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The summer of 3945 was a particularly barbaric season as the mountain
clans fought off hordes and hordes of orcs and trolls deep within
the Earth. The Toktrog Clan, led by Kerzoth Mithhawk, had been asked
to keep their eyes on the lands during their travels, and to lend
aid where possible to the Mountain clans. The mining dwarves had
grown frustrated with the recent series of attacks. The Toktrog
dwarves, of course, were the best trackers of all the dwarven Clans,
equally able to sight an enemy camp, a new vein of ore, or a wealthy
town. They would often work hand in hand with the Grenroa Clan,
finding paths while the latter built new tunnels, to link mines
and towns deep within the earth.
It was a young Toktrog who first saw the huge armies of giant,
pale beasts moving above. At that eve's gathering of miners over
ale, he spoke of what he had seen. Ale flowing through the young
dwarf, he had decided that these were indeed White Trolls, and that
they were preparing to set up a camp from which to attack again
the mountain dwarves. The dwarves quickly gathered themselves. They
would not wait to be put on the defensive by these strange beasts
that the lad described. Throughout the caverns, horns were sounded,
and by morning, the mining dwarves had organized by Clan, and made
their way to the mountaintop by first light. Without warning, they
began to attack these White Trolls.
At first, the trolls laughed at them (which struck the dwarves
as a bit odd, since trolls are not generally so emotive.) But, those
scouts in the mining clans noted that these giant beasts spoke a
language, and that it was not the trolls' tongue. The fighting continued
all summer. These foes were clever, but no match for the organization
and skill of the gathered dwarven Clans, wizened by centuries of
underground fighting with the endless orcs and trolls.
As night fell each eve, the dwarves and their opponents would stop
fighting, and retire to their separate camps for ales and laughter.
During the days' battles, neither side took losses, and neither
side could push the other off the mountain. It soon occurred to
the dwarves how very odd it was that trolls gathered for ales and
laughter, as the dwarves did, each eve. Plus, their prowess in battle
was unlike that of any trolls seen deep in the caverns of the UnderGrounds.
Finally, it was a Roramnoak dwarf who identified the White Trolls
as giantmen, noting that these large people were often wandering
in the hills of the DragonSpine, though nothing had ever been traded
with them. And by the end of the summer both sides realized their
folly and that, indeed, they would make better allies then enemies.
The mining dwarves were not very familiar with the other races (except
to note that elves had pointed ears, and halflings were shorter
than they were.) The pact made between the dwarven clan leaders
and the giantman tribes was called Sunfist, for the peak upon which
the fighting had taken place. This pact still stands today and most
battles involving dwarves or giantmen will find the other race lending
aid. It also made the mining dwarves realize the need to get out
and wander into the Lands on occasion, so that this mistake would
not be made again.
The discovery of Rolaren is attributed to this battle as well.
Shortly after the war, the dwarves invited some of the forgemasters
of the Giantmen into the UnderGrounds, proudly sharing their complex
smelts and forges with their new allies. The Giantmen, too, had
some knowledge of forge and weapon smithing, and together they discovered
Rolaren, a highly durable and malleable smelting of mithril (the
pride of the dwarves) and some of the unusual ores that the giantmen
had learned to work with in their travels.
Solhaven Bay Approximately 1900 Years Ago
Some clans continued to thrive amongst the other races, driven
further West by the desire to find new mines, and new profits. In
3925, a Clan-mixed group of dwarves discovered a series of caves
near the beaches of Solhaven Bay. Deep within these caverns, they
found unusual gems and ore striations, and quickly set upon establishing
a small mining operation. In the meantime, they sent word to the
mining clans of their discovery. The location--near to the water,
far from Mountains, and so far west--did not draw many of the other
dwarves to this new area. For fifty years, quite a bit of profit
was made from the riches buried deep within the sea caverns.
On a cool morning in the fall of 3975, a group of Toktrog dwarves
came across the beach mining village, to share some ale and meat
from their hunt up on the Plateau. They found death instead. The
entire village had been attacked and only a few dwarves had survived.
