[Official descriptions from the Hobbit app and Weta Workshop, combined and edited for flow.]
Thorin
A proud and noble Dwarf of resolute character and stern bearing, Thorin Oakenshield is the grandson of Thror of the line of Durin and heir to the lost throne of Erebor. Alongside Moria, Erebor stood as the greatest of the realms of the Dwarves, a vast kingdom carved from the living rock of The Lonely Mountain, bustling with trade and bursting with wealth. Down upon Erebor the great dragon Smaug had fallen and the city and its people were engulfed by the inferno of his coming. Thorin and his kin were fortunate to escape with their lives, though they left everything else behind. Their treasure and pride was swept up by the dragon into a pile upon which he curled to sleep, deep inside the mountain. When no one came to the aid of the surviving Dwarves, a once proud and noble race was forced into exile.
Throughout the long, hard decades of his exile, Thorin’s mind ever dwelled upon the thought of some day retaking the mountain and restoring his people to their erstwhile splendour. Now, as the strong, fearless fighter and respected leader, Thorin is determined to reclaim his homeland and destroy the beast that brought such misery upon his people.
As the heir to the stolen throne and upon whose shoulders the future of the line of Durin depends, Thorin feels keenly the threat of failure and what it will bring – a fiery death for himself and the loss of his people’s hope.
In time he would form a company of Dwarves, thirteen in number and at the Wizard Gandalf’s insistence, reluctantly employ the services of the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins, setting out for The Lonely Mountain with dreams of gold and glory.
Beset by enemies and misfortune, Thorin and his party would lose much along the way, but one prize the grim-faced Dwarf was pleased to lay hands upon early in his journey was the mighty sword, Orcrist, a famous blade of Elven make and well suited to be carried by a king, if one yet in want of a kingdom.
Balin
When Balin spoke in the great halls of Erebor, the wise would listen. The council of Fundin’s eldest son was much revered among the noble Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain and beyond, for he was clear-sighted, discerning and erudite. Even as a young Dwarf, Balin’s artful word-craft was equal to the jewellery of the finest Dwarven smith. A lord in his own right, Balin was cousin to the King Under the Mountain and friend to Prince Thorin Oakenshield in the days of the Dwarf realm’s grandeur.
But that was before the coming of Smaug. In a single devastating assault, Erebor was consumed by fire and death when the Dragon fell upon them. The heirs of Durin fled and with them Balin and his brother Dwalin. Through the long years in exile, Balin’s sage council was depended upon by Thorin Oakenshield, surviving heir to the lost throne and in whom the hope of a displaced people now resided. When Thorin begins making plans to reclaim their home, Balin is with him, resolute, loyal and solicitous, there to provide a thoughtful word in the ear and a sword at his side – but deep in his heart, this wisest and most loyal of Dwarves harbors troubling doubts about the wisdom of the Quest for the Lonely Mountain.
Balin is one of the oldest members of The Company of Dwarves. Wise and gentle by nature, he has been forced to live a life fraught with war and the ongoing struggle for survival. While the old Dwarf is long in beard, his gnarled hands have lost little of their strength over the years and his eyes are still as keen as a hawk’s. Upon his hip he wears a wickedly pointed Dwarven mace. Wrought in the smithies of Erebor lost, its edges are as sharp as any sword and its copper-hued faces blaze like fire in the sun, catching the light to shine like a flame in his hands.
Though age and long miles might have tempered the keenness of the old warrior’s reflexes, both mind and weapon are as sharp as the day the dragon first descended upon the Dwarves’ mountain home, and Balin will not shy from drawing his star-pointed blade when foes threaten.
Dwalin
A warrior of renown among his kind, Dwalin has fought at Thorin Oakenshield’s side many times and the two spar regularly to hone each others skills. More like a brother than distant kin, Dwalin is loyal to the last hair in his beard and would willingly lay down his own life if it would save Thorin Oakenshield’s.
Dwalin speaks his mind plainly and is not one to suffer fools lightly. Fiercely loyal, he is Thorin’s staunchest supporter, with an unshakeable belief in his friend’s leadership.
A powerful and bruising fighter, Dwalin has a natural tendency to distrust anyone who is not a dwarf and is particularly suspicious of Elves. Proud, brave and one of the tallest of the dwarves, Dwalin will bow to none but those who have earned his respect.
Dwalin, son of Fundin, was proficient with arms of all kinds, but when laying blows swiftly and against many adversaries at close quarters, he liked nothing better than the two single-handed axes he wore crossed upon his back. Named Ukhlat and Umraz, the short-hafted axes were simple in shape, wide in blade and heavy in head. Upon their broad faces their Khuzdul names were carved in runes.
In battle the scarred old warrior wields a great hammer near as tall as he stands. Upon his arms and scalp are tattoos as angular and hard-edged in design as the dwarf himself, and upon his brow is knitted a frown etched by years hardship. Yet Dwalin is not cheerless, for dwarves feel all things deeply. Grudges he bears, but Dwalin also laughs loudest and with all his heart in times of mirth and celebration. No stronger second could Thorin Oakenshield have hoped for in his quest.
