Ancient and dauntless as the mountains they call
home, the dwarven race stepped onto the land
of Etharis alongside the elves. Unlike
the elves, however, the dwarves
built their kingdoms deep within
the mountains of what is now the
Bürach Empire. Adept with metalworking
and jewel crafting, the dwarves created
countless cities in the hills and two
impressive, impenetrable capitals in
the oldest mountains of the continent,
the Rock Teeth and the Grey Spine.
The veins of mithril and gold were
rich beneath these mountains and
dwarven crafters quickly became
famous across Etharis.
During the wars of the Era of Expansion, the
dwarves barricaded themselves within the
fortresses of their two greatest cities: the tiered
city of Stehlenwald and the now ruined city of
Grebenstein. The dwarves of Grebenstein were
besieged by the human warlords who would later
lay the groundwork of the Bürach Empire. Though the dwarves fought
valiantly for their homelands, the
Bürach warlords uprooted their
thanedom and claimed their vein
rich mines.
The second dwarven kingdom of
Stehlenwald, however, endured the
siege. Rather than share the fate
of their cousins to the north, the
Stehlenwald Dwarves dug deeper
into the heart of the mountain.
There, their miners laid eyes
upon a new metal which was
impenetrable to the arrows of
their enemies; adamantine.
With armour and weapons of
impeccable craftsmanship, the
dwarven battalions managed to
push the invaders back to their
homelands, but at a great cost:
half of their population was
exterminated, either by the war
or by famine. Isolation within the
mountains was their only option
for survival.
By the birth of the various
human kingdoms,
the proud dwarves of
Stehlewald had begun
to recover their numbers.
When they emerged, they realized that
the political landscape had dramatically
changed. They were surrounded and vastly
outnumbered by the armies of the Bürach Empire.
The dwarven emperor realized there was only
one way for his race to survive and prosper, and
struck a deal with the Bürach Empire. They would
surrender their lands and become members of the
Bürach, as long as they could govern themselves
independently.
Some older dwarves still cannot forget that the
human race once tried to eradicate them. As they
say, it is easier to move a mountain than a dwarf.
But though there is still a deep rivalry between
humans and dwarves, the Stehlenwald province
of Rauland will be there for the Bürach Empire in
times of need—an oath none expect to be broken.
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