Dain

Dain son of Nain is a dwarf-lord of the Iron Hills, a grim and powerful warrior who commands a host of heavily armed dwarves. He is a cousin of Thorin Oakenshield and a descendant of the line of Durin, the eldest race of Dwarves. Dain's people are renowned for their skill in forging a fine and flexible metal mesh, and each of his warriors is clad in a steel hauberk that hangs to the knees, with legs covered in hose of that same secret metal. They wield heavy two-handed mattocks in battle, and each carries a short broad sword and a roundshield. Their beards are forked and plaited and thrust into their belts, and their caps and shoes are of iron. Dain himself is grim-faced and formidable, a leader whose people have experience in the dreadful dwarf and goblin wars.

Arrival at the Lonely Mountain

When Thorin, besieged in the Mountain by the combined forces of the Lake-men and the Wood-elves, sends word by the raven Roäc to his kin in the Iron Hills, Dain responds with speed. He hurries through the night with more than five hundred dwarves, each bearing huge packs of supplies in addition to their weapons, and appears around the eastern spur of the Mountain sooner than the besiegers expect. The dwarves of the Iron Hills are grim and determined, and they intend to push on between the Mountain and the loop of the river to reinforce Thorin. Bard, the dragon-slayer, refuses to let them pass until the gold and silver promised in exchange for the Arkenstone are delivered, and the dwarf-messengers retire muttering in their beards. The arrival of Dain's host shifts the balance of power, and the besiegers realize that the dwarves can now withstand a siege for weeks, and that more dwarves may yet come.

Role in the Battle of Five Armies

The battle that none had expected begins when a vast goblin army, led by Bolg of the North, descends upon the valley. At Gandalf's command, Dain joins the council with the Elvenking and Bard, and all former quarrels are forgotten in the face of the common foe. The dwarves of the Iron Hills are set on the Eastern spur of the Mountain. When the goblin host pours into the valley, the dwarves charge with a deep-throated roar, crying "Moria!" and "Dain, Dain!" They plunge in wielding their mattocks, and beside them come the men of the Lake with long swords. The goblins are stricken and many flee, but the battle turns when goblins scale the Mountain from the other side and attack the spurs from above. Dain's dwarves fight fiercely, but they are slowly beaten down. When Thorin and his companions leap out from the Gate, Dain's dwarves rush to his help, heedless of order, and once again the goblins are driven back. Yet the bodyguard of Bolg drives in upon their ranks like waves upon cliffs of sand, and the defenders are hemmed all about. It is the arrival of the Great Eagles and then of Beorn himself that finally turns the tide. Beorn, in bear's shape, pulls down Bolg and crushes him, and dismay falls on the goblins. Dain's dwarves, along with the elves and men, pursue the fleeing goblins, and three parts of the goblin warriors of the North perish on that day.

Kingship and Legacy

After the battle, Thorin Oakenshield is buried deep beneath the Mountain with the Arkenstone upon his breast and Orcrist laid upon his tomb. Dain son of Nain then takes up his abode and becomes King under the Mountain. In time, many other dwarves gather to his throne in the ancient halls. Dain deals the treasure well: he honours the agreement of the dead and gives up a fourteenth share of all the silver and gold to Bard, who in turn sends much gold to the Master of Lake-town and gives the emeralds of Girion to the Elvenking. Dain also crowns the chief of the Eagles with gold and swears friendship with them forever. Under Dain's rule, the kingdom of the Mountain is restored, and the desolation is filled with birds and blossoms in spring and fruit and feasting in autumn. Lake-town is refounded and prospers, and there is friendship between elves, dwarves, and men. Dain's reign brings a new peace to the northern world, and the prophecies of the old songs are fulfilled.