Check out my chat with Doug Adams about working with Howard Shore & the Music of LOTR/The Hobbit coming Tuesday: ua-cam.com/video/_mcpzUnLi04/v-deo.html
Would love a a bit of insight on Ghân-buri-Ghân the chief of the Drúedain living in the Drúadan Forest ,iv never come across any one doing a video on him and his people at all, thanks.
Calling the Hobbit a trilogy is super weird. I guess we can blame the movies for stretching out the sauce, because the book is definitely not big enough to be called a trilogy.
I can only imagine the fear and desperation Ori and the last surviving dwarves must have felt in their final moments. Being trapped with no hope for escape, with a cruel and overwhelming enemy just behind the door.
Fear? No. Fear is the first thing that leaves the body. When they knew that they were trapped and all would die, they found in each other strength to go down fighting. Last stands are never done out of fear but out of fearlessness.
Balin is my favorite dwarf of Thorin's company. He is also related to Gimli as his first cousin once removed and when Gimli sees the tomb of fallen kin, he grieves for him. I love ❤️ how Ken Scott portrayed Balin and Balin visited the Shire and to see his friend Bilbo Baggins.
I remember watching the Moria scene for the first time. I was like: "Wait, Balin! Why!!!!😭😭😭😭". Then the Hobbit Trilogy came out with Ken Scott's Balin and made it even sadder.
@@r0ckworthy Google would be your friend - The One Ring is a tabletop roleplaying game. The second edition has been published by Free League since 2021, there was previously a first edition published by Cubicle 7 between 2014 and 2019. Tolkien himself didn't make the internal map of Moria. It's from a recent sourcebook about Moria for the game that released last month.
The orcs were actually pretty clever. Let the dwarves go deeper and deeper into Moria and then cut them off from any route of resupply or escape. There's no way out of Moria except via its two gates. The orcs held one and the Watcher in the Water held the other. There was no way out, Moria would become their tomb. And while the bridge made it difficult to invade in force, it also made it difficult to counter or escape. The perfect fortress would become the perfect death trap.
The interesting thing about Khaza-Dum is that it was eventually reclaimed permanently. King Elessar (Aragorn) sent the combined Forces of the West into there in an expedition to cleanse it, through sheer attrition (and the fact that the Balrog was now gone) the Western forces finally reclaimed Moria and gave it back to the Dwarves as an ancestral homeland.
But after the ending of the Third Age and beyond the Fourth Age. The dwarves then went deeper till they slowly disappeared from the surface forevermore. Some claimed the dwarves made home to a subterranean world that way deep that no man can reached. Some also said that the dwarves simply return to stone statues, once their original forms molded by their creator-father, Aule the Smith.
When I read and watched Khazad-dum chapters in the childhood I always thought "drums in the deep" was the sound of Balrog stalking the nether halls, awakened by Balin's company fighting. I hadn't properly remembered the five years part and it kind of stuck with me for years. Only on recent immersions into story it came to me, with a surprise, that Balrog didn't care or maybe even notice five years of dwarven reclamation. Seems like it didn't react to a lesser scuffle between smaller beings somewhere in upper levels, and only the presence of the Ring attracted it to the noise. Same way you don't care about mice in the hay until something more important catches your ear. You may check on them from time to time, but often end up ignoring them.
You may have a point there. Durin's Bane likely (I never read any stories on how it was awoken the first time, so forgive any misinterpretations here) only lashed out at the dwarves initially, as they dug too deep and broke into its hiding place. Knowing it fled there after Morgoth's demise, it might have lashed out in fear rather than evil spite, perhaps fearing the armies of the "Light" had found it and had come to kill it at long last, and in its fear mistook the dwarves for that army - thus laying waste to their kingdom and then returning to sleep. WIth the dwarves gone, and the orcs now ruling the place.. well.. A balrog would be used to Orcs. It'll have seen them countless times during Morgoth's reign. As such, it probably wouldnt mind a scuffle or two in the upper halls. We know how Orcs are, they like to fight amongst themselves from time to time (just look at Cirith Ungol.. all it took was one 'shiny shirt'. I doubt the Orcs even knew it was Mithryl). So theres a big chance Durin's Bane wasnt even aware the Dwarves were back at all. If it did notice the fighting "upstairs", it might've just thought it was the Orcs going at it yet again. But then when the Ring enters Moria. Not only does it rile up the orcs, servants of the same darkness that Sauron once served and commanded in the name of, but the Balrog - sensing the power of the Ring, and likely recognizing it for who it was, might've come out to see what was going on. And likely until it was met by Gandalf's spells at the chamber of Mazarbul (as I remember reading something about Gandalf trying to keep the door shut with spells but the Balrog breaking them. Could've also been a troll though, its been ages) that it realised "Okay this is NOT who I thought it was.. best drive them out of my home." Had it actually been Sauron walking those halls, the interaction might've gone over in an entirely different manner. I doubt a Balrog would swear loyalty to Sauron, but they might still work something out with equal terms, given they're both Maiar.
If any of you are gamers grab the return to Moria. It's tons of fun and getting to see all of Moria is nuts. The book talks about how big and deep it was but it definitely doesn't impose the scale on you that seeing it firsthand does. The main city alone goes down for hundreds of feet and covers 2 to 3 square kilometers. Even after the devastation caused by the balrog it's still somehow beautiful to look at and the devs really nailed the dwarven asthetic. You can see Durins tomb, find and repair his axe, fix the bridge at kazad, reopen the door of durin and if you've got the patience slowly rebuild the entire place. The dwarven forges are epic looking and the elven quarter looks like a slice of a forest miles underground. They also just added an endless survival mode in case you want to work on rebuilding without worrying about the story. Definitely worth picking up.
Yo, you should do a video on the cosmology of Tolkien’s legendarium. Like, explaining the outer void, the created universe, the timeless halls, the door of night, etc. I think that would be a cool video idea.
Going to run Balins expedition to Moira campaign for The One Ring RPG. I am starting it at Erebor with some council scenes convincing Dain to allow and provide aid. The players are dwarf champions recruited by Balin and will function as scouts and vanguard of the larger expedition force. They will need to return to Balin who stays with the expedition, to get quests and direction. Planning on some encounters with the elves near mirkwood, and beornings demanding tribute to cross the ford, on the trip to moria. When they get to moria they will go through the reclaiming and rebuilding all the way up to the tragedy and then we will see if they are able to escape with their lives or fall with the rest of the colony. Going to try and keep it as close to cannon as possible, but I am okay with deviations for the sake of the fun of the game.
