IV. On Fengar and the Family Feud
But their times of peace and plenty were not to last, as a fued was to come between the members of the Stouthammer family. It all began when Fengar offered the Elves of Lindon a portion of their treasuries as a gesture of goodwill. When his brethren found out, they were furious. Many Dwarves in the family were not very keen on Elves and to hear that one of their own had stolen from their treasuries and given it to them 'pointy-eared folk' was enough to cause a rift in the family. But Fengar's misplaced generosity was only the first inflammatory event to break up the family and the rift that had formed between them would not be sealed even after Fengar's death in 2855. Monthly meetings became annual instead – if they were held at all.
With the inner relations all torn up, it was no surprise that some Stouthammers travelled more than usual. The fires at Stouthammer Hall were no longer well-tended and the dwarves whom had previously called it home now went to live in Nogrod permanently. The income of gold stagnated as their mine was depleted of its riches. More and more they came to rely on the merchants in their family to add to their treasure hoard – which of course gradually gave these merchants the idea that they were entitled to a greater share of the family's treasure. Many brawls over the gold followed but none dared to touch it for as long as this debate continued.
Thus, while the family's treasure hoard remained in the vault at Stouthammer Hall with no clear idea whom was entitled to the biggest share, the members decided to start earning gold for themselves. Some mined, some worked the forges, some built the homesteads and others went on guard duty or maintained a foreign trade. In any case, the descendants of the honorable Nurvi Stouthammer seemed permanently divided.
