Races of Syann: Dwarves

The Dwarves: Forged with Purpose
The Dwarves were originally created for labor-intensive tasks, designed to endure a life of mining, smelting, and heavy physical work. However, their fey creators neglected to grant them the ability to express themselves artistically and emotionally. Moved by compassion for the Dwarves, the young Demi-God Kyron intervened and granted them freedom. He reforged the Dwarves, imbuing them with free will and breathing life into their souls. These newly liberated Dwarves chose to call themselves Dwarves, leaving behind their previous name, Dweorg.
Children of the Stone
As beings with stone and metal souls, Dwarves found solace in the rugged lands abundant with stone. They embraced their longing to express themselves artistically and embarked on crafting wonders from stone, metal, gems, and strong, heavy wood found in forested hills. Hard, honest work became a source of pride and love for the Dwarves, fulfilling their desires rather than being forced upon them.
The War of the Titans
While the Elves remained largely uninvolved in the war between the Titans and Gods, the Dwarves stood alongside Kyron and faced the giant offspring of the Titans in brutal battles, often fighting alongside Gnomes. It was during this time that the Dwarves and Gnomes developed a kinship and learned the Giants Dance, a deadly combat form focusing on dodging and countering large foes.
The First Ghoblyn War
After the Gods departed from the mortal realm and the fey-born races gathered for a conference, a friendly crafting contest was held to determine who could create a worthy crown for the king of all. The Ghoblyns, however, used this opportunity to make weapons and launched a surprise attack, seeking to conquer the other fey-born races. The Dwarves, together with the Gnomes and Elves, managed to defeat the Ghoblyns. It was agreed, with some gnomish diplomacy, that each race would govern their own lands, establishing peace. The Crown the Dwarves forged during this time was given to Garrdok, the first Dwarven leader who had led them through the First Ghoblyn War.
The Great Spliting
As the Dwarven empire expanded above and below ground, Garrdok, growing old, summoned his three sons before him: Harn, Dharnok, and Duern. Each son was granted rule over a realm within the empire, with Harn overseeing the hills and valleys, Dharnok in charge of the great mountains and stony fortresses, and Duern taking control of the deep mines and dark vaults. Garrdok emphasized the importance of family protecting and preserving the lands entrusted to them. With his passing, the three sons became rulers of their respective realms.
The Age of Three Kings upon One Throne
Initially, Garrdok's sons ruled as equals. Harn governed the growing Dwarven lands in the hills and valleys, Dharnok managed the great mountains and fortresses, and Duern oversaw the deep mines and dark vaults. However, as the empire expanded, centralization became necessary. The wealth accumulated by the Dhargar, who controlled the mountains, led to their increased power and influence. The Hargar reluctantly accepted this shift, while the Duergar remained focused on their deep mines and protecting the vaults.
The Dark Walker War
During the Dark Walker War, the Dwarves faced numerous sieges from overwhelming enemies, such as the Ghoblyns, giants, Ogres, and Orcs. In the face of these dire circumstances, the Hargar retreated to the mountain halls, while the Dhargar became increasingly critical of them, blaming them for societal issues. The strain on their relationship bred bitterness and distrust among the Hargar. However, the Hargar King, Hargoth Silverbeard, attended a conference called by the Gnomes, Elves, and Halflings. Together, they formed the Golden Alliance, which proved instrumental in turning the tide of the Dark Walker War and reclaiming lost territories. The Dwarves embraced this alliance and entered a Golden Age alongside their newfound friends.
The King Under the Mountain
During the prosperous Golden Age, the need for centralized government arose, driven by the growth of member empires. Wealth became the determining factor, and the Dhargar, being the wealthiest, assumed the role of the Crown of Crowns, wielding the majority of power. The Hargar grumbled at this decision, feeling disrespected for their contributions, while the Duergar remained indifferent, focusing on their deep mines and the protection of the vaults.
Ecress, the First Undead Dragon
The conflict against the ghoul armies and blighted magic of Ecress took a heavy toll on Dothmeryi. The Mountain Kings forced the Duergar to divert resources to them and the Hargar in excessive quantities, leaving the Duergar feeling impoverished in their own fortresses. In response, the Duergar secretly turned to employing slave labor, enlisting goblins, orcs, and other beings in their deep mines to meet the demands of the Mountain Kings and preserve their own treasuries. This pursuit of exploration, trade, and resources led to the emergence of various offshoots of Dwarven culture, such as Sea Dwarves and Jungle Dwarves.