@@SoySantiScort I am not sure to be honest. I have certain set pieces for my players to go through. But mostly running it as a sandbox while still being "directed" towards moria. And it's kind of up to them to see how far they can go or how fast it goes. Erebor scene, dale scene, decided to go north of mirkwood or through, encounter with beornings before crossing the river. Then the big battle to take moria. And once inside the game will open up more while trying to exterminate orcs, find lost dwarven artifacts, getting the mines up and running and keeping the colony safe and supplied. All while being restricted by the need for outside sources of food and water. Did the players convince Dale or erebor to give them enough supplies? Did they make deals with the beornings to supply them in return for weapons? Did they get waylaid by spiders in the forest or wolves in the hills? So many possibilities that I am leaving completely up to chance, which might also make it very replayable. I do have a plan to set in motion the "end game" of balins death and the orcs of Mordor attacking. Basically once they players have explored enough and when it feels appropriate I am going to start the tragedy scene.
@@MrHoffie1 The essence of TRUE D&D (roleplaying & gaming)...echoes from what you are doing, Mr. Hoffie1. It all sounds like a wonderful time for both you & your players. (How many players make up your party?)
I'm running something similar. Balin doesn't accompany the players, but it's the first expedition. It's TA 2965, and Balin is emboldened by the victory at Erebor, that he dreams of retaking Moria. It's a secret mission, as Dain Ironfoot has decreed that no Dwarf should enter Moria - he is aware of Durin's Bane. Balin sends a first wave of scouts to secure a new entrance and establish a base-camp. They have to take stock of Orc forces and plan for the later expeditions. The company want to find the Doors of Durin on the western side, but they may not find it - and if they do, they may not live to tell the tale...
Great video! The Mines of Moria is by far the most captivating place for me in the entirety of Middle Earth. Big fan of the dwarves too, but yeah, when they entered the Mines in Fellowship of the Ring I couldn’t get any happier :)))
Since reading the hobbit like 35 years ago the dwarves have always been my favorite fantasy race and Moria has always been my favorite dwarf kingdom. Great video.
I find the coincidence amazing! I have received The One Ring 2e expansion book "Moria - Through the Doors of Durin" not too long ago. Perhaps this is an RPG system to look into.
Heey Matt, saludos Was waiting for the weekly video to start my breakfast. Thank you so much for your work, you should make a video about the money in middle earth.
Your videos are the best by far. You're keeping Tolkien alive. I would love if you could add the sources of those side-stories you're telling, so I could go and read again. In this case I guess it's elrond council chapter and the book of mazarbul but I'm wondering if there's not more, like annexes and stuff.
The highest aspiration of Dwarves is to surpass their fathers in craft. When they felt they had plateaued they would look abroad for opportunities to expand their knowledge. And what beacon could shine brighter than Khazad-dum, the greatest kingdom in their history?
This genocide showed the rise of Sauron’s Orcs leading to the War of the Ring and that even goblins could strategize by trapping the Dwarves before they even knew it. There’s something meta about Gandalf reading Ori’s journal while readers of Tolkien are also reading a heavy book. The secondary source makes the imagination of suggested details that much more horrifying. This in-between tale would be perfect for Peter Jackson to make into a horror movie.
The moria expedition sort of reminds me of the lost colaney of Roanoke except we have no idea what happened to them and they were not killed by goblins
@@elfdream2007 That's still a theory...and not 100%. It's possible...that the survivors of whatever happened there eventually blended with the nearby natives.
Am always curious on how the lost colony can be explained in certain alternate universe fictions, as an aside. Would be quite neat to make them be the origins of the Mewmans in Star vs. the Forces of Evil, for one, though how they ended up in California and on a boat are things worth fleshing out too.
Could you please do a video on the Dwarven history of the Grey Mountains please its always been a very intriguing place thats never properly delved into in detail really at all id love to see it 😊
@Enerdhil it's also fascinating to think about how there kingdom looked there it's always depicted like Nogrod and Belegost above Dwarven cities that are actually above ground and below ground it's looks cool in the pictures you can look up
@@phoenixmilburn6598 Gundabad could have its own video. It is an ancient ancestral home for the Dwarves that was lost to the Orcs of the Grey Mountains, probably the same ones who attacked Erebor in The Hobbit.
Balin took a arrow to the head and throat. Oin’s body was literally ripped apart by The Watcher. Ori likely starved to death after barricading himself in the tomb room of Balin.
What I never understood was why Balin didn't want to reconquer Gundabad first... Sure it was a lot smaller but considering dwarves saw it as a holy place and that it would have been a lot easier to retake (you know, no Balrog and much much closer) and actually possible to keep and "connect" to the kingdom of the lonely mountain, retaking it should have been the frst priority for the dwarves to secure the region before wasting resources going all the way to Moria
Moria was going to be a problem no matter when it was tackled or addressed. A Balrog is a powerful and ancient creature, they drove back Ungoliant when she tried to devour Melkor (the original Dark Lord). Force of numbers don’t mean much to a creature like that, yes they can be overwhelmed but at great cost. It took the combined might of all the Western Forces to retake Moria, and that only succeeded because the Fellowship attracted the attention of the Balrog and Gandalf slew it.
Hearing about Balin and company's demise is in LotR sure quite good writing about killing off otherwise good characters from a previous lighthearted work without any form of mean spirited disservice. Not even The Legend of Korra did well on this, what with how it overlooked Sokka and Suki. Meantime, gotta thank the likes of Lovecraft and Tolkien for the "apocalyptic logbook" trope that became quite prevalent in video games from System Shock to Dead Space.
Something when watching the original films when Gandalf said this was his tomb, i didn't care at all. I was like, okay. But after the hobbit films and being emotionally attached to the character, when i watch that scene again, i cry like a baby.
I think it would be easy to understate how important the reclamation of Erebor was to the dwarves. After centuries of failure, defeat, and losses beyond the count of grief, they managed to repel the darkness and reclaim one of their lost homes. It would have inspired them to once more try at Moria, especially since few knew that Durin's Bane still lived.
This Video was awesome Matt! You must check out the Storyline that Lord of the Rings Online does with Moria during the Triligly books! It's awesome that you would love it! They do it a bit differently than then Return to Moria game did. But both are awesome!
Very good, thank you. For me, the big unanswered question was why, if there had been no word from Balin's colony for 25 years, did no one from Erebor go to investigate?
Felt it was something along the lines of, Dane didn't want them to go. And there was no knowledge of the fall of the expedition, remember how Gimli couldn't wait to drink an feast with balin? He was excitedly telling the fellowship. Dwarves live longer than men, 25 years isn't long to them either. Just about every bit of dwarf lore follows LOTR lore. Just my speculation though
I think we all need a Tolkien horror movie. That would be sick. I wanna see OG make his giant spider, dragons, balrogs and watch them torment the elves and first men.
