Chapter Summaries

Roland and his companions fought the Water Monitor at Mirror Lake, and the Smurf’s water magic let Caldo drag it onto land and kill it. With the battle over, they continued searching for the hidden entrance, while Balin warned they might have to wait until night to find it.

• Roland agreed to Caslo’s plan to lure the Water Monitor out of the lake, and Caslo ordered the soldiers away from shore.
• Omsk pinned two of the Water Monitor’s tentacles with throwing spears as Caldo seized another and dragged the creature into the water fight.
• The Smurf used Water Element Separation to strip away the Water Monitor’s control over the water and help Caldo pull it onto land.
• Caldo tore the Water Monitor apart, and Roland told Caslo to stop him once it was dead.
• Roland and Balin resumed searching for the hidden entrance, and Balin said they might have to wait until night to find it.

Roland and Balin found the hidden entrance to Moria and opened it with the Elvish word for “friend.” After the party entered the city and Balin chose a route toward the Throne Hall, goblins attacked, forcing the Dwarves into a bloody fight.

• Roland, Balin, and their companions found Durin’s hidden door, and Roland opened it by saying the Elvish word for “friend.”
• Roland warned the soldiers about possible enemies inside Moria, while Balin celebrated their return and described the city.
• A Lothlórien Ranger reported a vast hall ahead, and Balin directed the group around Hall Number Ten toward the Throne Hall.
• Omsk reported that goblins were pouring out of the hall and that a troll had been spotted.
• Balin rallied the Dwarves, who charged the goblins and fought them fiercely.

Roland, Balin, and their forces fought through a goblin attack in Hall Number Ten, where giant ogres caused the first dwarf casualties. After regrouping, they prepared to advance cautiously against the mass of goblins revealed in the darkness.

• Roland warned Balin about a giant ogre and hurled a spear at it as more ogres emerged around them.
• Roland and Balin fought back the attackers, while Caslo and Omsk helped defend the group; Roland ordered the dwarves to assemble after goblins surrounded one of them.
• Balin sounded a horn, and the dwarves formed a shield wall that helped suppress the goblins while the Lothlórien Rangers pinned down their archers.
• Balin told Roland that three dwarf warriors had been killed by giant ogres, and Roland agreed to clear Hall Number Ten steadily and spend the night there.
• Balin spotted more enemies gathering behind the pillars, so Roland ordered the Lothlórien Rangers to fire flaming arrows and the Lagrange City Guards to shoot.
• After the fire arrows revealed a vast mass of goblins, Caslo called for a slow advance to compress their space, and Balin ordered the troops forward.

After clearing Hall Number Ten, Roland healed the wounded, asked Balin to repair the Lagrange soldiers’ damaged armor, and shared a meal with his troops. The chapter left Roland receiving ten Woodland Warriors from the system.

• Balin mourned the fifteen dwarf Warriors killed in the battle, and Roland comforted him.
• Caslo reported that twenty-two Lagrange City Guards were seriously wounded, and Roland healed the injured soldiers.
• Balin asked Roland to treat the dwarf wounded, and Roland agreed while requesting help repairing the city guards’ cracked armor.
• Balin promised to refurbish the soldiers’ armor in the forges of Moria, and Caslo led him to the troops needing repairs.
• Roland ordered food for his soldiers, then argued with Omsk for taking his honey-flavored venison jerky.
• Roland checked in with the system and received ten Woodland Warriors.

Roland learned from Omsk how the Woodland Warriors fought and why their unusual equipment suited jungle and tunnel combat. He welcomed the troop type, whose small squad was already heading to Flowing City, despite its weakness in open-field battles.

• Roland inspected the Woodland Warriors' attributes and asked Omsk whether he knew about them.
• Omsk explained that Woodland Warriors came from the Great Forest, now Mirkwood, and were difficult to obtain without territory there.
• Omsk described how the warriors used two shields, hooked spears, daggers, and hand crossbows to ambush enemies and fight in close combat.
• Omsk said Woodland Warriors were fast and versatile but lacked Shield Wall, making them poor in legion battles and extremely vulnerable to an organized Knight Order's charge.
• Caslo told Roland that the Woodland Warriors' abilities were best suited to jungles and tunnels, and Roland accepted their usefulness.

