Great Moot
The Great Moots are six Dwarrowmoots of exceptional significance to the Dwarf-clans, each marking moments when the Seven Kings set aside their separate rule to speak and decide as one people. These gatherings tested ancient oaths, resolved matters that touched all dwarf-kind, and shaped the course of Dwarven history.
The First Great Moot
The First Great Moot was the only time the Seven Fathers met together in peace. Here, bonds of friendship were forged between their lines, and they swore oaths to share knowledge and craft, and to lend aid against common enemies. These vows became the foundation of later unity, and it was by their measure that all future Great Moots were judged, whenever the Seven Kings were called to gather.
The Second Great Moot
The Second Great Moot was called at the dawning of the First Age, upon the coming of Men into Middle-earth. The Dwarf-kings assembled once more to determine how their people should respond to the newcomers. Acting together, the clans chose a course that allowed many Men to be befriended, avoiding open war and establishing relations that would endure.
The Third Great Moot
The Third Great Moot was called by Dwalin III following the murder of his father, Dwalin II, and the declaration of the First War of Dwarves and Orcs. During the long conflict, King Dwalin kept his steading at Ibdêkh-buzru, the Thing-fold. After he fell in the final battle, his body lay there for seven weeks, surrounded by the swords and shields of his enemies, before being borne back to Khazad-dûm for entombment.
The Fourth Great Moot
The Fourth Great Moot was called in response to the rising threat of Mordor. After Sauron seized the Rings of Power and attacked Eregion, King Durin III summoned the kings to the Thing-fold to forge a new pact against him. The council was marked by bitter quarrelling, and several kings departed in anger. The rift driven between the Dwarf-lines at this moot would linger long after its end.
The Fifth Great Moot
The Fifth Great Moot was called after Gundabad had fallen to the Orcs. As a result, only the opening and closing rituals were held at the Thing-fold. During the council, the kings chose the Zhélruka as the rightful rulers of the Grey Mountains, with the four kings of the east outvoting the three of the west. King Balin V accepted the judgment atop the mountain, and afterward the Dwarf-lines parted once more.
The Sixth Great Moot
The Sixth Great Moot was called in response to Azog the Defiler's murder of King Thrór. Thráin II and the other kings formed the Bond of the Haban'akkâ, declaring their resolve to fight the Sixth War of Dwarves and Orcs. This war culminated in the Battle of Azanulbizar, where Azog was slain, though at the cost of half the strength of the Dwarf-host.
The Seventh Great Moot
A Seventh Great Moot has been foretold, but it has not yet come to pass