Of the Arrival of the Dwarves
It came to pass that in 4185 EC that Tielfrem was fully recovered from the treachery of Edmiel. Then Helbrethim, Edmiel’s brother and the King of Tielfrem decided that he must go forth with his plans to attack the darkness. The forces of evil had encroached all the way to the point where Edmiel had fallen. That place was ever named Cris-du-Edmiel, Plain of Edmiel. Helbrethim gathered the forces of Tielfrem and went forth unto the plains and began his invasion of the Darkness. He fought many battles against the darkness and was finally defeated at the foot of the hills of Dilmarth by Darthelion, Captain of the Forces of Dilmarth, Lord of the Wraiths, Shadow of Despair. Then Helbrethim saw that further battle was indeed futile and he fled back to Thelma. But the Darkness felt fear, and did not attack again for a while in the south of the mountains.
Many years later in 4291 EC Helbrethim perished, for his body had grown old in the eyes of the world. His spirit though was young. He asked to be put on a ship and sent to sea so as to await his death upon the waves. He named his heir to be his son, Heldronar.
In 4341 EC a great host of evil things, Spiders, Dragons, Trolls, and Wraiths, were lead by Darthelion towards Delecon. The Lords of Darkness had seen that the Elves of Delecon had been weakened by their despair and could not stem their forces. Thus it came to be that the hosts of Darkness crossed the great river and came into fairer lands. At this same time the dwarves saw for the first time the light of Jethmel, the sun. He blessed them and they became enamored of light but remained underground for a while. When the King of the Dwarves, Binmar, saw the hosts of evil moving south of him he was distraught. For their coming was led onward by a great black cloud, and all fair things of the sun withered beneath the hosts of evil. Then he was angered and spake:
“Whence do these foul daemons of darkness come forth from? Shall we allow them to destroy the light which we so dearly love? Or would it be that we must issue forth onto the lands above and combat them? I speak in favor of the later! Let the dwarves slay this great evil!”
Then the dwarves poured forth from the ground armored in glistening armor and with sharp axes, ready to hew the heads of any evil thing. When, after time had passed, they caught up with the enemy and fought. The fire of the dragons did not harm them for they bore over their faces great masks of red steel. The spiders could not sting them. Only the trolls were strong enough to harm them except when a dragon would swoop to the ground and try to crush them. A great battle was fought at the foot of the northern hills. All of the evil things in that host perished as did many of the Dwarves. Darthelion though escaped.
King Frethdin then saw that the time for weakness was long hence and he armed his people. He taught them anew the ways of war, and the learned swiftly. With their aid the dwarves long held the fords of the great river and battled the forces of evil.