(scribblings from Tarnorili’s journal, written after a day of few and failed fellowships)

“The Enemy has come to these western lands, and everywhere all i be seein’ are lads pretendin’ they be men take up arms against the foe. But it be for naught, they fall under the sway of this Witch-King. Don’t be gettin’ me wrong, i be not countin’ myself as a hero or great warrior, but i do be knowing one when i eye-ball ‘em, and i’m willin’ to head into battle even though the odds of survivin’ be grim, and of success be grimmer.

Where be the true men and women of courage to stand against the foe? Surely they not all be cowerin’ under the loomin’ shadow. Where even be my Khazad kin when they be needed? Not all surely be more concerned with the mine and the Inn. It be true that the pasty elves be strong in the showin’, but they be weak in morale, poor in company and seek to be leavin’ these lands. And the little folk? They be brave, but they be little.

The days seem to be fadin’ under the clouds from the north, from the smoke, from the fires. Why then it be so hard to be findin’ those willin’ to stand stout against this Devilry? Where be those that are willin’ to light the torches of hope against this darkness?”

Tarnorili Oreshaper is a Dwarf, and a rather old dwarf. It is believed that he was conceived when his father - Farnorili Oreshaper - returned from The Battle of Azanulbizar [2799 (1)] with Dain Ironfoot and the remnants of his father Nain’s army. Tarn has fleeting memories of the sadness in the Hills in the wake of Dain’s Grandfathers’ death in 2805. Hence it is most likely that Tarn was born in the year 2802, though if you ask him, he’ll likely respond that he’s “Well over 200″ and leave it at that.

Early Years

Being born into the Oreshaper family meant Tarn had a responsibility to uphold their name when concerned with the forging of arms and armor. The truth of the matter though is that Tarn, least in his younger years, was more interested in the toy-making that went on to the south in Wilderlands, and even traveled and stayed there - much to his father’s disappointment - for a little while in his youth.

Middle Years

Soon enough though, the sound of dwarven hammers & anvils ringing lured him back to the Iron Hills and he finaly started becoming a ‘True Dwarf’(2). Apprenticed to his father Farnorili, Tarn quickly picked up the art of Metalsmithing (as most dwarves do), finishing his apprenticeship when he wrought iron into the fine and flexible mesh leg-coverings that only the Iron Hill Dwarves knew how to make. The font of passion for the Art of Metalsmithing was all a-blaze now in Tarn’s Heart.

Grand Years

News - via raven - reached the Iron Hills in 2941 that Thorin Oakenshield (Dain’s Cousin) had retaken The Lonely Mountain. Dain quickly assembled and marched 500 dwarves to her eastern slopes. Tarn and Farn worked the forges providing arms for Dain’s dwarves, and stayed behind (with many others) to protect the women and children.

Upon further hearing that it was safe to travel back to the The Lonely Mountain, the Oreshaper family - consisting of Farnorili, his wife Tarnya, daughter Farnya(3), and Tarn - all left the Iron Hills for the last time in 2943. They reached and settled in The Lonely Mountain that same year. Though the Halls under the Mountain were once again the dwarves’, there was still a lot of work to be done. Tarn did his fair share and also helped with the rebuilding of Dale in 2944. Farnorili however did not fare too well on the journey to The Lonely Mountain, and was laid to rest there in 2947, he was 231.

Once again the Halls under the Mountain and the valley containing Dale became rich and bountiful. Trade flowed freely to and from both and the Dale toy trade was revived. Tarn continued with his metal-smithing and even took on a keen arms-smith from Dale as somewhat of an Apprentice. Tarn taught the man many skilled techniques and common practices, but of course kept the special dwarven arts of smithing to himself. There are somethings that are only to be shared among kin.

Current Years

With age comes many things, and as Tarn grew older his limbs began to stiffen and weaken slightly from that of his more youthful days and work on the forge was getting harder and harder. With a heavy heart in 2987 Tarn hung up his heavy forging tools for the last time. His crafting days were not over however, and though stiff his hands were still steady enough for somewhat of a return to the toy making days of his youth. In addition he picked up jewel artificing, and both brought a light to his heart that lessened the pains of forgoing heavy smith work.

In 3001 the famous Hobbit Bilbo Baggins returned to Dale and The Lonely Mountain. He was 111 years old, very old for a Hobbit, but he still managed to venture all the way from his home in The Shire, across the Misty Mountains, through Mirkwood, and onto The Lonely Mountain. At one particular party under the mountain, Tarn overheard Bilbo talk of his home - The Shire - and of Bree & The Lone-lands and it got Tarn thinking “Surely if this wrinkly old hobbit can be travelin’ such a ways and be seein’ such things at his age, i can be too”, and with that Tarn started talking to some friends, and within a month they left The Halls under the Mountain for their own adventure. They would cross Mirkwood - staying away from the evil wood-elves as much as possible - and the Misty Mountains, and head for the land of Eriador. They thought they might even see The Shire that Tarn had heard Bilbo going on about.

Tarn may be old, ‘”Well over 200″‘ you’ll likely hear him say, but he believes he’s still got some kick in his old legs yet. And to this day he is still traveling and exploring the land of Eriador, making friends, and some enemies - mainly elves - along the way.

Footnotes

(1). The Battle of Azanulbizar itself was fought in 2799, whereas Dain (and Farnorili) finally returned to the Iron Hills around 2801 it is believed.

(2). In the eyes of Tarn’s father Farnorili Oreshaper, if you did not swing a hammer at an anvil with some type of precious stone or ore in between, you simply were not a dwarf.

(3). While Farnya traveled to The Lonely Mountain at the same time and in the company of her parents, correctly speaking she travelled with her husband and the family she married into.

Let me start off by saying; i’m no great warrior. My Ma is a cook and my Pa a farmer and neither of them in their wildest dreams would call themselves adventurous. Ma & Pa have a humble dwelling on some farmland outside Minas Tirith on the Pelennor fields. Though plain, there they’ve got everything they need, and they have lived a simple and uneventful life, as happy as could be.

Even in my extended family there are no adventurous types, save for my cousin Elhalanor. Once she came of age she up and left Minas Tirith for the lands of Eriador and my family’s heard little from her since. El said she’d write often, but one solitary note is all we have to show since she’d been away. It’s now been too long since that one note, so against my parent’s will my brother and myself have set out to find her. I do hope we do, but in the searching i hope to find some adventure - just a little - of my own.