Those who survived were so stricken with fear they could not speak
of what happened to the village, managing to express only a few
syllables of horrified gibberish. The Toktrogs tended to the survivors,
and set quickly to honor the slain dwarves. The caverns were sealed
with a massive boulder, and the nearby falls were forever after
called "The Cascade of Tears." None would speak of that
day, and the survivors were quickly taken to their Mountain clan
families to the East. The mysteries surrounding the attack would
not be brought to light for nearly 500 years.
The dwarves moved away from that area. With the growth of the Turammzyrian
Empire, the area nearby grew into a fishing village. The strange
attack that slew the dwarves in 3975 befell the human villagers
in later years. Kraken were discovered to be the cause of those
strange deaths, and the Humans began to excavate the sands, in hope
of destroying the birthing ground of the foul beasts.
Traveling Roramnoak dwarves sent word to the clan leaders of the
potential discovery of the sealed entrance, and the dwarven leaders
agreed to send one from each Clan to make sure that the memory of
their fallen brethren was maintained and respected, and not defiled,
during the excavations. A human messenger approached the clan leaders,
resting in the Iron-mining town of Parshillam Dhu on their way to
Solhaven Bay. According to the messenger, the sealed entrance was
already found, and the dwarven seal was recognized upon the boulder.
After some debate, the clan leaders decided it best to share what
was known, and told the messenger the tale of what had happened
hundreds of years earlier.
The messenger returned to Solhaven Bay. The next day the dwarven
clan leaders arrived at the excavation site, somber, speaking of
this "Vorn Ahvis", and the sadness of the loss of their
brethren. In a surprising act of diplomacy, the local baron of Solhaven
Bay extended full respects to the dwarven clan leaders, welcoming
them back to the caverns they had founded, and seeking their approval
for further excavations and research. Some local priests of Liabo
were brought to the site, to ensure the Caverns were cleansed correctly.
The dwarves asked only that Eonak's priests oversee the rituals,
and the local diplomats agreed.
Several days of rituals and ceremony took place under the watchful
eyes of the clan leaders. Afterwards, the clan leaders returned
east to their respective clans, sending in their place a few miners
to assist the humans with the city's construction and the connecting
tunnel ways. The clan leaders looked upon this extension of respect
with pleasure, and they silently acknowledged amongst each other
a new respect for humans as a result.
Hendor / Talador / Jantalar Conflict Approximately 900 Years Ago
In the early period of the Modern Age, the Turammzyrian Empire
fought mostly with themselves, and occasionally with the Elves,
as they struggled to expand their rule under various leaders of
neighboring provinces. Throughout the power struggles, the dwarves
remained neutral, seeking their comforts and homes deep within the
earth, and in the small mining towns and trading posts they had
developed over hundreds of years. Certain towns in the Human lands
were friendlier to other races, and, although most of the animosity
was directed toward elves, the dwarves found more profit where there
was less racism. These areas were where the Western Clans congregated
to trade metals and stories. Such was the case in Hendor, founded
in 4288.
King Thurbon of Hendor was wary of the impending conflict with
the other local human rulers, and he made good use of the influx
of skilled dwarves. He paid them well and fortified the city's defenses
considerably as a result. For years to follow, the local dwarven
artisans managed to profit and keep their business interests safe,
mostly by keeping Hendor's soldiers in the finest of weapons and
armor, as Thurbon warred with neighboring Human provinces.
Trade in the West suffered in 4310, as some Humans started to enforce
a policy known as Chaston's Edict, which treated other Races as
less than equal to Humans. However, the dwarven products were still
highly desirable. More opportunities existed a bit to the East,
an area that lay beyond the reach of the human laws. Hendor eventually
ended the war with the Turammzyrian Empire, and the dwarves saw
profit from the influx of citizens who sought to be free of the
overbearing human laws. It took 20 years until Immuron, the leader
of the Turammzyrian Empire, signed a new peace treaty, easing the
strained relations with Hendor. Hendor's increased strength allowed
for expansion northwards against orcs and the other beasts in the
mostly uncivilized lands there. Many dwarves hired on as mercenaries
in these battles.