I like to think with the Balrog gone, evil destroyed, and the orcs and goblins no longer unified under Saurons darkness, the dwarves of Erebor do eventually retake Khazad-Dum in the fourth age
If the Balrog didn't awaken and scare away the orcs closing in on Gandalf and his companions, what would have happened? Surrounded on all sides, could Gandalf have saved them? Could he have saved himself even?
Gandalf would've remained Gandalf the Grey and maybe he doesn't free Theoden from Saruman's hold. Gandalf wasn't beyond the temptation of the Ring and the closer they got to Mordor the worse it would have gotten.
Tolkien's Moria , was inspired by Morfa mine mid Wales where he vacationed as a child Snowdonia national park Wales . Morfa collery disaster and it being labeled the pit of ghosts after an explosion that killed many miners
Whether it's about the unrest of the Noldor in Aman, or the feeling of the Numenorians being contained on a small island or the dwarves feeling trapped under a lonely mountain... seeking for more space to prosper, to gain new lands and having the perception of having grown in numbers high enough to claim more than you currently have always seems to be the first step of your own downfall....
How many Dwarves were in the Colony when the Orcs attacked? You'd think that with the Bridge, they'd be able to hold them back. Unless they didn't have any archers in the company (or enough arrows).
In the excellent LOTR mod for Crusader Kings 3, "Realms In Exile", there is the option to play as Balin's Expedition and attempt to reclaim Moria. It's extremely difficult - as the mod tries to follow the actual LOTR story quite closely, there are some punishing scripted events that recreate the desperate tragedy. The presence of the Balrog is quite nicely represented using the game's "Struggle" mechanics, which ensure it remains a severe long-term threat, requiring great effort and no small amount of luck to defeat. But if the dynasty of Balin endures these challenges, then the halls of Durin may yet be rebuilt, the wealth of the mithril mines reclaimed, and ultimately, the whole of the Misty Mountains reborn as a mighty Dwarven empire once more!
The ring of Thror was given to Durin III so not worn by Durin himself per se (of course the Dwarves believed each Durin was a reincarnation of Durin the Deathless).
I do not understand how the dwarves could not escape. Sure,both East and West Gates were blocked and unaccesible. But there are way more openings to the outside they could have taken. For example, the Endless Stair leading to Durins Tower,which leads to the open mountaintop. Also,dwarves are great miners. Why did they just not dig a tunnel to the outside? Or,in the Chamber of Mazarbul,is a window from which light shines onto Balins tomb. Dwarves are small,they could surely climb out of the window or widen it. If they had the means to build Balins tomb, they could have dig their way out of the window very easily.
If I'm being blunt, I still feel like Balin knowingly went on a fool's errand; one more old man who didn't want to just die soft, and quietly, in his own bed, or without having gone on one more adventure; preferably one HE would be famous for. A small group consisting of not just the best warriors was already silly to go hunting Smaug, but at least it was a safe bet, if they could ever reach the mountain, the dragon would be the only threat within. Even ifcBalin didn't know about Durin's Bane, and when Dain told him he wouldn't bless the excursion and didn't want Balin to waste his life, I assume that he explained why, if only to sway Balin, they DID know that there were Orcs there, and as cockroaches tend to do, where there was one, there were many. It wasn't so long since the last war, so even when one wants to doubt the skill of Orc soldiers, they knew what droves of them were capable of, so to try and hit Moria, which should have been filled with Orcs, with so small a force...it's amazing that they "lasted as long as they did. If anything else had tried to shift the Orcs, you'd think the Dwarves might've heard about it, but nope, so it seemed silly to expect to stomp through all those Orcs, even if they didn't anticipate DB, which I still assume a pleading Dain mentioned, to try and get them to rethink their plan.
Not so, for two reasons: 1) the expedition to Erebor was not in any way 'a safe bet'. It was dangerous enough that every other Dwarf colony thought it a fool's errand; the dwarves of Ered Luin and the Iron Hills did not join Thorin. Indeed, Smaug was only felled by a very lucky shot from a very special arrow. It almost borders on Deus Ex Machina levels of contrivance. Thorin's Company could have been doomed at any stage between being eaten by Trolls to being unable to defeat Smaug. The fact they were victorious likely led Balin to overestimate their abilities. 2) Moria was actually a lot emptier because of the orc defeat at the Battle of the Five Armies. You argue that the Dwarves ought to have known how strong Orc armies can be, but it's actually the opposite. The gundabad orcs had dwindled, whilst the orc forces of Isengard and Mordor had not yet grown enough. It presented the best opportunity the Dwarves were ever going to get at retaking Moria, gaining ground after the enemy had lost it. The One Ring RPG actually introduces rules to determine how many orcs are in Moria - few in 2965, a lot more the closer you get to 3019...
@@InhabitantOfOddworldto countermand the point though, it took the combined Armies of the West to actually retake Moria permanently, and that only because Gandalf and the Fellowship went in there and defeated the Balrog as a issue to deal with. Had Gimli not pushed to go through Moria and attracted the attention of the Balrog there’s no guarantee that Moria would have even been reclaimed.
@@mr.hawklingiii8739 That's the film's take on it. The book is quite different. Gandalf is the one pushing for Moria as the alternative route. Gimli is in favour of it, but only because he already suspected that the expedition had gone south. The dwarves had heard nothing from Balin for 25 years, despite regular messages prior to that. You're right, though, that without a Maiar like Gandalf to take out the Balrog, no Dwarf force ever would. The point, though, is that no Dwarf other than Dain Ironfoot knew that Durin's Bane existed there.
I wonder how many of them were there. I mean, they were mentioning individuals dying, not how many fell. Also the whole operation feels like a scavenging adventure, rather than actual establishing of new colony. Seems like there were couple dozens dwarves at most... Then again, they sent only their king and other 12 dwarves to face the dragon and reclaim the Lonely Mountain.
It's very strange that Dain never thought of checking in on the situation after an abrupt cut in the comunication with the Moria colony. Like, hey it's been like 5 years, any word from Balin? No? Okay. Hey it's been 10 years, still no word from Moria? Anyone else a bit suss about it? No? Okay Then Gloin comes up at the council of Erond: "Oh yeah, Balin went to Moria with a company of dwarwes to take it back from legions of orcs and a demon so ancient and powerful that he might've killed elf lords in the first age, a Maiar spirit on power level as order of Istari, fiery doom created by Morgoth himself, whose brethren took down Galadriel's family and the mightiest Elven lords and kings that ever existed and then killed the mightiest dwarf that ever lived and ruined Khazad dum the greatest fortres of dwarwes that ever existed, but yeah Balin's company of dwarwes has it under control, we haven't heard from them in 25 years but that probably because they've won and are busy restoring the kingdom.
