Lucerne Wiki
Register
Advertisement
383 forgeborn dwarves

Male Dwarf

The Dwarves are a stocky subteraenan race that lives in the Mountains of the continent of Earth from its original homeland of Finland. One of the oldest races in the world, the Dwarves can still recall in their history a time before the forces of Chaos existed, and in this way they long more then most for the days before the world was wracked by Demons and evil gods. The Dwarven people are the centerpiece of the Echoes of the Mountain story and are heavily detailed during this story, but they also get a lot of lore and background time during the main storyline of Lucerne where the Lucernian Dwarves are heavily involved.

The Dwarves were created by the Titan Perses of whom had been named the God of Stones, and took to the mountains. Finding some stones that looked like creations he would forge them into the earliest Dwarves, and unlike the other Titans Perses would remain with his creations long after and formed the earliest elements of their goverment before retreating deeper and deeper into the ancient founding Dwarven city of Karak Tzorn. Following the Dwarven Civil War Perses would remain in Karak Tzorn thus leaving the rule of the Dwarves to themselves, as he burrowed deeper into Karak Tzorn alongside the few Dwarves that had survived the destruction of the more surface levels of Karak Tzorn.

The Dwarves since their creation have seperated into three main sections in the form of the Dwarves, Troggs, and Earthen of which each has somewhat shifted within themselves to a certain extent as well. The Dwarves are primarily distributed into four groups in the form of the High Dwarves, Rof Dwarves, Sof Dwarves, and Chaos Dwarves. The High Dwarves who live in the ancestral homeland of the Dwarves in the World Edge Mountains as well as throughout the mountains of Europe, and these Dwarves still hold to the Empire of Karak Ankor. The Sof-Dwarves who reside in Western Europe's Central Mountains are still somewhat a part of the Empire of Karak Ankor but are much more independant and in most places they are all but seperate outside of symbolic ties. The Rof Dwarves who exist in isolated holds throughout the world, and these Rof Dwarves vary greatly in appearance and loyalties but are all seperate from Karak Ankor. While all of these previous groups are allied there is a fourth more incidious grouping of Dwarves called the Chaos Dwarves, and these Dwarves are made up of the few Dwarves that gave into the lure of Chaos and now worship the Chaos Gods. The second overall grouping of Dwarves is a darker element of the Dwarven Race in the form of the Troggs of whom were a genetic mistake during the initial creation of the Dwarves by Perses, and despite attempts to destroy them they burrow so deep in the mountains they have survived. The Troggs would expand into the Kobold of whom live within small mountain ranges throughout Europe, but share a similar level of sentience to the Troggs leaving them little threat to the overall society of Europe.

History

Creation

The Dwarves were created by the Titan Perses of whom had been named the God of Stones, and took to the mountains. Finding some stones that looked like creations he would forge them into the earliest Dwarves. The Dwarves are a modification of the standard subterranean being matrix used on other worlds that the Old Ones have seeded. A subterranean being matrix is one of the synthesis matrices the Old Ones use when seeding a world. Each synthesis matrix is used to achieve the titans' goals. For the Earth, a subterranean being matrix was modified to create a being with increased durability with an affinity for deep region shaping; the Earthen are the product of this modification.

The Beggining

The Tale

It is said that Grungni, Valaya and Grimnir came from the heart of the mountains in the northlands of Finland, and from them the whole nation of dwarfs founded. What exactly took place, an open question, even under the hot dwarf scholars for debate is provides. Some scrolls speak of the legendary military town of Karak Tzorn as a place of birth of the first dwarves, while this place is from another only known as a place that was founded by rebellious dwarfs, as Grungni with his people southward moved and those that did not wish to travel south with the majority of the Dwarves remained behind in Karak Tzorn. Whatever it had been, Karak Tzorn was destroyed thousands of years ago, overwhelmed by the inhabitants of encroaching humans of Finland, and now sits as a ruined museum to the old Dwarven Empire.

The Truth

During the First Age of the Dwarven history they would be left to their own devices by Perses of whom remained within the mighty fortress of Karak Tzorn of which he named after the earliest elements of his people who he called the Dwarves had been constructing. During this time he sired four children in the form of Grungni, Valaya, Grimnir, and Gazul of which became known by the Dwarves as a council of sorts and ruled over the growing Dwarven Empire. The Dwarves would continue to expand throughout the peaceful years of the Earth, and during this time the Dwarven Empire expanded from its base in Finland into the massive World Edge Mountain where Grungi would come to become the leader of the southern lands and seldom visited Finland as time went by.

