In an age before the waking of Elves and Men, the Vala Aule who delighted in the crafting
of works and creation of life, grew impatient in his desire to see the Children of Iluvatar.
Therefore he created the 7 fathers of the Dwarven race, unique lifeforms of his own
design, short in stature but physically powerful who might share his passion for mining and
craftwork.
Yet these beings were little more than mindless puppets of Aule’s will, since only the true
creator, Eru Iluvatar, could impart the flame imperishable, which granted intelligence and
independent thought.
Scolding the Vala for attempting to supersede the will of Eru, Aule repented and offered
to destroy his work.
Refusing to allow it, Eru took the Dwarves as his adopted children and granting them
the flame imperishable, but also put them to sleep, as the Elven race must be the first
to awaken and take their place in the world.
Therefore, it was in the years after the raising of the stars and rising of the Elves, that
the Dwarves once against opened their eyes, with seven Dwarven clans emerging as descendants
of the seven fathers.
These clans included the Broadbeams and Firebeard s, who awoke in the Blue Mountians of the
West, while the Longbeards resided in the central Misty Mountains, leaving the Ironfists,
Stiffbeards, Blacklocks, and Stonefoots to settle in the lands later known as Rhun, possibly
within the Red Mountains of the far-east.
Although Dwarves were known to be a strong and hardy folk, fiercely loyal to each other
and their clans, not all could abide by the laws and customs of their people, and so were
forced to survive on their own as exiles.
During the years of the Trees, when the Elves still dwelt in their original homeland of
Cuivienen, some of the Dwarves exiled from their clans of the east, migrated west, reaching
beyond the blue mountains to settle in Beleriand.
Establishing the realms Nulukkizdin and Sharbhund, these mixed clan exiles were no longer bound
to traditional dwarven culture and so created their own unique customs and laws.
Although they did not place the same value on selective secrecy as their kinsfolk, who
would not reveal their true names or language to outsiders, the exiles were even more withdrawn,
isolating themselves from others races and keeping to their own people.
Yet these precautions were ultimately insufficient to prevent calamity, as the Elves of the east
eventually journeyed to Beleriand and settled their own realms, marking the beginning of
the end for the Dwarven exiles.
Having grown smaller than other Dwarves throughout the years of their isolation, as well as more
primitive in technology and less skilled with craftwork, the Elves did not recognize them
as sentient beings, and thus believed them animals, hunting them to near extinction.
In time, the Elves made contact with other Dwarven clans like the Broadbeams and Firebeards
of the Blue Mountains, and only then learned the exiles were a form intelligent life.
Realizing their error, they named these beings the Petty Dwarves, ended the hunt for their
kind, and largely left them alone from that point onward.
Yet the damage was done, and the Petty Dwarves never recovered from the losses sustained.
Those who survived, shared a burning hatred for the Elves, forever remembering the violence
inflicted upon them.
In the years of the First Age, which followed the rising of the sun and waking of the human
race, the Petty Dwarf population continued to diminish until they were forced to abandon
Nulukkizdîn, retreating to their last stronghold at Sharbhund, which became known and Amon
Rhud.
Their hatred for the Elves then grew worse, when they learned the Noldor built their realm
Nargothrond upon the lands they once ruled, thereby adding insult to injury.
Nearing the end of the First Age, the Petty Dwarves were all but extinct, seeing the male
Mim alongside his two sons Khim and Ibun, as the last of their kind.
Unfortunately these last remaining exiles were unable to end their lives in peace, as
tragedy once again struck their people, ensuring a sad and violent end for the Petty Dwarves.
In the year 486 of the first age, while carrying sacks of goods to their home, Mim and his
sons spotted a band of outlaws, led by the famous warrior Turin son of Hurin, a great
hero of the human race suffering through a lifelong curse, inflicted upon him by the
dark lord Morgoth, a powerful enemy seeking the destruction of all creation.
Seeking no avoid trouble, the dwarves tried to sneak around the outlaws but were spotted,
resulting in the capture of Mim, though his successfully fled.
Yet as they ran away, the outlaw Androg loosed an arrow which struck Khim, leaving a grievous
wound.
Although the brothers made it home, Khim could not be saved and died from his injury.
