Stories from the Dwarf Library

1st Skyfall

Auther Unknown

As the Queen of Deep Home lay dying in her bed she was visited by her husband. The God Moradin told her that a great evil was coming into the land and that the dwarves needed to band together and ready themselves. Being too weakened by age, she called upon her two sons and her daughter. She told them of the trouble to come and told them to go out and ready Deep Home. She also told them to travel to the other races and warn them of the danger to come.

So Granit gathered the dwarves of deephome and set them making great dwarven weapons

His brother Ozzus went out to the farmers and the animal ranchers and began to fill the food stores of Deep Home.

Hausuhilda their sister went out of Deep Home and traveled to the Humans, Elves, Gnomes, and even the Orcs warning them of the impending doom. She went all the way to the great City of Pelor such was the urgency of the message from Moradin. Alas the other races took no heed of the warning and Hausuhilda journeyed to Deep Home.

Hausuhilda had barely returned to Deep Home when a great ball of fire fell from the sky and all the lands to the far East were laid to waste. The fireball rent the sky above the Great City of Pelor leaving in its wake a black portal. Out of the hole spread darkness, and out of the hole came all manner of evil creatures. Granit gathered the Hammers of Moradin and took his great Axe Azdrakk and lead them against the evil.

All the races of the world banded together and they stood before the forces of darkness spilling from the rent in the heavens, but they were just the beginning. On the third day of the third week Came the greatest evil the world had ever known and it’s name was  blasphemy, its name was Takhisis, and it was an evil that could not be undone.

The Dwarves having heeded the word of Moradin were prepared and they moved their people deep within the Deep Home. The other races pleaded with the dwarves to let them in, but Hausuhilda knowing that taking them would mean that her people would starve turned them away. For they had ignored the word of Moradin and now they would pay the heavy cost.

Granit Axehammer did not withdraw though, he gathered his companions who had faced the greatest evils in the world and they stood strong against the evil with Granit at their head. Granit and his companions beat the forces of the blasphemy out of Cridalon, they beat them out of the great dwarven city, they beat them all the way to edge of Pelor’s city, but they could not defeat the Abomination! For she had the power to corrupt their hearts, and just as she reached out to their minds Granit Axehammer prayed to his Father Moradin, and Moradin sent Pelor!

Pelor came in light and fire, Pelor came with the Sunspear, Pelor came and there was a battle so great and terrible that none could describe it after. So great was the battle that the sun itself went black and did not watch. All who were in witness wept, all except for Granit who fought furiously by the side of Pelor for he was the son of Moradin and would neither run nor turn away in fear.

The abomination was winning, and it came down upon Pelor with all of its power, but Granit would not let the world and Deep Home fall to it, he flung himself between the beast and Pelor, the sound of the beast falling upon him and his mighty axe Azdrakk could be felt even in the deep places of Deep Home.  

And when it was over the heros were gone, Granit Axehammer the great son of Moradin lie dead, but with his scrifie Pelor had slain the beast. It’s blood stained the mighty seat of Pelor, Pelor’s mighty Sunspear was shattered and Pelor retreated out of the land. So the mighty Axehammer watch and wait, they prepare themselves for if the Abomination should ever rise again. They will be there to render aid once again.

Skyfall the Second

Master Treasuresnout Second High Historian of Deep Home

After the sky fell, Mystra looked down upon the world as she walked among the stars. A worry grew in her that the beast Takhisis would return and lay waste to everything she and her children had built. In her infinite wisdom, Mystra took her champion Pelor, and she split him into five pieces. The Wizard made for the magic of Mystra. The Warrior crafted for the strength of Mystra. The Child fashioned for The innocence of Mystra. The Grandfather to cary the love of Mystra. And finally, the Laughing God hold the balance of the world.

A single piece for each remaining head of the high abomination Takhisis. Mystra then sent her creations out into the world to guide, and protect the people and creatures the other Gods had set upon it. Then she took the spear of Pelor and broke it into five pieces, and gave four to the most powerful Oracles in her world, each one charged with hiding them in their magnificent temples. The fifth one she gave to her priestesses to put in her temple. Ensuring that only a champion, marked by Mystra, could retrieve it the fragment.

As time past, the Oracles dies, and the people forgot Mystra, and the forgot the name of their destruction. Mystra looked over the world at the races, and she knew that should Takhisis come again there would be not but the dwarves who had kept some remembrance in their vast libraries to stand against her. Mystra needed a way to bring the races together.

Mystra looked down on all the worlds she created and chose herself five champions. Kheregrel the one-eyed Orc, Ella the true Gnome, Savonarola the fearless Human, Truth the cursed Dwarf of song and magic, and Oglebee the mighty fighting Monk. She plucked them from their mundane lives and set them on the world.

