He was of the kin of Gar-en. He was the son of Shem the Master of the Gar-en. They lived in Amon Rudh later called the House of Ransom. His birth was a joyous event, for the Gar-en were a dying race. He had no sisters, unless they died at birth but he has three brothers. The brother's we called Khim, Rhim, and Fim.
As Gloin grew into dwarfhood, he became much more sparse among his people. He would often go wandering in the forest surrounding Amon Rudh. This was not normal for dwarves, they often hindered the actions of such "wanders". For they believed that a dwarf's time should be used for forging weapons and mail. As Gloin grew into full stature, he began to go, without consent, to the forest to look for novelty things, when he discovered a type of root that when you cook it, it becomes as soft and as nutritious as bread, but with out the long process of making it. He ran back to Amon Rudh to tell the others, but he was waylaid by orcs. They captured him and put him in shackles and began to carry him off to Angband. His three brothers were nearby fishing in the stream when they heard the clashing of mail and came over to kill the orcs not knowing that they're brother had been captured. They took they're heavy hammers and slew all of them. They're black blood spilling into the nearby stream, creating a flow reek. "Thank you my brothers," he said as he tried to break the shackles. "Let me help you, Gloin," as he said this he lifted his hammer and suddenly a great tremble shook the ground around them. The wind changed and they could smell the fowl reek of Glaurung. Gloin turned and yelled, "The Worm!" Then Glaurung ran past the company and straight to Amon Rudh, a company of orcs followed him. "Quickly we must warn father!" cried Khim. They followed as fast as they could but they didn't realize that Glaurung was on his way to the city of Nargothrond.
As they ran in vain after the company of orcs, they could see Glaurung crawl around the hill and breath his fowl vapours and fire onto the Hill. The four in unison cried in utter horror, "Father". Gloin could stand it no longer and fell to his knees in agony. The three others ran to the Hill and found Shim they're father, dying on the ground burning and he said in his dying breath, "Save the house for we are all that is left of our kin." Rhim jumped and said, "We must go to the stream and put this fire out," They went to the stables and retrieved whatever ponies were not burned and ran them down to the stream. When they arrived they found Gloin sitting with tears streaming down his face. Fim ran over a picked him up hoping he would come hither, saying, "My brother you must help us dowse this fire, you can visit your darkness later!"
When they were finished they surveyed the house to see what they could recover. Khm tarried long saying little but "Father, oh Father." Gloin stayed outside as darkness breached they once impermeable light in his heart. Fim came out to comfort Gloin, but Gloin cried, "Once I depended on Father's strength, thinking that he was the strongest dwarf, and now I see how feeble we really are." Fim laughed nervously and said, "My brother, my friend, don't you see the truth, you are looking through the" The outside walls of Amon Rudh fell and crashed into the ground next to Gloin nearly missing him.
Fim ran in to see if his brothers were fair enough. He saw that they were and that they could repair the walls and salvage most of the rooms, but this comforted them little. Still a darkness was stayed with Gloin for the rest of his days, from then on he would rarely go into the woods and spent his time forging great weapons to fight the Dark Lord. He created some of the most deadly and utterly indestructible weapons ever created by dwarf, man, or elf. They were the last of they're kin, they could take no wife, nor have any contact with another house of dwarves for they were shamed by they're fall. They found great hoard of gold and mithril in the mountains surrounding Amon Rudh, but could only forge weapons out of it.
One day Khim was searching the surrounding region for any sign of evil when he came upon a group of brut woodsmen. He hid off in the brush and watched them with intense interest, for he knew that their leader had won great renown fighting the Dark Lord. Neithan, the Wronged, he called himself. But only Neithan knew he really was Turin of Dor-lomin son of Hurin the Great. He would never utter that name until his encounter with Glaurung. When Khim was finished observing him he returned home to Amon Rudh. Gloin met up with him half way for it had been days since he set out from the Hill. "How did you fare, my brother," he said as he approached Khim. "I have encountered the woodsmen, and have saw the Slayer of Orcs," he uttered with great joy. Gloin saw his delight but it quickly faded as he recounted the harshness in the voice and actions of Neithan. For he had saw him murder one of his own kin, just for trying to take an unwilling woman as his wife. Gloin was surprised at this for the dwarves valued their own kin over any woman.
When they returned home they met with their brothers and they went out into the forest, to hunt for nearby orc bands. They found three bands with a score or so each. They came up with a plan to separate the bands in three directions and then take them out slowly from the back. Gloin with a great battle cry, ran up into the lead and jumped in front of the leader. This surprised them, but they let loose many arrows and one hit him in the shoulder wounding him deeply. Khim ran out and slew the first dozen orcs crying each time, "May the house of Gar-en be forgiven!" Fim and Rhim were close behind killing many of the orcs. But Fim was injured and had his finger cut off.
When they returned to Amon Rudh they healed them as best as dwarves could, for they did not have the talent of healing like the elves. Gloin and Fim's recovery was long and hard for both of them, for the arrow and blade of an orc were not easily mended. But as Fim's recovery was complete he was able to help hunt and fish like before, but Gloin took much longer. He was very pale and would have terrible nightmares. But Gloin was strong and valiant and soon he was fully recovered.
Gloin and his brothers were wandering the woods looking for the root and they found a great supply of it. They also found rocks that could be used to heal the wounded. As they were leaving they found that as they came into a clearing and when they came forth they saw the woodmen. The woodmen thought that they were orcs and shot at them, but Gloin was slow because of his wounds and Khim was able to make it back to Amon Rudh only to die in its halls. Gloin was captured and was put into chains, which he detested because of his hard heart and his encounter with Glaurung. And so was Gloin was taken from his home. He was released thirty miles away from his home. He knew he could not go back there anyways.
He was shamed and all he wanted was to have a purpose. He found a group of dwarves that were fighting a group of many orcs. He fought beside the leader and became good friends with this dwarf. He was like kin to Gloin. They traveled and got to know each other better, and figured out that their pasts were both entwined with sorrow and hurt. They traveled to a continent called shadow and slew orcs, ogres and drow in a town called offestry.