The Mines of Moria reveal their secrets slowly, and not without a sore trial, so Seregrían learns…
The Elf-scholar has accompanied a Dwarvish expedition deeper into the Mines than ever they fared before, in search of more of the lost libraries and book hoards in the lower mansions. Thus they come upon Katûb-Zahar, the ancient Word-Hoard of Durin’s Folk. Overrun as it is by creatures of the deep rocks, Seregrían and her cohorts battle through the halls until, exhausted but elated, they enter the main repository only to discover an even darker horror: the Merrevail have entered the Mines.
Having beaten back the intruders and put the creatures to flight, Seregrían takes a moment to survey the vastness of the vault of knowledge – large enough that the whole of the Last Homely House could have fit snugly inside! – and in her awestruck mind, she ponders what ancient lore she might bring again into the light.
Now the Dwarves take stock in their gains, for the fight in the halls of Katûb-Zahar yields an immense profit for all. Two Dwarf-scholars, Bori and Thalfi, sing her praises loudly for the wealth of lore she has brought out of the vaults. Thalfi the scribe has updated and corrected the maps the Iron Garrison use to navigate the Mines. Bori has used those same maps to speed the search for any trace of a mithril lode in the Silvertine Deeps.
But Seregrían herself has found something far greater, and to her profit alone. For hidden and forgotten among the scattered leaves of parchment is found an obscure piece of Dwarvish trivia that is the final link in her own research: a method for harnessing lightning and directing it along a path of one’s choosing.
Armed with this new lore, Seregrían adds a crystal touch to her already formidable staff and wanders into the passages to test it – and the first hapless orc to encounter her feels the Blood-Queen’s new fury!
