The History of the Dwarves
The History of the Stone Dwarves, or Khazduna as they call themselves, is the history of great achievements and works followed by great tragedy encapsulated in thirteen great epochs (or ages).
Tracing their lineage back to the forging of the world, which they call Durak-Ril. Forged out of stone by the world itself, to defend it against the encroachments of the Nazradi, spirit beings that were drawn to the brilliance of the planet. While ultimately successful in their task, their labor came at great cost, as the first hall and their great works were lost in the closing of this war.
Cast out into the world, they were left to fend for themselves. From these wild dwarves rose the Thanes (clan leaders) who forged the clans, carved halls, and waged war upon one another. It was at the end of this period that the darkness from below the mountains reached up and took seven of the fifteen great clans in what was known as the War of the Dark Depths.
Following this great tragedy, a period of strife, violence, and unchecked greed was brought to heel by the first Rikard (or High Ruler). Through him and his line's guidance, a new golden epoch shone upon the Khazduna. A series of great wonders were crafted, the greatest of these was the Span, which allowed large swaths of the Deep Realm to be colonized. Great trade alliances were stuck with the surface nations of the Shanazarian (Farseni) and the Eldar Courts. Lastly, the lost clans returned from the jaws of oblivion now dubbing themselves Shadow Dwarves.
However, this period of brilliance could not last as a string of wars and tragedies came to pass. The invasions by the Brotherhood Arcanum and the Dredd War sapped the strength of the Khazduna but the greatest fall came at no fault of their own. The unchecked necromancy of the Old Kingdom of humanity caused the lands themselves to rebel, displacing all those who lived on or under the continent. The dwarves were part of the great exodus, though in the process lost both their Rikard and over 2/3 of their folk.
Arriving on the shores of the Fey Lands the surviving Khazduna spread out. They have crafted three grand karaks (kingdoms) and have gone through the arduous process of reclaiming their lost glory. The loss of the Rikard has meant that internal conflict has risen as old grudges and new are being hashed out on the shores of a foreign land. The guilds are on the rise, claiming more power and authority for themselves as they seek profit over all other concerns. Enemies long thought dead and shattered are on the move, hoping to end the Stone Dwarves at their weakest. It will come to the actions of a brave and motivated few to secure their new home and protect the grand legacy of the Khazduna for future generations.
The Eight Clans of Stone
The Clans of the Stone Dwarves are a story of hard-won glory, honor, and honing the legacy they were handed to hand onto those that come after them. Every action they take is focused on ensuring that their legacy shines, be it through craft or war. Their society is ruled by the Riks, and hopefully one day again through a Rikard. Stone dwarves are primarily male, with a three-to-one difference between them and females.
Angaz Zan
Ironworks Blood
The clan of builders, halls, vaults, and tombs. These sturdy Dwarves ages ago developed the first keystones, turning caves into palaces fit for kings. Known as Builders.
Recommended Professions: Sentinel, Smith, and Tinkerer.
Clan Colors: Iron, with accents of Diamond (white) and Garnet (red).
Bonun Zon
Soot Helm.
The Soot Helms of old gained their names from their cunning ways of deception and ingenuity to watch and stalk their foes. This age-old Clan still remains just as pragmatic. Known as Whisperers.
Recommended Professions: Apothecary, Duelist, and Rogue.
Clan Colors: Onyx, with accents of Platinum and Peridot (Light Green)
Duraz Sárek
Stone Caller.
This clan made the first runes and then the magic that later rose from the use of runes. They etched the honor and noble deeds of their Clan, and in more modern times shaped the history of the Dwarven people. Known as Runelords.
Recommended Professions: Apothecary, Artificer, and Sentinel.
Clan Colors: Slate, with accents of Citrine (orange) and Gold.
Kadrin Uthar
Crag Fist.
Forming the first armies and making use of trained tactics in the times of yesteryear. Masters of weapons and war, commanders of armies, and shield and hammer of the dwarven kingdoms. Known as Warlords.
Recommended Professions: Cavalier, Knight, and Warrior.
Clan Colors: Sapphire, with accents of Tourmaline (black) with Steel.
Kol Rikkaz
Coal Crushers.
In the distant past, the clan rose up as judges, arbitrators, and magistrates. As they crafted laws and enforced them, they eventually rose to power as leaders of their kingdoms and became known as the Clan of Kings. Known as Adjudicators
Recommended Professions: Cavalier, Knight, and Smith.
Clan Colors: Amethyst, with of Ruby and Gold accents.
Langk Drin
Long Road.
In Epochs past his clan was known for trailer blazers, forging alliances, and trading. In modern times, they excel just as much as they did in the past, crafting new trade routes, making allies as they go and forging alliances for their karaks. Known as Merchant Lords.
Recommended Professions: Ranger, Vagabond, and Warrior.
