On Dwarves
From Atlantic Roleplay Wiki
Title: On dwarves
Author: Isilmea
Over three centuries ago, the Clans of the dwarves were united deep beneath Britannia's surface, in the realm called Bazadun.
Their the dwarves of old build structures of stone and adamant, hoards of gold and silver for the lords of the surface, mail and sword of iron and mithril. They prospered there, in peace, until the coming of the first Dalrhun("Ancient Power" in the tongue of the dwarves).
Mondain he was called in the tongue of men, and he brought with him the Gem of Immortality, which the dwarves of Baradun marvelled at. Brynduraz, they called it, meaning "glittering stone." But the Dalrhun came not in peace, but in a dark crusade in his vie for power; the elves, also, suffered greatly at the wizard's hand. Genocide he attempted against Baradun and it's crafters, and with his gem, nearly succeeded. The fortress of the dwarves, once thought imperishable, crumbled beneath the surface, and the few remaining clans fled and scattered. The names of the surviving clans are recorded as such:
Crownsgarde, Ironhill, Longbeard, Ironforge, Windaxe, Wispbeard, Starbreaker, Stonearm, Ironhand, Tidehammer, Flamebeard, Deep-Eye, Rockwatcher, Grimbrow, Oathtaker and Shieldbreaker.
Crownsgarde, Stonearm, and Ironhand fled far to the east. Windaxe and Wispbeard, to the west. Tidehammer, the largest of all the clans, far to the frozen north.
Grimbrow, Ironhill and Ironforge to the northwest, parting ways after nearly half a century of travelling together. Flamebeard, Oathtaker and Shieldbreaker passed through the vast plains and human realm of the south, where the influence of Mondain's growing empire and the natural corruption of men drove them mad. The flight of the Starbreaker and Longbeard clan was lost, but it was believed they went but miles north, to the vast mountain rangers found, and dwelt there, apart from one another.
Deep-Eye and Rockwatcher remained long after the destruction in their ancient home, but warped and changed as their loss weighed heavy on their mind. They delved deeper into the earth, far below, and became akin to the ilythirii; grey hair and dark skin, they would late become the fathers of the duergar.
Thus ended the first recorded age of dwarvenkind, and the Fall of Baradun.
For a century and a half, they remained scattered; most falling out of knowledge of the other.
The last stronghold of dwarven kind, Kazathrim, established by Crownsgarde and inhabited by Stonearm and Ironhand remained the only memory of the old ways, but a glimmer of the former glory of Baradun. All was well, until a mysterious group of invaders attacked....
They were dwarf-like in appearance, but warped. Their hair was pale sapphire, frost and ice hung from their long beards, their skin nearly white as snow, but for a hint of silver. They road of ships of iron and wood, with white sails across the sea, and ores dyed deep blue to row. These seafaring dwarves sailed into Kazathrim and laid siege to it, unaware that long ago, before their memory, they were once the same.
A war errupted between the frost dwarves and the three united clans in Kazathrim. The Council of Dumathoin was called, as only the Keeper of Secrets could know what these creatures were; it was believed they were apparitions of ancient dwarves who went to conquer the north, but failed. Others believed they were kindred to the northern orcs and frost trolls, but their craft was too perfect.
The oldest dwarves of Kazathrim went, then, on a pilgrimage as their Rhuns had instructed, to the west, where there answer would be. In the central mountains of Britannia they found the ruins of Baradun, and discovered the identity of the bluebeards; Clan Tidehammer, long since fled into the north, changed and adapted to it's surrounding, and the frost dwarves were born. They immediately returned, bearing news of their findings to the Council of Dumathoin, and Thane Brazagin of Kazathrim.
Accepting what they had found as truth, they opened parley with their savage, yet noble and strangely beautiful invaders, and showed them. The bluebeards marvelled over this, and the war died. They returned to their home, and brought more of their kind, to meet their long lost kin. The clan of the North quickly gave tithe of silver and precious ores from their mountains in a sign of piece, and were forgiven. A faction of the frost dwarves refused to toil a gift for the mountain dwarves of Kazathrim, believing their apologies enough. The two factions drift apart, and from Clan Tidehammer's warriors, Clan Bluebeard was born.
The now five clans quickly planned to venture across Britannia to find others like them; as the tomes described four more caravans of dwarven-kind. Search parties were sent out to scour the lands and find the lost Clans; of which Starbreaker and Longbeard were first. Both were eager to unite again with their brothers, being the only clans to remember the Fall of Baradun and the scattering, and sent many of their kind to Kazathrim. Next was found Grimbrow and Ironforge, who had become on Clan, called Ironforge, and Ironhill, who also sent theirs to Kazathrim to learn of all that had happened with their cousins.