LAKE TOWN IN DALE

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The Kingdom of Dale was founded by Northmen who had fled the plains between Mirkwood and the River. When King Thrór refounded the Kingdom under the Mountain in Erebor, trade between the Dwarves and the men of Dale flourished.

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The town of Dale was destroyed in T.A. 2770 when the dragon Smaug attacked Erebor and Dale, leading to the death of Girion, the last Lord of Dale.

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The Men of Dale were a prosperous folk who lived in a city of the same name near the Lonely Mountain in northern Middle-earth. Known for their skilled craftsmanship, they flourished through trade with the Dwarves of Erebor, which was destroyed by the dragon Smaug. After Smaug's death, the city was rebuilt by Bard the Bowman, who became the first King of the reestablished Kingdom of Dale, which was then ruled by the Bardings.

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The town is named Lake-town, also known by its Elvish name Esgaroth and was located on the Long Lake south of the Lonely Mountain. It was a settlement of Men built on wooden stilts over the lake's water. They could drop the bridge to the land for defense. Water was available for fire suppression, a strategy that failed against the dragon.

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The forces of Lake-town consisted of a town guard/militia that primarily used bows and arrows. They did not have a large standing army but rather relied on their location on the Long Lake and their limited defence capabilities for security. The main weapon was the bow and arrow. It proved ineffective against Smaug, except for the "Black Arrow" that Bard the Bowman used to kill the dragon.​