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KURVHOSAU:
The Kingdom of the Dwarves
Historical Outline
The
Artificer and the Eye (2000 years ago)
The legendary home
of the dwarven clans since the dawn of time, or at least as far back as
that noble race can recall, is the mountain fortress of Kurvhosau. The five
great clans of dwarven history (Clan Ustaysuss, Clan Martel, Clan Garven,
Clan Greymarch, and Clan Fain) make their home there. The mountain may appear
unaltered to an untrained eye, but the dwarves have lovingly carved out
from solid rock an impregnable fortress. Kurvhosau has been assaulted only
once in its proud history, and has never fallen.
At this point in
time, the dwarves were more conscious of the goings-on in the surface
world, and they were greatly perturbed by the elven war against the evil
entity which came to be known as the Nightmare. In the end, after much
furious arguing, the dwarves threw their might in with the elves and their
deities. Certain elders had perceived that in all likelihood, the elves
would be beaten if the war continued unchanged on its current course. The
Clan Garven was particularly influential in changing the course of the war.
Certain dwarven theorists came up with the idea of using one the four
adjacent pocket dimensions, commonly called the Eyes of the World, as a
prison to hold the evil entity. The High Artificer of Clan Garven designed
a mysterious series of artifacts designed to seal the extra-dimensional space
shut, but the devices required life force to power them. Many noble dwarves
voluntarily sacrificed their lives to power the artifacts, and when more
lives were needed, the elves made a similar sacrifice. Their efforts were
successful, and Nightmare was sealed off from our reality. Only the tiniest
portion of his influence was still able to leak through…
The Great
Exploration (1400 years ago)
At this time, the dwarves uncovered the existence of great
underground caverns… a virtual empire of subterranean chambers. Since the
majority of the dwarven empire was beneath the surface anyway, they took to
exploring and mapping this new realm. This was a bright and promising time
for the dwarves, and their kingdom expanded steadily. Almost unnoticed, the
last descendants of Clan Garven died off in a series of improbable
accidents. Some posit the theory that the imprisoned evil can somehow send
agents to our world, but the lack of evidence causes this line of reasoning
to be abandoned. Abandoned, but not forgotten… the dwarves have long
memories.
The Long
Wars (1200 years ago)
The dwarves develop
strong hatreds and racial prejudices against the orcs and goblinoids. In
their exploration of the Great Caverns, numerous challenges and monsters
are overcome, often being costly in the expense of dwarven lives. Despite
the various fearsome creatures faced, the orcs and goblins prove to be
particularly troublesome to the dwarves, mostly due to their seemingly
endless numbers. Entire generations live and die engaged in these
relentless wars. Dwarven expansion grinds to a halt. Although the dwarves
often come out as victors, the orcs and goblins propagate quickly, easily
replacing losses that the dwarves can ill afford. The clan elders perceive
the need for a change in strategy.
The Wall (800 years
ago)
Clan Martel begins
the largest dwarven construction project ever. In light of the failing
strategy of fighting constant wars with the evil denizens of the Great
Caverns, the idea is proposed to build a massive defensive fortification
that walls off the settled dwarven areas of the Great Caverns from the
‘wild’ regions. The Wall, a defensive work of brobdingnagian proportions is
built over the next 200 years. Feeling a responsibility to protect other
emerging cultures on the surface world, the Wall is extended to seal off
many of the known exits to the Great Caverns. The Wall is manned by
steadfast guards, and dwarven rangers make forays into the uncharted areas
to monitor the activities of the evil humanoid kingdoms. The kingdom of
Kurvhosau settles into stability.
The
Migration of the Giants (400 years ago)
The giants descend
from their peaks, driven out by something so horrible even they fear it.
Moving towards the human cultures, they pass through the dwarven kingdom.
The clan elders argue heatedly about their responsibility in this matter:
one side claiming they are not the guardians of the entire world and the
humans can fight their own battles, the other side claiming they have a
responsibility to act when they see something wrong. In the end, it is
decided the dwarves are indeed the guardians of the world, and have been
for over 1600 years. Although some of the giants go on to plague the human
cultures, the main force is engaged by the dwarves.
In the subsequent
conflict, the giants beat back the dwarves and storm their fortress at
Kurvhosau, but are unable to breach its defenses. After several months of
conflict, the dwarves and giants discuss terms and the story behind the
giant migration is explained. A truce is reached, and a powerful expedition
force under Clan Fain is sent to investigate the peaks that were formerly
home to the giants. The giants treacherously break the truce and renew
their assault on Kurvhosau, earning the undying enmity of the dwarves. Clan
Fain is apparently successful, as the giants tire of their fruitless war
and return to their old haunts.
The
Council of the High Clans (100 years ago)
Despite some rather
difficult times during the exploration of the Great Caverns and the
Migration of the Giants, the dwarven culture has always been rather stable.
