Khûrak

“Born of the stone. Forged in the fire. Unbroken.”

In the songs of the Khurak, called ‘dwarves’ in the tongues of men, the Khurak were formed by the hand of Khrar the Shaper, son of the Mother Goddess. To Khrar was given the duty of the shaping of stone and metal, and of the land in which it was found, but when he had sewn the land with the gifts his mother bid him grant, he saw that he had buried them deeply and far beyond the reach of those who dwell upon the surface of the world. And so he went deep into the heart of the world, where the stone ran liquid as lifeblood of the world. And taking some of that molten stone, he shaped it upon a great anvil of orichalcite, forging the first of his children.

Born deep beneath the surface, the first city of the Khurak was said to have been at the site of the great forge from which their people were born. And for untold ages, they toiled beneath the earth and sought out the rare metals, gems and other gifts of Khrar Forgefather, working great works as their city grew, for though the Khurak had few children they were blessed with long lifespans that saw their numbers grow and expand.

In time though, calamity befell them. There are those among the Khurak who claim that it was Khrar’s judgement for failing to fulfill the task he had set them, to take his gifts to the surface where they could be a boon to others and not just his children. Others claim that the doom that was visited upon the first city was born of their mistakes in attempting to harness the fires from which they were created. Most though, look upon the darkness as a repercussion of things beyond their deep halls and knowledge, a sign of some catastrophe in the world beyond.

What is certain, is that a great darkness fell upon Karaz Iksus, the First City. The fires of the great forge went cold, and a whispering darkness crept through their greate city. It was in the four hundred thirteenth year of the rule of Thrulgarr, last of the Great Kings of Karaz Iksus, when the darkness came upon his people. Knowing that to stay was death, but fearing that the darkness would pursue his people in their flight from Karaz Iksus he called his sons before him. Taking the crown from his head, he struck it with his great hammer, shattering it and freeing the three great stones that had adorned the crown. Then, giving one of the stones to each of his sons, he bid them each to lead one quarter of the nation and go forth from the dying city, to take the great tunnels and to delve farther still and find new homes for their people. The young and firm, as well as the greatest masters of craft, he sent forth with his sons to seed the future of his people while he and the elders of the people stood against the darkness.

No tales are told of the battle of Thrulgarr and his final guardians, though their bravery is sung of, because none know of their fate. Only that they succeeded in their task, holding whatever the darkness was at bay until they could collapse the tunnels and the city, burying forever great Karaz Iksus and the Forge of Khrar.

The three sons led their people outwards, even upon the surface of the world for a time, until each of them found a new home for their people. To the great mountain range that the dwarves called Kharadur, Durhain and Khalgur led their people, with Khalgur settling the frozen northlands and Durhain deep beneath the southern mountains. Gromm and his people travelled far, to a great mountain they called Greyspire, where they tunneled deep and built their new city. And so the great clans of the Khurak were born, named in honor of the first dwarven Kings after the Sundering and the Exile.

The society of the dwarves is, largely, a meritocracy. Masters of crafts are held in high regard, as high of regard as their great warriors. The line of each of the Princes has continued down through the ages, each styled ‘King’ in their own right by their people, though each clan’s political structure is somewhat different from the others. The great clans regard one another as cousins and allies, with limited trade between one another using the great underground highways of their people. Each of the great clans have multiple lesser clans that are sworn to them, through ancient agreements and oaths passed down through generations.

Dwarves hold their honor to be among the most important and precious of their possessions, and are careful not to act in such a way as to bring dishonor to themselves or their clan. Dwarves who have been dishonored are known to shave their beards, or in the case of women to shear their hair short, as a mark of their disgrace. Often these dwarves volunteer for the most dangerous of assignments and duties, hoping to die a worthy death so that their name will be remembered with honor, despite having lost it in life.

Sobriquets: Khiin (among themselves), Stunted (derogatory), Dwarves

Appearance: Dwarves are of a stocky, hardy build, averaging between four and five feet tall for an adult. While they tend towards thicker, muscular builds regardless of gender, there are certainly those among them that are of leaner form. Their hair, eyes and skin vary in tone and shade very similarly to human appearance. Males almost always wear beards, with a longer beard being generally a sign of distinction and a shaven beard a mark of shame or dishonor. Female dwarves do not grow beards, but tend to wear their hair long in a similar display.