Hervin Drake-slayer

Hervin Drake-slayer was a Longbeard, a dwarf of Durin's Folk, who dwelt in exile at Zudrugund in Enedwaith. A companion of Nár and father of Frithgeir, Hervin was remembered as a mighty warrior who slew a great beast beneath the mountains, earning the title Drake-slayer. By the time the Grey Company passed through Enedwaith, Hervin had long since passed away, surviving only in Nár's fragmented memories and in the tales pieced together during the events beneath Zudrugund.

After the fall of Erebor to Smaug in T.A. 2770, many of Durin's Folk went into exile. Among the halls they settled was Zudrugund, located in Thrór's Coomb in eastern Enedwaith. When Thrór was slain near the East-gate of Moria by Azog, and after the subsequent Sixth War of the Dwarves and Orcs, most of the exiled dwarves eventually departed. Some followed Thráin II west and later established Thorin's Hall in the Blue Mountains. Hervin, however, remained behind at Zudrugund with Nár and a small remnant of dwarves. His son Frithgeir was among those who continued to tend the halls after the rest had gone.

Hervin's epithet, Drake-slayer, derives from a legendary battle fought in the depths beneath Zudrugund. Fragments of Nár's memories later revealed that Hervin slew a great beast in the deep mines. The creature is described in later dialogue as a mighty gwiber, similar to what the Dunlending Wadu would do in the same place many years later. Long after his death, Hervin would appear frequently in Nár's ramblings. Nár often addressed unseen companions by name, calling for Hervin as if he still walked the halls.