Clan Colors: Emerald, with accents of Gold and Silver.
Zharr Tromm
Blaze Beard.
The crafters of this clan have sought for years to make only the finest of items. Their craftsmen are known within the halls of their folk and to the kingdoms and duchies beyond, for any work of this Clan is to be honed until it is a masterpiece. Known as Artisans
Recommended Professions: Artificer, Smith, and Tinkerer.
Clan Colors: Red Gold, with accents of Lapis Lazuli and Copper
Zonor Îbmat
Heart Ember.
Once the sole crafters of ale, this clan is often known for its boasting, glory-seeking and oftentimes hot-headed ways. In modern times, their family values and fierce Dwarven spirit often help cement the three kingdoms of the Dwarves together in their darker hours, as they remind all of their race what it means to be dwarf. Known as Fire Kegs.
Recommended Professions: Apothecary, Avenger, and Warrior
Clan Colors: Carnelian (red), with accents of Amber and Bronze.
The Clanless
Those without a clan are marked with a legacy of dishonor, be it a forging of one of their ancestors or a craft of their own. Such a path is lonely, with their folk treating them with a distant disdain to contempt, yet the clans provide them the bare minimum of what it means to survive. The Clanless are a constant reminder of where dishonor can lead to and what lacking a clan means. They are only a playable option with marshal approval.
Themes and Expectations:
Playing a Stone Dwarf means your character will be playing a story focused upon the legacy handed to them at birth by their parents, and will spend a lifetime adding to this legacy to pass down to their children through every glory, every crafted object, and each honorable action. The Khazduna all are thus proud, often stubborn and unyielding, as they seek to refine what was given to them. Each Stone Dwarf shall seek to do this in their own way, be it through craft, glory upon the battlefield, or through guile or deceitful means. This mentality has made the Khazduna a race of competitive hyper-aggressive crafters. Their complex society is a feudal caste system, with the nobility answering to a Rik or Rikard. The nobility gains their rank from those bloodlines who were started by a hero and thus thought that the noble straight of selflessness runs in their veins. Only those seen to be the most selfless are to rise through the ranks of leadership, however, that is an ideal few in leadership can truly live up to.
Requirements of Play
Per 100 players at Mythic Adventures LARP, there may be 15 Stone Dwarves, 3 Shadow Dwarves, and 1 Dhovghar.
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.
If you play a Stone Dwarf, have no makeup requirements. If you play a Shadow Dwarf, their skin is grey with ashen-blue highlights or rich warm mahogany with red highlights, which must be represented through costuming or makeup.
Dhovghar have a minimum height requirement of 6 feet tall due to gigantism.
There are three distinct styles of clothing from the three Stone Dwarf Kingdoms. Typically, 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 info on Clan colors, see the Stone Dwarven Player’s Guide.
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
Unless special permission is granted, all PCs of Stone Dwarf heritage are from Karak Sarâmesthân - /sara-mes-than/ (Stronghold of the Great Smiths), found in the northern part of the kingdoms. The Karak is bent around craft, although it has a sizable military force. They are ruled by the Garm Council, a council of three greybeards since the founding rik and his line died shortly after the halls were settled. They seek to forge alliances with those around them, trading their great works in return for gold, riches, alliances, and partnerships to keep their hold strong. Every Stone Dwarf clan can be found within its halls.
The Northern Karak has a sister kingdom, Karak Zhufdrusa of the Shadow Dwarves. The sister kingdoms 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 Feylands, one in the south and the other in the southeast. Both are ruled by other riks.
The Flaws And Focus
Every race has its own set of strengths, and its own flaws to help define its feel as a race. For the Dwarves, this is greed. Their lust for acquisition is great, and has surely played a part in their histories and haunts their every action. The Dwarves of old managed to use this flaw to sharpen and define their race, by turning the greed of the self into the greed of the family and the clan, in essence, Legacy. The legacy is a focus on their family’s gains and rises to power. This has made the Khazduna and thus the clans of stone very competitive. As a result, a dwarf oftentimes must struggle within himself over whether or not this is what he wants for himself or if this is what is best for his clan.
Your Full Name
Dwarven true 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. Example: Tomir.
- Choose need name for your character. Example: Orc Crusher.
- Optional: Choose a bloodline or relation of a hero! Example: the blood of Yeddan.
- State your Clan. Example: Clan Zanor Îbmat.
- State where you were born. Example: of Karak Sarámesthân.
Then string all the pieces together and you will have your full dwarven name.
Example: Tomir, Orc Crusher, the blood of Yeddan, Clan Zanor Îbmat of Karak Sarámesthân.
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 perhaps a bit here and there. 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.
Dhovghar seem to have only half the lifespan: Your Real Life Age (to which you can add or subtract up to ten years), multiplied by three. 40 years of age is considered adolescence.