In general, this was a good period for the Western Clans, in spite
of their official status as second class citizens - they were treated
much better than the Elves who sought refuge within the town. The
expansion of Hendor saw increased attacks from northern hobgoblins,
ogres, trolls and the rival orcs. Interested in protecting their
own interests, the Egrentek Clan and the Parkshnuum Clan dwarves,
with other clans lending aid, built Doggoroth Keep in 4519. Doggoroth
Keep was a source of great pride to the dwarves, who prior to this
did not build such immense fortifications above ground. They were
accustomed to moving about, and keeping their buildings simple.
The Keep served the dual purpose of a trade location deep underneath
the fortifications, as well as a watchtower for invading evil beasts.
Doggoroth Keep was in the area of the major local silver and iron
mines, and only a short journey from modern day Talador, and some
of the smaller Human communities within Hendor's province. The Keep
held strong for 60 years. In 4579, however, a strange breed of orcs
attacked the Keep. These orcs came in tremendous numbers, and although
the dwarves could easily fell the beasts, the sheer numbers brought
their defeat after a hearty stand. Unable to comprehend the loss
to their rivals, the surviving dwarves fled into the familiarity
of Hendor. The event convinced many dwarves of the need to learn
more of magic. Mages were invited to a few of the dwarven mines,
to work closely with the forgers and metal smiths. This was the
beginning of an era marked by the creation of great armors and weaponry,
not only crafted of the most powerful of metals, but also bearing
the mark of elemental magic.
Shortly after the Witch Winter of 4628, Hendor was lost to Queen
Issyldra, the Ice Witch. Those dwarves that did survive took to
the underground mines with the bulk of their clansmen. The dwarves
stood with the Humans against the Ice Witch, but her power and minions
drove all the defenders back for nearly two years. During this time,
seven magical blades were crafted to defeat the Ice Queen, crafted
from the very flows of Eonak's Belt. Before the blades were finished,
Issyldra was defeated by the Humans, but her minions remained and
scattered about the lands. The blades were given to the seven strongest
warriors of all the dwarven miners, and in a great battle, Issyldra's
remaining minions were defeated, but the seven warriors were killed.
In the process, however, the dwarves reclaimed their lost mines,
and the Humans retook the northern lands.
Under the new leadership of the Turammzyrian Empire, the dwarves
were treated as second class citizens, in spite of their efforts
against Issyldra. Once the mines were reclaimed, the dwarves reverted
to their Clan specific ways, crossing through the human lands only
for trade and rarely taking residence in the human cities, unless
those cities were particularly lenient in their enforcement of imperial
law. At this point, the humans were too engaged in battle with the
elves and in southern exploration to pay much attention to the non-elven,
non-human races. An uneasy trading relationship continued. By 4862,
more and more humans had made their way into Talador, which was
mostly home to the Egrentek dwarves, and adjacent to the mine at
Zul Zybrano. In spite of the increasing human presence within Talador,
most of the dwarves continued to offer trading privileges to those
humans of Vornavis - as part of the silent agreement made hundreds
of years ago by the clan leaders at the time of the excavations
of Solhaven Bay. Jantalar's soldiers often beleaguered dwarves traveling
from Talador to Hendor, wanting to be offered the same goods as
their neighbors in Vornavis. The dwarves disregarded the soldiers
as nothing more than jealous, and took no heed of them. Occasional
skirmishes broke out, but no battles of any significance.
By the early 4900's, the humans had established a noteworthy presence
in the mining of the DragonSpine, after 600 years of effort. During
this century the racial tensions relaxed a bit, as thousands of
centuries of experience still made dwarves the premier metal smiths
and gem artisans throughout the lands, including the Turammzyrian
Empire. During the early 50th century there was a decline in the
mines near Talador, and by 5030, and the local Clans relinquished
much of their entrepreneurial interests in the town in favor of
other, more lucrative areas. Talador remained part of the Roramnoak
Clan's trade routes, as many good trading alliances had been created
there. The local mining clans, however, moved their interests elsewhere,
maintaining their control on a local silver mine only. In recent
years, Hochstib of Jantalar had taken over Talador and the local
mines, at one point enslaving dwarven miners as well as blocking
trade with Vornavis. In a show of power, Hochstib destroyed part
of a mine in 5094, killing hundreds of miner dwarves trapped within.
