When the fierce Wolf has laired in stone.

"

The Dwarven stories of the early post-Cataclysm laud sundry patriarchs who
place the good of their communities above their own lives. Preferring consen-
sus to confrontation, the surviving Dwarf communities produced few marauders.
Their scattered bands worked together to survive and, as the different groups
united, they gathered into rustic towns circled by log palisades and even stone
-- for the Dwarves were the great builders of Lloroi times and took care to pre-
serve the tradition.

The Ponese antiquarian, Yoais, made a trance-state study of the ancient

Dwarven villages of the Barrier Mountains. These sites invariably hold the foun-
dations of rubble-and-mortar halls and chieftains' houses. Yoais' visions are
supported by the stories told by the Dwarven mnemons and have been pub-
lished in a volume illustrated by the psychic scholar himself. To this day Yoais'
1324 book, The Ways of the Early Dwarves, remains the best supplement to the
mnemons' stories.

The History of Ghem Says Yoais: "For long centuries the Dwarven kind dwelt in the lofty Barrier
Mountains. They prospered there, tending small flocks of goats, nurturing root
crops and hunting the elk and the boar. They cut apparel from woolen cloth,
The Dwarven people did not commit their history and lore to writing until recent while most of their neighbors donned the rough skins of animals. Envying the
centuries. Earlier, the written word was rarely utilized for other than commercial goods of the Dwarves, rude hunting tribes often made forays into their territo-
record-keeping. Even so, the oral traditions of the Dwarves are carefully-pre- ries." The sturdy Dwarven bands protected their own successfully until their
served by a class of Dwarf called the "mnemons." These are Dwarves of sound enemies became more sophisticated and gathered into strong confederacies.
memory specially trained to learn the rich stock of songs and stories handed
down from centuries past. Oftentimes, when the stories of the mnemons can In the mid-Sixth Century, the Dwarves and barbarians fought their climactic bat-
be tested against foreign accounts treating the same event, the Dwarven ver- tle. The mnemons still chant the ballads of the old warchief, Guthlac Bearwood,
sion is correct even in minute details. Scholars may then, with some confi- wherein Guthlac sings:
dence, construct a history of the Dwarves based on their unwritten lore.
"Happy I was raised to the chieftain's degree
A small, orderly minority within the Lloroi Empire, the Dwarves do not figure Happy to lead the warriors who loved me well
prominently in the few surviving histories of the pre-Cataclysmic era. The Lloroi Glad I was of Wynnebalt's gifts
called them the Kitchi-nita-agaid, "The Little Old Men." The Imperial govern- And victories in unstinting dole.
ment seems to have recruited Dwarves for the especially-difficult-to-settle fron-
tier areas. "It is better to fight than to burn alive
In the hall of the coward rich
The mnemons remember the Cataclysm with poetic flourish: "A great war was When the timbers fall and the flames eat oak
waged throughout the world and it was a time of strife between the citizens of And War drinks the loved ones' blood."
the Empire. The obedience owed to lordship held no longer, but instead
appalling deeds of murder and blasphemy were committed. At last the god of But the Dwarves fail to turn back the invasion and a dart pierces Guthlac
justice, Wynnebalt, could not bear the outrages of mortals and released the ter- through the heart. His defeated band drag him out of the fray and carry him on
rible Sky Wolf to catch the sun. The Sky Wolf leapt upon the sun with ravenous a litter during the Dwarves' flight east. The mnemons make the warchief pray
hunger and gobbled it down; his rush through the sky
swept away the stars. The globe trembled with fear, shak-
ing the mountains to fragments. All the monsters chained
in the underworld escaped through the broken chasms
and fell upon the lost and scattered mortals to feed. Even
the vast sea was disturbed and rose up, swallowing cities
by the score.

"Now that the warring cities and armies were no more,

each Dwarf was left to the nobler struggle of survival
against the elements. The wild animals of the earth prolif-
erated a thousand-fold, for Wynnebalt desired intelligent
beings to be fearful and work together instead of making
shameful war on their own kind.

"To warn the world against repeating their sins in the

future, Wynnebalt turned the Sky Wolf into stone and bade
him to circle the skies in plain sight ever afterward."

After explaining how the giant moon came to be, the

mnemons end the tale of holocaust on an optimistic note:

"Much I have fared, much I have found

Much I have learned from the gods
Whence comes the sun to the blue vault now
If the Wolf has swallowed it true?
"Make reply, Aetho, thou knowest all,
Dwarf, of the doom of Men!"

