Dwarven History

My name is Cabral Anth'Ank, Scribe of the Council of Elders,
Son of Ankel Anth'El, Scribe of the Council of Elders, and these are from records of my family:

Regarding dwarves, the firmament of Amitoune:
The oldest recorded settlement in Amitoune is the old dwarven city of Masil in the bowels of Mount Turin, precisely when the city was founded is uncertain, but from what can be estimated, it was settled early in the first age. Early in the first age Amitoune was still scarcely populated, the plains and shoreline frequented by different hordes of roving bands and the occasional corsairs coming in from the seas. So the dwarven people devoted their time to the great stone works in Masil, and paid little heed to the surrounding areas. The halls of Masil was said to be some of the most beautiful stone work in Amitoune. Spectacular open halls cut from bare stone, large spiralling pillars rising a hundred feet into the air. The ceilings worked and polished, allowing for only a few well placed lights, to light up entire areas and corridors. In lesser areas, the walls where crafted and engraved, and all along lined with a shallow worked groove, that ran the entire length of the Masil's tunnels. In this groove, from a high central chamber, flowed an amber coloured liquid found in the very depths of Masil, something the dwarves called 'caril'. And caril burned a clear white flame, leaving behind no odour or smoke.

The dwarves in the city put all their attention to the great stone works of old, what little metal works where made, where done to further improved the tools needed for working the stone. And it continued so for centuries. It was not until the end of the first age that the dwarves took and interest in what lay outside their own halls. And early in the Second age, it was not an uncommon occurrence that a party of dwarves would set out into Amitoune to look for new placed to apply their skills.

Early in the Second age, a young dwarf named Korian Mifur travled the lands of Amitoune and came at last upon the red mountain sloops of the Hellforge, and in turn to Thulron's forge. Here he learnt the craft of metal working from Thulron himself, and he became a great worker of metals, surpassed only by Thulron himself. Coming back to Masil, he brought back with him new ways to heat and work iron and steel, these ways he passed on to other dwarves. And thus was kindled the dwarven passion for working metals, a passion that in time would change the entire dwarven culture. I the centuries to follow, other dwarves travelled to Thulron within the red mountain peaks of the Hellforge. They came to learn the crafts from Thulron himself, and Thulron was a skilled teacher. Legend would have it though, that none have ever surpassed Korian in skill, much less Thulron himself.

The mainstay of the dwarven people resided in the halls of Masil until the year 148 of the Second age. The growing population within the city was making it hard to keep food production sufficient. That along with large new finds of ore and gems at Mount Anoroc, lead to a large party of dwarves setting out from Masil, south along the Ebony Spine, throuh the Gap of Grom, until they reached the base of Mount Anoroc. Here they settled and built the foundations for the city Muir, as we know it today. Centuries later there was in the depths of Muir, discovered a large natural cavern, created by the springs within mount Anoroc, and the currents of Lake Mera. Eroding the rock away, this has over time created an underwater passage that connects the cavern and the lake. This passage has later enabled the dwarves of Muir to hold off more than a few sieges in their time. Allowing them to get onto the lake and keep the city feed on fish and what else could be gathered.

In Muir the mainstay of the dwarven work changed from stone to ore, mining and smiting. The abundance of metal ore, spanning from iron to gold to a little mithril, even a good number of rich gems. Brought new interest to metal crafts, quickly increasing the production new metal goods, this in turn quickly attracted more dwarves from Masil, and Muir grew quickly. In year 202 of the Second age, the larger part of the host in Masil had moved to Muir. The mining was good, and the food the habelins provided excellent. Later that same year, disaster struck in Masil; from the depths came a swarm of nan crawlers, attracted by the caril they had dug into the lower tunnels and continued up into the city. The dwarves that did not die in the initial attack, or managed to flee the tunnels afterwards, scattered into the countryside, leaving behind thousands of their fallen kinsmen. The city was abandoned, and to this day nan crawlers roam the halls of the greatest city ever carved in stone. Many parties, and many adventures have since sought to achieve fame and glory in the great halls of Masil, yet few have managed to get there, and even fever have returned.

As the dwarves in Muir focused on their metallurgy skills, Muir became one of the influential contributors to the population boom in Amitoune. Producing every thing from hammers and scythes, to gilded armour and jewellery. The sudden wealth of newly wrought gods brought other people to Muir as well, attracting traders from near and far. Elves came bearing the fruits of the forest and fine wines. Habelings came, trading food and tobacco, habelins provided food for the dwarves, who ate a lot, but where not nearly as efficient in farming. And in turn the dwarves produced farming equipment to the habelin's specifications. This trade was beneficial to both, since habelins were not very skilled in construction or craftsmanship, and conversely, the dwarves lacked agricultural expertise.

Though Muir was know for its mining and smiting, the dwarven people had by no means forgotten their early love of stonework, and no more apparent was this than in the magnificent seven gates of Muir. The six, all cut from different types of stone, shaped and adorned, named after the dwarven kings of great. The seventh gate worked in metal, and plated with mithril by Koiran himself, the only gate that held against the onslaught of Thralamir. The only gate to still stand as it was wrought.

War of the three nations. (To be added later)

The Human wars have begun.

As previously mentioned, I wont go into detail about the Human Wars here, as it is a chapter on its own, rather I will try to sum up a few of the events from the siege at Muir to the present day.

As Thralamir was upon the walls of Aelfinn and the first reports of the outlines of his army reached the dwarves, King Boinor knew it a battle that could not be won. So he sent forth orders that his people should packed up all the things surrouding Muir, and move into the bowls of Mount Anoroc. So it was done, and shut where the gates of Muir. Here they stayed for the better part of the war, getting water from the springs and wells within their city, eating what food they had stored away. And what could be caught fishing on the Lake Mera during the night.

For 600 years the dwarven people had produced little or no armour or weapons made for war, yet old forgotten skills where quickly reinvented, and for the entirety of the war, the humans always claimed that from within the halls of Muir, there was ever a clinging sound of hammer against steel. When the time came, and the alliance made its counter attack, the dwarven people where ready.

- Cabral Anth'Ank, Scribe of the Council of Elders

 

Dwaren royal lines:

Kings of the 1st Age.

First known king of Masil:

Kobur the First
-

Kurin, son of Kobur
-

Raran, son of Kurin
-

Doran the Wise, son of Raran
-

Gloilin, son of Doran
-

Kings of the 2nd Age.

Dasil Axewielder, son of Gloilin
-130 Fa.

Guli the Swift, son of Dasil
-777 until -582 Sf.

Hirel, son of Guli
-618 until -390 Sf.

Kignus the Lone, son of Hirel
-498 until -240 Sf.

First line of kings broken, Queen Mera dies in childbirth with her son Korin, son of Kingnus.
King Kignus the Lone spends the remainder of his years in solitude.

Duldur the Second, son of Haman
-327 until -140 Sf.

Duldras, son of Duldur
-294 until -155 Sf.

Serka the Fair, daughter of Duldras
-212 until 34 Sf. (Abstained her throne in -92 Sf.to her son Aldur Peacemakker.)

Kings of the 3rd Age.

Aldur Peacemakker, son of Serka
-152 - 154 Sf.

Hurin the Stoneshapper, son of Aldur
20 - 307 Sf.

Noran, son of Hurin
266 - 490 Sf.

Denus, son of Noran
402 - 665 Sf.

Dogan, son of Denus
578 - 834 Sf.

Boinar the Calm in the Storm, son of Dogan
738 -

Present day.