Embittered Parkshnuum Clan dwarves destroyed the rest of the Talador
mine shortly thereafter. The other clan leaders made no official
statement against this retaliatory attack, as it is well known that
dwarves do not take well to any type of slavery. Those Egrentek
dwarves that escaped Hochstib's attack participated in this raid
as well. It was the boldest attack in a hundred years of minor skirmishes
with Jantalar soldiers, and it saw the greatest amount of casualties,
as the mine was well guarded by Hochstib's soldiers. However, with
the mine destroyed and both sides suffering loss, the conflict was
deemed futile to pursue. The Toktrog Clan located an alternative
trade route to Solhaven Bay via the frontier town of Wehnimer's
Landing and assisted the Vornavis Humans in building a trade route
around the blockade set up by Hochstib. This was completed in 5098.
Teras Isle Approximately 200 Years Ago
In the late 4900's, word of the humans finding their own mines
and tales of the Turammzyrian Empire expanding northward, reached
the clans of the north. Ghorsa Borthuum, of the Gulroten Clan, began
to gather other dwarves of his clan, of the other local Clans, and
even some of the mining clans further South. He had heard stories
of the lost cities of Kezmon Isle and was curious to explore what
lay there. He promised the dwarves who would join him "freedoms
from the threat of Human Expansion" and "safety from the
deadly Northern Winters" that the clans had endured for years.
Certainly there would be untapped resources that would bring wealth
to any who would join him.
Traveling in one of the largest air balloons heretofore known to
the Gulrotens, Ghorsa and others traveled west. They never did find
Kezmon Isle. They found instead a small volcanic isle that seemed
uninhabited. Spying a large mountain, they landed the balloon there,
calling this spot "Stormbrow" for the circle of black
clouds that surrounded the small isle.
They climbed down from the mountain and established themselves
quickly on the previously deserted Teras Isle. The dwarves celebrated
their find: untouched caverns and caverns of volcanic rocks and
untold gems deep within the caverns of Stormbrow. This new Borthuum
Clan, complete with the skill sets of the various dwarves that followed
Ghorsa, rapidly established the town of Kharam Dzu and closed the
borders to all but the occasional trader or visitor. Ghorsa believed
strongly in sharing the untold riches only with those who had joined
him, and to this day the Borthuum Clan of dwarves remains the most
exclusive of all the dwarven Clans. After settling in, the dwarves
decided that the best profits would be gleaned from trading. Ghorsa
devised a system by which a small percentage of profits was redistributed
equally among all the members of the Borthuum Clan.
Eventually, a Human merchant ship forced west by the threat of
krolvin slaver ships discovered their location. Ghorsa negotiated
with the human sailors, showing off the Clan's skill at crafting
products from glaes and the fiery gems found deep within the volcanic
Isle. Glaes was the primary malleable volcanic glass found deep
within the volcanic caverns. Although somewhat heavy, its strength
was unmatched by any metal found prior to this time. His first trade
with the Humans was for a ship, which Ghorsa and the skilled dwarves
of his clan refitted and aptly renamed "The Glaesen Star,"
in honor of the magic material found deep within the isle's belly.
The Ragnak Clan 150 Years Ago
The Ragnak Clan's history is short compared to the other dwarven
clans. Formed circa 4950, the clan has been under the leadership
of Kanzar Ragnak since its beginning. Kanzar's origin has never
been revealed outside of dwarven society, but some suspect he might
have been a member of the Borthuum Clan. Popular rumor states that
Kanzar was expelled from the clan for differing views on the direction
the Borthuum Clan was taking in the early settlement of Teras Isle.
Kanzar recruited the best tradesmen from the other clans. Carpenters,
masons, metalworkers and other masters of their trades were hired
for their excellence in their respective crafts. Many were outcasts
like Kanzar.
Kanzar's stubbornness has held the clan together through several
construction projects and the other clans have come to respect his
ability to get a job done well and on time. This respect has been
strong enough for even the Borthuum Clan to hire him for construction
projects on Teras Isle. Kanzar has even purchased space in the new
Kharam Dzu meeting hall for a headquarters for the clan's future
projects.
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