Misty Mountains
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
The Misty Mountains, that immense natural barrier running north to south across the face of Middle-earth, were a place of awe and terror in equal measure. To gaze upon their jagged peaks, forever shrouded in cold mists and eternal snows, was to look upon the backbone of the world itself. The Greybeards, the Caradhras range, were ancient even when the Elves first awoke, their stone faces carved by forgotten glaciers and the countless batterings of wind and storm. They were a domain of shadow and deep cold, a silent realm that commanded respect and instilled a sense of profound isolation in any who drew near. The land here felt raw and untamed, a hostile wilderness indifferent to the passage of Men, Elves, or Dwarves alike.
The valleys and lower slopes presented a deceiving, rugged beauty, lush with dark pines and roaring, ice-fed rivers. Here, one could find fleeting moments of peace. Yet, this beauty always gave way to the harsh reality of the upper reaches. As the elevation climbed, the trees thinned and eventually disappeared, replaced by sheer rock faces, treacherous scree slopes, and dizzying precipices. The air grew thin and sharp, biting at the lungs of travelers. Snowstorms could materialize without warning, burying paths and trapping the unwary in a white, frozen tomb. The constant mists swirling around the summits seemed to hide more than just stone; they masked movement and swallowed the sound of falling rock or the call of a lost companion, making the mountains a place of palpable dread.
It was not merely the climate that made these mountains perilous; it was what dwelled within their stony heart and shadowed passes. The Misty Mountains had long been infested with servants of evil, a legacy of ancient wars. Orcs burrowed deep in the stone, their foul tunnels and goblin-paths twisting through the roots of the peaks. Goblins of the high pass were a constant menace, and deeper still, darker things lingered. Balrogs, Stone Giants, and perhaps older, nameless creatures that gnawed at the world’s foundations called this place home. Crossing from the comfortable lands of the West to the wild East was a gamble few took willingly, a journey through a land teeming with foes who viewed any passerby as prey.
For the Dwarves, however, the mountains were a different story—a treasure chest and a tomb all at once. They delved deep into the rock, carving out vast, glittering cities like Khazad-dûm, which became Moria. They saw beauty in the veins of silver and gold, the shimmer of mithril deep within the earth. The mountains provided everything they needed: stone for building, ore for forging, and shelter from the evils of the surface world. Yet their greed often proved their undoing, their deep delving awakening horrors best left asleep. The mountains took back their gifts with a heavy price, turning the proud halls of the Dwarves into haunted ruins echoing with the sounds of battle and loss.
Thus, the Misty Mountains stood as a silent, imposing sentinel over Middle-earth. They were a borderland between hope and shadow, beauty and terror. They challenged the strong, broke the weak, and guarded secrets that would forever remain buried beneath miles of solid rock. Whether viewed from the safe distance of the Shire's rolling hills or felt under the worn boots of a weary traveler struggling through a blizzard in the High Pass, their presence was undeniable—a powerful, ancient force that shaped the fates of all who lived in their looming shadow.
Notable Locations
• Baraz-dûm
