Before the great kingdoms of men and before the elves first set foot upon the world, the mountains rumbled with life. Deep beneath the towering peaks of Eldoria, the Dwarves were shaped from the heart of the stone itself, their souls forged in the molten core of the world. Unlike the elves, who were woven from divine light, the dwarves were given form by the hands of a single god—Dorammir, the Forgefather, God of Smithing, Mountains, and Endurance.
Dorammir was a god of labor, wisdom, and resilience, and from his fiery anvil, he crafted the first of the dwarves, whom he named the Stoneborn. These first dwarves were unlike any other race, their bodies tough as the rock from which they came, their minds sharp as the steel they would one day forge. He set them deep within the roots of the Titan's Spine Mountains, gifting them dominion over the earth and all the riches hidden beneath it.
From these first Stoneborn, the Dwarven Clans arose, carving their kingdoms into the very bones of Eldoria.
The First Great Holds
The dwarves, unlike the elves, did not seek the stars or the vast forests. Their hearts belonged to the depths, to the heat of the forge, and to the song of hammer upon anvil. Over centuries, they carved great strongholds beneath the mountains, shaping halls so vast that even the sky itself would seem small in comparison. These became known as the Great Holds, the mightiest cities of the dwarven race.
1. Khazgrum, the First Hold
"The Mountain's Heart, the Eternal Forge"
The first and greatest of all dwarven strongholds, Khazgrum was said to have been carved into the very foundation of the world by Dorammir himself. Here, the first dwarves built their forges, and from these sacred halls, the art of metalworking was born.
• The Anvil of Creation, an ancient forge said to burn with the first divine flame, was housed here. It was believed that weapons crafted within its fires carried the blessing of the gods.
• The Runepriests, sacred keepers of dwarven lore and magic, were founded here, etching the first runes of power into stone and steel.
• The Council of Keeplords, the ruling body of all dwarvenkind, convened in the Hall of Kings, a chamber so massive it could hold armies within its walls.
Khazgrum became the heart of dwarven civilization, and from its depths, the first great clans arose.
2. Karak Dran, the Fortress of Shields
"The Unyielding Bastion, Where No Foe Passes"
Built into the western reaches of the Titan's Spine, Karak Dran was a fortress unlike any other. Where Khazgrum was the heart of dwarven culture, Karak Dran was its shield. It stood at the mouth of the only pass through the mountains, an impenetrable barrier against the world beyond.
• It was home to the Iron Vanguard, the most disciplined and battle-hardened warriors of dwarvenkind.
• Its gates, known as the Titan's Teeth, were said to be unbreakable, reinforced with layers of enchanted steel and rune-carved stone.
• No enemy had ever breached its walls, for the dwarves of Karak Dran knew no surrender.
The Fortress of Shields stood as a testament to the dwarven will to endure, ensuring that their kingdoms remained untouched by the wars of the surface.
3. Dol Khazir, the City of Jewels
"The Glittering Vaults, Where Wealth Knows No End"
While other holds focused on war and smithing, Dol Khazir became the beating heart of trade and craftsmanship. Built in a vast cavern lined with crystalline walls, it was the wealthiest of the dwarven cities, a place where gemcutters, goldsmiths, and merchants thrived.
• Its markets were said to be the only place where even elven lords and human kings would kneel to bargain.
• The Vaults of Dol Khazir held treasures that could rival the hoards of dragons.
• The city was ruled by the Guildmasters' Council, a gathering of the most powerful traders, craftsmen, and jewelers.
Dol Khazir proved that dwarves were not only warriors but also cunning merchants, their influence stretching far beyond the mountains.
The Rise of the Keeplords
With the growth of the dwarven holds came the need for leaders—not kings, for dwarves bowed to no single ruler, but Keeplords, great clan leaders who governed their respective realms.
The Role of a Keeplord
A Keeplord was more than just a ruler; he was a warrior, a craftsman, and a protector of his people. Each dwarven hold had its own Keeplord, chosen not by birthright, but by merit, battle, and craft. The Keeplords met in council, deciding the fate of their people through The Gathering of the Anvil, a summit held once every century in Khazgrum.
Among the greatest of the Keeplords were:
• Thrain Ironfist of Khazgrum, the first and mightiest of all Keeplords, whose warhammer, Oathbinder, was said to never break in battle.
• Durgan Stoneguard of Karak Dran, who led the Iron Vanguard against an orcish invasion and held the fortress for fifty years without faltering.
• Belgrin Goldvein of Dol Khazir, a master jeweler who negotiated the first great trade accords with human and elven merchants.
The Keeplords kept the dwarves united, ensuring that no single clan would ever rule over all others.
The Dwarven Code: Stone, Steel, and Oath
Unlike the fickle politics of the surface, dwarven society was bound by three sacred tenets:
1. Stone is Eternal – The mountains do not change, and neither do dwarves. They build for eternity, carving their legacy into rock itself.
2. Steel is Strength – A dwarf is only as strong as the weapon he wields and the armor he crafts. Skill in metalwork is as honorable as skill in war.
3. Oath is Unbreakable – A dwarf's word is his life. To break an oath is the gravest sin, punishable by exile or death.
These values ensured the dwarves remained a proud and steadfast people, bound by duty and honor.
The First Great War: The Sundering of the Stone
For centuries, the dwarves flourished, their cities expanding, their forges burning endlessly. But as all great civilizations must, they too faced their moment of reckoning.
The First Great War, known as The Sundering of the Stone, came when an ancient and terrible enemy emerged—the Deepborn, monstrous beings that lurked beneath the earth, creatures of shadow and nightmare. They rose from the abyssal depths, swarming the lower tunnels of the dwarven holds.
• Entire cities were lost in a single night as the Deepborn devoured everything in their path.
• The dwarves fought with unmatched ferocity, sealing off tunnels, collapsing caverns, and forging weapons of pure rune-steel to combat the creatures.
• After a century of war, the Deepborn were finally sealed away, but at a terrible cost—entire bloodlines were lost, and some holds were never reclaimed.
This war left a permanent scar upon the dwarven people, shaping their traditions and fortifying their mistrust of the unknown depths.
The Future of the Dwarves
Though their empire was wounded, the dwarves endured, as they always had. Their forges still burned, their hammers still rang, and their Keeplords still ruled.
And so, the dwarves remained as they were—unbroken, unyielding, eternal as the stone from which they were born.