"Hark, a daughter bright the sun Maid bears

Ere the Sky Wolf takes his prey.
Her mother's path shall the young maid tread The tomb of ancient Dwarven hero Guthlac Bearwood

1
 A view of the residential district of Alzak
to Wynnebalt, who answers through the throat of a jay: Say the mnemons: ".. a dreadful pain in his bowels came upon him, and bitter
torrent of his inner parts. Worms swarmed out of all the openings in the body
"Of Dwarves thou shall be the most renowned of this Dwarf and the foulness of his smell was noisome to his entire village. At
Of higher fame than all their heroes length he died; his kinsmen, unable to approach his loathsome corpse, set his
Your nation you shall lead to your promised home house on fire to cremate Osruc with his all ill-gained treasure."
Though you dwell in it but an hour yourself."
More than anything else, this myth demonstrates the severity of Dwarven reli-
At the foot of the land which would one day be called "Ghem," Guthlac died. gion. There was no bargaining with wrathful Wynnebalt -- right was right and
They buried him at the spot in a forest they named after him, Bearwood. wrong was wrong. The Dwarf who did wrong would be struck down by the god's
Through the prophecy of his death, the survivors knew that they had arrived at avenging hand. The nine gods who shared heaven with Wynnebalt seem to
the haven which the jay had foretold. Ascending the mountains, they built a have little other function except to claim the right to punish one of the nine
strong village which they called Aws Alzak ("Haven Mountain"). Grievous Sins of the Dwarves.

The settlers found the hills uninhabited, save for a thin occupation of what the The Dwarven religion is unpretentious, devout and humble. The priests are
mnemons call "twisted and deformed folk" which the Dwarves pitied too much inspired locals and there is no class distinction to separate them from the laity.
to kill. Even so, before the first generation of settlers had died out, the high For all their belief that bounty is the expression of god's love, the Dwarves do
country belonged to the Dwarves alone. not adorn their temples. Their faith has only one sort of temple, the temple of
the mountains. Every mountain is held sacred by the Dwarves, who call moun-
The Dwarves of Aws Alzak followed the conservative ways of their forefathers tains in their language aws, a word that denotes a place touched by the gods.
and established a way of life similar to that which they had enjoyed before being
driven East. In the Seventh Century an unrelated colony of Dwarves migrated Despite their rigorous faith, it would be wrong to assume that the Dwarves live
from the west and built a community at Aws Rosengg ("Mount Bastion"). From a somber life. Their customs do not forbid music, song or dance, nor even mod-
the beginning the two Dwarven principalities cooperated amicably. But although erate drink. Rare is the Dwarf who has not offended all nine of the heavenly
they exchanged brides and goods readily, a kind of benign rivalry did exist avengers. Human traders observing the Dwarves declare the Dwarves to be
between the chiefs of Aws Alzak and those of Aws Rosengg, the former being the merriest people in the world, with their myriad excuses for celebrations and
proud of having been the first settlers. Alas, through this rivalry the Dwarves' feasts. Even abused rituals like the Beorht did the Dwarves good service in
most admirable traits were perverted for vain glory and vulgar display. cementing relations between the different communities.

A Dwarf is by nature hospitable and generous with his own kind. The proudest As contact between Aws Rosengg and Aws Alzak became commonplace, a
epithet a Dwarf can bear is arr Aelfheah, "the Bountiful." When the chiefs of Aws movement emerged with the end result being a formal union of the principalities
Alzak and Aws Rosengg exchanged gifts, each tried to exceed the other in gen- under one chieftain. Even so, suspicion of centralized rule prevented the union
erosity -- in this way proving their noble spirit, as well as demonstrating their from occurring until the Eleventh Century. At that time human and Goblin raids
wealth. During the succeeding generations, the exchange of gifts became a upon the Dwarves increased and the Dwarves turned increasingly to mining as
seasonal ritual, the Beorht. Unwise chiefs would beggar themselves for noth- the demand for all types of precious metals rose elsewhere. A close military
ing more than the applause of their communities. alliance between Aws Rosengg and Aws Alzak eventually led to the union which
some idealistic Dwarves had worked toward for many years.
But the pressure to excel was great. The most insidious accusations were
hurled at individuals who lost the Beorht consistently. A legend recalls a Dwarf When the day came to finally achieve the union, Eorpwul the Wise was chief of
called Osruc the Greedy One, who challenged many rich chieftains to contests Aws Rosengg and Tostog the Bold was chief of Aws Alzak. Those of Aws Alzak
of gift exchange, but seldom won. In this way he accumulated a trove of treas - believed that they should have the kingship because their ancestors had settled
ure, but angered the gods. the region first. The Rosenggites disagreed, but rather than go through the divi-
sive ordeal of arguing, the chieftains agreed to draw lots, allowing Wynnebalt to

