Dale

Where the waters of the Running River meet the shadow of the Lonely Mountain, stands Dale. The City of Men had been rebuilt from ruin in the aftermath of the Battle of the Five Armies. Once a place of music and merriment, of trade and golden market halls, Dale prospered under the protection of Erebor. Its merchants sailed swift boats down the Celduin, its streets rang with laughter, and its people knew peace. But peace was shattered when the dragon came. Smaug, the winged death from the North, descended upon Erebor in flame and fury, and Dale was the first to suffer. The city burned, her people fled, and for nearly two centuries, the proud, domed towers stood silent and broken, a monument to sorrow. Yet ruin is not the end of Dale's tale. With the death of the dragon, Bard the Bowman raised his banner once more and called his people home. From ash and stone rose Dale again, not as it once was, but greater. Under King Bard and his son Bain, the city thrives anew, her walls strong, her people proud, and her gaze ever vigilant. The Men of Dale are not mighty in number, nor ancient in magic, but they are steadfast and true.