Karegrell she sent to the orcs to raise the great orc city and bring the unseen tribe back to Grumush. Ella, she sent to the gnomes to find their lost city and to reunite the gnomes with their once great heritage. To the humans, she sent Savonarola to recover the secrets of Pelor and restore the Order of the Broken Throne. Truth was sent to the dwarves to help them recover the bloodline of the Axehammer’s. With Oglebee Mystra re-established the great monastery of Nagagosh. They readied the world for what was to come, and they gathered the pieces of Pelor’s Spear.

But Takisis would not be so readily beaten a second time. She sent two great evils against them one in the guise of a friend and one dressed in roses. The evil dressed in roses tried to kill Mystra’s heroes with his overwhelming might, and he might have done if not for Moradins please to Mystra to forgive the Elven God Lathander and lift the curse of the elves. Mystra seeing the wisdom in this agreed and with the help of the elves the hero’s slew the great Rose clad evil.

The evil that disguised as a friend tried to beguile the heroes with soft words and beautiful promises, but the cursed dwarf and the human were resistant to his hypnotic visions of false glory and riches. In the end, he too fell to the heroes might.

To Pelors city went to the heroes, to salvation, and glory. They took the five tokens given to them by Mystra and cast them upon the altar of Pelor. The aspects of Pelor came together, and Pelor was reborn. Pelor was reborn, and Mystra’s light burst from him like a beacon of hope. Pelor was reborn, and even death hid his face for he would not look upon Pelor. And it happened, as it had happened that Pelor fought Takhisis in all the glory of the sun from which he was created. In the end, he stood triumphant with the heroes and all things in the world were saved. Then Pelor departed for parts unknown, and the hero’s disappeared into the world.

The First King Of the Dwarfs

After the world was made, Moradin reached deep down into the beating heart of the purest mountain and from that heart he drew out the first dwarven clan. Moradin named them Iornblood for the blood of the mountains ran in their veins and the greatest among them was Brocus.

Brocus had the strength of ten dwarves, the might of the mountain itself and the wisdom of Moradin. Brocus was named the King of dwarves and it was Brocus that set the dwarves to the task of building Forgemiear the great dwarven city. Brocus took for his wife Nussina Iornhill for she had the might to match his and they knew their line would be blessed by Moradin. So it was that the first clan came to be, and the great city of Forgemier was built.

The First Hammeraxe

When the world was new and the dwarves still lived above ground Mordin built his temple. He wanted to choose the very best of dwarves to become his Hammers on the world. To uphold his will when he could not. Moradin issued a challenge to all the dwarves. “Using only your two hands, and no cart nor beast of burden bring to my temple that which will fill it from floor to high ceiling leaving no nook or cranny.”

For many years dwarves tried to rise to the challenge but none could complete it. Until one day a glass smith’s daughter named Brunhilda Axe heard the challenge. “But that’s a simple matter” she said and all the dwarves laughed, for if they could not do it, what chance did a simple glass smith’s daughter have?

That night the glass smith’s daughter snuck out of her home taking with her only flint, steal, and a lamp she had crafted herself. She made her way in the dark to Moradin’s Temple there she set the lamp on his alter and said. “For you my Lord, let me fill your temple with light” and she lit her lamp. The lamp was made in such a way that light burst forth and filled the temple from floor to ceiling and lit every nook and cranny.

When Moradin saw this he was impressed so much by Brunhilda’s wit and craftsmanship that he showed himself to her and asked her to marry him. Brunhilda did not refuse the God and they were married on the spot, but Brunhilda seemed sad.

“My family and village will not believe me “ she told Moradin. “They will think me a liar and cast me out.”

“Do not fear.” Said Moradin. “I will give them a sign that what you say is true. When the sun sets tomorrow to take your family and stand at the foot of the highest mountain in the East.”

So the next day Brunhilda told her family all that had happened, and they indeed did not believe her. After some persuading Brunhilda convinced them to come and stand with her at sunset at the foot of the tallest mountain in the east.

As the sun set that day at the foot of the mountain, as the last rays of light hit it a door appeared and on the door in dwarvish it said. “For my wife, and all dwarven kind.” when Brunhilda pushed open the door she found a great mine that was filled with precious gem and metals.

“We will live here.” said Brunhilda “As will our children and our children’s children and we will make it our home.”

And this is what they did. They called it Deep Home and Brunhilda was ever after known as Brunhilda Hammeraxe, the first of the Hammers of Moradin.