2
decide the issue himself. prospectors followed the subtle traces of color all the way up to the forests of
Neuth, into a small, isolated mountain. Since the Elves seldom ranged that far
Accordingly, Tostog marked a pebble and dropped it into a helmet. "What mark north, Budwyn was able to complete a secret exploration of the mountains and
did you use?" asked Eorpwul the Wise. "I do not want to use the same one you discover the mother lode. Excitedly, Budwyn sent runners back to Ghem,
did." requesting miners and soldiers.

"I used the arrow," explained Tostog, whereupon Eorpwul made a mark on his Of all the races of Minaria, only the Trolls compare with the Dwarven folk for
pebble and dropped it into the helmet. Then the Dwarves knelt in prayer and a physical endurance. A colonizing effort completely divorced of a natural line of
herald reached into the helmet to reveal the gods' choice. But as the herald communication would have thwarted the strongest ambitions of any other peo-
drew a lot from the helmet, Eorpwul snatched it from his hand, looked at it, and ple. But with the herculean determination natural to their kind, a host of
then threw it into the pond. Dwarven volunteers rallied to Budwyn's call and reached the Spires of the
Eternal by weeks of forced march. Budwyn commanded a credible force before
"I have been selected," the chief of Aws Rosengg announced. the Elves learned of his presence.

"You lie, scoundrel!" growled Tostog. War followed, and Budwyn led the Elves on a merry chase through the moun-
tains, not standing up to a major battle but harrying their flanks and scouting
"Check the helmet, Dwarves," said Eorpwul. "Tostog's lot is marked with the parties with interminable skirmishing. Sometimes traps were set and whole
arrow -- and that is the one still in the helmet!" Elven units perished under Dwarven-created avalanches. Eventually an
alliance with several northern barbarian tribes was concluded and the Dwarves
What he said was true. In this way Eorpwul the Wise became king of the were able to stand their ground against the Elves. Stalemate brought a negoti-
Dwarves. The united kingdom was thereafter called "Ghem," which is a per- ated peace, by which the Dwarves won the right to mine the site they called Aws
haps-mythic jewel that surpasses even the diamond in value. If the ghem exists Noir ("Black Mountain").
at all, it is hoarded by the wealthiest of Dwarves and by custom is never allowed
to pass out of Dwarven hands. The second permanent settlement was established in the deep south, beyond
the dread mystic site of Greystaff and the Barbarian Frontier. An Expedition led
The united kingdom entered a period of rapid development. A vast platinum by Cynenul, the son of Tostog the Bold, located a dead city languishing forgot-
lode was discovered near Aws Rosengg. The Dwarves built a mighty stone ten in the heights. Near it the Dwarves discovered the traces of an abandoned
fortress to guard it. It soon became the focus of the entire Dwarven nation and mining operation. Upon exploring the old tunnels, Cynenul found huge dia-
the king installed his court within its walls. monds imbedded in the dark stones. Unlike Aws Noir, this new country, which
they called "Moonrune" on account of moon-like symbols carved in great profu-
During the enthusiasm of the early union, the Dwarves plunged into the explo- sion about the ruined city, did not need to be established through war.
ration of Minaria. Where the more warlike races preferred to invade and con- Enthusiastic recruits swarmed down, especially from Aws Alzak, when word of
quer populous, settled lands, it was typical of the Dwarves that they sought to Cynenul's finds reached them.
lay claim to desolate regions only. Of the many explorations launched in the
early Twelfth Century, two led to lasting settlements. By the early Thirteenth Century the brief colonizing period was finished; after
that point most of the restless vigor of the Dwarves was directed to the East,
An expedition under the chief Budwyn discovered gold in the River Rapid. The where established numerous small mining colonies. No large cities were
formed, since Aws Noir and Moonrune had drained the surplus
manpower from the heart of the kingdom. Moreover raids by
Goblins and Men on the heartland had a debilitating effect on the
kingdom. The sinking morale brought to the surface disputes
which had been festering since the founding of Ghem.

To his dying day, Tostog the Bold had believed Eorpwul had cheat-
ed him out of the kingship. His heirs had no opportunity to put forth
their claims under Eorpwul or the strong heirs who succeeded him.
But when the throne of Dwarf Land passed to Eorpwul's great-
granddaughter Erdwa, the Tostog faction refused to recognize the
legitimacy of the succession. In Aws Rosengg females could not
inherit princely titles, though this was not the custom in Aws
Rosengg. Stubbornly, Aws Alzak put forward Tostog's grandson
Leofog.