Fili
Fili was born into the royal line of Durin and raised under the stern guardianship of his uncle, Thorin Oakenshield. Along with his brother Kili, Fili is one of the youngest in The Company of Dwarves. He has never traveled far, nor ever seen the fabled Dwarf City of Erebor. A skilled fighter, Fili sets off on the adventure ahead with little idea of the challenges and dangers that lie before him.
Worn upon his arms, the paired knives of Fili were small, but keen and deadly, perfectly suited to a short statured, swift footed, warrior. Engraved upon the pommels of his knives was the young Dwarf prince’s seal, one of the few clues to his royal heritage, for Fili wore no ostentatious pretentions of grandeur or office, choosing to garb himself practically, his nobility portrayed in bearing instead of proud raiment.
Like his brother Kili, Fili was a fighter of exceptional skill and versatility, trained in the art of battle with many weapons. Armed with sword, axe or knife, the young Dwarf was no less dangerous to enemies of the heirs of Durin.
Kili
Younger brother to Fili, Kili is a loyal nephew to Thorin Oakenshield. Carefree and somewhat reckless, Kili has led a charmed and untroubled life to this point. Handsome and physically able, Kili possesses the invincible courage of youth. He is a skilled fighter and expert archer, having been trained with weapons from an early age. As one of the youngest in The Company of Dwarves, Kili is determined to make his mark and prove his worth.
Bofur
Endearing and likeable, Bofur has a tendency to state the obvious and blurt out things without thinking. With a love of music and a fine singing voice, Bofur delights in good food and good company and is unfailingly optimistic. Though not especially brave, he will do his best to help those in need, especially those he counts as friends. Along with his brother Bombur and his cousin Bifur, Bofur joined the Quest for the Lonely Mountain partly to seek his fortune – and partly because he was told the beer was free.
Bifur
Born in the West, Bifur has the rusting remains of an Orc axe embedded in his forehead, which has rendered him inarticulate and occasionally feisty! He communicates only with grunts and hand gestures. Unlike most of the others in The Company of Dwarves, Bifur is not related to Thorin, nor is he of noble lineage, but rather is descended from miners and smithies – simple folk with simple tastes.
Bombur
Brother to Bofur and cousin to Bifur, Bombur is the chief cook amongst The Company of Dwarves. His immense size and voracious appetite causes frequent problems – and laughter – for himself and The Traveling Party. Despite his size he can be surprisingly effective as a fighter — and woe betide anyone who makes him late for dinner!
Oin
Along with his brother Gloin, Oin is a distant cousin of Thorin Oakenshield. A brave Northern Dwarf, Oin joins The Company of Thorin Oakenshield out of a sense of loyalty to his kin, and also because he has a substantial sum of money invested in the venture. Well read with an enquiring mind, Oin is the healer among the Company, often applying an herbal salve of his own invention — which has since come to be known as ‘ointment’ after its maker.
Gloin
Of all the members in The Company of Dwarves who set out on the Quest to The Lonely Mountain, Gloin is the most outspoken and opinionated and is not afraid to challenge authority. He has a tendancy to be quick-tempered, but he is also strong, brave and loyal. Gloin is one of the only married Dwarves in the Company (there being a shortage of female Dwarves in general). His wife is an acclaimed beauty with a particularly fine beard. Gloin is also the proud father of a young son, Gimli, who will later grow up to become part of the famous Fellowship of the Ring.
Dori
A distant relative of Thorin Oakenshield, Dori is the eldest amongst his brothers Ori and Nori. He is the strongest in The Company of Dwarves, and spends much of his time watching out for Ori, making sure he hasn’t caught a chill or gotten himself killed by Wargs or Goblins. Eternally pessimistic, with a natural tendency to expect the worst, Dori is nonetheless quite prepared to risk life and limb in order to get the job done.
Nori
Perhaps the most elusive member of The Company of Thorin Oakenshield, Nori is often in trouble with the dwarvish authorities. Deciding it might be a good time to leave town, he readily joins the Quest for the Lonely Mountain, not realizing the journey ahead may well lead him into far more trouble than he has left behind. Nobody ever quite knows what the quick-witted and wily Nori is up to, except that it’s guaranteed to be dodgy and quite probably illegal. Despite rarely seeing eye-to-eye with his brothers Dori and Ori, he is nonetheless immensely loyal and will protect them by whatever means possible.
A Dwarf of independent spirit and inclinations, Nori was accustomed to relying on himself and trusting his own resourcefulness to overcome the challenges that his adventures occasionally presented. To that end, he was never a Dwarf to be caught without that most versatile of tools, a short, sharp knife. Indeed, he carried a number on his person, secreted or worn openly, among them a short, broad bladed, double-edged design that fit snugly into his palm and could be drawn or concealed in the blur of a seemingly innocent gesture.
Ori
Younger brother to Nori and Dori, Ori is a talented artist, and can often be found drawing and writing in his journal. It is Ori who chronicles much of the journey through The Wild to the shores of the Long Lake and the slopes of The Lonely Mountain. Polite and well-bred, he is used to being bossed around by his older brother Dori and is usually biddable, although occasionally he can surprise his fellow companions with his courage and determination.
