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Creation
The Giants
The Elves
The Dwarves
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The Mythology
of Terra Dyne
The Dwarves
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The titan Mod, son of Attrice the Terrible, delved
deep into the earth, taking for his sphere of power the rock and stone, materials of the plane itself. In seclusion,
he took rock and iron from the core of the world and heated them in the Eternal Forge. He used his huge magical
hammer to beat the stone into pleasing shapes: stout, muscular bodies. He quenched them in the Trough of Life,
and so the first dwarves were created. The Earth Father lived with his children deep underground, near the core
of the earth. He taught the dwarf-fathers smithing and metalworking. The dwarves referred to themselves as "the
People" because they knew of no other races at that time. The People called their first home Earthcore.
Mod wished more for his children. He wished them to discover veins of exotic metals and carve stonework edifices
from the interiors of great caverns. In his infinite wisdom, Mod revealed the hearty and strong race he had created
to seven of his trusted brothers and sister. They saw his power and understood his works. Each of them agreed to
influence the dwarves with their sphere of power. Ber governed safety, truth, home and healing. Clan taught the
dwarves to be great warriors. Lad taught crafts and provided protection. Dug permeated the dwarves with scholarship,
discovery and invention. Dum saw Mod's dreams realized through mining and underground exploration. Verg brought
the dwarves great wealth and luck. Abb taught the dwarves to work gold and finish fine jewels. Muam protected the
wandering dwarves who left to make it on their own.
For an untold age, the dwarves lived a blissful existence, but the utopia couldn't last forever. The People's first
taste of treachery came from an unexpected source. Lad was fiercely protective of his craftsmen. The titan also
dabbled in the arcane arts, against the warnings of Mod. The two great titans had a falling out over the teaching
of magic in Earthcore. Stubborn and angry, Lad left Earthcore with his followers, taking them high, high up and
far away. Lad took for his followers the Ladstones (which are now known as the Stone Mountains in the present day
in the nation of Lostow). These dwarves lived within the earth, but also spent time outside of the stone caverns,
coming out to raid and pillage unsuspecting humans and goblinoids. They came to be called Duerger dwarves, "gray
dwarves" to outsiders.
When the titans had given all the knowledge they could, Mod told the dwarf-fathers that they would one day rule
all things within the earth. Mod realized that many upper-worlders would attempt to usurp the power of the dwarves
and invade their earthen homes. So Mod created a sacred home for his children, Dwarvesholt, a great stronghold
stood in the southern Shore Mountains, an untouched area rich in minerals and metals. He told the dwarf-fathers
that they must travel from Earthcore to Dwarvesholt on their own, as a test. The People traveled for two and twenty
years from the core of the earth to reach Dwarvesholt. Their perseverence paid off and just as Mod promised, the
glorious fortress was carved from the mountain itself, the perfect fortress.
When the dwarves emerged on the mountaintop, they saw the sky for the first time. Mod had warned the dwarf-fathers
about the upper world and the evils it held. The dwarves saw the clouds overhead, the sky eternally changing color
and shape. They shunned the sky since they were used to the unchanging rock overhead in the caverns. The looked
to the east and saw the great South Sea. Never before had they seen water in volume such as this. They realized
water could flood their caverns and erode their precious rock. The sea swirled in ever-changing patterns of waves
and tides. They spat towards the sea that was as chaotic as the sky and more dangerous to their stone. The dwarves
locked themselves into Dwarvesholt and vowed never to leave the stability of their rock walls again.
With them, the dwarf-fathers brought the language taught to them by Mod. The language was written in a runic style
(often referred to by scholars as Old Dwarvish) and taught to all dwarves from the time that they were children.
The dwarf-fathers called their People "Grehm" dwarves, which meant both "original" and "of
the mountains".
The Grehm lived in Dwarvesholt for seven generations (about 3,500 years) and grew to one of the grandest nations
ever assembled on Terra Dyne. Their stories are long and many, recorded in the Book of Stone, a holy and historical
record kept by a long line of Dug's scholar-priests.
Not more than a generation passed before the People found trouble with the upper world. The Titan Diirinka saw
the mighty People and strong nation created by Mod and coveted his brother's creation. Diirinka had fought hard
for a piece of the highly sought spheres of magic and knowledge. Though he held little parts of each of those,
he held full control over the sphere of cruelty. Diirinka corrupted several dwarves with promises of power through
magic. While most of the People heeded the warning of Mod to shun magic, especially that from the upper world,
a growing number saw the powers they could wield though Diirinka. The dwarf-fathers banished the growing cult of
magically corrupted dwarves.
