Hadhod Printable version

Hadhod is a Dwarf hero from the kin of Furin, an in-game character in the Lord of the Rings video games.

Video Games

In the video game The Lord of the Rings: Third Age, [1] Hadod is a warrior included in the quest's playing party. Upon his visit to Rivendell, he receives favor from Elrond and grants him a map that leads to Moria, the fallen kingdom of the Dwarves. But all three of Hadhod's sons died in the halls of the ruined realm, along with the Dwarf Balin. Because of this, he became cold and reserved. In the storyline, he also encountered and fought a cavern troll, during which Berethor and the party help him kill the troll. He then takes part in the quest after this. Carrying the map on hand, he travels to Moria with the party, which includes his comrade Elegost, a Dunedain from Gondor. In The Lord of the Rings Battle for Middle-earth 2, Hadhod becomes a celebrated champion of the Dwarves.

History

The game reveals only a few details of Hadhod's background. He is a Dwarf from Erebor with several offspring he dearly adored. He also has good relations with Rivendell's Lord Elrond. Hence, the Elf Lord provided him with a map, as a symbol of their amiable connection, to find the ancient Dwarf realm of Moria. During this period, Hadhod's children set forth to Moria accompanying Balin and attempted to retake their old kingdom, but all of them perished.

The ranger Elegost, one of the Dunedain gifted with long life, became friends with Hadod and became his constant companion. As they traversed the Caradhras, Hadod and Elegost encountered Orcs and engaged in an intense battle. Yet Saruman summoned an avalanche that parted them, and it forced Hadod below the steep slopes into Eregion. There he encountered a cave troll, though he had difficulty defeating it with his might.

Then came the group of the ranger Elegost with Berethor from Gondor as well as Idrial, an Elf from Lorien, and all fought to subdue the cave troll. He joined the party, and all four of them continued on the quest. They collected runes in Moria's dark halls, which enabled them later to unlock a chest that bears an armor. Later, Elegost also obtained the last Dwarf ax formed in Moria and handed it to Hadhod right before they reached the Mithril abyss.

Afterward, a corpse dropped from above, including a key fastened on its bones. Idrial queried Hadod about it, and he responded that it opens the Book of Secrets of Moria. Then they discovered a throne room in which they found the book and opened it. It uncovered a secret door that holds an intricate, purple protective gear that Hadod wore. It also contains the mysterious words (meaning the path is deadly), opening a way out of the halls. They reached the Chamber of Mazarbul and advanced into Khazad-dum.

Origin

Hadhod and his children hailed from Erebor or the Lonely Mountain and are kin of Fundin. Balin is also their kin as he was the son of Fundin of Erebor.

Members of the Quest Party

Hadhod first encountered and became friends with the Dunedain Ranger Elegost, at the time his three children journeyed to Moria. Together they trekked through the mountains in which they faced a pack of orcs. Then, an avalanche swept Hadod down the range. Elegost continued through the mountain, trailing the wargs, and then encountered and joined Berethor of Gondor as well as Idrial of Lorien. Afterward, Hadod reunited with Elegost and his party while he was fighting a cave troll on the way to Moria.

Dwarf and Elf Relations

Hadhod interacted well with Berethor, as well as the other in-game characters Eaoden and Morwen. But he had trouble cooperating with the She-elf Idrial. Dwarves have strained relations with Elves ever since, due to events in their history, just as the first interactions of Gimli and Legolas. But just as the Fellowship of the Ring's Dwarf and Elf, Hadod and Idrial, throughout their quest and in helping each other in battles along the way, eventually gained each other's trust and became comrades.

Fate

When the War of the Ring ended, Hadhod joined Elegost in other adventures. He must have stayed in Helm's Deep or Gondor, but no other features revealed his ultimate fate.

Skills

Hadhod has immense strength and consistently shown determination throughout the game's quest. He plays a vital role as one of the strongest members of the group, contributing significantly to the party's endeavors. He could wield a hammer or an ax whichever the player assigns to him and can hack through all foes they encounter. With a high level of acquired experience points and practice of his fight moves in battles, his spiritual capacity could also have destructive impacts. His Stamina, Endurance, Vitality, Recovery, and Defense are reliable. It makes him suitable against powerful foes and attacks such as Trolls and Oliphaunts. But his weakness is in the damage of his hits and also enduring magical spells. It's best to avoid using his character for enemies with mighty magic strikes, like the shadow chieftains of the Ringwraith.

