Backstory and setup for the first post for the Blue Mountain Dwarves -- better late than never!! Sorry for the delays!
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*** Blue Mountains ***
The dwarves of the Blue Mountains, though they were not the equals of the original dwarves of Moria for sheer building size and scope, nevertheless had a long and proud history.
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"It came to pass during the second age of the captivity of Melkor that Dwarves came over the Blue Mountains of Ered Luin into Beleriand. Themselves they named Khazâd, but the Sindar called them Naugrim, the Stunted People, and Gonnhirrim, Masters of Stone."
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The ancient cities of Belegost and Nogrod were there, until they were destroyed at the breaking of Morgoth's fortress of Thangorodrim. Telchar the Dwarf, the forger of the great sword Narsil, came from Nogrod, and the weapons forged by the dwarves of those days were unsurpassed, though their craft declined somewhat over the ages since. The dwarves of the Blue Mountains aided Finrod in excavating and building the stronghold of Nargothrond. Eöl, the renowned elvish smith, learned much of his craft from the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains.
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"At its greatest Arnor included all Eriador, except the regions beyond the Lune, and the lands east of Greyflood and Loudwater, in which lay Rivendell and Hollin. Beyond the Lune was Elvish country, green and quiet, where no Men went; but Dwarves dwelt, and still dwell, in the east side of the Blue Mountains, especially in those parts south of the Gulf of Lune, where they have mines that are still in use."
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And so, in the renewed kingdom of Gondor and Arnor, the Blue Mountains and their inhabitants were summoned to the King…
Now in those days, in the immediate aftermath of the War of the Ring, the dwarven miners of the Blue Mountains were a proud and fierce people, even compared to other dwarves. Though loyal to their own brotherhood, they cared little for the doings and dealing of the outside world, now that the threat of Sauron was eliminated, though being so far from the war, they themselves took little part. It seemed good to them to select a new king from amongst themselves, and to redevelop the trade for which they were once renowned, but to otherwise not meddle in the affairs of men and elves (nor to tolerate meddling in their own affairs). And so it came to pass that the arrival of the Summons from King Elessar Telcontar raised great suspicions in their minds. Not knowing him well, and knowing the treachery of certain other men, they were inclined to ignore the summons altogether. Their king, however, cautioned them that this was the King Elessar who had just defeated the armies of Mordor (so they thought), and how could they stand against so powerful a foe if they should make an enemy of him? Better to attend and let their fears be made known than to spurn a powerful king.
So they set about selecting who would represent them at the great council, itself no small debate. For there were those who would open their realm to greater input and trade, and those who wished to close their society to all except traders. The selection would take time, and much loud debate, which only got louder when the ale was served…