Stonhummin

The walls have ears, and it is to their master they report.

— anxious dwarf

When the cold bites and the candles burn low, stories weave themselves into being. In that liminal space, in night's haze, all can seem true. Gildómar, like many nations on frozen Iskaldhal, is a nation brimming with untold stories - stories that spill out in the night, shaped into gleaming heroes and risen horrors by the hushed words of their tellers.
Truths can often be gleaned from myths. The Goldendwelt are largely myth themselves; proof enough exists of their existence to classify them, albeit tentatively, as true.
The tale of Stonhummin has no such clear evidence of its truth. It hangs in the balance of truth and tall tale to most - and is, as such, usually relegated to the realm of children's stories and campfire whispers.

Summary

Careful, lad. Watch your words - ye can never ken who's listening.

— parental dwarf

Stonhummin's tale meanders in telling and meaning depending on which storyteller has caught the tale's thread most recently. It is, at its core, a very dwarven story, conjured from the stone halls of Gildómar, and its tellings reflect these roots.

Oh They're So Getting Outed by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

The legend of Stonhummin begins, most usually, with a string of betrayals. The exact telling varies. Commonly, it involves a noble and their rival. The noble of some high position forges a deal with assassins or bandits, and sets them on a political rival who, it would seem, has done no wrong. Yet by the time the bandits reach their quarry, their enemy has heard of their task and prepared for their fall.
Though the rival wins, they are by no means ending the conflict there. They organise for their enemy's drink to be poisoned by the hand of a talented poisoner disguised as a servant - yet when the servant steps through the noble's doors, they are arrested for their murderous intent.
The servant's plans to break free of jail, they share with the others imprisoned. Though no guard is present for the conversation, they learn of it anyway. The servant is taken before the noble to confess - and the rival who hired them takes advantage of the confusion to assassinate the noble from behind, seemingly undetected by the noble's guards.

But the rival should never have heard of the first attack. The noble should not have been aware of the servant. The noble should not have known of the servant's escape plans, nor should the rival have known to step in.
What, then, could cause this odd leak of knowledge? Who else - but Stonhummin, the embodiment of stone's intelligence? According to this dwarven myth, Stonhummin is the name for, quite literally, the 'humming stone' - stone that is sentient enough to listen to what happens around it, and to spread that intelligence to whomever should hear it. Stonhummin can talk to any stone wall, floor, or other surface to learn about what's happened near it, and can even send spies through the stone! He is usually depicted as a small dwarf-like figure made of grey rock.
To pacify Stonhummin and reduce the chance of him ruining plans, it is said that one should adorn a wall with something beautiful. If a wall is gifted with a painting, beautiful trim, or the like, then Stonhummin's interference will be only positive for the next month!

Historical Basis

You do realise stone doesn't have a brain, yes?

— dwarf mother

Historically, the myth of Stonhummin has been used to explain away mysterious coincidences, general espionage, and magical divination. In all likelihood, the idea that a spirit lives within Gildómar's walls is a conflation of the origin tale of all dwarves - who were, reportedly, created from stone by their progenitor deity - and the myth of avatars, who personify the land. It may also be due to the existence of earth elementals, who may often rest in stone walls.

Key to Stonhummin's popularity, though, is his neutrality. Unless one has made positive contributions to their home, then any surprise - good or bad - may be stolen away by Stonhummin and spoiled. The idea of an entity that is not motivated by anything other than curiosity and greed is an appealing one to many dwarves, and Stonhummin's myth resonates with many.
The fact that it also encourages dwarves to take care of their homes and decorate them well is, perhaps, a major factor in the myth's long-term endurance.
It joins a long list of dwarven myths that resemble existing phenomena, but that have no actual root in fact. It is most commonly told by parents to children as a means of encouraging pride in their environment and trust in their family - as Stonhummin may tattle on them, should the child lie.
Yet it is not only for children; more adult versions of the tale detail exotic betrayals, intense tales of hidden romance, and terrible murders.

Dwarven Decorations by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

The Stonhummin by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

Related Species

• Dwarf

Related Organizations

• Gildómar

Dwarven Instincts

When comparing the tale of Stonhummin to existing phenomena, it is all too easy to forget that dwarves themselves are inherently tied to the stone.
Their innate tie to stone grants them a powerful sense of stonecunning, allowing dwarves to detect unusual activity in stonework without even trying.
It is wholly possible that the idea of Stonhummin was borne of this skill enabling a historical dwarf to spot a spy hiding in the walls.

Secret Romance by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

I put wee dwarves in the walls. Wee stone bairns. Wi' bushy beards.
Stonhummin'll nae be getting me!

— dwarven craftsman