A tome rests on this bench, left behind by someone. It seems ancient, like it might just turn to dust if handled too roughly. Several pages have been torn out and are missing. A poem is written on the page that was left open:

Beneath the Misty Mountains, deep,
The ancient shadows hold their keep.
Came Durin King, his crown of stars,
To carve new halls, claim kingdom ours.
Above the dwarf-made forges glow,
While unknown dangers lurk below.

For many thousand years it slept,
In darkened depths, where fell-things crept.
And then, one day, the stone was found,
Dark as night, and perfectly round.
Its beauty beckons but a glance,
But ensnares the mind in a trance.

Many were lost, driven insane,
And then we unearthed Durin's Bane.
From Moria, the Longbeards flee
In hand, the stone-that-should-not-be.
By King Thráin's orders, it is sealed,
By secret door never revealed.

Just the line of Durin may know,
Of Secret Stone, born of shadow.
Heed this warning, do not seek it,
This fell thing you cannot outwit!
The stone must remain locked away
Do not seek the hidden doorway!

King Thorin III is in the line of Durin. Perhaps he would be willing to share more about this Secret Stone.

King Thorin III can be found at his seat in Erebor.

You should bring the tome to King Thorin III.

Objectives

• Collect the dusty tome

King Thorin III can be found at his seat in Erebor.

You should bring the tome to King Thorin III.

Objectives

• Talk to Grótur