Fortborn

Ringing metal echoing in stone halls, Clashing horns and thudding fists, Oaths of honor and fervor; This is the sound of the Fort. ~ a passage from a treatise on Time of Darkness Foundling cultures

Among the Foundlings, Fortborn Dverge are an anomaly. They kept their culture throughout the Time of Darkness, losing much of it only in that wretched era’s closing hours. During the Time of Darkness, the Fortborn largely served as warriors under the Divine command of Hyrrhorn. When the Veil went up and severed their communication with their god, their society quickly collapsed and the Fortborn were soon scattered across Miðgarr. Despite this, they remain one of the strongest cultural influences in many locations, including Hardhaven. Stocky and wide, standing around eight feet tall, Fortborn are generally strong and well built, and even the weakest Fortborn has powerful legs capable of easily scaling mountainsides. Their skin is generally quite pale, something commonly attributed to the legend that they were created from dust of Dýrsal's bones. Dark hair is most common, and some light patches of fur are not unusual to see on a Fortborn’s head. The coloration of their horns can range from bone white to deep black, the most common however being a ruddy brown. Like many foundlings, fortborn do not reproduce sexually, instead creating more of their kin through literally forging of stone and metal through the use of an emberforge. Through this, they were able to maintain their numbers long throughout the war that took place during the time of darkness. The Fortborn are proud, passionate, and deeply honorable people. The phrase “as tough as oath” dates from Time of Darkness Fortborn society, and refers of course to the strength of a Fortborn’s word, once given. Fortborn honor their word so highly that any among them found to willfully and repeatedly break their word will be branded a traitor to Hyrrhorn and cast out of Fortborn circles.

Diverged ethnicities