Request for a Lore Chronological Playlist I've watched "The Hobbits" and "The Lord of the Rings" movies, and I've also read "The Hobbit," "The Lord of the Rings," and "The Silmarillion." However, as English is my third language, many details, especially in "The Silmarillion," escaped my understanding. I was hoping to watch your videos to deepen my understanding, but I couldn't find a playlist of your videos that goes through the lore chronologically I kindly request that you create a lore chronological playlist of your videos, at least including the important and most popular videos. This would greatly help viewers like me.
I really love the lores about the dwarves in lotr. Especially about their kingdoms. Their story might not have a peaceful type like the hobbits or glorious like men or wondrous like the elves. But I’d say they have the most beautiful and amazing stories above all. Some says dwarves are greedy and only cares about their treasures but I’d say there’s more to them than meets the eye. They do not care about the treasures they mined or make. They care for the kingdom that their ancestors had created. When you see it in a bigger picture; Their story is tragedy cause they where once mighty folks of the mountains but later in the lotr they are only seen as scattered folks wandering mountains settlements to the other trying to prosper like their fathers did ages ago. But in the end of their stories as heavy darkness was lifted in middle earth their father once thought would never return; came back to guide his folk and prosper one last time by reclaiming the first and last realm of the dwarves. Khazadum.
Looking at the map, number 13 looks like an accessible exit. Couldn't they have gotten out through the top of the mountain? Air vents? Exhaust chimneys?
The map (from The One Ring 2E RPG) shows many, various different entrances - there's more than just the East Gate and the Doors of Durin Edit: no. 13 is The High Cistern, part of the Mountain Galleries
@@lexington476 Checking the Moria sourcebook from The One Ring, there are 10 different distinct entrances in and out of Moria. No.13 on the map is the High Cistern. The High Cistern is part of the Mountain Galleries, the highest area of Moria that looks out over the Dimrill Dale and the Anduin. Direct access to the Galleries from within Moria is cut-off by collapsed stairs, which the Dwarves did deliberately when Durin's Bane took the rest of the city. Access can be made indirectly by other means, as the Galleries are now inhabited by Mordor Orcs. The Galleries feature many cisterns, as these would receive spring water and melted snow off the mountains in order to basically plumb the city. As such, a particularly brave adventurer could use these vast, but dangerous, pipes as a means of getting into Moria. The other numbers on the map highlight other landmarks that are detailed in the Moria sourcebook.
At the end of the battle of azanulbizar after killing Azog Dain looked into Khazad Dum and presumably saw the Balrog, after he saw what was probably the Balrog he warned the rest of the dwarfs not to enter so why did he (though reluctantly) allow Balins lot to go?
It just doesn't make sense for any number of orcs to be able to launch a successful incursion across the bridge of khazad-dum without inside help. So either they came from the western side of the mountains as well or there was just a massive level of incompetence in whoever took over the defense of the bridge. That or the colony was really just a handful of guys and orcs getting lucky causes enough attrition at the bridge that eventually there was no one to hold it.
Check out my chat with Doug Adams about working with Howard Shore & the Music of LOTR/The Hobbit coming Tuesday: ua-cam.com/video/_mcpzUnLi04/v-deo.html
When will the next Nerd Moot be?
We've not had one since the 1mill subs live stream and you've jumped to 1.11mill.
Would love a a bit of insight on Ghân-buri-Ghân the chief of the Drúedain living in the Drúadan Forest ,iv never come across any one doing a video on him and his people at all, thanks.
@@omarmzaham7248 He released a vid +-2 months ago about the Drúedain. I remember he talked about that character in detail.
Balin was one of the best characters of the Hobbit trilogy, and it makes what we eventually see and hear of in Fellowship even more saddening.
Ken Scott absolutely killed it.
Calling the Hobbit a trilogy is super weird. I guess we can blame the movies for stretching out the sauce, because the book is definitely not big enough to be called a trilogy.
this should be the next movie a horror type where crazy sht happens
It was spine chilling when Gandalf was reading that one passage: They are coming
*one of the handful of actual characters and not just funny background extras.
I can only imagine the fear and desperation Ori and the last surviving dwarves must have felt in their final moments. Being trapped with no hope for escape, with a cruel and overwhelming enemy just behind the door.
They should have rappelled down the “well” 😂
@@glockparaastraThere is no well in the chamber in the book.
@@valentinkambushev4968I know. Movie “magic”
Fear? No. Fear is the first thing that leaves the body. When they knew that they were trapped and all would die, they found in each other strength to go down fighting. Last stands are never done out of fear but out of fearlessness.
@@valentinkambushev4968it was obviously a joke, my dude
Balin is my favorite dwarf of Thorin's company. He is also related to Gimli as his first cousin once removed and when Gimli sees the tomb of fallen kin, he grieves for him. I love ❤️ how Ken Scott portrayed Balin and Balin visited the Shire and to see his friend Bilbo Baggins.
Poor Gimli, he carried the Book Of Mazarbul all over to Rohan, Minas Tirith, Mordor and back again.
no he didn't. read the friggin' book.
@@thehellyousay ?
@@thehellyousaywhat
No big, it was just in his inventory.
I remember watching the Moria scene for the first time. I was like: "Wait, Balin! Why!!!!😭😭😭😭". Then the Hobbit Trilogy came out with Ken Scott's Balin and made it even sadder.
Nice topograhpy of Moria
The map? It's from The One Ring, second edition
@@InhabitantOfOddworld What is The One Ring, second edition? Did Tolkien actually make this crazy map of Moria?
@@r0ckworthy
Google would be your friend - The One Ring is a tabletop roleplaying game. The second edition has been published by Free League since 2021, there was previously a first edition published by Cubicle 7 between 2014 and 2019.
Tolkien himself didn't make the internal map of Moria. It's from a recent sourcebook about Moria for the game that released last month.
The orcs were actually pretty clever. Let the dwarves go deeper and deeper into Moria and then cut them off from any route of resupply or escape. There's no way out of Moria except via its two gates. The orcs held one and the Watcher in the Water held the other. There was no way out, Moria would become their tomb. And while the bridge made it difficult to invade in force, it also made it difficult to counter or escape. The perfect fortress would become the perfect death trap.