Weapons

Hadhod wielded different weapons throughout his quest with the party. He manipulates many axes, but one of his primary weapons was the Helm Hammerhand, a mighty hammer named after Helm, a former king of Rohan, the same reference of the name of Helm's Deep. It was a hammer of pure Mithril, a symbolic weapon of Helm as he insists on battling in close combat. The Helm Hammerhand remained at Rohan's Hornburg for hundreds of years. Before the beginning of the war of Hornburg, Hadhod, together with Elegost, obtained the war-hammer. Elegost commented it must be Helm's way of gratitude for the unacknowledged aid of the Dwarves in strengthening the walls of Helm's Deep. He answered that the Dwarves' help does not need anything in exchange, yet the hammer would be too simple to return the favor and happily received the war-hammer. Additionally, he obtained many axes, mostly from his relative Gimli. As he wandered and fought in the same locations where Gimli has been, Hadod recovered and controlled them with a similar lethal might.

Hadhod's List of Weapons

• Dwarven Mithril War Hammer from the Third Age
• Mithril Dwarven War Hammer from the Second
• Dwarven Steel Walking Axe from the Third
• Steel Dwarven War Hammer from the Second Age
• Dwarven Black Iron Walking Axe from the Third
• Dwarven Steel Mortising Axe from the Third Age
• Steel Dwarven Battle Axe from the Second
• Dwarven Steel Battle Axe from the Third
• Dwarven Black Iron Broad Axe from the Third Age
• Dwarven Mithril Piercing Axe from the Second
• Steel Dwarven War Hammer from the Third
• Mithril Dwarven Battle Axe from the Third Age

Ax Power

• Berserk - an ax strike that decreases Hadhod's protection and becomes quicker in his hits
• Cleaving Wound - an ax strike that intensifies injury
• Counter Attack - allows for an opportunity to strike back
• Crippling Smash - an ax strike that causes a decrease in speed
• Durin Wrath - a double ax strike that causes a paralyzing effect
• Dwarven Cleave - an ax strike that causes intensified injury
• Hew Armor - an ax strike that decreases the opponent's armor power
• Mountain Hewer - brings an earth tremor that injures all opponents
• Mountain Rage - a double hitting ax blow
• Rampage of Durin - an ax blow that hits four times
• Smite - an ax strike that inflicts with a significant hit
• Spirit Cleave - an ax strike that decreases the opponent's spiritual strength
• Stone Hewer - an earth tremor that injures the opponent

Spirit Strikes

• Damaging Shield - sets protection to a comrade and the opponent who strikes using a close combat weapon receives the injury he inflicts
• Devastating Shield - Sets protection to the entire group. An opponent who strikes with a close combat weapon receives the injury.
• Dragon Calling - Calls forth a dragon, which inflicts a powerful burning spell injuring all opponents.
• Endure Flame - All group members become resistant to flame strikes in the following turn.
• Flames of Ruins - The entire opponent group continuously receives slight injuries from a flame spell.
• Flaming Fury - It hits with a flaming spell and injures an opponent.
• Mountain Shield - The group becomes resistant to all strikes.
• Stone Shield - A group member becomes resistant to all strikes within a brief period.

Other Abilities

• Battle Hardened Armor - Enhances the power of his protective gear
• Double Attack - Enables two consecutive stikes from his ax abilities
• Dwarven Challenge - Enhances the strength of his strike upon threatening an opponent
• Dwarven Evade - brings another opportunity to avoid strikes
• Dwarven Haste - Enhances his quick moves
• Dwarven Rally - Enhances the renewal of his full status capacity
• Evasion of Gloin - Enhances his chance of blocking a strike
• Lordly Might - Enhances his might
• The Might of Balin - Enhances the potential of Health Points
• Overwhelming Axes - This strike cause significant damage in an opponent's absolute status

References

1. ^The Lord of the Rings, The Third Age.