Ghem tottered on the brink of civil war when Erdwa offered a com-
promise. She and Leofog would wed and share the rule of the
Dwarves. The guileless prince accepted the offer, but scarcely had
he tasted the meat of the wedding feast when he cried "Poison!"
and fell dead.

The arrest and persecution of Leofog's supporters began after that.

Of all of Leofog's kinsmen, only one, Sigibur, escaped by flight to
Moonrune.

In Moonrune, Erdwa's governor attempted to arrest the fugitive

Sigibur, but the colonists were largely of Alzakan origin and behold-
ing to Leofog's uncle, Cynenul, who led the local citizens' council.
Rising against Erdwa, they declared Sigibur their king and gath-
ered to march to liberate Aws Alzak.

The War of the Dwarven Succession was a vicious, drawn-out, but

obscure struggle fought mainly in Aws Alzak, where the Sigibur fac -

3
tion found strong support. Finally the cause of Sigibur was crushed at the Battle
of Bearwood and his supporters fled Aws Alzak for Moonrune, where Sigibur
organized a kingdom independent of the rest of Dwarfdom.

The atrocities which Dwarves had committed against one another during their
civil war and the permanent schism between the Northern and Southern
Dwarves increased the malaise of their society. The older generation passed
its days in stunned disillusionment while the younger Dwarves adopted either a
distrust of tradition, including religion, and plunged into a hedonistic existence.

The Dwarves had always looked upon material things as the measure of
Wynnebalt's love, but now many Dwarves seemed to lose their spiritual values
entirely. Foreign merchants established trading posts in Ghem where they
found they could peddle cheap and tawdry goods at high prices. The wealth the
Dwarves earned by the sweat of their brow ran swiftly through their profligate
fingers. Bad news came from abroad, too.

At the beginning of the Fourteenth Century, the Elf high prince Boewenn
attacked and sacked Aws Noir. The crisis instilled new life into the demoralized
country and the Dwarves organized a contingent to fight for their property. By
that time, a general war had broken out in the west. Ghem's effort was restrict-
ed to the far north and managed to score no major successes until the Men and
Goblins had plundered Ider Bolis. For their role in the war, the Dwarves secured
the return of Aws Noir and unilaterally canceled the treaty obligating them to pay
a portion of the gold recovered from the mines to Neuth.

But immediately after Boewenn's defeat the allies went back to their old rival-
ries. A lust for plunder brought a Goblin besieging army to Aws Rosengg.
Fortunately, the Dwarves had improved their diplomacy during the war with
Boewenn and managed to bribe the emperor of Muetar to come to their aid.
Since that time Ghem has carefully nurtured its good relations with Muetar as a
check against its neighbors in Pon and Zorn.

The world found out to what degree the Dwarves had explored and settled the
East in 1356, when Adelof's Chronicle was sold to the king of Muetar. What
motivated the sale of the chronicle one may only surmise; it details the time that
the first horseback raiders emerged from the east to harry the Dwarves and
Ponese, and latter the Shucassamites and Muetarans. For centuries the
Dwarves had claimed that men could not live in the East, but that it teemed with
monsters. The eastern horsemen give the lie to these stories, no doubt begun
to discourage rivals from venturing East, but the rapacious raiders seem little
less than monsters, and by the time that Adelof's Chronicle was written they had
all but destroyed the Dwarven mining colonies in the East, either though direct
attack or such extortionary tribute that the Dwarves abandoned them.

Today the memory of the civil war is fading and the Dwarves are looking at
themselves with more confidence. Although they are a small, widely dispersed
populace, they command great resources and are an industrious and deter-
mined people. With divisive conflicts placed in their proper perspective at last,
the reign of the present King, Usshin Ironfist, promises to be a prosperous one.

The Dwarves love riddles and customarily set them to verse. Here is one sim-
ple enough for even Dwarven children to guess right:

From the tall-grown forest my parents come

But I do not have their face nor even their form.
No host will keep me; foul is my breath in his face.
My clothing is dark, my manner forward and rude.
There is a door that I may leave by but not enter.
As soon as I arrive I must flee from my summoner.
My flight hoists me above house-ridges
And at times tosses me into the tall heavens
Where the strong wind carries me on,
Over cities and countries. I sail alone,
Free as a falcon over field and mountain,
Resting nowhere, welcomed by none, until I die.
My name is ----