The interesting thing about Khaza-Dum is that it was eventually reclaimed permanently. King Elessar (Aragorn) sent the combined Forces of the West into there in an expedition to cleanse it, through sheer attrition (and the fact that the Balrog was now gone) the Western forces finally reclaimed Moria and gave it back to the Dwarves as an ancestral homeland.
play LOTRO and reclaim it yourself on the classic server brah
But after the ending of the Third Age and beyond the Fourth Age. The dwarves then went deeper till they slowly disappeared from the surface forevermore. Some claimed the dwarves made home to a subterranean world that way deep that no man can reached. Some also said that the dwarves simply return to stone statues, once their original forms molded by their creator-father, Aule the Smith.
@@-_redacted_ what! cool! didnt know that
I was waiting for this one for a long time it will be cool for a small series about balins expedition in real life
such an incredible story
When I read and watched Khazad-dum chapters in the childhood I always thought "drums in the deep" was the sound of Balrog stalking the nether halls, awakened by Balin's company fighting. I hadn't properly remembered the five years part and it kind of stuck with me for years. Only on recent immersions into story it came to me, with a surprise, that Balrog didn't care or maybe even notice five years of dwarven reclamation. Seems like it didn't react to a lesser scuffle between smaller beings somewhere in upper levels, and only the presence of the Ring attracted it to the noise. Same way you don't care about mice in the hay until something more important catches your ear. You may check on them from time to time, but often end up ignoring them.
You may have a point there. Durin's Bane likely (I never read any stories on how it was awoken the first time, so forgive any misinterpretations here) only lashed out at the dwarves initially, as they dug too deep and broke into its hiding place. Knowing it fled there after Morgoth's demise, it might have lashed out in fear rather than evil spite, perhaps fearing the armies of the "Light" had found it and had come to kill it at long last, and in its fear mistook the dwarves for that army - thus laying waste to their kingdom and then returning to sleep.
WIth the dwarves gone, and the orcs now ruling the place.. well.. A balrog would be used to Orcs. It'll have seen them countless times during Morgoth's reign. As such, it probably wouldnt mind a scuffle or two in the upper halls. We know how Orcs are, they like to fight amongst themselves from time to time (just look at Cirith Ungol.. all it took was one 'shiny shirt'. I doubt the Orcs even knew it was Mithryl). So theres a big chance Durin's Bane wasnt even aware the Dwarves were back at all. If it did notice the fighting "upstairs", it might've just thought it was the Orcs going at it yet again.
But then when the Ring enters Moria. Not only does it rile up the orcs, servants of the same darkness that Sauron once served and commanded in the name of, but the Balrog - sensing the power of the Ring, and likely recognizing it for who it was, might've come out to see what was going on. And likely until it was met by Gandalf's spells at the chamber of Mazarbul (as I remember reading something about Gandalf trying to keep the door shut with spells but the Balrog breaking them. Could've also been a troll though, its been ages) that it realised "Okay this is NOT who I thought it was.. best drive them out of my home."
Had it actually been Sauron walking those halls, the interaction might've gone over in an entirely different manner. I doubt a Balrog would swear loyalty to Sauron, but they might still work something out with equal terms, given they're both Maiar.
What often that gets ignored is that Balin was Dain's heir as his closest cousin before Dain's son was born.
If any of you are gamers grab the return to Moria. It's tons of fun and getting to see all of Moria is nuts. The book talks about how big and deep it was but it definitely doesn't impose the scale on you that seeing it firsthand does. The main city alone goes down for hundreds of feet and covers 2 to 3 square kilometers. Even after the devastation caused by the balrog it's still somehow beautiful to look at and the devs really nailed the dwarven asthetic. You can see Durins tomb, find and repair his axe, fix the bridge at kazad, reopen the door of durin and if you've got the patience slowly rebuild the entire place. The dwarven forges are epic looking and the elven quarter looks like a slice of a forest miles underground. They also just added an endless survival mode in case you want to work on rebuilding without worrying about the story. Definitely worth picking up.
My heart breaks when I hear the fates of Balin, Oin, and Ori.
Yo, you should do a video on the cosmology of Tolkien’s legendarium. Like, explaining the outer void, the created universe, the timeless halls, the door of night, etc. I think that would be a cool video idea.
^^ Agreed...!
Seconded! That would be fascinating.
“When Khazad Dûm was abandoned in 1981” is really fun
Going to run Balins expedition to Moira campaign for The One Ring RPG. I am starting it at Erebor with some council scenes convincing Dain to allow and provide aid. The players are dwarf champions recruited by Balin and will function as scouts and vanguard of the larger expedition force. They will need to return to Balin who stays with the expedition, to get quests and direction. Planning on some encounters with the elves near mirkwood, and beornings demanding tribute to cross the ford, on the trip to moria. When they get to moria they will go through the reclaiming and rebuilding all the way up to the tragedy and then we will see if they are able to escape with their lives or fall with the rest of the colony. Going to try and keep it as close to cannon as possible, but I am okay with deviations for the sake of the fun of the game.
This sounds really fun and interesting
That’s sounds like a great campaign… how long do you expect it go for?
@@SoySantiScort I am not sure to be honest. I have certain set pieces for my players to go through. But mostly running it as a sandbox while still being "directed" towards moria. And it's kind of up to them to see how far they can go or how fast it goes. Erebor scene, dale scene, decided to go north of mirkwood or through, encounter with beornings before crossing the river. Then the big battle to take moria. And once inside the game will open up more while trying to exterminate orcs, find lost dwarven artifacts, getting the mines up and running and keeping the colony safe and supplied. All while being restricted by the need for outside sources of food and water. Did the players convince Dale or erebor to give them enough supplies? Did they make deals with the beornings to supply them in return for weapons? Did they get waylaid by spiders in the forest or wolves in the hills? So many possibilities that I am leaving completely up to chance, which might also make it very replayable. I do have a plan to set in motion the "end game" of balins death and the orcs of Mordor attacking. Basically once they players have explored enough and when it feels appropriate I am going to start the tragedy scene.
@@MrHoffie1
The essence of TRUE D&D (roleplaying & gaming)...echoes from what you are doing, Mr. Hoffie1.
It all sounds like a wonderful time for both you & your players.
(How many players make up your party?)
I'm running something similar. Balin doesn't accompany the players, but it's the first expedition. It's TA 2965, and Balin is emboldened by the victory at Erebor, that he dreams of retaking Moria. It's a secret mission, as Dain Ironfoot has decreed that no Dwarf should enter Moria - he is aware of Durin's Bane. Balin sends a first wave of scouts to secure a new entrance and establish a base-camp. They have to take stock of Orc forces and plan for the later expeditions.
