Dwarf
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The dwarves are a dying race who inhabit the Shiverpeak Mountains. The builders of the ruins that dot the region, they once had a kingdom that spanned the entire mountain range, but their empire saw its end in 1078 AE when the threat of the destroyers forced their last king, Jalis Ironhammer, to perform a rite that transform the entire race into stone.
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. The descendants of the few dwarves who chose not to undertake the rite now live far away from civilization while their stone kin battle minions of Primordus in the depths.
Their race dates back to before the time of the Human Gods, and even humanity itself.[1]
[edit] History
The exact origins of the dwarven race is unknown. Their legends state that the dwarves were forged by their god, the Great Dwarf, on Anvil Rock in the Northern Shiverpeaks. He then taught them their arts of crafting before departing to the Great Forge. Also placed in the Tome was the prophecy of their race's end, but in centuries to come it would be lost to myth and legend. Over time the dwarves laid claim to the Northern and Southern Shiverpeaks, forming the Deldrimor kingdom. Though they traded with the human nations and were on generally good terms, the dwarves largely kept to themselves.
However, as the Guild Wars ravaged the three human nations of Tyria, long-standing tensions in the dwarven kingdom came to a head. Dagnar Stonepate, cousin to the ruling king, the aforementioned Jalis Ironhammer, created a splinter faction that opposed the Deldrimor. The Stone Summit was a group of dwarven radicals who wished to sever all contact with the other races before eventually conquering and enslaving them. Inevitably the friction between the two groups boiled over and erupted into a civil war.
By 1072 AE the two factions were locked in a stalemate. Into this war came humans fleeing the charr invasion of Ascalon, led by Prince Rurik and his favored champions. Deldrimor dwarves and Ascalonian heroes worked together to break the Stone Summit lines and allow safe passage of the refugees through the Shiverpeaks. During this battle Prince Rurik was slain by Dagnar Stonepate while giving his people time to escape.
Some months later the heroes who had aided Rurik found their way to Droknar's Forge at the same time as the Shining Blade fled there to escape the White Mantle. The addition of White Mantle and mursaat to the already volatile situation nearly spelled the end of the Deldrimor kingdom as Dagnar successfully stormed Thunderhead Keep. Despite this setback, Jalis rallied his forces with the aid of the heroes and successfully drove the invaders from his castle and killed Dagnar Stonepate.
Around this time the heroes of Ascalon discovered the depths of Sorrow's Furnace and the plans of the Stone Summit within. Though many covert missions, they greatly weakened the Summit's control of the massive mine and prevented them from gaining access to the Tome of the Rubicon, averting the prophecy contained within for a few years. The destruction of the Iron Forgeman largely crippled the Stone Summit's operations in the near Shiverpeaks and allowed the dredge slaves to rebel against their masters. Some or all of the remaining Stone Summit fled to the Far Shiverpeaks, where they established new strongholds.
Six years later the Tome of the Rubicon was once again unearthed, the dwarves unable to allow the knowledge to be lost. Within they discovered the prophecy of their end days and the name of Primordus. Soon after the Great Destroyer began to stir and the armies of Primordus marched into the Depths. King Jalis Ironhammer, with the aid of a coalition of heroes from asura, charr, norn, Ascalon, Cantha, and Elona, undertook the rites foretold in the prophecy. The ritual he enacted infused the dwarves with the power of the Great Dwarf, turning their bodies to living stone and greatly enhancing their strength. Driven by their purpose, the defeat of the Great Destroyer, the dwarves launched an aggressive attack on the Destroyers with the aid of their allies. When the Great Destroyer was defeated, its armies scattered and the dwarves pursued them further into the Depths. After the war against the Great Destroyer, Duncan the Black, the new leader of the Stone Summit, attempted to harness the power of the recently slain Great Destroyer, however he was killed before his plan could succeed. The fate of any remaining Stone Summit is unknown.
[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 crypogram at the end of The Path to Revelations ("answers lie there [Orr] in waiting").
- With their knowledge of Zhaitan and their foretelling of the return of the Great Destroyer, dwarves seem to be the only race in Tyria with foreknowledge of the Elder Dragons. However, the seers and mursaat races date back to the time of the Tome of Rubicon's writing, so they may know of the Elder Dragons too.
