The seven Rings of Power of the Dwarves
While the nine rings of men were presumably in possession of the nine nazguls, the exact whereabouts of the seven rings of power given to the dwarves is unknown. After Sauron perished Eregion and captured Celebrimbor, Sauron took the 16 rings that he forged together with Celebrimbor and the Gwaith-i-mirdain.
After Sauron was defeated at the War of the Elves and Sauron and fled to Mordor, Sauron gave nine of the lesser rings to men and the seven rings to the dwarves.
However, to whom and when did Sauron gave the rings was unknown. Most likely the seven dwarf clans Durin’s Folk, Broadbeams, Blacklocks, Stonefoots, Stiffbeards, Ironfists and the Firebeards have received one ring of power each.
Durin III did receive the most powerful ring of power of the dwarves yet, there are some conflicts in Tolkien’s story as one story says Celebrimbor gave it to Durin III before Sauron invaded Eregion while it is stated Sauron took all 16 rings.
Yet, the ring of Durin III descended Thror the dwarf king of Erebor when Smaug attacked. Four of the rings of power by the dwarves were swallowed or destroyed by the dragons during the Battle of the dwarves and the Dragons at the Grey Mountains. Sauron dwelling in Dol Guldur has already recovered two of the rings of power of the dwarves.
Death of Thror by Azog
After Smaug destroyed the Lonely Mountain and Dale, Thror, the king of Erebor, led the dwarf refugees to Dunland. Thror would make the map of Erebor where he encrypted the Moon Letter that revealed the location of the Secret back door to Erebor.
The dwarf king Thror gifted the Ring of Power to Thrain II and secretly headed to Moria which was once the mighty dwarf kingdom Khazad-dumof Durin’s Folks before the balrog Durin’s Bane destroyed it.
However, Thror was ambushed by orcs that called himself Azog the Goblin (Goblins are the same as orcs in Tolkien’s language) and Azog would behead Thror and slashed the name AZOG on his head while the orcs would feed the body of Thror to the animals.
Thrain II who was the father of Thorin Oakenshield swears to take avenge on Azog and its orcs near Moria in the Misty Mountains.
War of the Dwarves and Orcs
*The movie The Hobbit is different from the novel.
Thrain II would call upon all the Druin’s Folk dwarves as he was furious of the death of his father Thror while Thror was humiliated by Azog that was leading the orcs of the Misty Mountains.
Thrain II would also assemble the dwarves from the other houses as he declared war against the orcs at the Misty Mountains.
The dwarf alliance of the different dwarf houses started from the north of the Misty Mountains Gundabad and head down to the south of the Misty Mountains.
The orcs of Gundabad that were the remnants of the old evil kingdom of Angmar were wiped out by the dwarves. However later on, the orcs would once again take over Gundbad shortly after the War of the Dwarves and Orcs.
Battle of Azanulbizar
The dwarf alliance would commence a bloody campaign driving off the orcs from the Misty Mountains starting from the north while they’ve conquest through the south.
The orcs led by the chieftain Azog would confront the dwarves at the east of Moria (Khazad-dum) at the valley of Azanulbizar.
The orcs greatly outnumbered the dwarves, but the dwarves that were near the end of their long campaign to avenge Thror courageously charged the orcs.
The dwarf alliance faced consequences and many of the dwarves fell while Throin II or more known as Thorin Oakenshield the eldest son of Thrain II, would even have to pick up an oak tree branch which gave him the name Oakenshield as the battle was fierce.
Nain the lord of the Iron Hills (Nain was the father of Dain II, more known as Dain Ironfoot) and Dain Ironfoots’ dwarves from the Iron Hills arrived as reinforcements and charged to Azog. Azog would eventually snap Nain’s head and murder Nain, the lord of Iron Hills.
Azog would flee the battlefield, however Nain’s son Dain Ironfoot would pursuit Azog and jumped onto Azog decapitating Azog’s head.
Settlement of Durin’s Folks at Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains
The dwarves were victorious at the Battle of Azanulbizar and successfully avenged Thror, however half of the dwarves that participated in the battle passed away and the dwarves faced severe losses.
The dwarf alliance of the different dwarf houses have witnessed the balrog Durin’s Bane standing guard on Moria, the old realm of Khazad-dum.
The dwarf alliance initially planned on taking over Moria, where the prosperous dwarf kingdom Khazad-dum stood but gave up due to the heavy losess of the Battle of Azanulbizar.
The dwarf houses would return to their homes after burying the dead, however, Durin’s Folks led by Thrain II had no home to return as Smaug took over Erebor and the balrog Durin’s Bane still stood strong at Moria (Khazad-dum).
Eventually Thrain II led their people to Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains where the remnants of the Blue Mountains stood even after Beleriand and Ossiriand sank after the War of the Wrath.
Sauron’s capture of Thrain II and Sauron’s possession of the three rings of power of the dwarves
Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains was peaceful as the dark creatures and orcs of Eriador were already annihilated after the perish of Angmar.
However, Thrain II, Thorin Oakenshield and the dwarves of Durin Folks were unsatisfied as the Blue Mountains were poor in resources.
Thrain II would leave the map of Thror to his eldest son Thorin Oakenshield and headed to Erebor to scout on Smaug as Thrain II couldn’t stand the yearning of Ereobr.
Thrain II journeyed together with Balin and Dwalin, however near Mirkwood, Thrain II suddenly disappeared and Balin and Dwalin returned to Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains and Thorin Oakenshield became the lord of Durin’s folk in exile from Erebor.
Sauron, who was hiding in Dol Guldur captured Thrain II quietly without noticing the other dwarves that Thrain II journeyed. Sauron severely tortured Thrain II and discovered the last remaining ring of power of the dwarves
Sauron already had two of the rings of power that he gave to the dwarves while four of the rings of power were destroyed or swallowed by the dragons. Sauron was satisfied by snatching the ring of power from Thrain II and imprisioned him in the dungeons of Dol Guldur.