The company want to find the Doors of Durin on the western side, but they may not find it - and if they do, they may not live to tell the tale...
Great video, the use of the map really made it better and easier to follow.
Great video! The Mines of Moria is by far the most captivating place for me in the entirety of Middle Earth. Big fan of the dwarves too, but yeah, when they entered the Mines in Fellowship of the Ring I couldn’t get any happier :)))
Beautiful video, thank you. I absolutely love your use of LOTR artwork by artists/fans across the globe.
Dain actually Saw the Balrog from the East Gate, and is the only Living Dwarf to have seen it before the Fellowship entered Khazad-dûm.
Since reading the hobbit like 35 years ago the dwarves have always been my favorite fantasy race and Moria has always been my favorite dwarf kingdom. Great video.
I find the coincidence amazing! I have received The One Ring 2e expansion book "Moria - Through the Doors of Durin" not too long ago. Perhaps this is an RPG system to look into.
It's a fantastic game - I've obtained copies of every sourcebook since 1e
I think the Moria map comes from the Moria book!
I love yiur dedication to Tolkien's lore so much I wanna give you a hug. ❤
Heey Matt, saludos
Was waiting for the weekly video to start my breakfast.
Thank you so much for your work, you should make a video about the money in middle earth.
Your videos are the best by far. You're keeping Tolkien alive. I would love if you could add the sources of those side-stories you're telling, so I could go and read again. In this case I guess it's elrond council chapter and the book of mazarbul but I'm wondering if there's not more, like annexes and stuff.
Yeah, it's pretty much all appendices and Council of Elrond chapter. (I think Glóin might mention a bit in Many Meetings as well?)
The highest aspiration of Dwarves is to surpass their fathers in craft. When they felt they had plateaued they would look abroad for opportunities to expand their knowledge. And what beacon could shine brighter than Khazad-dum, the greatest kingdom in their history?
Great stuff. I loved when the fellowship returned there.
There needs to be a mini series of this.
This video was a good one. 👍 very informative and very educational. Thanks Matt. Appreciate ya.
This was moving. Well done!
This genocide showed the rise of Sauron’s Orcs leading to the War of the Ring and that even goblins could strategize by trapping the Dwarves before they even knew it. There’s something meta about Gandalf reading Ori’s journal while readers of Tolkien are also reading a heavy book. The secondary source makes the imagination of suggested details that much more horrifying. This in-between tale would be perfect for Peter Jackson to make into a horror movie.
Unfortunately the real genocide in LOTR is against the orcs. It was a different time 😅
@@SaxifrageCucvara
Elaborate plz 👀🙏
@@redadmiralofvalyria867 King Elessar (Aragorn) wiped out the rest of the orcs is my understanding.
Your videos are the best!
Thank you so much! :)
Wonderfully done Matt! Moving as ever!
The moria expedition sort of reminds me of the lost colaney of Roanoke except we have no idea what happened to them and they were not killed by goblins
They went to live with the local Natives. It's not a mystery.
@@elfdream2007
That's still a theory...and not 100%.
It's possible...that the survivors of whatever happened there eventually blended with the nearby natives.
Am always curious on how the lost colony can be explained in certain alternate universe fictions, as an aside. Would be quite neat to make them be the origins of the Mewmans in Star vs. the Forces of Evil, for one, though how they ended up in California and on a boat are things worth fleshing out too.
@@elfdream2007if we're throwing out theorys then hes mine they were attacked by a balrog but once again thats just a theory 😂
Could you please do a video on the Dwarven history of the Grey Mountains please its always been a very intriguing place thats never properly delved into in detail really at all id love to see it 😊
I agree. There had to be many Orc realms throughout the entire mountain range, maybe some close to Khazad-dûm.
@Enerdhil it's also fascinating to think about how there kingdom looked there it's always depicted like Nogrod and Belegost above Dwarven cities that are actually above ground and below ground it's looks cool in the pictures you can look up
@@phoenixmilburn6598
Gundabad could have its own video. It is an ancient ancestral home for the Dwarves that was lost to the Orcs of the Grey Mountains, probably the same ones who attacked Erebor in The Hobbit.
I enjoy the artwork. But I enjoy the music even more. Please reveal the soundtrack to your movies 🤩
Balin took a arrow to the head and throat. Oin’s body was literally ripped apart by The Watcher. Ori likely starved to death after barricading himself in the tomb room of Balin.
What I never understood was why Balin didn't want to reconquer Gundabad first... Sure it was a lot smaller but considering dwarves saw it as a holy place and that it would have been a lot easier to retake (you know, no Balrog and much much closer) and actually possible to keep and "connect" to the kingdom of the lonely mountain, retaking it should have been the frst priority for the dwarves to secure the region before wasting resources going all the way to Moria
Moria was going to be a problem no matter when it was tackled or addressed. A Balrog is a powerful and ancient creature, they drove back Ungoliant when she tried to devour Melkor (the original Dark Lord). Force of numbers don’t mean much to a creature like that, yes they can be overwhelmed but at great cost. It took the combined might of all the Western Forces to retake Moria, and that only succeeded because the Fellowship attracted the attention of the Balrog and Gandalf slew it.
I see you’re using the awesome map from the Moria expansion of The One Ring 2e rpg 👏
Hearing about Balin and company's demise is in LotR sure quite good writing about killing off otherwise good characters from a previous lighthearted work without any form of mean spirited disservice. Not even The Legend of Korra did well on this, what with how it overlooked Sokka and Suki.
Meantime, gotta thank the likes of Lovecraft and Tolkien for the "apocalyptic logbook" trope that became quite prevalent in video games from System Shock to Dead Space.
I didnt think I care abot LOTR back story until your videos. Great stuff.
Something when watching the original films when Gandalf said this was his tomb, i didn't care at all. I was like, okay. But after the hobbit films and being emotionally attached to the character, when i watch that scene again, i cry like a baby.
you should do a full history of the One Ring.
Love your vids😊
Yesss, a storyline I know very little about, heavily related to the films 🍿
Excellent Video! keep up the good work!!!
I think it would be easy to understate how important the reclamation of Erebor was to the dwarves. After centuries of failure, defeat, and losses beyond the count of grief, they managed to repel the darkness and reclaim one of their lost homes. It would have inspired them to once more try at Moria, especially since few knew that Durin's Bane still lived.
This Video was awesome Matt! You must check out the Storyline that Lord of the Rings Online does with Moria during the Triligly books! It's awesome that you would love it! They do it a bit differently than then Return to Moria game did. But both are awesome!