The Dwarven Civil War

The Tale

The hike to the south was the second major section of the dwarf story in this era, and shaped their culture very much. The reasons for migration are still unclear, but it is certain that Grungni gave the order. The theories about why they moved to the south are different. Many believe that it was an epiphany that led him to the North to save the world from a coming horror, while others claim that he had been in a standoff with the old, and was a long war against them so he decided to cut his peoples losses and start enew. During the hike brought the Ahngötter their children in many, including the digging of mines, detection of gold and many other things that now make up the nature of the dwarves. During this migration they founded cities and military individual is not confined to the Worlds Edge Mountains, but also the grief Mountains and the Grontklug . Despite the vast distances between settlements, they maintained constant contact in the beggining of what would become the Empire of Karak Ankor.

The Truth

Folllowing the coruption of Tzeneech the opening was there for the growing elements of the Chaos Gods to take advantage of their unknown nature and corupt elements of the mortal creations in their eventual search for destruction of the Noble Titan elements. Tzeenech would state later that he had forgotten about the excistence of Perses, and thus because of this he never sent anyone against Perses and the Dwarves of the Mountains, but one element of the Dwarves would become corupted in the form of Gazul of whom had become the diplomat of sorts for the Dwarves and was present when the Trolloc were corupted by Khorne.

Rise of Karak Ankor

Coming of the Elves

At first when the Elves arrived in Europe the Dwarves were nervous of these skinny sea faring people. But fortunatly the Pheonix King at the time was an honorable man, and the two grew very close.

Pledge of friendship between Dwarfs and High Elves. The High Elf Phoenix King Bel-Shanaar visits the newly founded Dwarf stronghold of Karaz-a-Karak where he is made welcome by the aged but venerable Snorri Whitebeard. The two great kings swear an oath of friendship, and Malekith remains in Karaz-a-Karak as his kings ambassador. Dwarfs build the sea wall (now called Vloedmuur) around the capital of Ulthuan. The Elves and Dwarfs prosper until the Elves are drawn back to Ulthuan where civil strife is tearing their land apart.

War of Vengeance

Fall of the World Edge Mountains

Dwarves

High Dwarves

Main Article : High Dwarves

The High Dwarves live in the World Edge Mountains and are the most numerous of the Dwarven sects, but are also the most threatened as they are beset on all sides by all manner of evil creatures. The High Dwarves despite this threat are still very powerful and maintain control over 4 major Holds. Along side these holds, there are 7 lost Holds, as well as hundreds of smaller mines, and forts.

  1. Karaz-A-Karak
  2. Karak Kadrin
  3. Ekrund
  4. Karak Azul

Sof Dwarves

Main Article : Sof Dwarves

The Sof Dwarves are Dwarves of whom are nominally still a member of Karak Ankor but their ability, and or desire to assist the World Edge Mountains is now in supreme doubt. The Sof Dwarves have 4 main Holds of which are varied in their sizes but some like Karak Matron are immensly populated in a size and scope only matched by the High Dwarves of old.

1. Karak Izor
2. Karak Matron
3. Karak Mulger
4. Karaz-adr-Kafrin

These are the main Holds, but there are dozen of smaller holds and hundreds of small mines that dwarves inhabit throughout western Europe, and all together they are the second most powerful of the Dwarven Sects.

Rof Dwarves

Main Article : Rof Dwarves

The Rof Dwarves are the independant Dwarves of the world, and while they will still anwser the calls of the High King, there overall Lordship is themselves. The Rof Dwarves are spread throughout the continent as by their very definition they are independants and thus are no longer worried about isolation from the World Edge Mountains. There are five true Rof Dwarven Holds of which most are still lying within the old limits of Karak Ankor in a twisted reminder of what the empire once was.

  1. Barrack Varr
  2. Karak Drak
  3. Karak Norn
  4. Karak Dum
  5. Dun Garak or "Iron Forge"

Chaos Dwarves

Main Article : Chaos Dwarves

The Chaos Dwarves are a small group within the Dwarven race that were corrupted by Chaos during the immigration into Europe, and made a home for themselves in the Mountains of Mourne. Chaos Dwarves can also rarely come to rise independently of this ancient event, as despite the fact that Dwarves are resistant to Chaos they are not immune to the whispers of the dark gods.

During the time of the northward Dwarf migration along the Worlds Edge Mountains many thousands of years ago, some Dwarfs strayed too far in their quest for precious ores and gems, reaching the dismal Mountains of Mourn. When the Time of Chaos came, these Dwarfs were cut off from the rest of Dwarf civilisation. The rest of the Dwarfs assumed they had perished in the deluge of Chaos. The hardy Dwarfs were not killed but neither had they remained unchanged by Chaos. Eventually even these stubborn Dwarfs succumbed to the warping effects of the Chaos energies, gradually becoming the perverted and cynical mockery of traditional Dwarfs now known as Chaos Dwarfs. In many ways they are the antithesis of the Dwarfs that remained. Where Dwarfs shun most magic except for their Runic magic, Chaos Dwarfs have embraced it; where Dwarfs worship their Ancestor Gods and despise Chaos, Chaos Dwarfs have abandoned the Ancestor Gods and submitted to the Father of Darkness.

