Middle Earth discussion

The refuge of the Rohirrim, carved into the mountain this great fortress was named after Helm Hammerhand.

At Aglarond, Caltria was sitting in her rocking chair sewing her late mother's dress. All of her mother's possessions were given to her by her father Dáin II when her mother passed away.

Since settling in with a colony of Durin's Folk, Caltria was busy helping Gimli organize the homes of the dwarfs inside the cave systems of the Glittering Caves.

Her husband headed out to bring more miners from the Lonely Mountains to mine for mithril and steel. He should be back any time now. She frowned as she glanced around for her young one who was probably out playing with other dwarf children.

She hoped that her daughter didn't get dirty. When Gimli brought the miners to Aglarond, he'd probably want to introduce his family. It was custom for dwarf lords to introduce his household to newcomers of his lands.

It wasn't that she minded Ketmina playing with the other children, after all the girl behaved exactly like she did when she was her age, but she hoped that Ketmina stayed clean enough to be at least presentable.

Ah well, the guards would announce their arrival and she wouldn't wait for their home to grow larger. When her sewing was done she carefully placed her dress in her trunk with her other clothes and set out to find her mischievous daughter.

Jason Keegan strolled through the glittering caves, jointed off from the barricade of Helms Deep. He stepped to one side, admiring the spirals of perfect crystals, individually colored, with the perfect dwarven lighting. It really was like shrinking down and exploring a geode. Everything about this place was beautiful, and as long as no one questioned who he was or why he was here, everything was serene.

A small, rather big looking Dwarf walked through the area, a large axe on his back with a shield next to it. As he took his steps the two pieces of equipment smacked against each other, making a rather loud clanking noise as he walked, surveying the area in which he was within. "Aye. It looks good to me." He muttered to himself as he walked through, ignoring other people that were stood around him, doing their idle tasks and chores. While walking however, Foldgruth bumped into a man who appeared to be doing rather the opposite, not doing any chores or idle tasks, just looking around at the beauty of the area. "Laddie! Ye best watch what ye'r doin'!" He exclaimed

"Yes sir," he said quickly, ignoring the battle dwarf for the most part. He was the rude one, making such a ruckus in such a lovely place. Right. Even if the dwarves were inhabiting it, how long would that beauty last with drunken dwarves lolling about in the halls, vomiting up last night's ale? His nose wrinkled in distaste. If he had his way, this would be the first object Sauron would take, to preserve its beauty before it was brought to ruin.

"Sir?! Do I look like a sir to you laddie?! What hole did you wake up from this morning? Thought ye'd just take a quick visit to Helms Deep and call and old Dwarf ye see a Sir?!" He said, his Dwarven accent coming through rather strongly. "Ye look lost. Are ye lookin' for somethin'?" Foldgruth would ask, looking up at the stranger.

Jason's face twisted slightly, like he'd said all he meant to to this dwarf, and he didn't mean to say much more. "Yes, that's exactly what I thought when I woke this morning." From the hole called Mordor, but chances were he wouldn't say that unless he was good and mad. "And yes, you rather look like a 'Sir'. It's a term of respect for the elderly and infirmed." A hint of a smile, or a smirk, touched his lips. "I'm just admiring the walls. Loitering. Sue me."

The Dwarfs face looked cold at the insult towards being elderly and there was a cold silence from the Dwarf. As sudden as the silence fell it lifted, broken by a large burst of laughter from the little Dwarf, wiping his eyes slightly. "Aye. I like you laddie. Come! Come! Have a drink with me! Us Dwarves offer the best liquor you can find all across the lands, I hope you can stomach it!" He exclaimed, taking a grip on the mans arm and attempting to lead him onwards.

Jason seemingly ignored the Dwarf and his cold calculation, until the silence broke into rough laughter. He raised his eyebrows, a bit shocked, until the Dwarf invited him out for an ale. Well, as long as he didn't have to pay! Jason nodded. "All right then, sir," he continued, being led onwards. Why not desecrate this place with vomit already?

The little Dwarf led him to what appeared to be the Dwarven equivalent for an inn, however much more bare and less decorative. In fact it was just a small brick bar, a bartender and an awful lot of noise from the happy patrons inside the bar. There were cries of laughter, sloshing of drinks and even a few punches thrown every now and again between a few of the Dwarves, however it was not just Dwarves residing here but Humans too, all drinking happily. "Take a seat laddie." The little Dwarf instructed, pointing to a small stone table.

Jason obeyed, wearing his fingerless gloves to hide his mark of service to Sauron. He folded his hands together and leaned forwards, taking in the raucous carelessness. "Do you have a name, master Dwarf?" Jason asked, "I'll have what you care to serve me," he added quickly, stretching out his shoulders. "This place seems beautiful, will the dwarves keep it like that? Or, I hate to ask, make the caverns as this place?"