Meanwhile, Mim was forced to bargain for his life, offering him home as a shelter for the
outlaws who were on the run from the orc armies of the Dark Lord.
Upon his return to the caves of Sharbhund, Mim found his son dead, and grew furious,
placing a curse of death upon Androg should he ever pick up another bow.
Though the caves of Sharbund were now called Bar-en-Nibin-noeg, meaning House of the Petty
Dwarves, Mim renamed it Bar-en-Danwedh, or House of Randsom, in protest of the Outlaws.
Upon realizing the terrible deeds they committed against Mim and his family, Turin offered
their services as workers and guards, to help and protect the Dwarves while staying in their
home.
As the weeks and months passed, Mim continued to resent the outlaws, but also grew to enjoy
their company to some degree, even befriending their leader Turin.
Yet his hatred for the man who murdered his son continued and so Mim was content when
Androg defied the curse and used a bow to attack Orc forces.
As a result, Androg was shot by a poison arrow and would have died if not for the Elf Beleg,
a friend of Turin, who used his knowledge to save his life.
Having been raised to despise the elves, this only furthered Mim’s hatred for Beleg, who
robbed him of vengeance.
Yet even so, Mim felt his revenge would come, believing the curse was destined to strike
again.
Although history is uncertain about what happened next, two possibilities emerged.
In the first version of events, Mim and his son grew increasingly upset with the outlaws
and their elven ally, and so purposely betrayed them to the orcs.
While the second story claims they were captured, and so Mim was forced to betray the outlaws
in order to save his son from torture and death.
In either case, the dwarf set forth conditions for his cooperation, demanding that Turin
be sparred while Beleg be left tied up so Mim could personally end his life.
Whatever truly occurred, Mim escaped the ordeal with his life, but his son Iben did not, and
died by unknown means, possibly at the hands of the orcs.
Journeying to Amon Rhud, the Orcs launched a devastating attack, killing nearly all the
outlaws and scattering the few to survive.
At last succumbing to the curse of Mim, Androg was again shot by a poison arrow during the
battle, but this time would not survive and so used the last of his strength to free Beleg
from captivity, saving his life.
With his sons dead, home destroyed and friends betrayed, Mim made his way to the abandoned
realm of Nargothrond, where the elves were defeated and slaughtered by the armies of
Morgoth.
Arriving in the year 499 of the FA, Mim, last of the Petty Dwarves, reclaimed Nulukkizdîn
in the name of his people, and seized the remaining Elven treasure, even gathering a
small following who lived under his rule.
Yet even such great riches, could not save him from a sad end, as he was soon visited
by the company of Hurin, father of Turin, who’d been a captive of Morgoth for many
years, forced to watch from afar as his family endured a terrible fate.
Knowing that it was Mim who betrayed his son Turin, Hurin killed the Petty Dwarf in cold
blood, while his company slew the others.
Yet Mim refused to die meekly and remained defiant to the end, using his last words to
lay a curse upon the treasure he left behind.
With his enemy dead, Hurin took the precious Nauglamir necklace from the treasure horde
and brought it to the realm of Doriath, where it remained with High King Thingol of the
sindar elves, who then sent for the rest of the treasure as well.
Thus it was that Mim’s final act of vengeance took hold, as a few years later when the King
came into a dispute with the Dwarves of Nogrod, they attacked with all their fury, slaying
the King, sacking the city and stealing the wealth of Doriath, including the treasure
from Nargothrond.
Yet not even the Dwarves could escape the curse of Mim, as they were ambushed during
the journey home, by the human hero Beren leading an army of green elves, and were slaughtered
in retribution for their attack on Doriath.
Although Beren recovered the Nauglamir necklace, the rest of the cursed treasure was lost,
falling into the Ascar river during the battle.
The curse then lived on through the necklace, which was now tied to a silmaril jewel, which
the sons of feanor swore an oath to recover by any means.
This then led to the Second kinslaying, in which the Noldor elves destroyed the reborn
realm of Doriath under King Dior, grandson of Thingol, and the Third Kinslaying, in which
the sons of feanor slaughtered the refugees in the haven of sirion, causing Elwing, daughter
of Dior to throw herself and into the sea, where the nauglamir detached from the silmaril
and was never seen again.