The History of the Zharrguna:
The story of the Zharrguna begins with the same stories of the Stone Dwarves, however, the Shadow Dwarves no longer believe that those histories are of their folk. For as their name suggests the Zharrguna believes their true beginning began in the fires that wrenched their folk from slavory.
In ages past, the Stone Dwarves had enjoyed a single precious golden epoch (or age) before those who dwell beneath the roots of the mountains rose up to engulf all the Dwarves in darkness. The master of these creatures were called the Duma, or Mind Flayers. The minions of the Dark Masters dragged seven of the fifteen clans of the dwarves into the Dark Depths, and for millennia they were enslaved, enduring endless humiliations.
The first several centuries of enslavement were plagued with rebellion and punishment as the Duma began to sculpt their captured Dwarves. Of the punishments endured by the Shadow Dwarves, the worst was having the whole of their folk’s memories scourged from them so they would have nothing to yearn for. However as the uprisings continued, the Dark Masters condemned the males of the race to work in endless hard toil, while elevating the females of the race thinking them more docile.
Although melania passes without rebellion, the love of a mother would eventually lead to the Scorched Uprising, which would shatter the chains that enslaved her folk. As the Zharrguna fled from their masters, foes within the Dark Depths set in from all sides, and the valiant heroes of the Shadow Dwarves martyred themselves to protect their weak and defenseless. Many did not live through the Exodus of Loss, but yet some few did survive and make it back to the Deep Realm, where they reunited with the Stone Dwarves.
The next centuries of the Zharrguna history are spent pulling their folk back from the edge of extinction, and forming a society meant to protect the future of their kin. As their numbers grew, so did the ambitions of their leaders, the Okonard (she who carries the greatest burden), as a golden epoch brings prosperity and growth to the Shadow Dwarves. However, as the Old Kingdom of Man descended into the ruin of necromancy, the Zharrguna succumbed to infighting in the tensions of that period that would lead to the death of the Okonard.
Those who had murdered their leader fled into the Dark Depths to seek out the Mind Flayers for forgiveness, while the rest of the Zharrguna would flee to the Fey Lands. Within these alien mountains the Shadow Dwarves would find a new path of survival for their folk as they crowned a new Okonard for breaking a siege of orcs who had surrounded the Stone Dwarf’s Northern Karak (or kingdom). Honoring the Zharrguna’s timely arrival, the Karak of the North granted lands to the Shadow Dwarves, and the sister kingdoms of the Hammer and Anvil are formed. Although their home is secured, the realms are being consumed in a growing chaos and a new generation of heroes and Martyrs must step forward to forge the survival of the Zharrguna.
The Four Clans of Shadow
The Clans of the Shadow Dwarves are a story of survival at the edge of extinction. Each action they take is focused on securing a better future for their children, a future where each conflict will not be the life and death of their folk. Their society is a military organization that suicidally protects their worker caste. Shadow dwarves are primarily female, with a three-to-one difference between them and males. They are ruled by a matriarchy with the Okonard at its head.
Dron Grafeh
Echo Carver
Originally made up of scouts, engineers and the messengers of the Duma. In the rebellion, they were the hands, eyes and ears of the uprising, and often the shadow of death cast over their former enslavers. In more modern times, they are the war seigers, or skulkers beyond the front lines that delves unseen towards that which threatens their folk. Known as The Unseen.
Recommended Professions: Duelist, Rogue, and Tinkerer.
Clan Colors: Jade, with accents of Sapphire (purple) and Silver.
Gidur Tathur
Memory Etcher.
When their history was stolen from them by their enslavers, the firsts of the Clans, kept the histories of their people etched into their flesh. Although they record their magics and histories in stone these days, the clan still keeps to the tradition of ritual scarification to tell their own personal tales and the tales of their families. Known as The Scarred.
Recommended Professions: Artificer, Sentinel, and Smith.
Clan Colors: Copper, with accents of Spinel (red) and Fluorite (violet).
Ubai Okab
Spirit Breaker.
Theirs was the final cry into the dark as they began the fires of liberation that brought about the successful uprising which freed the Shadow Dwarves from the chains of oppression. Their Clan is made of fierce, determined, unrelenting warriors who charge towards danger lest it comes to consume their people once more. Known as The Unbroken.
Recommended Professions: Avenger, Cavalier, and Knight.
Clan Colors: Bronze, with accents of Gold and Onyx.
Vumshar Sheget
Gloom Fare.
Once they were the enslaved house servants to the vile Duma, but when the rebellion came the Clan dealt a lethal blow to the Dark Masters by poisoning many as they threw off their shackles. Now their Clan aids the military machine that is the Shadow Dwarves, and sees to the needs of their karak as crafters and providers - and in return, the other Clans protect the Gloom Fare. Known as The Pillars.