The Dwarf looked at the stranger for a while. "Aye? Where's me manners? I am Foldgruth Coldstone, son of Bhigg Coldstone." He said, his chest puffing in pride as he said the words. "And for here? I'm afraid I do not know, I suspect that they'll keep most of it the same, however I am not aware of the plans. It's hard enough rebuilding our other fortresses let alone a whole new one so fast." He said, stroking his beard slightly. "But I can not say for sure. Speculation laddie." He said, before continuing along. "What about ye laddie? Yer have a name ye want to give?"

"I'm Jason," he smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Foldgruth," he raised his hand forwards to shake his hand. "Still, I thought the reason these caves were valuable was because of their natural glory. When someone wants to build a fortress for the beauty, they shouldn't destroy the beauty in the first place," he lectured, "But as long as the drinks are good enough, I have no cause to complain," he smiled.

Foldgruth took the hand firmly and shook it up and down. "Aye, perhaps they'll keep the beauty as it is. We shall see shan't we?" He said, before taking his hand away. "Jason. Good name. Short. Snappy. I like it." He said before clapping his hands together in a slight glee. "Aye! Drinks! That'd be good!" He shouted, before calling over at the person at the bar to bring a couple of drinks, when the barman asked what they wanted he replied "The strongest stuff ye have laddie! And my friend over here will have..." He said, looking over to Jason.

Jason nodded. "With any luck, then," he smiled, lowering his hand. "Thank you. My parents were very... sensible," he said, distastefully. "I'll have the same, just not in excess," he smiled, "Give me a tankard," he leaned back. "You seem very at home here, even though construction has barely started."

"What can I say? I suppose us Dwarves share a common homely trait with the halflings... What they called... Hobbits? Hobbits! Yes that's it!" He said, as if finding a new discovery, or a long forgotten memory he had recalled. "We're homely I guess, we're so used to travellin' now we're just wanting to get a home, and we ain't gonna complain." He suggested, taking his drink and sliding his friends one over to him. "Bottoms up!" He called, starting to throw the drink down his throat.

He smiled. "Homely," he smiled, thinking of the alternate meaning to that word. Hideous. He didn't repeat the word, except in his mind. "Halflings? From the shire? Have they ever emerged more than once or twice?" he wondered, sipping his drink when it slid over. "Careful, friend, you don't want to drown yourself from an ocean on the inside."

"Aye, they rarely come out but that's what I mean, they're so homely they stay inside their homes all day and never come out. Therefore they must be homely aye?" He asked, thinking it made sense to him. "Nah, us Dwarves are good at taking our drinks, but them humans that are staying here... Don' get me started on 'em. They vomit outside the doors, sometimes they can' even make it that far!" He exclaimed.

"Right, homely," he nodded, getting this man's drift finally. "I heard they're just simple cowards, not brave enough to weather their faces against the open air," he nodded, draining his drink, nearly spewing at the heavy content. "Yes, I'm quite sure. I've heard that dwarves are born with steel ironed stomachs. It's just normal to try to keep from downing too much."

Foldgruth coughed slightly as he finished his drink, slamming the mug down onto the table. "Well, I'd rather not say that to their faces, I 'ears their small fella's. I imagine they'd be able to hide away until you came past and belt Ya with stones and then do it all again, I'm sure they'd be lethal in numbers. Besides, an army of people who can hide wherever Ya need them would be ideal. Hit her enemy right in the backside!" He laughed out loudly.

"Of course," he nodded, smiling. "Unfortunately, I hear they waste their bodies away eating twice their body weight every day."

Foldgruth laughed merrily, nodding his head as he did. "But that can be said for Dwarves, but the armies we've conquered laddie, there's not much chance that'll hinder them." He pointed out

{{'Allo?}}

((Sorry!))

Jason nodded, smiling lightly. "I see that, then. The Dwarves are iron, made from the earth and as strong and timeless," he agreed, "However, these Hobbits... they can be strong, as Frodo or Bilbo, but these are the exception of their stock... Grocers over..." he almost quoted the Hobbit, a book he'd read, and changed the line slightly. "Over warriors, you know. Housekeepers, for the most part."

"Aye, but I'm sure if anyone tried takin' their home away from 'em then shite'll really be gettin' real. I guess I may have too much hope for the short fella's, they're certainly an... Interestin' race." He said. "May be as big as the humans one day." He pointed out, as if matter of fact. However after a few moments of silence he burst out with laughter. "Nah laddie. That'll never happen." He said with a smirk

"Didn't Saruman try that?" he wrinkled his nose to remember. "Aye, he did," he mimicked the Dwarf. "He succeeded for a time, then got his wizard legs kicked out from under him. Interesting is key, but on the inside? Just as big as Humans, maybe more hardy. Much like Elven Dwarves, if you'll mind the absurdity of my tongue."

