The History of Dwarves (House Item)

Through my own experiences, I have gained knowledge and insight into the dwarves. Each part of this history tome can only be completed in its own time.

Story 1

There is nothing like the smell of the forge, is there? I love the crash of hammer on iron, the tang of metal on the tip of the tongue. There is joy in working with one's hands, and that is what dwarves do best.

We were created by Brell Serilis, who discovered Norrath and brought us into being. Some say he had other purposes in mind, but we dwarves know that he was -- and is -- our creator and bringer of life.

Stone and rock. Hammer and anvil. We learned our crafts from the beginning, in our home of Kaladim, in the ButcherblockMountains. Our city flourished, for many came to us, wanting to buy the many beautiful things we can craft.

Have you ever seen the sun rise, its light spreading like over the Butcherblock mountains like the flames of a forge? We who have not seen this with our own eyes sing the songs of our fathers before us, and weep for the world we cannot know.

You might hear of the Northmen boasting of their brawn. They are certainly very strong, for their size. Put any barbarian up in a feat of strength against a dwarf and you will find that we are equally strong. Many is the enemy who thought to judge us by our size, to their own doom.

Story 2

Through many long Ages, we plied our crafts as armorers and weaponsmiths. Even now, if you see a family with a treasured heirloom, there is a good chance it was made by a dwarf. Be it stone or metal, we can shape it at will.

Take a look at a dwarven beard. These forms go back to ancient days, when the first dwarf rulers bestowed upon dwarven heroes a particular style for their family's use. It's bad luck to use someone else's style.

There are not so many female dwarves as male dwarves, it is true. There is no equal among the other folk -- you can't deny how good-looking our women-folk are! They are strong and stout-hearted as well. You have heard of the Ironforge family of Qeynos, no doubt. While our weapons are matchless, we are also good with items of the hearth and home. Long have dwarves worked alongside others to fill the world with beautiful handiwork.

We did not escape the Wars that raged around us unscathed. Dwarven troops fought alongside our elven and human friends. When all seemed lost, we did not give up. Give up? Those words are not in our blood.

There is an old expression that says it is darkest before the hammer strikes. With our allies, we passed through some dark times. Then the hammer of the gods fell and behold! Our enemies dissolved like smoke before us.

Story 3

And yet, there were still dark times ahead, though we didn't know it then, of course. You see, we started the rebuilding of the Qeynos. More and more dwarves arrived from Kaladim, eager to show our skills as well as honor our friendships. Had we known?we would still have done the same.

There was plenty of work to do, from rebuilding walls to reinforcing buildings. And then came tremors from deep below. The rocks beneath us groaned in ways we dwarves had never heard before -- and hope to never hear again. The world around us ripped apart and the seas became impassable. There are tales of dwarves that lived during the Rending shouldering their axes and hammers, trying to return home. Those that left Antonica were never seen again.

The face of the world changed, new rocks turned up on the surface that had only been seen in the deeps. And when we thought things were calm, Luclin exploded across the sky, like an apple hit by an arrow. Many's the time dwarves would pass on the streets of Qeynos and say, "Tomorrow, in Kaladim!" It was our pledge to one another, that we would return home. Then "tomorrow" became "next week" and "next season," until we stopped using this greeting altogether.

We will return to our home, there is no doubt! But it is hard to explain constantly to our friends why we believe that Brell has not forsaken us and exactly what we expect to find left of the ButcherblockMountains. Just because everyone else has given up their faith is no reason for us to lose ours.

And so, the dwarves who came to Qeynos to help strengthen it after the wars were able to rebuild it once the stone rain stopped falling. That may be part of Brell's plan, that we would not be sundered from our friends in their hour of need. Stone and rock. Hammer and anvil. Qeynos is beautiful again with our help. Somewhere, our brethren are rebuilding the city of our ancestors, too. And we will return to our homes there. Tomorrow, in Kaladim.