Moria

Moria runs straight through the Misty Mountains at their central point, which makes it the only reliable east to west road in the whole range. The Doors of Durin open on the western side above the Sirannon in Eregion, and the East-gate comes out in the Dimrill Dale above Mirrormere, with Lothlórien a day's march beyond. Three peaks stand over it: Caradhras, Celebdil and Fanuidhol.

Its true name is Khazad-dûm, the mansion of the Khazâd, translated in Westron as Dwarrowdelf. Durin the Deathless founded it in the First Age and his line ruled there for thousands of years. It grew rich on mithril, found nowhere else in Middle-earth, and in the Second Age the Dwarves traded and worked with the elven-smiths of Eregion. Narvi made the West-gate and Celebrimbor wrote on it.

The Dwarves dug too greedily and too deep. In TA 1980 they woke a Balrog of Morgoth from the roots of the mountain. It killed Durin VI, then Náin I the following year, and the surviving Dwarves fled. Orcs moved in and the name Moria, the black pit, stuck. Thrór returned in TA 2790 and was murdered by Azog, which began the War of the Dwarves and Orcs, ending in the Battle of Azanulbizar outside the East-gate in TA 2799. Balin led a colony back in TA 2989 and it was destroyed within five years.

The Fellowship entered on 13 January TA 3019 after Caradhras defeated them. They found Balin's tomb and the record of his colony's end, fought orcs and a cave-troll in the Chamber of Mazarbul, and were driven to the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, where Gandalf faced the Balrog and fell with it into the abyss.

Events at this place

1. TA 1980 · Appendices

   The Balrog wakes

   Dwarves mining for mithril released a Balrog of Morgoth. It killed Durin VI, and within a year the Dwarves abandoned Khazad-dûm.

2. TA 2799 · Appendices

   Battle of Azanulbizar

   The War of the Dwarves and Orcs ended before the East-gate. Dáin Ironfoot killed Azog, but the Dwarves would not re-enter Moria.

3. TA 2989 · The Lord of the Rings

   Balin's colony

   Balin led Dwarves back to Moria and ruled as lord for five years before orcs overwhelmed the colony and killed him by Mirrormere.

4. TA 3019, January 13 · The Lord of the Rings

   The Fellowship crosses Moria

   Entering on 13 January, the company found Balin's tomb, fought orcs in the Chamber of Mazarbul and escaped by the East-gate.

5. TA 3019, January 15 · The Lord of the Rings

   Gandalf falls at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm

   Gandalf held the narrow bridge against the Balrog and broke it, but was pulled into the chasm and vanished from the story until Fangorn.

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