"Elves. Never cared for 'em to be honest. But I guess that's something most Dwarves feel." He suggested with a shrug before continuing with the conversation. "Aye, but they'll never be as big in populace and spread out, if ever anywhere near the power, they're too kind for that. Not willing to fight for it."

"They are rather pacifist," Jason agreed, "They'll stay and win their land through legalities. Maybe someday, everyone will soon embrace that lifestyle." Peace. His nose wrinkled at the thought of his home, where supposedly everyone was at peace. No one spoke of the silent wars. Peace was boorish.

"Perhaps they shall. But until that day comes, soldier's like me will still be fightin' battles that other people wage. However I'd much rather fight my own, I would like to choose where I go and when I do it." He said, looking up to the ceiling in thought at the topic, wondering how he'd achieve that.

"Amen to that," he said, although he wondered if people here knew much of 'amens' and the like. It was fun, Jason realized, to walk among these people and pretend civilties. Well, they were not pretend, but they were civil. He smiled to himself, nodding his head. This was rather enjoyable. To have friends, if only for a night.

"So ye came here to see the sights? Yer got anything else goin on in yer life? A family?" He smirked slightly. "A lass perhaps?" He asked, inclining his head slightly as he looked over to his newly met friend. It was hard to believe the Dwarf was still sober after the drink he'd had, then again the mix between Dwarves always consuming alcohol and their strong stomachs may contribute to that. Hell, they may as well always have been drunk for what anyone would know.

"No family, not here," he shook his head, "Although I did come to see the sights. A lass? Yes, as wild as a dragon, with fire and spite twice as heavy. I'm considering giving up on such a wild fancy, though. He was almost certain in the dwarf's drunkness by now, though he seemed well sober. "One might say she's a balrog in the form of a beauty."

Foldgruth laughed heartily. "Can't say I've ever seen a Balrog, though from what I hear they're mighty fine creatures, even if dangerous and, you didn't hear it from me, damn right scary." He said with another laugh. "However, this lass, I'm assuming she ain't literally a Balrog laddie, sounds like she'd be quite the lady. If she's the one that makes every thin' good, don' give up. Or atleast tha's what my father would say!"

"Hmm, then I might as well give up now," he laughed in reply, sipping another bit of his one tankard. It was still yet half full, as he chuckled. "I'm not sure I'm yet the kind any woman would want, to be honest. I'm rather annoying, to most everyone." Annoying as in... enslaving and deadly. Still, details.

"Laddie, even Sauron had women who would be all over him. If yer can be an evil bastard an' still have women who would accept ye, admittedly most only in fear, then anyone can get one. It jus' takes time an' effort. An' yer don' see, the type to sit on yer hands, you'll get there eventually. I'm sure of that." He said, a slightly reassuring smile on his face.

"Thanks," he laughed rubbing the back of his neck. "Perhaps a more mild woman, then, than one who would take off my head if I spoke a wry word!"

Foldgruth laughed at his comment before he replied. "Ye'll find that all women are similar to beasts in some respects. They'll all bite yer head off if ye so much as look at 'em the wrong way!" He said cheerily

{{I should mention before I get shouted at, this is the view of a drunk rather narrow minded Dwarf, not me :P

Don't want my head bitten off.
Badum tssss.

No but in all seriousness, not my opinions at all!}}

Jason was rather surprised at first, then realized he was in the medieval period. What was so shocking about that? "Hmm, well maybe I'd rather have a puppy-girl, or a duckling-girl, then," he laughed, "Those can nip, but not tear!"

Foldgruth laughed, nodding his head a few times in agreement. "But Laddie, keep in mind this is Middle Earth we be discussin'! I doubt ye'd find too many of 'em lassies around the place. That's if there are any! But best of luck to ye." He said, looking over to see if the barman was busy.

He laughed quietly. "Unless they're of another world, I suppose," he nodded quietly, wondering how many other humans had been sucked here. Was it just him? He drained his tankard. "I suppose luck comes in rarely about here," he nodded, reaching into his pocket to pay for the drink.

The Dwarf, not noticing what Jason was doing, reached for his own little coin purse and pulled some out for the both of them, throwing them to the barman before he even acknowledged what Jason was doing. "It be fine laddie, I 'ave this 'andled." He told him after, nodding to his comments. "Other Worlds?" The Dwarf asked, slightly confused.

"Yes, parallel worlds where rather influential people get trapped in your world and end up changing it, for better or worse. You sure you have your hands around your mug, and that you're safe with that much, master dwarf?" he smirked.

?