Third Age 2941

The Daily Hobbitton

NEWS FLASH! BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES

DEVASTATES GOBLIN AND WARG POPULATION! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Goblins) (Wargs) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This past month, battle raged on the plains surrounding the Lonely Mountain, east of Mirkwood. The Men of Lake Town, led by Bard, slayer of Smaug, along with the Woodland Elves of Mirkwood prepared for battle with a waiting Dwarf army of over 500 count. Only a river separated the two armies and minor skirmishes put all on edge. The Men of Lake Town and the Elves under King Thranduil had been on the future battlefield awaiting news of diplomatic messages going back and forth between the estimated thirteen Dwarves, suspected escapees of the Woodland Elves prison, holding out in the treasure filled chamber within the Mountain. The Men of Lake Town accused the thirteen Dwarves of arousing Smaug, who attacked and destroyed Lake Town. Smaug was a dragon who was known for driving out and killing many of the Dwarves living in the Lonely Mountain long ago, and stealing the treasure. Using this reasoning the Dwarves under Thorin Oakensheild, who claimed the

Third Age 2491 title as King Under the Mountain and further claimed his birthright to the vast treasure, refused to be pressured into paying for damages done to Lake Town in Smaug's attack (for more information on the attack see page 4) until the Woodland Elves left. The Dwarves holding out in the mountain also accused the Elvenking, Lord Thranduil, of simply wanting to share in the spoils of the death of Smaug and having no other right or business in the matter. Thorin Oakensheild refused to any diplomatic negotiation until the King and his people returned to Mirkwood. The Dwarves in the Mountain had built a sizable wall blocking the main gate into the inner halls of the Mountain and prepared to defend the treasure and Thorin’s title against the army waiting on their doorstep. They were hopelessly outnumbered and the leaders of the armies of Men and Elves claimed to have acquired the Arkenstone of Thrain, a valued family heirloom and said to be “the heart of the mountain”, through a mysterious and undisclosed means. King Thranduil said that he would trade the Arkenstone for a fourteenth of the treasure inside and once the trade was finished, he and his army would depart back to Mirkwood. This further added to the Dwarves’ anger. They were, however, not as alone as was originally thought. Through carrier birds, the Dwarves holding out in the mountain apparently called on aid from family living in the Iron Hills, about a week’s march to the north. Upon realizing that war was imminent, the Dwarves refused to see ambassadors sent by the elven and Men armies and apparently fired arrows at any that came near. Soon, the Dwarves of the Iron Hills arrived and remaining on the opposite side of the river asked passage through the army of Men and Elves so that they might join their kinsman in the chambers of the Mountain. The leaders of the army would not allow them through and further tension was added. All believed there would soon be a war between the Men of Lake Town, the Elves of Mirkwood, and the Dwarves. The armies were about to begin the fighting when a mysterious messenger, later identified as Gandalf the Grey, told of the coming of a massive Goblin army emptying out of the near by Misty Mountains, hot on the heels of the newly arrived Dwarf army. Hearing this frightening news, and the mutual hate of the goblins, all the armies ceased their arguing and united against the coming goblins. The Goblins, lead by Bolg of the North son of Azog, accused the Dwarves holding out in the Mountain, of killing their king The Great Goblin and sought revenge for his death as well as the vast treasure within the Lonely Mountain. They traveled on Wargs, also seeking revenge for the attempted assassination of their king and the killing of many of their fellows. Bats flew over them creating confusion and blocking out the sun. Before the goblins arrived, Thorin allowed all the armies close to the Mountain to have a better strategic placement against the coming goblins. The Goblins first attacked from the North secretly, not even the ravens of the region claim to have known of their coming. The goblin army filled the valley and was attacked from all sides by the opposing armies. The trap worked, but the goblins were too numerous and fresh ranks soon poured in. The armies were beaten back by the fresh goblin troops and that is when the fifth army joined. The Lord of Eagles, having bitter hate for the goblins, flew from the North with eagles from every cliff of the North. Soon after came a mysterious bear, suspected to be Beorn, a skin-changer and mighty being of the mountains. Soldiers claimed he was a giant while fighting and killed the Goblin leader. With the death of Bolg the goblins fled, but were hunted down and the main population destroyed. Thorin Oakensheild was mortally wounded in the battle and soon died. Upon his death Dain son of Nain took the title of King Under the Mountain and gave out generous amounts of treasure to all whom fought to defend the Mountain during the Battle of the Five Armies. Soon after, the armies were disbanded, Lake Town was rebuilt and was prosperous, the Woodland Elves returned to Mirkwood, the Dwarves took up residence in the Lonely Mountain, the Eagles returned to the Misty Mountains, and Gandalf the Grey accompanied a mysterious, and small, traveler to Rivendell. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Third Age 2941

