The story of Karadiyar is preserved in the libraries of Tien and Sinraen. The miracles, wars, heroics, and follies of past ages are written on these pages alone.
The Battle of Belrik Pass
The following records are taken from the chronicle Memoirs of the Iron Thrones, written in Sinraen toward the end of the Third Age. The text recounts the Dwarf Prince Quel's first great battle and the events that took place at Belrik Pass.
Belrik was a narrow, windswept pass opening onto the northern approaches. On one side black cliffs rose, while on the other lay chasms descending hundreds of fathoms below. In winter the wind blew so harshly that on some nights even the mountains were said to groan. Yet for the dwarves Belrik was not merely a pass. All the iron roads leading north from Mitron passed through that gorge. Therefore it was known that if Belrik fell, the northern mines would fall as well.
In those years goblin hordes had begun emerging more often from the dark cracks of the mountains. They attacked small villages, plundered mining caravans, and slit the throats of patrols on the mountain roads at night. At first these were thought to be ordinary raids. But when the last scouting party sent to Belrik disappeared entirely, the situation changed. King Thulgar immediately ordered the passes to be held.
In the war council gathered at the palace, everyone said the same thing: the goblins were hundreds strong. A small force sent to Belrik would be crushed and destroyed in the pass. For that reason many lords proposed preparing a larger army. But then Prince Quel, still considered young, rose to his feet.
“If Belrik falls, the north falls,” he said. “As the goblins grow in number, their courage will grow as well. We do not need thousands of warriors to stop them in the pass. Fifty dwarves who will not retreat are enough.”
A brief silence fell over the hall. Some old lords smiled, while others thought the prince had gone mad. For Quel had not yet seen a great battle. King Thulgar, however, looked at his son for a long time without saying anything. At last he spoke in a heavy voice:
“You say you will go with fifty and stop hundreds. Then Belrik is yours. Either you hold the pass... or your name will be forgotten among the mountain stones.”
Three days later Quel marched north with forty-nine volunteer warriors at his side. Most of the dwarves with him were old veterans. Some had seen orc wars, while others had spent their lives in the mines. Quel was the only young one among them. Yet throughout the march he carried the heaviest armor. Upon his back rested the gold-inlaid double-headed axe that would later become famous throughout the realm. On both sides of the axe were worked the ancient seals of the House of Mitron.
When they reached Belrik, they saw that the pass had already been stained with blood. Shattered caravans still stood by the roadside. Some bodies had been thrown down from the rocks. The goblins had gathered at the northern end of the pass. Countless torches moved within the darkness, and the creatures' hoarse war cries echoed among the cliffs.
A warrior approached Quel and said they should retreat. For the horde before them consisted of at least three hundred goblins. The prince did not answer. He only lowered his axe from his back and drove it into the ground. Then he pointed to the narrowest part of Belrik. It was so tight that no more than six men could stand side by side.
“Then we will not fight like six men,” he said. “We will fight like a mountain.”
The goblins attacked when night fell. The first wave charged into the pass with shrieks. But the dwarves had sealed the narrow road with shields. When those in front fell, those behind piled upon them. At that very moment Quel leapt forward.
According to the tales, with his first blow his axe entered a goblin's shoulder and came out through its chest. With his second swing he tore another creature's head from its neck. In the narrow pass the goblins could not use their advantage in numbers. As the dead piled upon one another, the road became even narrower.
The battle lasted for hours. The goblins attacked again and again. Each time they were driven back. The sound of bodies falling from the rocks was heard throughout the night. Belrik's stones were soaked in blood.
The final assault began just before dawn. The largest goblin warriors were pushed to the front. Some carried rusty chains, while others tried to break the dwarf line with crooked spears. At that moment Quel stepped before the shield wall. He threw his helmet to the ground. Gripping his gold-inlaid axe with both hands, he walked forward alone.
According to the words of old warrior Brogar, who was there that day, “The prince no longer looked like a dwarf, but like a walking fire of war.”
Every time Quel's axe swung, a goblin fell. The sound of steel echoing in the narrow pass drowned out the creatures' screams. At last the goblin horde broke. The survivors began fleeing toward the northern cracks. Many even left their weapons behind in fear.
When the sun rose, Belrik still stood. Of the fifty, only thirty-two dwarves remained. But the pass had not fallen. The bodies of the goblin horde were piled along the road.
When Quel returned, King Thulgar met his son before Mitron Palace. According to legend, the old king did not speak for a long time. Then he said only these words:
“Today they did not bring me back a prince, but the true heir of Mitron.”
After the Battle of Belrik, Quel's name came to be spoken with fear among the goblins. Especially when his gold-inlaid double-headed axe was seen on the battlefield, it was said that many goblin hordes scattered before the fighting had even begun. It is even rumored that some creatures living in the northern caves still use these words to frighten their children:
“Be silent... or the Golden Axe will come.”