I’m gonna let my geek flag fly here for a bit, so if that’s not your scene, keep on moving.
There we go. We’re alone in here?
Good.
When I was 12, I played Dungeons & Dragons for the very first time. My character was a Dwarven Paladin, which turned out to be against the rules. This was OLD school D&D, back in 1st edition, back in 1981 or so, when people thought it led to Satanic worship. That was my first Role Playing Game, and I have rarely taken a long break from gaming since. A lot of characters have come and gone, but you never forget your first.
I was living in Seattle, playing at the Game Center in the U-District, owned and operated by Wizards of the Coast who now published D&D, when the 3rd edition came out. My first 3rd edition character? A Dwarf. His name was Oztangiel Craghelm, Cleric of Kord. He learned to craft beer and used it as a base for his healing potions that he also brewed. He was known for being…adaptable. When fighting a gargoyle without magic weapons, he chose to wrestle the thing to the ground so the rest of the party could whale on it with their charmed weapons. While fighting a hydra, he had only his mace, ill suited to cutting off a head–so he pumped up his strength as high as he could and hacked a head off with the edge of his shield. Ah, I miss Brother Oz.
I’m currently playing in only one game that meets every-other week. Yeah. I’m playing a Dwarf, this time a Barbarian who happens to be the smartest member of the party. He has a sunny personality and likes to carve little sleeping cats with wings out of stone. He’s a sweetheart. And a tank. And a murder-machine when necessary. But a sweetheart nonetheless.
I guess you could say I enjoy Dwarves. I really don’t know where it came from. Honestly, no clue.
As much as I enjoyed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, there’s something else that has my heart swelling about The Hobbit.
I don’t care that it is being split into 3 movies. I don’t care that Peter Jackson is directing (though I would have loved to see what Del Toro did with the material). I only care about one thing.
Epic fantasy with a HEAVY Dwarven focus. And holy crap…that song…I can’t wait for it to show up at karaoke because you KNOW I’ll be belting it out.
Beards are back, baby.
Tales from the Ragged Edge 
Just like I couldn’t wait for LotR, I cannot wait for the Hobbit. Just like you said, I don’t care if it’s three movies, I’m just excited to see it.
Completely agree. Looking forward to whatever they do with gusto.
If there is at least one Dwarven song sung in each of the three installments, I will be overjoyed. The dwarves singing in the preview excited me more than anything else in the teaser.
I also miss Brother Oz so very much and until reading this post, I really never realized that Oz was short for something longer. It has been a joy and a privilege to play alongside you as Oscar and if I am ever able to be in a position to do so, I will do what I able to get you a role as a dwarf in some media opportunity. It is too bad we don’t all live in New Zealand as I am sure we could have found a way to have gotten you a walk-on in this series.