The King has commanded me to find forgotten secrets in Mordor, mostly surrounding the ring-lore of Sauron. While I wish not to defy my Lord he demands a great many things, and it weighs heavily upon me. I have fought alongside the Longbeards quite recently and personally spoken with King Dain II Ironfoot prior to his death before the gates of Erebor, where also the last of my family fell. His son, Thorin III is now king of Durin's Folk, and I pledged my allegiance to his house the day we broke the siege and drove the Easterlings from our lands.
I have always been appointed as a representative of the Firebeards amongst Durin's Folk and I serve both Houses with equal zeal. The blood of both Houses flows through my veins and so this quest is not to my liking for it is my Lord's desire to keep this a secret from the Longbeards. I do not understand why my Lord decided to put me in this position. I am not the only adventurer out there.
As my father before me was a Firebeard I am to put my allegiance to his House before that of Durin's Folk, yet I have ever tried to bring together all the Seven Houses under the banner of Durin's Folk - until now I believed that was my king's desire as well. Alas, I have not much choice in this matter. I can only hope that my journey will be swift and that it will go unnoticed by my Longbeard brethren.
On another note, if this ring-lore indeed still exists and I could somehow find it, it could uncover the secret behind the forging of rings of power! Imagine that! A new era for the dwarves and I at the helm of it! That is a most amusing thought.
Exciting as such a discovery might be, I have never ventured into those lands and I fear of what may still be lurking there. Has all the evil of Sauron been undone? Do I not walk into a trap? I will need to be cautious.
Another problem arises: I do not know Black Speech, the tongue in which Sauron's records will no doubt be written, and I know none who do. Perhaps there is one who can, one who is neither dwarf nor man. The curious elf Tinnurion, an old friend of the family, but I know not where he lingers these days. Last I heard of him he was somewhere in the Misty Mountains. That I should call upon the services of an elf!
And what am I to do with the treasure I uncover? I will need a cart to transport it through the many lands of Middle-Earth, risking the curious minds of bandits or worse upon the road - that is if there are indeed any treasures to find in the black land in the first place! I will keep my hopes up, but they are not high. Let me start with my preparations.
Mahal guide me,
Nyr May 4th 3019
