Dwarf
From Guild Wars 2 Wiki
The dwarves are a dying race who once inhabited the Shiverpeak Mountains. The ruins that dot the region are remnants of their kingdom, which once spanned the mountain range. In order to fight the Destroyers, their race underwent a ritual that turned their flesh and blood into unyielding stone. They act as guardians of the Depths of Tyria, fighting off the minions of Primordus and denying them passage to the surface. As such, they are hardly ever seen.
Dwarves are short and stocky by nature, generally carrying braided beards and hair in addition to their expertly-crafted armor. They were known for their great strength, resilience, and their reputations as Tyria's finest crafters, although they were mostly supplanted by the asura as their numbers dwindled.
[edit] History
Their race dates back to before the time of humanity, and even the Human Gods themselves.[1] Their exact origins are still unknown, but legends claim their god, the Great Dwarf, forged the first dwarves atop Anvil Rock in the Shiverpeak Mountains. By the time of humanity's arrival the dwarves had gathered to form the nation of Deldrimor which controlled the Northern and Southern Shiverpeaks.
However, Dagnar Stonepate, cousin to the King Jalis, created a splinter faction known as the Stone Summit. This guild was composed of xenophobic dwarves who believed that their race had the right to rule over all other races. For years, a civil war waged across the Shiverpeaks between the two factions. In 1072 AE, the long-standing stalemate was broken when Ascalonian heroes aided the Deldrimor in killing Dagnar and destroying Sorrow's Furnace, then the Stone Summit's main base. The surviving Stone Summit retreated into exile in the Far Shiverpeaks.
With the Stone Summit's defeat, the ancient Tome of Rubicon was unearthed and translated. Within the tome a prophecy foretelling the end of the dwarves was discovered. The prophecy came to pass in 1078 AE when, in order to combat the Great Destroyer, the dwarves underwent the Rite of the Great Dwarf. In an event known as the Transformation of the Dwarves, their race was transformed into living stone, ending their status as a mortal race. Though the Transformation granted them the power to defeat the Great Destroyer, it also warped their personalities and sense of purpose. Driven to seek battle with the minions of Primordus, they dispersed into the Depths, where they remain to this day.
At first, only the advance force accompanying King Jalis participated in the ritual and were turned to stone. Over the following years, the remaining dwarves participated. As of the present, no dwarf of flesh and blood remains.[2]
[edit] Notes
- Only some of the knowledge of the dragons was written down in the Tome of Rubicon, but other knowledge survives "elsewhere." This may be a reference to the cryptogram at the end of The Path to Revelations ("answers lie there [Orr] in waiting").
- The dwarves are the only known race to have their knowledge of the Elder Dragons, by having legends of Jormag, Zhaitan and the Great Destroyer. However, the seers and mursaat races date further back than the time of the Tome of Rubicon's writing, so they may know of the Elder Dragons too.
[edit] References
| The Guild Wars Wiki has an article on Dwarf. |
- ^ GuildMag issue #1 Q&A with Ree Soesbee, GuildMag
- ^ Sylvari Lore Interview with Ree Soesbee & Kristen Perry, TalkTyria.com
