Anvils

Militant followers of Kalator, the Anvils support creative expression and the art of craftsmanship. At the behest of their deity, the Anvils travel deeper than almost any Dwarf to face the dangerous Swarm head-on, outfitted in battle armor forged by Kalator's teachings.

Skilled crafters who believe in the value of a hard days work, the Anvils respect the importance of artistic expression. Artisans of all types are an integral part of every culture. Tools must be forged, buildings must be constructed, and artwork must be painted to spread beauty and promote community. An Anvil protects this idea while focusing on its own crafting expertise.
All Anvils are crafters, advancing their knowledge in their individual crafting passion. However, as predominantly Dwarf, the Anvils desperately want to rebuild their former home, lost below the mountains to the Swarm. The rank-and-file soldiers fight a guerilla war to reclaim the city of Stoneforge and reunite the fifth dwarven canton.

The Swarm

Since their awakening following the Great Sacrifice, Dwarven history has been filled with war. Crawling from the depths of the world under the Everlasting Slopes and Sundermist Tips, the Swarm were the first to greet the Dwarves.
Emerging from the rotting carcass of the Leviathan like maggots, the centipede-like abominations seek only to consume and exterminate. Using the underground cities and mines as pathways, the unrelenting insects invade time and again, with no end in sight.

by Dean Spencer

Yet all is not lost. Thanks to their skill in the Utterance, Dwarf colonies construct enormous palisades fortified by guardian Axioms where breaches in the rock are discovered. Seeing themselves as protectors of the surface world, the many clans work together, trapping and eradicating the Swarm below.

The Killing Cavern

The core members of the Anvils are Dwarf warriors fighting for their homeland. Under the leadership of Vlandin Fireforge, the Anvils have delved deep under the Sundermist Tips thanks to a streak of successful military operations. After years of methodically clearing fortifications lost in previous Swarm assaults, the Anvils have established countless safehouses and supply caches near the killing cavern.
Named by the late Anak Furybound, the killing cavern is an enormous underground expanse perfect for a popular dwarven war strategy. The war party splits into two parts, a vanguard and a rearguard. The vanguard advances and draws a wave of Swarm while the rearguard prepares constructed defenses and utterance war machines. Once the vanguard has engaged the Swarm, they goad it into action, falling back until the rearguard ambush can be sprung.
Proper engagement is critical as utterance war machines need a clear field of fire and must be protected from flanking Swarm. Most Swarm near the killing cavern are unintelligent drones, easy targets so long as you are not overrun. Unfortunately, the deeper the Anvils travel underground, the closer they are to a hive mind, an intelligent Swarm capable of its own military strategy.

Type

Guild, Craftsmen

Leader

Kalator, Father of the Forge

Location

North Central Tonarian

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Anvils Tenets

1. No matter how high you rise in society, never be hesitant to dirty your hands.
2. Spurn not the unskilled for no one begins a master of craft.
3. Create wonders with labor and become a master in an artistry.
4. Demand that all be paid fairly when laboring for wages.

by Gamingbrew

To join the Anvils, Kalator requires "doctrine three."

Doctrine I:

Before you partake in the Crucible, a gauntlet to show worth, you must craft a holy symbol yourself in whichever manner you choose.

Doctrine II:

Before you craft your holy symbol, you must first forge your own personal hammer, tongs, or other tools of the trade. An initiate's mentor will lend you their tools for this purpose.

Doctrine III:

Once you complete the Crucible, you may not cut your hair or beard with any metal other than Starmetal.