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The Dourhands were an ancient clan of Dwarves that inhabited Eriador.
In adaptations[]
The Lord of the Rings Online[]
In ancient times, their King Skorgrim led the clan to attack the Refuge of Edhelion, an Elvish settlement, seeking for the power of immortality within the relics the Elves kept. He managed to destroy most of it but was stopped when an Elf named Talagan brought the library's walls down upon them both, killing them and ending the conflict. The Dourhands, leaded by Gormr Doursmith, took over Thorin's Halls, near the ruins of the Refuge of Edhelion, sometime after the Quest of Erebor and the consequent death of Thorin Oakenshield, where Skorgrim's body had been discovered a few years before. They were hostile to the Longbeards residing in the region. They initiated a plan to revive Skorgrim with the help of sorcery and were ultimately successful but a party led by Dwalin was able to defeat them afterwards, killing Gormr and kicking the Dourhands out of Thorin's Halls and surrounding regions. A few years later, the Dourhands presence in the Thorin's Gate region had diminished but there were some Longbeards who believed the Dourhands, under the now reborn King Skorgrim, to be preparing something. The Dourhands shared the ideals of the First Age Dwarves and hated the Elves deeply. (The Lord of the Rings Online)
Behind the scenes[]
Dourhands introduction stories and background for Skorgrim and Dourhands underwent a few major revisions in the games Updates. This occurred when the epic prologue events went through updates. First change involved dividing the Dwarf and Elf starting areas on the map (both used to start in same place). Then finally underwent streamlining, removing many of the old quests and simplifying others, and changing many of the situations and enemies involved and certain characters motives in their dialogue (such of that as Tvistur). Quest progression was made more linear (all optional quests were removed). Finally much of the western side of northern Blue Mountains under a major change, as the formerly 'lazier' and 'cowardly' Dourhands that just let the place fall into rot, wouldn't get their own food (and couldn't be bothered to hold back invading goblins), handful on allied with the goblins. Turning the previously pristine Blue Mountains into a place of quarries and terrible machines. Some of the other geography changed and certain locations removed. Most of the wildlife had been removed or changed to corrupted varieties. One of the latter quests involved hunting Dwarves inside of their cave, was turned into hunting fell spirits inside of a mine. Skorgrim appearance and role in the introduction zone was expanded on a little.
A note by Christopher Tolkien in The Book of Lost Tales Part Two describes Dwarves as 'dour'.