Dear Elrond Good Morning, sir! Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of strange visitors. I don’t want to be rude, but they’re not concerned in the least for my feelings or my home! There have been Wizards and Dwarves; I just don’t know what to do! They eat up my cakes and drink all my tea! They sing terrible songs as well! They talk of chipping my glasses and cracking my plates! Blunting my knives and bending my forks? Oh Elrond, what should I do with them? -Bilbo Baggins Dear Bilbo, It sounds as though many people strange to the Shire have sought you out. Remember that their humor might be different than yours. Be open to their ways and their tales. Pay especially close attention to this Wizard you spoke of. You might find friends in these visitors and walk paths long untraveled by your people. Good luck. -Elrond

Third Age 2941

Special Report ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lake Town Destroyed by Smaug the Dragon!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Only weeks ago Smaug the Dragon was seen flying over the small settlement of Men of Esgaroth, better known as Lake Town. Witnesses report that the night sky was filled with his fire as the Worm, as some have come to call him, set the town all ablaze. The small defenses of the town were only able to fight with arrows, which had no effect on the circling dragon. Reports say that Smaug accused the town of assisting some Dwarves that he accused of stealing part of his treasure. When the Master of Lake Town was questioned he said that indeed some Dwarves did pass through the town only a week or two before, and made outrageous claims that the Dwarf legend of the King Under the Mountain had returned. This claim was made by a Dwarf who identified himself as Thorin Thror’s son Oakenshield. The people claim that the Dwarves arrived at the town riding in barrels, floating down stream from Mirkwood. Using this system barrels were returned by the Elves living in Mirkwood and it was indeed strange that Dwarves would be sent down. Elves of the Woodland Realm claimed that the Dwarves were escaped prisoners of their Lord, King Thranduil’s prisons and that they should be returned immediately to Mirkwood. The town Master did not hand them over, however. He said that the Dwarves arrival had inspired his people and that sending the Dwarves back with the Elves might cause a civil uprising. The Elves promptly returned and told King Thranduil of the incident.

Third Age 2491 In Lake Town, there was much celebration among the people who wished for the “tyrant Smaug” to be thrown down. The Dragon had been reported as devastating their lands, defiling the water, and reeking havoc on the lands surrounding his mountain home. The legends spoke of a Dwarf coming and reclaiming the mountain. However, many admitted they didn’t really believe that the thirteen dwarves, and one strange little traveler remaining unidentified, could take on a dragon. But once the dragon flew down, many panicked. The mighty Smaug was indeed aroused and sought revenge for the “burglars” being assisted by his neighbors living in the Shadow of the Lonely Mountain. The dragon apparently circled his home for many nights prior to his attack and women and children were evacuated. The town was completely aflame until one Man, Bard from the line of Garion, fired a single arrow into an unprotected part of the dragon’s underbelly. When asked later how he was able to see the bare spot, for the attack took place late at night, he merely smiled and replied “a little bird told me.” We could get no more answers to this vague response. Smaug crashed on top of the town. While all were glad to see the beast dead, it left the entire population homeless. The black bones of Smaug still rest upon the ruins of the town and the people say that none will go near it, saying that is now an evil place. There is rumored to be a great amount of treasure among the ruins, as much gold and gems were embedded in Smaug’s armor. It is not known at this time what became of the fourteen travelers who were accused by the town’s Master of arousing the Dragon and leading to the destruction of Esgaroth. These accusations are being looked into as well as where the fourteen travelers might be at this point. There are also rumors of the Lonely Mountain being unguarded along with the vast treasure. It is also rumored that Wood-elves under King Thranduil are riding down from Mirkwood to assist the members of the devastated town. All these reports are being looked into. For more information see first page article “Battle of the Five Armies”. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wanted Escapees of the

Royal Prison of Mirkwood Thirteen Dwarves

Lead by Thorin Oakensheild

If you have any information Contact Woodland Elves

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