Kor'varrosh

Dwarves were driven from the underground long ago by horrific, demonic monsters. The havoc these creatures wreaked managed to bring low an old, powerful empire that stretched across the planet's caverns. Some dwarves emerged in Aisoa's Southern Corridor, where they went on to found the dwarven city state of Strossenberg. But far beyond the Dragonsbreath Isles on the continent of Uketh, no such fate waited for the remainder of their people. Beset by monsters from the underground, and seen as invaders on the surface, the resilient dwarven spirit shattered as it arrived in Uketh. For all who live there now, the Kor'varrosh dwarves have been raiders, slaughterers, and abominations incompatible with life itself for many centuries.

Culture

Culture and cultural heritage

Dwarves escaped the underground and found their way into the great mountain of Kor'varrosh, on the continent of Uketh. The exact date of their emergence is a debated topic, but believed to be around the winter of 2948 EC. The group was primarily civilian refugees and the few guards that could be spared from holding off the demons from the underground. The local militias, predominantly humans, were unfamiliar with the dwarven species and saw them as strange invaders from the underground. As the dwarves attempted to leave the mountains for warmer climates, they were attacked and pushed back to the frigid peaks. Tens of thousands died in the bitter cold as supplies dwindled, and diplomatic relations quickly worsened as the desperate grasped at whatever they could find. At this critical moment, a new leader emerged from amongst their numbers. She would soon be known across the continent as the Blood Queen of Kor'varrosh. She preached that the dwarven people had achieved a perfect civilization underground - but above them, the spirit of mortals had rotted. The Ancient Ones had sent beasts to push them from their lives of safety and luxury, to show them what the world had become. A world in which mortals were simply not fit to live - and the Ancients had entrusted them with the task of purging the world and to start anew. Under her leadership, her band of fanatics raided everything around them, enacting horrific tortures on all who opposed them - and a swift death for those who did not. They spread as their enemies weakened, and nonbelievers were executed. New dwarven warriors were bred for their armies like animals. Unprepared for the ferocity and single-minded determination of these new enemies, the nations of Uketh failed to grasp their chance to defeat their foe in its infancy. Their holy war continues to rage today, as they attempt to exterminate all mortal life from the world. Once their work is done, they too will be destroyed and reincarnated into a fresh utopian universe.

Death & Afterlife Beliefs

The Kor'varrosh hold a deep belief in reincarnation, to the extent that they do not believe they are capable of creating new souls anymore. When the Ancient Ones chose their people to purge the world, they severed their ability to create new souls, and instead enacted a system of reincarnation. Those true believers of the Ancient Ones will be reincarnated into a new body when they are killed, and are spiritual descendants of the original travelers who breached the surface. These are known as the Chosen. Many claim this title, often granting themselves the name of ancestors they believe they are reincarnated from. In some cases, an individual so perfectly epitomizes their ancestor that they are formally granted their name. What most cultures call the 'soul' - what psychopomps and demons collect, the Kor'varrosh simply call life essence, a material unrelated to true souls. Those Kor'varrosh who are without souls are known as the Sickle. It is a default state of being, rather than a mark of shame. Most live their lives trying to earn the title of Chosen, told from an early age that they may be a reincarnation of their ancestors and must discover their true name. Those who forsake the Kor'varrosh ways are considered reincarnations of cowardly dwarves who sought to stop the holy war. For this crime against all life, they are doomed to suffer for a thousand years in the blink of an eye after their death, before being reincarnated to earn their forgiveness.

Elves

The Kor'varrosh hold a strange affinity for elves and the fey, as they were created by the ancient one Qamara as her servants. Provided that they do not attempt to interfere in their work in any way, the Kor'varrosh are known to allow elves to traverse their lands. Some are even recruited as spies and scouts. A harsh, torturous fate is reserved for elves who attempt to interfere with the Kor'varrosh's mission.