Recommended Professions: Apothecary, Smith, and Vagabond.
Clan Colors: Azurite (blue), with accents of Kunzite (light purple) and Tin.
Themes and Expectations
Playing a Shadow Dwarf means your character will be playing a fatalistic story, where your actions mean the survival or death of your folk. Their society is led by the militaristic Okonard, she who carries the greatest burden, and her lesser officers who are the upper nobility. Unlike other societies, nobility is based upon skill and actions in your character’s youth. Those who play commoners will be playing serfs who provide for the nobility and the nobility will see to their defense and protection at the cost of their own lives. Their society places the apex of leadership firmly in the hands of women as they are the strongest sex, while males are seen as weak and frail, and non-binary stand between the two other sexes. Those who are not women can rise to the rank of nobility, but it is rare.
Requirements of Play:
Per 100 players at Mythic Adventures LARP, there may be 3 Shadow Dwarves.
All Dwarf characters must be bearded. Players who can grow a beard to at least 4 inches in length are not required to wear a fake beard. There are a number of fake beards that Dwarven players may get for costuming. When in play these beards must be worn at all times and may be removed when not in play.
To play a Shadow Dwarf, their skin shines with metallic or jeweled undertones. This look is best achieved with makeup, using highlights to make your skin shine. Dwarves wear clothes that accent angles or geometric styles. They often use earthen colors and blacks as bases or under layers, then use very vibrant metallics and jewel tones as colors to make their styles stand out. They approve of metal, leather treated to make it look metallic and jewel-toned silks. For more information on Clan colors (see the Shadow Dwarf Player’s Guide.) Shadow Dwarves have a fondness for scaled leathers, as giant lizards are often what they hunt in the Deepest Kingdom. This has also caused scale mail to be the height of fashion for their folk.
Depending upon your dwarf’s wealth and status, wearing beard jewelry is important. The noble and rich will braid their beards with jewelry and gems. The poorer you are, the fewer such items will be found upon your beard.
Rings and bracelets are welcomed as well, but necklaces and amulets are not as common since the beards tend to hide them.
In general, try and wear metal and jewels as Dwarves. They love to glitter and shine to represent their worth to their Clan, be they common or noble.
Where You Are From:
If you are of Shadow Dwarf heritage you are from Karak Zhufdrusa - /za-huf-dru-sa/ (Stronghold of Falling Water), hidden somewhere in the North. It is the heart of the Shadow Dwarf kingdom ruled by their new Okenard, Tanthra. They chose to ally themselves most closely with the sister karak, Sarâmesthân the Northern Karak of Stone Dwarves, for they recognized the strength of the Shadow Dwarves. Zhufdrusa is focused upon building its strength, seeking out troubles for the Zharrguna and dealing with them before they can fester.
The sister karaks look to the wealth and prosperity of each other, knowing if one falls the other shall as well. This has kept their people strongly united.
Two other karaks rest within the Fey Lands, one in the south lands and the other within the southeast. Both are ruled by dwarven riks of the Stone Dwarves.
The Flaw And Focus
Every race has its own set of strengths, and their own flaws to help define its feel as a race. For the Shadow Dwarves, this is survival. Their desire to carry on their race’s legacy is great, and has played a part in their histories and haunts their every action. The Zharrguna of old had little else but their lives, and managed to use this flaw to sharpen and define their race, by turning the survival of the self into the survival of their sisters and brothers, their race. In essence, Martyrdom. The martyrdom is a focus upon seeing that your actions should cost you and not those around you. This has made the Shadow Dwarves very fatalistic and makes them seek passions and drink deeply of life when death is not on the line. As a result, a Zharrguna oftentimes must struggle within themselves over whether or not this is the moment in which they should make the greatest sacrifice they can or if that is somewhere further within their story - and if they can actually sacrifice themselves and give up all the things they live for.
Your Full Name:
Dwarven names can be tricky, but this is a quick guide on how to form your full name as a dwarf.
- Choose your character’s dwarven name: Marna
- Choose a deed name for your character: Orc Breaker
- Optional, choose a bloodline or relation of a hero: the blood of Whurar
- State your Clan: Clan Ubal Okab
- State where you are from: of Karak Zhufdrusa
Then string all the pieces together and you will have your full dwarven name. Example: Marna, Orc Breaker, the blood of Whurar, Clan Ubal Okab of Karak Zhufdrusa.
It should be noted: Dwarves tend to give their full name only to other Dwarves when they first meet them, to not offer insult. To non-Dwarves, they tend to only offer their first name and maybe their Clan. They only offer their full name as a sign of respect to other non-Dwarves.
Age:
Dwarves can live up to 700 years of age. To figure out your PC’s age, follow these steps: Your Real Life Age (to which you can add or subtract up to ten years), multiplied by seven. 95 years and below are considered adolescence, so aim above this age when making your character.