Gimli

A valuable and able member of the Fellowship of the Ring (T.A. 3018-19), Gimli was the son of Gloin, of the Lonely Mountain colony. His uncle Oin and his father had both accompanied Thorin Oakenshield to Erebor in T.A. 2941, together with eleven other Dwarves, Gandalf and Bilbo Baggins, to slay Smaug and to reclaim the Kingdom under the Mountain. (Their struggle is recorded in Baggins' book, "There And Back Again.") Thus, Gimli's impressive accomplishments should not surprise us. After the death of Smaug and the rebuilding of the Dwarf-kingdom under Erebor, Gloin rose to leadership among his Folk. Chosen as an emissary to Elrond, whose friendship the Dwarves desired, Gloin took along his son, Gimli. Thus the young Dwarf joined the Fellowship and became the first of his race to see the Hees of the Naith of Lorien since Durin's Day, an extraordinary honor. On the mission, Gimli befriended both Legolas and Lady Galadriel, who was so moved by the Dwarf's devotion that she gave him three golden strands of her hair, a treasure of great value and a symbol of amity between the two distinct and often hostile races. Unlike many of his fellow Dwarves, Gimli survived the of the Ring and was named Lord of the Glittering Caves (of Aglarond, in Helm's Deep). He proved to be a devoted ally to the Men of Rohan and Gondor as well as to Elrond's Elves. A Fourth Age entry in the Red Book states that Gimli sailed west over the Sea with Legoias after the Passing of Elessar (Aragorn II) in F.A. 120. This unique honor was accorded a rare Dwarf who possessed compassion and foresight as well as courage and tenacity.