Starting a little over a century ago, this began to change as attacks along
the wall became more frequent and vicious. Twice sections of the Wall were
overrun, and were recaptured by dwarven stalwarts only at great cost. A
Council of the four remaining High Clans (Clan Ustaysuss, Clan Martel, Clan
Greymarch, and Clan Fain) was called to evaluate the situation. The Council
arrived at the dismal conclusion that if the attacks continued at the
increased virulence, dwarven might would atrophy to the point where they
would be eradicated within a dozen or so generations. Strategies were
formed to avoid this disturbing fate…
End of
Isolation (12 years ago)
The dwarves made a shocking
declaration about a dozen years ago. After centuries of relative isolation,
the dwarves opened the underground city of Raazak. It was hoped that other
races would flood to the city, which was situated along the Wall, and could
be lured to aid in defending the wall. In actuality, only a trickle of
people went to Raazak, although on the plus side, many of them were
adventurers. It remains to be seen if the influx of adventurers will make
any significant impact on activities behind the wall…
DEITIES IN DWARVEN CULTURE
The dwarves recognize the seven
core gods common to all cultures, but few are actively worshipped. The
dwarves perceive the deities as higher concepts, and as such do not attach
their own names to the gods, but simply call them by their titles. Of the
seven core gods, only the Healer and the Sword are frequently venerated.
The Light (A Core Deity): God of light and good
Alignment: Neutral Good
Domains: Good, Protection, Strength, Sun
Symbol: A half-circle, the setting sun.
Typical Worshipers: Rarely… Paladins, Rangers, Clerics.
The dwarves respect
the principles that The Light stands for, but as a solar deity he is rarely
venerated. There are a few exceptions, such as paladins or those who
cherish a hatred of the undead (the Light has special power against the
undead). Favored weapon is a heavy mace.
The Sword (A Core Deity): God of war and honor
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Domains: War, Strength, Law, Destruction
Symbol: A sword hilt
Typical Worshipers: Any, especially fighters and monks.
The most commonly
revered god of the dwarves, the Sword represents concepts the dwarves can
easily relate to: honor and battle. Favored weapon is a bastard sword.
The Beast (A Core Deity): God of beasts and rage
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Domains: Animal, Chaos, Destruction, Strength
Symbol: Fangs
Typical Worshipers: Barbarians.
The Beast is
generally despised by the dwarves. He has a few worshippers in dwarven
barbarians, but a dwarven barbarian is a pretty uncommon thing. Favored
weapon is a greataxe.
The Healer (A Core Deity): Goddess of healing and protection
Alignment: Lawful Good
Domains: Healing, Good, Protection, Plant
Symbol: Mortar and pestle.
Typical Worshipers: Any.
As the dwarven race suffers
hardship after hardship, the Healer becomes a goddess who is more and more
popular among the dwarves. She has become particularly accepted along the
Wall, though her adherents are still a minority. Favored weapon is a
quarterstaff.
The Skull (A Core Deity): God of death and evil
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Domains: Death, Evil, Knowledge, Trickery
Symbol: Skull with glowing eyes
Typical Worshipers: Occasionally evil fighters or rogues.
Almost no dwarves
worship the Skull. The few individuals who do so wisely do so in secret.
Favored weapon is a scythe.
The Storm (A Core Deity): Goddess of storms and disasters
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Domains: Water, Air, Destruction, Evil
Symbol: A lightning bolt
Typical Worshipers: None
No dwarves in the
Kingdom of Kurvhosau (not even one) worship the Storm. Favored weapon is a
trident.
The Elements (A Core Deity): God of the elements
Domains: Animal, Air, Earth, Fire, Plant, Water
Symbol: 4-pointed star
Typical Worshipers: Smiths and druids.
The Elements
represent a natural world and order of things which are generally
unfamiliar to the dwarves. A rare dwarven druid may venerate the Elements,
and sometimes smiths recognize him for his association with stone and fire.
He is not commonly worshipped, though. Favored weapon is a scimitar.
GENERAL OVERVIEW
Kurvhosau
(Ker’-vaw-sow) The heart of the dwarven kingdom is Kurvhosau, a mighty peak
which might appear lifeless from an exterior survey. In actuality, it is a bastion
of dwarven might, an impregnable fortress which houses dwarves in their
homes of living rock. From Mount Kurvhosau, the dwarven empire extends
several miles in all directions, most of it subterranean. The greatest bulk
of the dwarven kingdom is actually located in the Great Caverns, a series
of underground chambers spanning miles of caverns and tunnels.
The primary
occupation of the dwarves of Kurvhosau is mining. After this, stonework and
various crafts follow a close second. The community of dwarves is mostly
self-sufficient, and they trade with outside cultures for the few
necessities they lack. On a map, the territory controlled by the dwarves
may appear smaller than comparable cultures. This is an illusion, as
dwarven cities may also extend several miles in depth as well. Much of the
surface area of their kingdom is located in mountainous terrain that other
races find inhospitable.
Racially speaking,
the Kingdom of Kurvhosau is made up entirely of dwarves. In fact, the terms
Kurvhosau and Dwarven are used interchangeably at times. The dwarves have
long had isolationist policies, something which strictly limited
interracial communities. Of the very few non-dwarves in Kurvhosau (less than
2 percent), most are gnomes or halflings which live in surface communities.
