The following is an excerpt from a tome detailing the life and works of Duron Egarian Ashencraft. It was originally written by his son, Maldren Malnur Ashencraft. 

The research was performed by Miso of Kage-Kitsune and Solitaire of House Aryvandaar in 1117.

Research S17-1035

Once long ago, when the world was at peace and our days were spent at the forge or in the mines, when the Dwarves were creatures of metal and stone, not of flesh and blood, the fair queen of the Elves sought out a master craftsman for a commission. She had upon her head a fine crown, you could sense the magic radiating from it, but it was Elven hands that had shaped it and for all its craft, for all its beauty, it was shaped at the forge of a dwarf. She came asking for a second crown to be forged, one for her twin brother. She knew of the friendship between him and Duron Egarian Ashencraft. For this reason and his almost unparalleled skill at the forge she sought him.

They conferred for hours, debating design, materials and a host of other details before finally agreeing, the crown would symbolise not only a sisters love of her brother, but the friendship between the Dwarves and Elves. Both of the races would be depicted in the crown. Mithiril, it will come as no surprise, was chosen to represent us, as if there could ever have been any other decision, given that it is perhaps the metal we covet most of all. The Elves represented a more difficult choice, but Duron had always treasured the shiny gold ingot, he had received as a gift from Forbeo, in recognition of the hospitality the Dwarves had offered. With great reluctance, Duron had withdrawn the ingot from the chest of his treasures and shown it to the Elven queen. He had recognised how its radiance had mirrored the colour of her hair. For many of our People despised the dirty metal, but Duron honoured it as it was intended, a gift of friendship.

But Lolthiriel knew what he was offering her. She knew how deeply the Dwarves guarded their secrets and understood the sacrifice he was making. And whilst agreeing that he had found the perfect metal to represent the Elves, she graciously rejected his gift, indicating that she knew where the twin to his treasure was in Morias, forged at the same time from the same source and that she would speak with Forbeo about parting with it. She stayed the night, telling us stories of their lives in the great Elven city of Morias and in the morning, she began the journey back to her lands, promising to dispatch a rider with the ingot forth-with.  We thought the rider would never come, for no Dwarf would ever freely have parted with such a treasure.

In the days after she left, whilst we waited for any trace of a rider coming from the southern road, did we realise that Duron had asked no price for his work. When we challenged him about it, he just looked faintly embarrassed, as if to say, oh well. To our surprise, nearly a month after her departure, a solitary elf approached from the south. He rode up to the walls of our town and hailed us. His name was Schandalun Taurenean and he came on a horse laden with the hammer of a blacksmith. He had the ingot in his possession, but as he handed it over, he explained the price that Forbeo wanted in exchange for the ingot. An apprenticeship.

Duron grumbled mightily that night, after he acquiesced, the student would be a bother, but he’d given his word and though he wouldn’t admit it, he had a soft spot for the fair Elven queen and the project excited him and animated in a way we hadn’t seen in him in a long time. To Duron’s delight, Schandalun immediately proved himself a more than capable smith, whose workmanship would have put many a Dwarf to shame. The task he thought would be a laborious chore became a pleasure and the pair, Elf and Dwarf, worked long into many nights. Schandalun learnt the finest nuances that the Dwarven master had to teach and Duron laboured long and hard entwining the two metals together and delicately shaping them into a crown.  It was a task, he wished would last forever, but he could drag it out no longer and Schandalun has mastered every task, test and trial, he’d set before and so with great reluctance, he declared his masterpiece finished and bid Schandalun to deliver it to Lolthiriel in Morias.

She had confided in him her plan, to imbue it in the circle at Morias, together with her husband Larethian, to boost Ineluki’s strengths and temper his weaknesses. Duron hadn’t cared to know the details of what they proposed or how she intended to do it, but he designed his work to allow and accept powerful magics to be laced into its very core. Before Schandalun could depart the next morning, a message had come from the other dwarves clan’s indicating that they had heard of a master Elven smith staying with Clan Ashencraft and inviting him to tour their forges. We could all see how the offer delighted Schandalun and he indicated his acceptance of this great honour, before heading southwards with the completed crown.