Roland and his companions settled in the reclaimed dwarven hall for the night, while Caslo tried to keep the exhausted soldiers and celebrating dwarves prepared for another attack. As Roland struggled to sleep amid the dwarves’ thunderous snores, he noticed holes in the dome that reminded him of something from Blue Star.

• Roland ate jerky and drank tea before bed while Omsk and Caslo worried about his habits.
• Caslo and Omsk arranged makeshift beds for Roland and the soldiers, and Roland ordered tents distributed so the soldiers could sit on the cloth instead of the cold ground.
• Caslo stopped Balin and the dwarves from drinking and warned them that Orcs and goblins could attack again.
• The dwarves settled down and snored loudly, leaving Roland unable to sleep.
• Roland noticed numerous holes in the dome and wondered what they were for, sensing that they resembled something he remembered from Blue Star.

Roland spotted goblins climbing down the dome’s pillars and alerted the camp, turning their ambush into a one-sided battle. After the goblins were defeated, Roland ordered the soldiers to clean up and sleep with shields overhead in case of another attack.

• Roland noticed movement in the dome and woke Caslo and the soldiers as goblins began climbing down the pillars.
• Caslo sounded the alarm with Dragon Roar, and the Lothlórien Rangers shot the descending goblins while the troops prepared for battle.
• Balin recognized the goblins’ arrows and weapons as decayed dwarven stock, while the Dorwinian Heavy Swordsmen cut down their attackers.
• Caslo coordinated the troops as the Rangers and soldiers slaughtered the goblins before they could surround the camp.
• Roland ordered the soldiers to clean up and rest with shields over their heads in case the goblins attacked again.

Roland reviewed Flowing City's territory information and considered how to grow Lagrange's population and expand its settlements. After a sleepless night at the bloody battlefield, he prepared to continue onward with Balin and the others.

• Roland used the system to review Flowing City, Tupte Territory, and Lulong Fortress, seeing that Lagrange was developing but still needed more land and people.
• Roland planned to establish villages around Flowing City as its population and farmland expanded.
• The smell of goblin and troll corpses kept Roland awake, so he sat up and cleaned his Dragon-slaying Sword while Caslo returned to sleep.
• Roland complained to Omsk about the battlefield stench, and Omsk advised him to grow accustomed to war.
• Roland ordered the soldiers to eat and prepare to move, but Balin reminded him that they first had to gather and bury the fallen warriors.

Roland’s allied army reached Hall Number Nine and fought its way inside against Goblins, Orcs, and Giant Ogres. After a Giant Ogre broke the Dorwinian Heavy Swordsmen’s Shield Wall, Roland led the Royal Guard to seal the gap as the battle continued.

• Roland, Balin, and Omsk decided to advance together to Hall Number Nine rather than split their forces, and Balin guided the army through the tunnels.
• Goblins spotted the allied army through holes above the hall’s doors, so the Lothlórien Rangers killed them and Omsk broke down the doors.
• Roland charged into the hall, where a Giant Ogre struck him back, but Dorwinian Heavy Swordsmen killed it and Balin led the army in to secure the entrance.
• Balin’s Dwarves held formation against Goblins and Orcs while the Lothlórien Rangers harried the Giant Ogres; Caslo killed an Orc that wounded a city guard, and Roland healed the guard.
• A Giant Ogre smashed through the Dorwinian Heavy Swordsmen’s Shield Wall, and Roland led the Royal Guard forward to plug the gap as enemies poured in.

Roland became sick from the gore of close-quarters fighting and collapsed, prompting Caslo and Omsk to halt the Lagrange advance and search for him. Balin noticed the human army faltering and went to investigate, fearing something had happened to King Roland.

• The Royal Guards held the line against the Orcs and goblins, then brought down the Giant Ogre.
• Roland fought off attackers but vomited and collapsed after a goblin’s brain matter struck his face.
• Caslo realized Roland was missing and demanded that Omsk help find him.
• Caslo and Omsk ordered the Lagrange soldiers to stop fighting, hold formation, and search for Roland.
• Roland got up amid the corpses, saw where he was, and began vomiting again.
• Balin noticed the Lagrange army had stopped advancing and went to investigate with several companions.

After Roland went missing in the corpse-filled caverns, his army and allies searched for him while fearing the King had been killed. They found him alive but overwhelmed by the stench and filth, and Caslo ordered the troops to give him privacy as he recovered.