The Chaos Dwarven Holds are:

  1. Zharr-Naggrund
  2. Zharr-Pannon

Fallen Chaos Dwarven Holds are:

  1. Thaig Roelet

Troggs

Main Article : Troggs

The troggs are the variation of humanoid created by the Curse of Flesh from the first type of Earthen created by the Titan Perses. They retain the strength of the Earthen, but vastly reduced cognitive abilities making them a very basic and coruptable race many times dominated by other races.

Kobold

Earthen

Karaks

Main Article : Dwarven Karaks

The fortified cities of the dwarves are as Karak or military towns designated. They are the capitals of the respective kingdoms of the same name. Every military city of the dwarfs is ruled by a king, and so is its own miniature kingdom, even though all nominally the High King of Karaz-a-Karak fall. Each city makes its own defense policy, and occasionally there are even feuds and even military conflicts between individual military towns that stretch often for centuries, as offended dwarfs are difficult to reconcile and grudges have to be repaid.

Culture

Slavery

Main Article : Dwarven Slavery

As stated elsewhere, Dwarfs detest the idea of slavery and slavers, believing that there is no basis for treating any individual as if they were a mere commodity. Any slaver facing Dwarf justice is assured of execution.

On the other hand, Dwarfs have little problem with those who wind up as indentured servants as a result of defaulting on their debts. From a Dwarf point of view, meeting one’s obligations to others, in particular to one’s clan and craftguild is of utmost importance. Those who cannot repay incurred debt through coin or goods are expected to do so with service.

Language

Main Article : Khazalid

"Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!"
-Ancient dwarven battle cry meaning "The axes of the dwarves! The dwarves are upon you!"

Khazalid is the language of the Dwarves, or Dawi. The deeply conservative language has not changed noticeably in many thousands of years in either its spoken or written runic form. The Dwarven language sounded strange and harsh to other races, and no other non-dwarf did they permit to learn their language (save Eöl The Dark Elf only, who befriended the Dwarves and dwelt in Nan Elmoth), for it was guarded jelously.

The Dwarves are extremely proud of their native tongue, and they rarely speak in the company of other races, almost never teaching it to other creatures. To humans it is known as the ‘secret tongue of the Dwarfs’, sometimes overheard but never understood. The Dwarf language includes very few words of obvious Elven or Human origin. By contrast there are many loan words from Khazalid in the tongues of Men, which suggests that Dwarfs must have taught some fundamental words to their taller allies. This is most obviously the case of words pertaining to traditional Dwarven craftskills of smithing and masonry, skills which Dwarfs taught Men many centuries ago.

Age

Age is the most important indicator of wisdom, and is fixed to the bit length of the dwarves. Not so much on the gray or white color of the beard because dwarfs not uniformly gray. The pride of the dwarves on their beards (or in the case of women on the length of their main hair) is legendary and has led to a massive war against the elves . Beards are never trimmed, and certainly not cut. It is considered a loss of any kind of honor to lose him. One reason why self Drengi let their beards most. For holidays, special occasions or when a dwarf is especially attentive to his appearance, sees dwarfs since and to which braid the beard or wash.

Wealth

Prosperity is equal law at the dwarves successfully. A rich dwarf is thus a successful dwarf. And indeed, a dwarf is usually richer than a professional Same man. Jaan van de Kuypers from Marienburg is considered by far the richest man in the Old World. Compared to the dwarfs his fortune may come a little closer to the king. Dwarfs, however, are not stingy. A dwarf often distributed rich gifts if the recipient is also worth in his eyes. Therefore often expensive gifts be made ​​among friendly clans. At a funeral, a large part of the assets go to the relatives, a small amount is only for the cost of the often opulent funeral at dwarves spent.

Oaths

Oaths and vows for Dwarves are something quite special. If a dwarf gives someone his word, it is forever and only life may undue to the bound oath he has given. Dwarves who demand an oath feel, often even with the honor by something that the other side has done injured. The caution to keep an oath not to go so far, which itself is in an appointment the next morning a dwarf never firm commitment, but rather with a statement like:

"If all goes well, we will meet as arranged" suits as a proper promice for a sneaky Dwarf.

Dwarves have exactly the promise of even the word. Should they fail to keep the word, leaving her many Zwergenklan and their home and become Drengi .

Advertisement