The Tarnishing
The Tarnishing of the Dwarves began when the Dhargar discovered the Duergar's use of slave labor. In an act of harsh justice, the Dhargar lords executed their king and divided his ill-gotten treasure among themselves. The Duergar Prince, Falknyr Stoneblood, became consumed with avenging this act and proclaiming the Duergar as rulers of the empire. The Duergar, closely monitored by the Mountain Kings, worked in secret, trading with the Swaft Alflar and plotting to overthrow the Golden Alliance. They sought forbidden power in dark forges and hidden places, exploiting the dangerous secrets they had once guarded in the deep vaults.
The Duergar convinced the Mountain Kings to pass a decree that only those born under the mountain would be recognized as nobles with the rights of nobility. This decree, known as the Mountain Crown Act, stirred fury among the Hargar. They had endured disdain, increasing taxation, and bearing the brunt of the Dark Walker War and the conflict against Ecress, only to be treated as mere duty. This act dissolved their noble heritage and rights to self-representation.
The War of my Brother's Axe
The Hargar rebelled against the Dhargar in a bloody civil war. Dwarf fought against dwarf, and the attempts of Gnomish and Elven diplomats to end the conflict proved futile. As the Dhargar and Hargar spilled each other's blood, the Duergar and Swart Alflar prepared for the Unseelie Rite and their planned war to seize power. The War of my Brother's Axe concluded with the defeat of the Hargar and the Dhargar offering them two choices: submit to the Mountain Throne or be banished from Dwarven lands. The majority of the Hargar, led by their queen Thorvast Ironheart, chose exile, settling in the far west of The Terrigoth. Those Hargar who remained became a serf caste to the Dhargar.
The Elf-Dwarf War
The Plot of Betrayal, orchestrated by the Swart Alflar and Duergar, framed the Dhargar and Nytalf Elsa for the murder of each other's beloved crown princes. This scheme, fueled by pride and stubbornness, ignited a bloody and prolonged war between the former allies. The Duergar, along with their newfound allies such as evil giants, goblins, and dragons, appeared invincible. They possessed one of the fiend mirrors, and the worship of devils spread among them like wildfire, adding the exchange of souls to their list of greedy sins.
Amidst the chaos, a brave Dhargar priest named Karvolt Silverbrow devised a plan. He approached the Duergar king with a gift—a perfect diamond. However, Karvolt refused to hand it over and placed a spell on the gem. He declared that only if the king had the courage to kill him with his own hand could he claim the diamond. Enraged by greed, Falknyr Stoneblood, the Duergar king, reached for the sacred War Pick gifted to the Duergar by the first Dwarven king. With a sudden strike, he plunged the pick into the priest's heart.
In that moment, the War Pick cracked and crumbled in Falknyr's hands, and its grey dust swirled around him. The ancestors of the Duergar rose within the storm of grey dust, chastising Falknyr and all those who had strayed from the path of honor. They cursed the Duergar, leaving them with grey skin, grey hearts, and grey emotions. The curse robbed them of the full spectrum of joy, leaving them only with muted shades of cold grey. The curse sent shockwaves through the Duergar, causing their ancestor priests to double over in agony, magical powers to fail, and weapons to instantly rust and break. Seizing the opportunity, goblins and giants turned on the weakened Duergar, while the Dhargar, freed from their chains, launched a counter-offensive. In the aftermath, the Dhargar reclaimed their homes, driving the cursed Duergar deep into the Night Below. Those Duergar who retained a shred of dwarven honor were spared the curse and came to be known as the Dvergar or Deep Dwarves, permitted to call the deep mines their home as long as they remained unwavering in their loyalty to the Dhargar.
Thus, the story of the Stoutfolk took another dark turn, with the empire reduced to a few mountain holds and the Dwarven people scattered due to civil war and bloody strife. The cursed Duergar dwell in bitterness and envy deep below, empowered by lost Unseelie rites but forever condemned to experience joy in shades of cold grey.