• Balin learned from Caslo that Roland was missing and feared the humans would retreat if their King had died.
• Omsk and Caslo searched for Roland and discovered that Smurf was missing too, while the dwarves took over the front line.
• Roland vomited in the caverns as Smurf teased him, and he fell face-first into a pile of corpses.
• A city guard found Roland and lifted him, causing him to vomit on the soldier after goblin excrement entered his mouth.
• Smurf explained that Roland was suffering a stress reaction, and Caslo ordered everyone to stand guard a hundred meters away.

Roland rejoined Balin after being cleaned up and led his soldiers back into the battle to support the dwarves. After healing wounded warriors, they prepared to advance toward Hall Number Four, where Balin warned that larger halls and hidden Orcs would make the fighting harder.

• Smurf, Caslo, and Omsk cleaned Roland, who ordered his soldiers back to the front after learning the dwarves had taken over the fighting.
• Roland found Balin battling Orcs and told him that human troops had returned, so Balin ordered Froy to bring the dwarves back.
• Roland healed wounded dwarves while Balin explained that Hall Number Four was larger than Halls Number Ten and Nine and feared attacks from its dome.
• Roland, Balin, and their companions left to eat bread and jerky before advancing through Moria's stone stairways.
• Caslo caught a Dorwinian Heavy Swordsman who nearly fell from the stairs, and Balin explained that the old wooden railings had rotted away.

Roland and Balin led the allied army through Moria toward the Fourth Hall and the bridge, while Roland worried about the ancient routes and the Balrog. Near the Fourth Hall’s square, the rising heat and smell of sulfur suggested they were approaching the Balrog’s lair, so Omsk went ahead to scout.

• Balin showed Roland the stone bridge and explained that the army had to cross the Fourth Hall to reach it, while Roland worried that the ancient structure might collapse.
• Balin recalled Moria’s former glory and its fall after the demon beneath the earth awoke, and Roland said they could destroy passages as a last resort.
• Roland rested during the long march and learned that old wooden bridges along the route had disappeared, leaving the army to use the giant stone stairs.
• Balin ordered the army to gather at the Fourth Hall’s square without alerting the enemies there, while Lothlórien Rangers continued clearing threats ahead.
• Caslo, Omsk, and the Smurf sensed signs of the Balrog’s lair, and Omsk went ahead to scout as Roland and Balin halted the army.

Roland and the dwarves followed traces of the Balrog through Moria, discovering valuable stone crystals and signs that the creature was active nearby. Orcs attacked them by dropping stalactites, but Caslo’s dragon mount raised a barrier that let the group reach the Fourth Hall, where Balin confirmed they were close to the Balrog.

• Omsk showed Caslo a high-temperature stone crystal, and Roland agreed to trade alchemical potions with Balin’s dwarves for more crystals.
• The group found that the Balrog had climbed up from below and traveled repeatedly through the area near a residential district beneath the Fourth Hall.
• Roland ordered everyone to avoid the open plaza and head into the hall, but Orcs above them began dropping stalactites onto the group.
• Caslo and the heavy units protected the others as they crossed the plaza, and Roland was nearly knocked down by a falling stalactite.
• The Smurf cast a Dragon’s Barrier over the plaza, allowing the group to enter the Fourth Hall safely.
• Balin said they were close to the Balrog, while Roland noted that Orcs and goblins had avoided the area because of the creature’s powerful aura.

Roland and the dwarves explored the Fourth Hall, where they found the remains of warriors who had died fighting the Balrog and discovered that Nain I had sacrificed himself to battle it. Balin began gathering the dead, while Roland found a fragmentary diary that helped him understand what had happened.

• Roland and the dwarves entered the Fourth Hall and found its ruins littered with the remains of warriors and their melted weapons and armor.
• Balin mourned the dead, and Roland warned the group that the Balrog might still be nearby as they searched the hall.
• Caslo and Roland discovered a petrified dwarf Overlord, whom Omsk identified as Nain I, son of Durin VI, who had died fighting the Balrog.
• The dwarves wept over Nain I, and Omsk and Caslo sensed that their grief and anger had forged a fierce new spirit among them.
• Balin left to gather the fallen warriors, while Roland found a damaged diary whose surviving words described the Balrog and the king's sacrifice.

