The Kingdom Under the Mountain
When the Dwarves first settled on Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, they dug deep and far, carving a kingdom of stone and jewels beneath its slopes. Lamps and candles burned ceaselessly to illuminate their busy hands, and their treasure grew along with their fame in the Northern world.
One day, the greatest Dragon of the Age came south on the wings of greed; Smaug the Golden burnt the Kingdom under the Mountain to ashes, smashing tis pride with a lash of his tail. But Dwarves can hold a grudge that outlasts a Dragon's life, and at the end of an incredible adventure, Thorin Oakenshield and thirteen fellow conspirators lived to see the death of Smaug. Today, the halls of the Dwarves resound again with the din of hammer and anvil, and their masons craft the roads and buildings of Dale and Erebor with stones of many colors. The Men of Dale, now also called 'Bardings' in honor of their lord, the Dragon-slayer, provide the busy Dwarves with everything they need to sustain themselves, in exchange for the fruits of their exceptional stone and metalworking.
Since the killing of the Dragon, the Dwarves have ceased to be a wandering folk of exiles, and have undertaken great labors to restore the Kingdom under the Mountain. Its wealth and renown are rapidly growing, and seem destined to grow greater than before: new halls are dug, cavernous streets under the earth are adorned with pillars as numerous as trees in a forest, while superior armor and keen swords leave their smiths' workshops in ever greater number. More Dwarves arrive every year from distant lands and join King Dáin's underground court.