The Forgefather's Trial: An Ancient Dwarven Myth

Long before the Bloom tainted the lands of Largitas, the Dwarven holds of Vashkelholme were a bastion of stone and fire, their forges blazing with the heat of creation. Among the myriad tales passed down through the generations, one myth stands above the rest: the legend of The Forgefather’s Trial.

Summary

The Tale

In the days when the mountains of Vashkelholme stood unspoiled and their veins ran rich with unclaimed ore, the Dwarves worshipped Durvak Emberheart, the Forgefather, a divine smith said to have forged the first mountain with his hammer and anvil. Durvak, though proud of his people, saw a troubling flaw in their hearts: greed.
Though the Dwarves were industrious and skilled, their lust for gold and jewels grew insatiable. They mined deeper and farther than ever before, driven by ambition and pride. Their forges burned hotter, their hammers fell harder, and the great halls of their holds glittered with treasures pulled from the earth. But with each treasure claimed, their unity fractured, clans bickering and warring over the spoils.
Durvak, seeing his people stray from the harmony of craft and purpose he had envisioned, devised a trial to temper their hearts as a smith tempers steel. He descended from his celestial forge to the heart of the largest Dwarven city, Broyoto, in the guise of an old miner wrapped in a cloak of soot and ash.

The Challenge

Durvak called upon the clan leaders and the master smiths, proclaiming:
"You have built wonders and wrought marvels, but your greed has dulled your spirits. I present to you a challenge. Forge me a weapon of unmatched might, not for destruction, but for uniting your people. The one who succeeds will earn a place at my side in the Eternal Forge."
The Dwarves, eager for divine favor and recognition, took up the challenge. They returned to their forges, each determined to outshine the others. Days turned into weeks, and the air of Kaz-Gronnar rang with the sounds of hammer and anvil.
The Clan of Ironhearth forged a great warhammer, heavy enough to crush stone.
The Emberveins crafted a gleaming sword, sharp enough to split a hair.
The Deepdelvers carved a bow from obsidian, its string spun from golden thread.
Yet as the weeks wore on, the clans grew more secretive and hostile, sabotaging one another and hoarding resources. The city, once united by a common goal, teetered on the brink of collapse.

The Humble Forge

In the shadows of the grand forges, a young apprentice named Thalgrin Copperhand toiled quietly. Unlike the masters and clan leaders, Thalgrin had no clan of his own and no wealth to draw upon. But he remembered the old miner’s words: "Not for destruction, but for uniting your people."
Thalgrin gathered scraps discarded by the other forges and sought the help of those overlooked: the cooks, the miners, and the children. Together, they worked in secret, crafting not a weapon, but a simple, intricate bell. Its body was cast from steel, its handle wrapped in leather, and its surface engraved with symbols of Dwarven unity.
When struck, the bell’s tone was deep and resonant, carrying through the halls of Kaz-Gronnar like a call to arms. It was a sound that silenced arguments and stirred even the most hardened hearts.

The Revelation

On the appointed day, Durvak gathered the Dwarves in the Great Hall. One by one, the clan leaders presented their creations. The Forgefather examined each weapon, his face inscrutable. Finally, Thalgrin stepped forward, his small bell cradled in trembling hands.
The crowd jeered, but Durvak silenced them with a raised hand. He struck the bell, and its sound echoed through the chamber. The Dwarves fell silent, their greed momentarily forgotten as they felt the unity and purpose of their people reverberating in their hearts.
Durvak revealed his true form, his voice like the roar of a forge fire:
"You have shown me that unity, not might, is the greatest strength of our people. Thalgrin Copperhand, your humility and wisdom have restored the balance I sought. This bell shall hang in every hold, a reminder of the harmony that must guide your hands."

Legacy

Thalgrin was honored as the first Keeper of the Forgefather’s Bell, a sacred relic passed down through generations. Every great Dwarven hold crafted its own version, and the bells became a symbol of unity and a call to assembly in times of need.
Though centuries have passed and the Bloom has since tainted the lands, the Forgefather’s Bell still rings in the deepest halls of Vashkelholme, a reminder of the unity that once defined the Dwarven people and the strength they must reclaim.