Roland pieced together how the Balrog drove the dwarves from Khazad-dûm and how Nain I held the Fourth Hall to give them time to escape. The story left Nain and fewer than a hundred surviving dwarves gathering for their final battle against the Balrog.

• Roland questioned Balin about the halls and escape routes, then concluded that Nain I had fought the Balrog to buy time for the dwarves to flee.
• Balin confirmed that the Halls of Mandos led to the Bridge of Durin and the Endless Stair, while only the Fourth and Second Halls connected to the Great Mine.
• Roland reconstructed how Durin VI and Nain I had defended the evacuation routes as dwarves escaped through the eastern gate and up the Endless Stair.
• Nain I and his elite guards repeatedly fought the Balrog, the Fire of Utumno, while the dwarves of Khazad-dûm evacuated to new homes.
• Nain rallied his remaining warriors for another charge, and fewer than a hundred dwarves prepared to face the Balrog in the final battle.

Nain fought the Balrog alone in the ruined Fourth Hall, sacrificing his life to wound it and bar its way to the Dwarven royal capital. After witnessing Nain's final memories, Roland realized the Balrog was below the plaza.

• Nain repeatedly charged the Balrog, protecting the dwarves as they were killed and driven back.
• Exhausted and battered, Nain used Bloodlust, Berserk, Boiling Blood, Mountain Mover, and Blood Burning to unleash a devastating strike that nearly cleaved the Balrog in two.
• The Balrog flung Nain into the ruins, leaving his axe lodged in its spine, but it survived and began retreating toward the abyss.
• Nain declared that he would guard the capital and suppress the Balrog, then turned to stone as the earth's power consumed him.
• Roland emerged from Nain's memories and looked toward the cliff, grimly noting that the Balrog was below.

Roland told Balin that the wounded Balrog remained in the abyss beneath Moria, and Balin chose to stay and kill it rather than clear out the Orcs first. The allied army prepared to secure the Fourth Hall while Roland and Caslo planned how to draw the Balrog out.

• Roland explained that Nain I's lingering spirit had kept the Balrog confined to the Great Mine beneath the Fourth Hall.
• Roland told Balin that the army could stay for only a little over a month and asked whether they should hunt the Balrog or clear out Moria's Orcs.
• The Smurf tried to fly into the mine, but Caldo pinned her down and warned her that she could not fight the Balrog underground.
• Balin chose to remain and kill the Balrog so the Dwarves could avenge their ancestors.
• Roland ordered the army to camp in the Fourth Hall, assigned Omsk and the Dorwinian Heavy Swordsmen to guard the exit, and asked Caslo to help lure the Balrog out.

Roland and his companions tried to draw the Balrog out of the Great Mine, but Caldo’s Dragon Might failed to provoke it. They suspected the Balrog was still recovering from its ancient injuries, and Caslo asked Smurf to use mental detection to find it.

• Roland and Caslo had Caldo release Dragon Might into the Great Mine, but nothing responded.
• Caldo’s Dragon Might weakened the allied troops nearby, reminding Balin of how formidable the dwarves’ ancestors must have been to fight a Balrog.
• Omsk reported that Dorwinian Heavy Swordsmen had secured the corridor from the mine’s exit to the Halls of Mandos as an escape route.
• Omsk suggested the wounded Balrog might have ignored Caldo’s provocation to avoid a fight, and Caslo agreed it might still be recovering from Nain I’s injuries.
• Roland questioned how they could find or lure the Balrog without descending into the mine, so Caslo called for Smurf to use mental detection.
• Smurf arrived expecting a fight and showed her displeasure when Caslo asked her to search for the Balrog instead.

Roland and Smurf searched the dwarven mountain for the Balrog, but Smurf’s Mental Power detected only its scent until the creature awakened. The Balrog revealed a power greater than expected, and Caldo answered its challenge with a roar.

• Roland carried Smurf along the cliff while she used her Mental Power to search for the Balrog, finding mineral veins but no sign of it.
• Smurf sensed something near the cliff and startled the group before clarifying that she had detected only the Balrog’s scent.
• Smurf stopped to rest, but the earth soon trembled and Caldo recognized the sulfurous smell of Morgoth’s abyssal magma minions.
• Caslo explained that the Balrog had awakened and was likely less weakened than they had predicted.
• Caldo spread his wings and unleashed powerful Dragon’s Roars toward the valley floor.