King of Khazad-dûm

   Ruler of Durin's city in the Misty Mountains.

   The title taken by the rulers of Khazad-dûm, the greatest and most opulent Dwarf-city of all time. The Kings were descended in line from Durin I, called the Deathless, who founded the city in ancient days.

   After the foundation of the line by Durin, little is said of the most ancient Kings. What records we have show that they ruled, on average, for about a century each, which would mean that there must have been very roughly sixty generations of Kings of Khazad-dûm before records resume, in the eighteenth century of the Third Age. The first King listed there, the penultimate King in Khazad-dûm, was Durin VI, so it follows that there must have been a Durin II, III, IV and V among the many unknown Kings (indeed we have some records of Durin III, who received a Ring of Power from Celebrimbor himself).

   It was Durin VI who had the misfortune to rule Khazad-dûm at the time its miners discovered and released a sleeping menace deep among their mithril veins. This was the Balrog that came to be known as Durin's Bane, a creature much too powerful for the Dwarves to control. Durin was killed soon after its appearance, and succeeded by his son, Náin I. Náin's rule was a short one - he too was killed within a year of his father's death, and his subjects fled their ancient home.

   According to legend, Náin I was not the last King of Khazad-dûm. Some sources suggest that his distant descendant, Durin VII, came back to the kingdom of his ancestor, and reclaimed it as its King, though this tale cannot be verified beyond doubt.