The Birth of Garas Hammeraxe

Master Treasuresnout Second High Historian of Deep Home

When Deep Home was new and Bridgette Hammeraxe ruled it as Moradin’s wife, a blind human child stumbled into a caravan of Dwarfs that were on their way to Imac to pay tribute to the new child queen. The dwarves took pity on the child and brought her to Deepholm intending to take her back to the humans on their next trip. The child was bitterly cold and nothing the dwarfs did cold warm her. So they took her to Bridget in hopes that their queen could help her.

When the Queen met the child she told Bridgette that she wan an Oracle of Fire, and that she had been sent by Moradin to deliver a message. Bridgette she said would have a child by the time the harvest moon rose, on that day Bridgette would find a passage to the deepest part of the mountain and it would lead her to a sacred pool of lava put there by Moradin. She should show no fear and deliver her baby in the sacred pool.

Bridgette thanked the child and wishing to repay her for her kindness asked her if there was anything she could do for her. The child asked if she could accompany Bridgette for the birth of her child. Bridgette not wishing to seem ungrateful agreed to the child’s request.

It came to pass that Bridgette did indeed become pregnant, and the child within her flourished and the child Oracle stayed in Deep Home.  On the day of the harvest moon, a door appeared in the Deepholm Temple and Bridgette called for the Oracle to accompany her through the door, but no dwarf of Deep Home could find her. Eventually, Bridgette had no choice but to venture through the door alone.

The door led to a staircase that took her deep into the depths of the mountains, where it opened onto a great cave, and in the middle of that cave was a pool of Lava. Showing no fear Bridgette entered the pool just as she began to deliver her child. It was then that the Fire Oracle showed up. Enraged that the Queen of Deep Home had broken her promise she called upon a great fire elemental that took the shape of a great fiery dragon to slay the queen and the newborn baby.

Fearful for the life of her child Bridgette prayed to her Husband asking for him to save both her and her child, as the fire elemental came closer Bridget felt in the lava the handle of a great ax. She took the ax and with a great toss, slew the Oracle with it. As the Oracle bled the Axe soaked up the blood.

Bridgette gave birth to a Son, and she named him Garaz Hammeraxe, the ax that had been gifted to her by Moradin now imbued with the blood of the Oracle she named Azdrakk, the dragon ax of war. She took the Axe and placed the small hands of her infant son around the hilt. “This ax will be yours and no dwarf save those of the Hammeraxe line will wield it.” She told him, and this was the beginning of the great half god Garaz Hammeraxe.

The Iron Agreement 

Master Treasuresnout Second High Historian of Deep Home

In the tragic days after the Ironbound sacrifice, our people were set upon by tragic ponderance. Vengeance was on the minds of many and some questioned if humans should be allowed to ever again gather under one banner. It was in these days that the Human tribe of Tadhg, who had long lived with the Dwarven family of Fairside, and who had fought for us in the time of the Ironbound Sacrifice did come to the leaders of the Clans.  

Great was the sorrow of Tadhg’s people that humans were so easily lead astray, and so quick to forget all the aid lent to them by the Dwarves when they were young and lost in the world after the First Mother died. They had devised an ingenious plan and pleaded with the Clans to assist in executing it. One among their tribe, a sweet and clever maid, adopted by the Fairside clan and named Delaney Fairside greatly resembled the queen of the Great Thorne King, who had died.

The Clan leaders agreed, and they dressed her in the clothing of the queen adorning her in Dwarven jewels and flowers. She went to the humans as their queen. So significant was the human loss of life and desperate was their need to avoid more bloodshed in a civil war that they accepted her as the Widowed Queen. She took a husband a general who was esteemed by the human soldiers and much respected by the populous.

Together they rebuilt the human city, and the Queen named her city Imeq meaning “Life water” and when the humans were once again settled Delaney came to the dwarves to forge the Iron Agreement. As long as a woman of the bloodline of Delaney Fairside sat the throne, peace would be had between the Dwarves and Humans, the Unseen Tribe of Orcs would not descend upon Imeq, all three peoples would come to aid one another in times of war, but should a King ever again take up the seat of Imeq the agreement would be forfeit and war would come.

This Iron Agreement is why Imeq must always have her Queen. Though the name and face changes, long live the blood of Fairside.

The Heroic Tale of Skuz

Truth Hammeraxe First Bard of Deephome

As the sky fell the second time, and Takhisis poured her dragon men into the world to do her malevolent biding one among them was a dragon man named Skuz. Skuz was not the strongest of dragon men but he was extremely clever, and he was assigned to a keep at the edge of the corrupted lands that Takhisis held.

It was Takhisis’s loathsome wish that the ground under the keep be moved away for a great evil lay under it and she was of a mind to free it. To this end, the dragons enslaved many gnomes, dwarves, and humans to complete the deed. When Skuz saw the repugnant way the slaves were treated his heart was moved to sympathy.

