Dale Battle of Five Armies & The Third Age of Middle-Earth The current year for our Middle-Earth campaign is set during the year of 2946 of the Third Age. Inspired By J.R.R. Tolkien

In the northeastern reaches of Wilderland, nestled in a sheltered valley between two great arms of the Lonely Mountain, lay the city of Dale. The River Running, which sprang from beneath the Dwarf-kingdom of Erebor, flowed through this valley, creating a lush and pleasant land in a region that was otherwise wild and untamed. The city itself was renowned for its prosperity and beauty, a "merry town" of Men who had settled there in the Third Age, drawn by the wealth of their Dwarf neighbors.

The foundation of Dale was inextricably linked to the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain. When King Thrór re-established the Kingdom under the Mountain around T.A. 2590, the Men living to the south gradually moved north and built Dale in the shadow of Erebor. A symbiotic relationship flourished: the people of Dale, known as the Bardings in later times, traded food and supplies for the exceptional crafts of the Dwarves.

This commerce made the city famous throughout the North, especially for its wonderful and "magical" toys and its sweet-sounding golden bells, which were a wonder of the North. The Dwarf-kings treated the Lord of Dale with great reverence, and the two peoples prospered together.

This golden age came to a fiery end in T.A. 2770 when the dragon Smaug the Golden descended upon the North. Drawn by tales of the immense wealth within Erebor, the dragon attacked the mountain and the city of Dale without warning. Girion, the Lord of Dale, valiantly led his warriors in defense, firing black arrows at the monster, but their efforts were futile against the great fire-drake. Dale was utterly destroyed, its people killed or scattered, and the survivors fled south down the River Running to the relative safety of Lake-town. For nearly two centuries, the city lay in ruins, a grey, silent testament to the dragon's wrath, and the surrounding land became the "Desolation of the Dragon". The city's revival began with Thorin Oakenshield's quest and the death of Smaug at the hands of Bard the Bowman in T.A. 2941. Bard was a direct descendant of Girion. After the Battle of Five Armies, the remaining Men of Lake-town used their share of the recovered Dwarven treasure to rebuild both their town and Dale.

Bard became the first King of the restored Dale in T.A. 2944. Under his rule, the city regained its glory. People came from the South and West, and the alliance with the Dwarves of Erebor was re-established. The valley once again became prosperous. The alliance between the Barding Kingdom of Dale and the Dwarves of the Mountain was a key factor for peace in the North. Trade flourished, and Dale's realm expanded under the reigns of Bard's son Bain and grandson Brand. The Bardings were known to be friendly to the Dwarves and were involved in extensive commerce. Bilbo Baggins later ordered special gifts from Dale's craftsmen for his farewell party.

The city faced a final challenge during the War of the Ring. In T.A. 3019, the Easterlings invaded the North. King Brand of Dale and King Dáin II Ironfoot of the Dwarves fought together but were killed at the city gates. The Men and Dwarves were driven into the Lonely Mountain, where they were besieged until news of Sauron's defeat arrived. Emerging victorious under the leadership of Bard II and Thorin III Stonehelm, they drove the enemy away. After this battle, Dale was rebuilt and remained a free people and a strong ally of the newly re-established United Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor into the Fourth Age.