A new batch of Rings of Power has just arrived in “Halls of Stone,” Episode 5 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerSeason 2. The episode starts with King Durin III (Peter Mullan) getting his own ring, while the other six await their bearers. As soon as he puts his ring on, everything changes in Khazad-dûm, and he immediately sets out to solve the issue of sunlight under the mountain. It seems like things are improving right away thanks to the power of the ring, but, in the long run, will they last? And who are the Dwarves who get the other six rings?

What Are the Powers of the Dwarven Rings?

In The Rings of Power, the pitch for the Dwarven Rings is initially made by Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) and Annatar (Charlie Vickers) to Prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur) and his wife, Disa (Sophia Nomvete), in Season 2 Episode 3, “The Eagle and the Scepter.” They are the second batch of Rings of Power, forged after the three Elven Rings in Season 1. In the books, however, they are forged first, together with the Nine Rings for Men, by Celebrimbor and Annatar (who is really Sauron in disguise), while the Elven Rings are forged by Celebrimbor alone.

In the context of the series, the Dwarven Rings are conceived to continue the work of the Elven Rings in halting the spread of darkness in Middle-earth. In the books, they are supposed to help preserve light and magic, strengthen the bonds between Elves and Dwarves, and bring prosperity and stability. There is an ulterior motive on Sauron’s part, however, as he intends for the rings to be a way for him to dominate the Dwarf-lords. His active part in forging the rings imbues them with his malice and turns them into corrupt objects of power, making them more dangerous than the Elven Rings, for example.

Like the other Rings of Power, the Dwarven Rings imbue their bearers with longevity, keeping them from aging for longer periods of time. The effects the rings have on their bearers, however, aren’t exactly aligned with what their intended purposes were, thanks to Sauron’s influence. For example, prosperity becomes greed, something that manifests in Durin III all throughout this week’s episode. He claims that the ring gives him the ability to “see the mountain” and reveal its unexplored riches, but it turns him into a greedy treasure hoarder. He also uses the other rings as leverage to impose unfair taxes on the other Dwarf lords.

Besides that, the Dwarven Rings are known for not operating like Sauron wants. His plans are for these rings to have similar effects as the Nine Rings for Men, and bind their bearers to his will, but the Dwarves prove surprisingly resistant to them. Greed and longevity turn out to be the main effects of these Rings, and, in the book, there are no heightened abilities, like strength of seeing through the rock. Still, eventually, greed alone proves to be the Rings’ deadliest effect.

Who Are the Dwarves That Get Rings of Power?

The first thing that comes to mind when talking about the Rings of Power is the verses in J.R.R. Tolkien‘s iconic poem about them, mentioning how many went to each race in Middle-earth. So far, The Rings of Power has shown the first verse coming into life — “Three rings for Elven-kings under the sky” — and, now it’s the time for the second one: “Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone.” Indeed, this week’s episode shows the seven rings being introduced to the Dwarves, and, now, they will wander all around Middle-earth with their respective bearers.

When King Durin III unveils the remaining six rings, it’s not for their immediate bearers; he even warns one of the Dwarves present that the rings are for his “master.” In that scene, he is talking to emissaries of the other Dwarf-lords, so there is still some time until the series reveals who are the Dwarves that will get a Ring of Power. Even in Tolkien’s writings, there is no mention of who exactly these Dwarf-lords are, only that they belong to the most powerful Dwarven clans: Durin’s Folk (or Longbeards), Broadbeams, Firebeards, Ironfists, Stiffbeards, Blacklocks, and Stonefoots. From then on, these rings are likely passed down their respective lines.

King Durin III’s ring is the only Dwarven Ring that has actual accounts of its whereabouts – mostly. It is passed down through Durin III until Durin VI. It’s in Durin VI’s reign that the Dwarves famously dig too deep in search of mithril, and awaken the Balrog of Moria. He and his heir, Náin, are killed within a year of each other, and, from then, the ring eventually passes to Thráin II, who is Thorin Oakenshield’s (Richard Armitage) father. Thráin is a renegade king, depressed over losing Erebor to Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch). He eventually leaves his kin and tries to make his way to the now deserted Khazad-dûm in the Third Age, but is captured by Sauron, who was disguised as the Necromancer in the fortress of Dol Guldur at that time. Sauron tortures and kills Thráin, and takes his ring.

What Is the Fate of the Dwarven Rings of Power?

By the end of the Third Age, none of the Seven Dwarven Rings remain in the hands of the Dwarves. After Sauron’s defeat in the War of the Last Alliance, it takes some time until he is able to restart his operation in the Third Age. When he does, his goal is to reacquire the Rings of Power. Though the Rings of Men remained under his control with the Nazgûl, the search for the seven Dwarven Rings proved to be more complex.

Sauron is only able to reacquire three of the Dwarven Rings of Power, including Thráin’s ring. The other four are known to be consumed by dragons. The Dwarves who wear these rings gather immense wealth, which attracts the attention of dragons, as happens in The Hobbit with Smaug being drawn to Erebor. Over time, dragons either destroy these Dwarves or their strongholds, consuming the rings in the process.

Season 2 of The Rings of Power is streaming on Prime Video in the U.S. New episodes air weekly on Thursdays.