Skuz was assigned to patrol the outer edges of the keep and while he was on patrol he happened across a half-elf ranger, now Skuz could have then raised the alarm, but being a uniquely heroic and dignified dragon man he carefully approached her. At first, she was alarmed by his boldness, but after gaining her trust she explained to him that she was looking for a way to free the captive slaves within the keep. Saying that she had companions to come and help her.

Skuz told her of a secret passage into the keep so as to help her in her worthy endeavors. A few days later the Elf and her party did indeed find their way into the keep, and it looked as if they would manage to do the deed for which they had come when a great evil descended upon them.  

The great Rose Knight came down upon them, they used all their power, all their skill, and talent but they could only hold the Rose Knight for he was an evil so tremendous in magnitude that he seemed impossible to overpower. All looked lost for the captured slaves, but Skuz seeing not just the Rose Knight, but also the other Dragon Men so frenzied in their attention on the heroes, that he took advantage of the great distraction. From cell to cell, and cage to cage Skuz crept rescuing all that were in the keep, and showing them the secret way out. Now Skuz could have left with them to hid in the hills, but he knew that the time could rise again where he would be needed so selflessly Skuz stayed behind. As he returned he saw the heroes fleeing before the might of the Rose Knight. Skuz worried in his heart for his new found friends, but knowing there was nothing more that could be done, watched heavy hearted as they fled.

After they had gone and all others gave chase a Dwarf appeared at the back gate of the keep astride a mighty horned ram. Skuz boldly went to greet her, and she could mean his death, but being a noble and good Dwarf she knew that Skuz meant her no harm. Skuz quickly explained all that had happened and lead her to the newly freed slaves that had taken up hiding in the hills. She gathered them this brave Hammer of Moradin and Skuz found for her one among the party of slaves that could give her such directions as to see them all safely to the Deephome. The Dwarf thanked him and offered him a place in their party, but Skuz refused for he had set his noble and mighty mind to the undermining of Takhisis from inside her own foul party.

The Dwarf departed and she prayed to Moradin to watch over Skuz, and she enters his name into the book of heroes for he proved himself a true and faithful friend.

Truth Hammeraxe the Tiefling Dwarf

Auther Unknown

Many years ago the world began to change, the great dwarves of Deep Home could feel the change in the mountains and earth. They could feel something dark beginning to gather. Now, this was the time when Deep Home was being ruled by the great Dwarven Council, and the name Axehammer was all but lost to history.

The Council being wise and in tune with the things of the world sent out Alrend Hammeraxe a simple traders son into the world to look for signs from the great God Moradin.  As Alrend traveled he came upon a traveler dressed in a cloak, as he approached he saw that the stranger was like no creature that he had met. Being a hearty and fearless dwarf Alrend approached the stranger.

“My name is Truth” she told him. “I am a dwarf, but I was cursed by Takhisis into the form of a Tiefling, but I have been sent by Moradin to guide the dwarves into a new age.”

Not knowing what to do Alrend took the Tiefling to Deep Home and brought her down into the heart of Deep Home to the dwarven council. The council is wise and in tune with the world saw right away that Truth was more than what she seemed. She had the heart of a dwarf and knew many dwarven songs. She told Alrend Hammeraxe that we were related to the Axehammers of old and that the blood of Moradin ran in his veins.

Alrend now knowing of his origins set out with Truth in an attempt to cure her of her curse, they brought back to the dwarves many lost secrets, including the arcane forge. One day as the two friends were exploring Deep Home they happened upon an old door. Opening it they journeyed down into the very heart of the world. When they came to a room with a large pool of lava in the center that had been long lost by the time A young and beautiful dwarven woman stood atop the pool.

“If you can fill this room from floor to ceiling leaving no nook or cranny bare, a secret I will share,” said the Dwarf.   

Truth took out her lute and began to sing, a dwarven song so beautiful and rich that it filled the whole room with music. The dwarven woman smiled at her. “You are a true Hammeraxe descendant. I will give you a choice, a great evil is starting to stir. I can either break your curse Truth Hammeraxe or restore to my bloodline the great ax Azdrakk the choice is yours.”

It was everything Truth had hoped for, but being a selfless dwarf she knew that if the great evil was Takhisis rising once again that the dwarves would need the power of Azdrakk. She chose the ax, the dwarven woman pulled it from the pool a great ax and she held it out. Only Alran was able to take it, confirming his great destiny, but damning Truth to her hideous vestige. Still, dwarves don’t let little things like looks stand in their way. Truth was adopted by the Hammeraxes and she was forever part of the Deep Home.