pleas for aid for the defense of Eregion and, later, refuge within the West Gate for the Noldo's beleaguered people. Unreal fears of having to divide the wealth of Khazad-dum may have surfaced, with or without Sauron's prodding.
Dwarven tales, however, hold that the Dwarf-king acted out of concern for his own people, knowing that the defense of Eregion was fruitless and that the Dwarven city was too gravely endangered to risk opening the gates. A chaotic migration of fleeing Elves might have brought doom. In any case, Durin III withheld aid when it was sorely needed, and the Elves never forgave him or his kindred. From that day forth, the many of the Elven peoples sustained an enduring hate for Durin's Folk, and the Ring might bear much of the blame for this. (Only the Elves of Lórien, Galadriel's followers, maintained friendship with the Dwarves.)
The others now called Khazad-dum "Moria, the Black Chasm." The greatest of the Dwarven Rings was thereafter long kept hidden, but other Dwarves believed that Sauron had discovered its location and persecuted the Kings of Durin's Folk for that reason. (Sauron recovered it from Thrain in Dol Guldur in T.A. 2845.) Although the end of the War Between the Elves and Sauron concluded an era of turmoil, the Dwarves counted the remainder of the Second Age as "Accursed Years." Sauron retired to Mordor and slowly nursed his wounds. Quiet ruled, but the Dark Lord's malice still lurked. Despite his repose, the Evil One touched the Dwarves soon after his retreat from Eriador. Direct force had failed, so he decided to apply other means of control.
Agents bearing the remaining six of the Seven Rings of Power approached Durin's fellow Dwarfkings. Sauron hoped that the Rings would enable him to sway the Dwarves, but the Dwarven Lords, like Durin III, did not submit to the Abhorred One's will. Once again, the Khazûd foiled the Black Servant's plans. So did all Dwarves earn the undying hatred of the Lord of the Rings. Sauron fumed and cursed all Dwarvenkind, resolving that a special fate would befall the Naugrim.
At the same time, he attempted to recover the Rings. Sauron's curse proved slow, insidious, and effective. Dwarven resolve prevented Sauron from taming the Seven Tribes, but the Rings of Power still inflamed the worst desires of the Dwarf-kings. Over time, their fascination with crafts and precious things became an unquenchable obsession that grew into a greed for gold, silver, and jewels. Items of wealth and power became the focus of Dwarven life, and those that denied the Naugrim such riches became their enemies. Some Kindreds delved deeper into the earth, while others abandoned their homes in search of grander treasure. Increasingly, the Dwarves warred with their neighbors and feuded among themselves.
During these times, the Dwarflords held the Rings until death, wanting them above all things, for without them all seemed pale and valueless. The Dwarves remained preoccupied throughout the remaining Accursed Years and, in this, Sauron's purpose was served. While the Elves and Men struggled against Sauron's Darkness, Dwarven armies marched into remote lands in quest of new hoards.
The events of the world passed them by. Númenor colonized and conquered vast lands in Middle-earth, only to fall prey to the Dark One's machinations. The High Men's continent perished, betrayed by pride and swallowed by Eru's Great Sea. Yet her Faithful sons survived and built the Kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor in Middle-earth.
In turn, they allied with the Elves and crushed the Lord of the Rings, thus ending the Second Age. Great numbers of Free Peoples lost their homes and lives, but through it all the proud, fierce Dwarves accumulated wealth and remained secluded in shielded halls.
With the dawn of the Third Age, Endor was again at peace. Unfortunately, however, Dwarven fortunes reversed, and a wave of calamities struck the rich Naugrim. Wild beasts, particularly Dragons, stirred and raided many of the Dwarf-hoards. Greed led to further kin-strife, and the Tribes turned against one another frequently. One by one, the Dwarves of the Seven Houses were robbed and battered until they took leave of their refuges and began wandering. Even the Rings of Power came to misfortune for, by the middle of the Third Age, many were lost. Dragon-flame consumed some; others simply disappeared, presumably retaken by Sauron.