Moria

Many of the tales of the Black Pit, Moria. In the 5th Age it is the home of a great kingdom of Gonhirrim, a particular kind of dwarf. They are ruled by Durin VII, Durin the Last. He is an ageless Gonhirrim and has but one offspring, Durina.

Moria is both a kingdom and the largest mine of 'mithril' in Middle Earth. It runs miles into Arda and all the way up to the peaks of the Misty Mountains, to Caradhras itself.

In past ages, Moria was the most majestic of all dwarven kingdoms. However, it had been taken over by a monster of unbelievable power from the ancient days. The dwarves were driven out. Later, Moria was settled by orcs. One dwarf, Balin, attempted to retake the mines. Though they slew thousands of orcs, his small company was not enough to cleanse so many and they were overcome.

Many centuries after the beginning of the Fourth Age, Durin VII was born and began to retake the mines. It was then discovered that not all the evil in the world had gone out of it. The Gonhirrim have been fighting an continual war against the Valaraukar for centuries, keeping them from spilling into the world of men.