Difference between revisions of "Sun Dwarves"

Revision as of 20:40, 4 June 2014

Early History

The Srord dwarves, as they are called by both dwarves and men, are sun dwarves, that is dwarves who from times primordial lived beneath the sun. As for the name Srord, this seems to be due to a powerful sun dwarf royal dynasty from ancient times which was strong enough to give their imperial name to their people.

Description

The sun dwarves are a proud race, and although certainly distinct, are not radically different from the dwarves of Thorogdenia. They call themselves the Sons of Arkanar. Having had their sub-race's heartland in the very core of the budding Mandadorian empire, and being fiercely religious and loyal to their gods, they were crushed by the crusades of early Mandadoria and nearly wiped out. Even under-dwarves have heard stories of the beautiful towers of the Srord dwarves before the Mandadorian scourge leveled nearly every one of them, and it is told that they were once capable of magical carvings and creations beyond the ken of any current living dwarf, of any sub-race.

Modern sun dwarves likely appear as largely dispersed and leaderless. Even the proud Arkal has largely replaced Urgan with Mandador, so complete has been the Mandadorian victory. Many sun dwarves seem to interpret the fall of their civilization with the understanding that Mandador is in fact Urgan himself, an omnipotent high god who has returned to the world to show all beings, and not just dwarves, that He is the One True and Mightiest God. This may be a murky understanding of the complex beliefs of the Srord dwarves.

Racial Abilities

Sun dwarves have no infravision. They still receive the normal benefits of dwarven constitution, but do not receive the +1 bonus to their constitution scores. They do however receive a +1 bonus to their intelligence. Their other sub-race benefits, limitations and errata remain closed to players unless one chooses a sun dwarf as a PC. They are otherwise just as normal dwarves as outlined in the CPHB.

Historical Figures

High Prince Maktar, the Coward King

Dergardol

Magridolk, the ancient mystic at Murthorg

Rogaldorn

owner of the dwarven market at the Bailiwick of the Blessed Tharvane,

Deities

The Srord have their own specific pantheon of deities, worshiping Urgan or Urgan, the firstborn son of Kel'Bagor, as their high god. Urga is embodied to them as the sun itself, who shines His blessings upon them each day, and which serves as a constant reminder to them of His presence. The lesser deities of their pantheon are the divine progeny of Urga.

Urga sacrificed himself in the Fulgurmachy, the great war with the unstoppable God of Lightning near the beginning of the world. Although reincarnated as the sun, Urga could father no more sons, which saddened him greatly. Undaunted, Urga appealed to Almnik, the dwarven god of gold, for help in crafting him a final and perfect son, befitting the current form of his father. Almnik used all his craft and created for Urga just such a son, made of pure divine gold, and crafted in Urgan's image. Urga breathed into it the breathe of life (some say with the permission of Kel'Bagor), and a new divinity on earth was born, much as Depturn the Silver was 'born' to Ta'kron in even yet more ancient times. He was given the name Arkanar.

For the new demi-god, Arkanar was given to wed Allanna of the Highest Halls, the firstborn daughter of the demi-goddess Forara and Arkenalt, Arkenalt being the firstborn of Urga before he was defeated by the Lightning God. The golden Arakanar, the last and greatest son of Urgan, thus married the daughter of the firstborn of Urgan. In this way, argue the sun dwarves, the highest and most royal blood of the dwarven divinities are perpetuated in the sun dwarven line.

The sons, thanes, retainers and followers of Arkenalt were commanded to follow their new lord, Arkanar, or so the sun dwarves claim. They walked with him unafraid of the dark clouds of the Lightning God, under the shining sun, and with the blessing of Urga became the sun dwarves. They traveled far to the southwest, where they settled in warm lands near the sea, ever loyal under their kings.

The first children of Arkanar Goldenhammer and Allanna

Astakon and Ekeneed, the Twins. Mele the Most Beautiful was also born of them. They were born immortal, and were born under the sun as Urga commanded. Their last child was born hiding from a great cloud beneath the earth, and was thus named Norkenok, or Hidden Gold. Eventually cast out, it is Norkenok who became the progenitor of the Gold Dwarves, who live near the very surface of the earth, and are very rare.

(is this about the gold dwarves or the sons of arkanar??) The goddess Forara, as the adopted daughter of Ta’kron, appealed to her adopted father to grant magic to her grand-daughter Mele. Upset by the increasingly disturbing Dreken dwarves (a primordial mystical dwarven race, now lost or hidden to the world), Ta’kron only did this in a limited fashion, allowing Mele and her scions to craft magic as artificers, and only then by making their hands golden (golden hands).

Geography

The last great city of the Srord

The capital was Shel'Mather. It seems the party of Nimrel the invincible paladin and his crusader army destroyed the city in some cataclysmic battle. The story was told vaguely and with much sadness to Rogaldorn. The last lord of Shel'Mather, the son of the High King, High Prince Maktar, is rumored to have lived on, after a fashion. Cursed with undeath, he is called the Coward King by men, as they claim he fled the field before the awesome might of Nimrel. Sun dwarves blame a member of Nimrel's party, a sun dwarf named Dergardol, for the victory of the Mandadorians that day. Dergardol was a Mandadorian himself, who apparently showed Nimrel and his Companions secret ways into the mountains surrounding Shel'Mather, as well as secret ways into the high royal palace. Most importantly Dergardol gave great insight into the mind of the high prince and his counselors.

The Evil Shel'Mather

Coward King possesses a dormant undead empire at Shel'Mather, now completely abandoned, and that the highly religious armies and knights of Quadrain have several times attempted to cleanse Shel'Mather of its evil. The entire area is a functioning forbidden zone, and although currently dormant, Rogaldorn has already met a few knights of men who have fought the great evils that have risen there. Yet it remains the classic seat of Srordian power, but not held by them for many centuries.