Diirinka led his "children" far away, showing them a place untapped where they could take what they wanted
and rule the underworld through strength and magic. Adopting the name "derro", which in dwarvish was
rooted in words meaning both "strength" and "magic", the followers of Diirinka founded their
kingdom in the grand caverns running under the Plains of Steam (today part of the Scorpion's Legion) and dubbed
their home Ovarr.
It was told that as secondary strongholds spouted up further north of Dwarvesholt, one of the smaller clans ran
into much trouble with a nation of trolls. So began the mythic legend of Gnarldan Steelshield, the heroic dwarf
who led his small clan to victory in the face of overwhelming odds. Gnarldan went on to become a great leader of
the People, founding his own stronghold Steelack. His bravery and sacrifice was rewarded by Mod as Gnarldan was
elevated to a demigod late in his life. As the Steelshield line faded, the historic stronghold was lost. Some dwarven
scholars think the stronghold still exists, abandoned somewhere in the northern Shore Mountains. Other argue that
the stronghold was far north of the Great Jungle.
By this time in history, humans made their home above ground along the eastern border of the mountains, next to
a large body of water. They had lived there since before the Great Divide, led there by a forgotten titan who wanted
to seclude himself from his brethren. The dwarves kept themselves away from the humans, but when the human wars
and magic decimated the entire sea, it dried up the underground water supplies as well, the dwarves quickly began
to die off with no source of water. |
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| About this time, a middle-aged human mage named Landaen
grew a dispute with the People of Dwarvesholt. In the end, the mage crafted a magic of immense power - the People
claim only with the help of a malevolent Power - and cursed Dwarvesholt closed, magically sealing it for all time.
Years were spent trying to tunnel or otherwise find a way into the stronghold, but the stone itself was cursed
and the magic kept the dwarves from entering Dwarvesholt. |
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Click world map for detailed
locations of dwarves
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Without water and sealed out of their sacred home, the People found themselves in a desperate spot. Some wished
to stay and continue restoring Dwarvesholt, to the bitter end if need be, citing Moradin's will of Dwarvesholt
as the Dwarven chosen home. A majority felt that to survive as a race, they must move where earth and water were
plenty. They cited a little studied passage from the Book of Stone made by one of the original dwarf-fathers who
spoke of a new "Promised Land" and the appearance of a great Champion.
A dark time shall come to pass, a time whence
the lives of many dwarves shall come to an end. From under the ground the scourge will come, led by those seen
yet unseen, those who would contest the claim of the People to their earthen homes. And though the finest hour
of dwarvenkind shall begin, the People despair.
The Dark Plague will deform the people and their own kind shall be afraid of them for these creatures will no longer
called children of the gods. The Father of Stone will shun them and cast no light upon them. The Mother of All
People shall weep for their acts will no longer bring honor to their names. None shall truly see the evil that
stands before them.
It is at this time that the Great Champion shall appear. He will travel great distances, enduring hardships and
great pain in the name of the People. His armor shall shine brightly and the Earth Father will shine brightly on
him as well. This Savior will uplift the People, delivering them form their dark pit of pestilence.
Standing with Earth, Axe and Shield, he shall repair the stone that has been shattered and return to the People
that which is rightfully theirs.
In 3500 g.d., the majority left the Southlands, heading north but leaving behind the small but dedicated group
who continued for centuries to wait for the day they could reclaim Dwarvesholt. These dwarves found an underground
river inside some natural caverns to the west of the mountains, beneath the Red Desert. They became known as Stahk
dwarves, or "Sand Dwarves" and their home was Sandshold. They made peace with their red elven cousins
to the north, but kept their water supplies to themselves.
The north traveling group found their first destination in the Dometop Mountains, just to the north of the Red
Desert. Several clans believed this would be the best place to make a home and keep an eye on the Southlands. The
elders pointed out the area did not contain enough natural minerals to sustain the entire dwarven nation and they
should continue to travel north. The renegade clans made up their mind to stay and found Dormak, burying themselves
deep within the earth, far from any paths walked by humans.
Another smaller group believed the proper trail lay to the northwest. They by passed the Hearth Mountains and the
Fire Giants within them, surely a war they could not win in their weakened state. They found the Upper Hills to
be inhabited by tribes of goblinoids. The dwarves defeated Gruumsch's minions, drove them from the mountains and
firmly placed their hold on the rolling and vibrant hills. They named their home Hilldek, "Land of Hills".
