Greetings kinsmen!
It has come to my attention that many of you are unaware of the many opportunities the Trade Pillar has to offer, opportunities that you could all use to further perfect your skill in whatever your craft may be and get rich in the process! So I have sent this letter to inform you all of these opportunities the Trade Pillar has to offer. But in order to do that, I must begin with the rich history the Trade Pillar has had in Thorin’s Hall. Pun fully intended of course!
The Trade Pillar is tasked with representing and promoting Dwarven culture by organizing the production of culturally relevant Dwarven goods for export, so that all of Middle-Earth may marvel at the beauty and skill of Dwarven craftsmanship! And all for a fair price too! To help with this, the Durin’s Folk Trading Company was created. This company was created by a charter from none other than the King Dain Ironfoot himself! And needless to say a charter from the King Under the Mountain is worth a lot, and Durin’s Folk Trading Company has been using this charter to help encourage craft and trade in Thorin’s Hall ever since it was reclaimed from the Dourhands. Yes this does mean we use tax money from the Thorin’s Hall treasury to help finance Durin’s Folk Trading Company. But I can’t think of a better use for our taxes than promoting Dwarf culture and helping each and every Dwarf acquire the tools and skills he or she needs to get rich! What else would one even use taxes for? But rest assured Durin’s Folk Trading Company is still a private company that accepts the investments of many private investors. We shall use whatever tools at our disposal to get the job done!
Durin’s Folk Trading Company has been selling all manner of quality Dwarven made goods for a long time now, but upon assuming its leadership, I shifted the focus of the company to selling ‘traditional Dwarven goods’. All the hallmarks of Dwarven culture! I felt that since the company bears the honoured name of “Durin”, it is only proper we focus on the production and sale of traditional Dwarven goods, as who is Durin if not the progenitor of all our most precious traditions? And of course we should make the most of such a stylish name as we try to sell our goods! Durin would expect nothing less from us! In practice, “traditional Dwarven goods” has come to mean that Durin’s Folk Trading Company makes and sells jewelry, weapons, tools, and of course ale.
Our jewelry is chiefly made of silver, as gold is in short supply this side of the Misty Mountains. Though we also make and sell copper jewelry, as we shall make the most of every treasure the mountain has to offer! I like to say Durin’s Folk Trading Company sells the best silver jewelry in all of Middle-Earth, as my usual penchant for exaggeration aside, I believe this is true! The Lonely Mountain makes the best gold jewelry, and Thorin’s Hall makes the best silver jewelry. That sounds like a fair deal to me that respects the pride of every Dwarven craftsman! Our silver is supplied from our distant mines in Othrikar and Zigilgund, and our copper and many of our gemstones are supplied by our mines here at Thorin’s Hall. Though our best gemstones come from our mines in Gabilshathur in Angmar whenever we get the chance. It is of course dangerous and very expensive to extract gemstones from Gabilshathur, but by Durin the quality is worth it! Some of the best gemstones in all of Middle-Earth come from those mines. And there is a lot of money in quality jewelry!
Our tools and weapons are of course made in the famed forges of Thorin’s Hall, with iron ore extracted from our mines here. When it comes to the production of iron goods, the mines and forges of Thorin’s Hall are by now among the best in all of Middle-Earth. Of course we need to sell Dwarven made weapons. What is more traditionally Dwarven than a well made Dwarven axe? But I should like to invest an increasing amount of time and money in the production and sale of Dwarven made tools. As now that the late war has been won, it is the time to rebuild Middle-Earth so it can fully enjoy this new era of peace and prosperity. And this rebuilding is going to be done with Dwarven made tools made by Durin’s Folk Trading Company if I can help it! And naturally this is going to make us very rich as everyone in Middle-Earth buys our tools to do this much needed rebuilding. Heal the wounds of Middle-Earth while getting rich in the process! What more could a Dwarf want? And of course we have lots of Dwarven ale for sale, brewed by our dear Runulf. By my beard that Dwarf never stops working!
But while jewelry, weapons, tools, and ale are currently the main products made and sold by Durin’s Folk Trading Company, our company is still involved in the trade of many other goods. I like to think there is no limit to Dwarven greed, so if any of you have any new ideas of how Durin’s Folk Trading Company could make even more money, please feel free to bring them to us! “Traditional Dwarven goods” can mean anything if you are creative enough! So we are open to trying anything as long as it makes a profit and helps further perfect our craft. Though I feel I should clarify that while Durin’s Folk Trading Company is the leading body of the Trade Pillar, it is not the only private company that works within it. The Trade Pillar is open to all Dwarven companies and Dwarven craftsmen eager to perfect their skill and make a profit! So if you want to work independently alongside Durin’s Folk Trading Company within the Trade Pillar as your own private company, that can be arranged too! As I have said the Trade Pillar is tasked with promoting Dwarven culture, and what better way to promote Dwarven culture than to give eager Dwarves the skills, resources, and tools they need to make that culture? So please reach out to me or any of the others in Durin’s Folk Trading Company if you need any help in making this culture! I assure you that you will become much richer because of it!
Yours Truly,
Uzbad Frimsi Gembeard of Durin’s Folk