Another superb video, Nerd
Good story! Well done and thank you! 🍷
Nice video..I find dwarves stories most exciting, fascinating and mischievous..there should be movie series especially on dwarvin kingdoms
This would make a great limited run animation which leads directly into them finding the "tomb" in the movies.
Very good, thank you. For me, the big unanswered question was why, if there had been no word from Balin's colony for 25 years, did no one from Erebor go to investigate?
It is hard to imagine, but I guess they suspected that something terrible had happened and were too scared to confirm it.
Felt it was something along the lines of, Dane didn't want them to go. And there was no knowledge of the fall of the expedition, remember how Gimli couldn't wait to drink an feast with balin? He was excitedly telling the fellowship. Dwarves live longer than men, 25 years isn't long to them either. Just about every bit of dwarf lore follows LOTR lore. Just my speculation though
I think we all need a Tolkien horror movie. That would be sick. I wanna see OG make his giant spider, dragons, balrogs and watch them torment the elves and first men.
I like to think with the Balrog gone, evil destroyed, and the orcs and goblins no longer unified under Saurons darkness, the dwarves of Erebor do eventually retake Khazad-Dum in the fourth age
Another great video. Thank you!
I see you have found Free Leagues new material on Moria and their awesome map. They did a great job.
If the Balrog didn't awaken and scare away the orcs closing in on Gandalf and his companions, what would have happened?
Surrounded on all sides, could Gandalf have saved them? Could he have saved himself even?
Nice work dude thanks
Very enjoyable bro keep it up 🔥 Can you maybe make a video about Dorwinion and the surroundings in Rhun?
I wonder what would’ve happened if Balin’s colony actually succeeded. Then the fellowship would’ve had an easier time passing through Moria.
Gandalf would've remained Gandalf the Grey and maybe he doesn't free Theoden from Saruman's hold. Gandalf wasn't beyond the temptation of the Ring and the closer they got to Mordor the worse it would have gotten.
@@Paulafan5In short, a Flashpoint situation where changing history to do a greater good actually leads to a worser world.
They would have had roaring fires, malt beer, and red meat off the bone.
@@DTGProductions451 and they call it a mine
You should do a video on the ents, entwives, and huorns!
This is a tale I'd like to see told in a movie or mini-series.
Tolkien's Moria , was inspired by Morfa mine mid Wales where he vacationed as a child Snowdonia national park Wales . Morfa collery disaster and it being labeled the pit of ghosts after an explosion that killed many miners
It also features an elaborate carved entrance
Tremendo vídeo! Gracias!! ❤
Whether it's about the unrest of the Noldor in Aman, or the feeling of the Numenorians being contained on a small island or the dwarves feeling trapped under a lonely mountain... seeking for more space to prosper, to gain new lands and having the perception of having grown in numbers high enough to claim more than you currently have always seems to be the first step of your own downfall....
How many Dwarves were in the Colony when the Orcs attacked? You'd think that with the Bridge, they'd be able to hold them back. Unless they didn't have any archers in the company (or enough arrows).
Sheer #'s can overwhelm a defense...which is what is alluded to.
A couple hundred at best, versus thousands of orcs and a balrog. They stood no chance 😢
thank you this a great work
This is awesome.
Very good. Thanks
Every time someone says the name: Moira. I always use and hear the voice of Balin, from the Trilogy, saying it in my head
In the excellent LOTR mod for Crusader Kings 3, "Realms In Exile", there is the option to play as Balin's Expedition and attempt to reclaim Moria. It's extremely difficult - as the mod tries to follow the actual LOTR story quite closely, there are some punishing scripted events that recreate the desperate tragedy. The presence of the Balrog is quite nicely represented using the game's "Struggle" mechanics, which ensure it remains a severe long-term threat, requiring great effort and no small amount of luck to defeat.
But if the dynasty of Balin endures these challenges, then the halls of Durin may yet be rebuilt, the wealth of the mithril mines reclaimed, and ultimately, the whole of the Misty Mountains reborn as a mighty Dwarven empire once more!
The ring of Thror was given to Durin III so not worn by Durin himself per se (of course the Dwarves believed each Durin was a reincarnation of Durin the Deathless).
I was just talking about this the other day!😂
Good work.
Question. Who do you think you win in a fight? Durins bane Vs Smaug? A balrog against a dragon from the north
Thanks!
This would make a good movie!
I do not understand how the dwarves could not escape. Sure,both East and West Gates were blocked and unaccesible. But there are way more openings to the outside they could have taken. For example, the Endless Stair leading to Durins Tower,which leads to the open mountaintop. Also,dwarves are great miners. Why did they just not dig a tunnel to the outside? Or,in the Chamber of Mazarbul,is a window from which light shines onto Balins tomb. Dwarves are small,they could surely climb out of the window or widen it. If they had the means to build Balins tomb, they could have dig their way out of the window very easily.
The Shadow lies upon his tomb
Not Moria, 'tis KhazadDum!
As I dare add at the end of the Proffessor's poem
This episode should be called "The Dead of the Dwarves."
If I'm being blunt, I still feel like Balin knowingly went on a fool's errand; one more old man who didn't want to just die soft, and quietly, in his own bed, or without having gone on one more adventure; preferably one HE would be famous for. A small group consisting of not just the best warriors was already silly to go hunting Smaug, but at least it was a safe bet, if they could ever reach the mountain, the dragon would be the only threat within. Even ifcBalin didn't know about Durin's Bane, and when Dain told him he wouldn't bless the excursion and didn't want Balin to waste his life, I assume that he explained why, if only to sway Balin, they DID know that there were Orcs there, and as cockroaches tend to do, where there was one, there were many. It wasn't so long since the last war, so even when one wants to doubt the skill of Orc soldiers, they knew what droves of them were capable of, so to try and hit Moria, which should have been filled with Orcs, with so small a force...it's amazing that they "lasted as long as they did. If anything else had tried to shift the Orcs, you'd think the Dwarves might've heard about it, but nope, so it seemed silly to expect to stomp through all those Orcs, even if they didn't anticipate DB, which I still assume a pleading Dain mentioned, to try and get them to rethink their plan.
Not so, for two reasons:
1) the expedition to Erebor was not in any way 'a safe bet'. It was dangerous enough that every other Dwarf colony thought it a fool's errand; the dwarves of Ered Luin and the Iron Hills did not join Thorin. Indeed, Smaug was only felled by a very lucky shot from a very special arrow. It almost borders on Deus Ex Machina levels of contrivance. Thorin's Company could have been doomed at any stage between being eaten by Trolls to being unable to defeat Smaug. The fact they were victorious likely led Balin to overestimate their abilities.