The inhabitants of Tarantia were surprised at the dwarves, as none of them had ever seen a dwarf in their lifetime.
The humans of the north welcomed the dwarves, happy that they had driven out the goblinoids. These People - later
known as the Chohn dwarves, or hill dwarves - were a breed of less isolationistic peoples, who still mined and
worked metal for a living.
The larger group forged ahead northeast, eventually ending up in the mountains of modern day Benkanyo. As they
were delivered to this new land of tall mountains and rich - and untouched - natural resources, many priests claimed
this land as the Promised Land of the dwarven People.
These People seemed to be uplifted over the decades that followed as they formed their new stronghold, dubbed Nordukr
or "Northern Home". They secluded themselves form the humans of the lands, the powerful Hyecum Empire
of Tokiwa-Dai who reached its high point of control around 3900 g.d.
Over 900 years the dwarves lived in Nordukr. In 4400 g.d., the Hyecum Empire fell to internal political struggles
and external rebellion of the outlying states. The militocracy overthrew the Hyecum clan and waged war on the neighboring
dwarves. For 600 years the humans sought to destroy or drive out the dwarven People. The dwarves were nearly unstoppable
in their fortified strongholds, but the humans wielded strong magic and extra planar allies. The dwarven death
toll overtook the slow reproductive rate of the dwarves, making defeat seem imminent.
The elders once decided that these mountains were not the Promised Land and for the good of the race they must
move to safer realms. Nearly half of the population felt that the land was their birthright and refused to leave.
Those who stayed dove deep into the earth hiding themselves from humans. The war forever fed their hatred at the
upworlders, while they felt deserted by their brethren.
Handfuls of dwarves were taken as prisoners, stemming whole lines of gutter-living dwarves and destitute, homeless
People. Some ate garbage in the cities, others became indentured servants - slaves more truthfully - to the humans
in the cities. The sundered dwarves in the country had no homes, but worked their crafts for hardly enough money
to survive.
Those who left traveled long and far. Several clans traveled only as far as the Great Botas, a mountain range north
of the Great Jungle. Burying themselves deep into the earth, far away from human settlements, the named their new
homeDalzek, or "Deep Home".
The majority of the dwarves in exodus ended up in the Fortress Mountains, today part of Highland. These mountain
dwarves began to mine precious metals and build mountainous cities, as they had done for thousands of years in
so many places. Forming a treaty with the humans of the land, some believed they had finally found their Promised
Land. Over 1700 years have passed and present day Mountainside is the central point of power for the dwarves of
Terra Dyne. Present day Mountainside consists of 37 interconnected strongholds, easily the most fortified area
in the world.
In 5100 g.d., a group of adventurous dwarves from Mountainside made the terrifying journey across the frozen sea
and onto the Ice Capped Upland. They found the Copper Glaciers full of minerals and away from all other races,
establishing a new stronghold Nordarak. For 1000 years the dwarves grew this outpost until it was larger than Mountainside.
Many of the People were happiest in the cold glaciers, secluded as they were from all others, believing this to
be the Promised Land.
Not all was happy, however, for clans of barbaric humans called Ice Men also claimed the land as their own. Both
groups staked their claim to the Upland, but neither could gain an advantage over the other. For 1000 years, there
was relative peace, with only a series of minor skirmishes. Finally in 6100, the all out wars between the Skahn,
or "snow dwarves", and the Ilis, "Ice Men", began. The land rights war continues to present
day. Despite the war, the Skahn have grown Nordarak into the largest series of strongholds in the world, larger
even than Mountainside. The Skahn number nearly 100,000 stong.
Small bands of dwarves settled into the Ironsite Mountains on Attricia during the period of dwarven expansion.
Presently the smallest of the dwarven nations, the Ironsite dwarves of Thorlode are of great importance to the
economy of present day Lostow.
Through the evolution of the dwarven language -
from Old Dwarvish to its current form - the names the People used for their gods changed, reflecting both their
evolving language and mirroring more closely the People's own names. Mod became Moradin, Ber became Berronar Truesilver,
Clan became Clangeddin Silverbeard, Dug became Dugmaren Brightmantle, Dum became Dumathoin, Verg became Vargadain,
Abb became Abbathor and Muam became Muamman Duathal.
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dwarven strongholds
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