A new exception has appeared recently, within the past few years, in the
city of Raazak. The High Council of the Dwarvish Clans has decreed that
this city will be an inter-racial city, open to members of all friendly
races. Initially half-orcs were prohibited, but after some formal
complaints from Kilgaul, even this restriction was (grudgingly) lifted.
All citizens of
Kurvhosau speak the Dwarven language. A good many also speak Common, which
is the human language of the Kalvarian Kingdom.
All in all, the
dwarves tend to be uninterested in religion. They have no separate cultural
deities of their own. Although they recognize the seven core gods and their
various positions, only a few are actually venerated with any regularity.
Among the dwarves, only The Sword is commonly worshipped, with The Healer
as a sizable minority. Nevertheless, the various trials of the dwarven
people have produced a higher incidence of paladins and rangers than might
be expected, both of which have a spiritual side.
With their
self-enforced view as guardians of the world, strong social and clan
structure, and altruistic goals and code of honor, the dwarves of Kurvhosau
can only be described as Lawful Good. Evil is generally not tolerated, and
the chaotic are generally shunned by civilized society.
RACES AND CLASSES IN KURVHOSAU
Humans: Except
in the city of Raazak, humans are unknown in Kurvhosau. The dwarves tend to
view humans as a short-sighted race that needs to be kept from hurting
itself, like an unruly child.
Dwarves: The
dominant race by far of the kingdom.
Elves: Except
in the city of Raazak, elves are unknown in Kurvhosau. The dwarves have a
greater respect for the elves than most other races, since they remember
the ancient battles where the elves were allies. But the dwarves have
little to do with the elves, mostly because the two races favor different
terrain and have very different outlooks.
Gnomes: There
are few gnomes in Kurvhosau, and even then they are limited to the surface
areas. The dwarves are indifferent to gnomes by and large. Gomes comprise
about 1% of the population, and are the largest minority in the kingdom.
Half-elves: Except
in the city of Raazak, half-elves are unknown in Kurvhosau. The dwarves
lump half-elves in with humans, as far as their opinions of the race are
concerned.
Half-Orcs: Except
in the city of Raazak, half-orcs are unknown in Kurvhosau. The dwarves have
too many unpleasant memories of orcs to be really civil to their half-breed
offspring, so half-orcs are generally treated with rudeness and contempt.
As a result, half-orcs are rare, even in Raazak.
Halflings: Except
for gnomes, halflings are the only other race that appears with any
frequency in Kurvhosau. Even, then the gnomes outnumber the halflings by
two-to-one. The dwarves seem to feel that the halflings are trying to learn
by absorbing the superior dwarven culture.
Barbarians: Dwarven
barbarians have gone from being rare to merely uncommon. Dwarven barbarians
almost always end up on the wall, where their fearsome rages can do the
most good. Even so, barbarians are poorly regarded by Kurvhosau as a whole.
Bards: There
are no bardic traditions among the dwarves. Dwarven bards are usually
outcasts.
Clerics: The cleric
is uncommon among the dwarves, who all in all show a surprising lack of
spirituality. The dwarves have no major temples or clerical orders, and no
gods they call their own. Clerics among the dwarves usually revere The
Sword or The Healer.
Druids: Dwarven
culture is not conducive to producing druids. They are rare among the
dwarves, but not entirely unheard of.
Druids serve the role that clerics do in other cultures:
they are the standard representatives of the deities and all things
spiritual. In other lands, druids may only have a loose affiliation; in
Kilgaul it is a very real organization. The druidic circles extend back in
time to a point that even the elves can’t remember. A druid enjoys unusual
prestige and respect in Kilgaul. Aside from their standard duties, druids
also serve as judges: settling disputes, interpreting law, and so on. The
druids also have vast repositories of ancient lore hidden way in their
secret libraries, much of it inscribed in their secret language. Druids are
usually human, elven, and half-elven.
Fighters: The
Fighter is the true vocation of the dwarves, with more fighters than any
other class filling their ranks. The most heralded heroes of dwarven legend
are always fighters. The majority of dwarven elders are fighters.
Monks: The monk
is a human innovation, and there are no dwarven monasteries. A dwarven monk
is likely an outcast or renegade.
Paladins: Paladins
are becoming more common in Kurvhosau, and they are welcomed. Previously a
paladin might meet some difficulty when forced to choose between the call
of his class and that of his race or clan, but the recent problems along
the Wall have made the paladin cherished by all. Unfortunately, no amount
of training can make a paladin, only a higher calling… so they are still
uncommon among the dwarves.
Rangers: Also
uncommon in dwarven society, the ranger has become a more popular vocation
recently. Rangers get the most difficult assignments along the Wall, and
this is a source of pride to the dwarven ranger. Still, dwarven rangers are
not very common.
Rogues: While
rogues tend to be uncommon in dwarven culture, those that do appear are
often experts when dealing with mechanical items such as locks and traps. A
dwarven rogue is more likely to be a scout or explorer than a thief.
Sorcerers: Dwarven
sorcerers are extremely rare. Not sure that there is one.
Wizards: Since
dwarven society does not encourage the study of magic, the dwarven wizard
(usually called a mage) is rare. There are a number of dwarven mages from
Clan Fain, but these are the exception in dwarven culture.
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