2) Moria was actually a lot emptier because of the orc defeat at the Battle of the Five Armies. You argue that the Dwarves ought to have known how strong Orc armies can be, but it's actually the opposite. The gundabad orcs had dwindled, whilst the orc forces of Isengard and Mordor had not yet grown enough. It presented the best opportunity the Dwarves were ever going to get at retaking Moria, gaining ground after the enemy had lost it. The One Ring RPG actually introduces rules to determine how many orcs are in Moria - few in 2965, a lot more the closer you get to 3019...
@@InhabitantOfOddworldto countermand the point though, it took the combined Armies of the West to actually retake Moria permanently, and that only because Gandalf and the Fellowship went in there and defeated the Balrog as a issue to deal with. Had Gimli not pushed to go through Moria and attracted the attention of the Balrog there’s no guarantee that Moria would have even been reclaimed.
@@mr.hawklingiii8739
That's the film's take on it. The book is quite different. Gandalf is the one pushing for Moria as the alternative route. Gimli is in favour of it, but only because he already suspected that the expedition had gone south. The dwarves had heard nothing from Balin for 25 years, despite regular messages prior to that.
You're right, though, that without a Maiar like Gandalf to take out the Balrog, no Dwarf force ever would. The point, though, is that no Dwarf other than Dain Ironfoot knew that Durin's Bane existed there.
I wonder how many of them were there. I mean, they were mentioning individuals dying, not how many fell. Also the whole operation feels like a scavenging adventure, rather than actual establishing of new colony. Seems like there were couple dozens dwarves at most... Then again, they sent only their king and other 12 dwarves to face the dragon and reclaim the Lonely Mountain.
THanks for the video. What book did you get this part of their story?
It's very strange that Dain never thought of checking in on the situation after an abrupt cut in the comunication with the Moria colony.
Like, hey it's been like 5 years, any word from Balin? No? Okay.
Hey it's been 10 years, still no word from Moria? Anyone else a bit suss about it? No? Okay
Then Gloin comes up at the council of Erond: "Oh yeah, Balin went to Moria with a company of dwarwes to take it back from legions of orcs and a demon so ancient and powerful that he might've killed elf lords in the first age, a Maiar spirit on power level as order of Istari, fiery doom created by Morgoth himself, whose brethren took down Galadriel's family and the mightiest Elven lords and kings that ever existed and then killed the mightiest dwarf that ever lived and ruined Khazad dum the greatest fortres of dwarwes that ever existed, but yeah Balin's company of dwarwes has it under control, we haven't heard from them in 25 years but that probably because they've won and are busy restoring the kingdom.
Request for a Lore Chronological Playlist
I've watched "The Hobbits" and "The Lord of the Rings" movies, and I've also read "The Hobbit," "The Lord of the Rings," and "The Silmarillion." However, as English is my third language, many details, especially in "The Silmarillion," escaped my understanding.
I was hoping to watch your videos to deepen my understanding, but I couldn't find a playlist of your videos that goes through the lore chronologically
I kindly request that you create a lore chronological playlist of your videos, at least including the important and most popular videos. This would greatly help viewers like me.
How cool would a horror movie be of this story?
I really love the lores about the dwarves in lotr. Especially about their kingdoms. Their story might not have a peaceful type like the hobbits or glorious like men or wondrous like the elves. But I’d say they have the most beautiful and amazing stories above all. Some says dwarves are greedy and only cares about their treasures but I’d say there’s more to them than meets the eye. They do not care about the treasures they mined or make. They care for the kingdom that their ancestors had created. When you see it in a bigger picture; Their story is tragedy cause they where once mighty folks of the mountains but later in the lotr they are only seen as scattered folks wandering mountains settlements to the other trying to prosper like their fathers did ages ago. But in the end of their stories as heavy darkness was lifted in middle earth their father once thought would never return; came back to guide his folk and prosper one last time by reclaiming the first and last realm of the dwarves. Khazadum.
Funny this video pops up randomly a few days after purchasing 'return to moria' haha
this would make a good movie
Looking at the map, number 13 looks like an accessible exit. Couldn't they have gotten out through the top of the mountain? Air vents? Exhaust chimneys?
The map (from The One Ring 2E RPG) shows many, various different entrances - there's more than just the East Gate and the Doors of Durin
Edit: no. 13 is The High Cistern, part of the Mountain Galleries
To get that far out of the mountain from what I can work out is the endless stair right at the bottom of Moria
Perhaps they were not big enough...which makes sense.
@@lexington476
Checking the Moria sourcebook from The One Ring, there are 10 different distinct entrances in and out of Moria.
No.13 on the map is the High Cistern. The High Cistern is part of the Mountain Galleries, the highest area of Moria that looks out over the Dimrill Dale and the Anduin.
Direct access to the Galleries from within Moria is cut-off by collapsed stairs, which the Dwarves did deliberately when Durin's Bane took the rest of the city. Access can be made indirectly by other means, as the Galleries are now inhabited by Mordor Orcs.
The Galleries feature many cisterns, as these would receive spring water and melted snow off the mountains in order to basically plumb the city. As such, a particularly brave adventurer could use these vast, but dangerous, pipes as a means of getting into Moria.
The other numbers on the map highlight other landmarks that are detailed in the Moria sourcebook.
Well, the Endless Stair went from the bottom of Moria to the top of Caradhras, where Gandalf fought and killed Durin's Bane.
At the end of the battle of azanulbizar after killing Azog Dain looked into Khazad Dum and presumably saw the Balrog, after he saw what was probably the Balrog he warned the rest of the dwarfs not to enter so why did he (though reluctantly) allow Balins lot to go?
We need a TV series.
Great video❤
The moria scene from LOTR is even sadder now that the hobbit released. Having faces to the characters makes it hurt 😢
@Nerd of The Rings you should do some videos on the soundtrack for ROP S2 that came out. I think there are a lot of references to the books
I have 2 ideas for a video what if aragorn got the one ring. 2nd what if the fellowship never got attacked by saruman and went together to mordor
It just doesn't make sense for any number of orcs to be able to launch a successful incursion across the bridge of khazad-dum without inside help. So either they came from the western side of the mountains as well or there was just a massive level of incompetence in whoever took over the defense of the bridge. That or the colony was really just a handful of guys and orcs getting lucky causes enough attrition at the bridge that eventually there was no one to hold it.
Sad moment when we see his Tomb in the LOTR.
It's sadder after watching the Hobbit films and knowing who the corpse is holding the book.
Good video