Ancient Dwarvish Myths

Legend has it in the ancient times of old the Dwarves hollowed out a massive underworld in search of great riches. But they found also rivers of fire, and destructive forces of death. They took their riches and closed the entrance to the underworld with a gigantic block of stone, never again to be breached. They (supposedly) built the great Durnhalla mountains, hiding within all of their glorious riches. For though Dwarves are beings designed to live underground, these wished to touch the sky.

Summary

Thousands of years ago, the Dwarves mined a great chasm in the earth, hollowing out an area equal to modern countries. From here they ruled their underground kingdom, mining, exploring, and discovering the wonders of the earth for nine hundred years. But nothing lasts forever. They had dug to far, delved to deep. Constant upkeep required by the miles long and deep halls, the infinite tunnels, and far-reaching caverns got the better of the Dwarves, and many areas fell into disrepair and destitution. The vacuum of order bred chaos, and great evil reared its ugly head from within the lost and ancient places. After a long war, the Dwarves retreated from their underground home, and sealed it with a great unbreakable stone, five miles to each side and half a mile deep. With this they sealed their great cavern, and built the Durnhalla mountains over that spot, forever sealing the monsters below, and protecting their riches with miles or rock. It is said that the Dwarves have lived in the Durnhalla mountains, longer than the mountains have lived. And as the deep ancient cavernous underworld is named Durnhelshka, (Dwarf-hell or prison) so the mountains are named Durnhalla, (Dwarf-Home or Heaven).

Historical Basis

Its true the Dwarves hid their riches in deep caches within the Durnhalla mountains, though its not possible for anyone to build an entire range of mountains without access to great magic, which the dwarves were never proven to have possessed. There may be ancient, deep caverns within the mountains, but a cavern deeper than the level of the plains has never been located, not within the Dwarvish kingdoms. Myths that the Dwarves constructed both their own 'heaven' and 'hell' likely refer to high watchtowers ancient kings created on the mountaintops, and deep prisons those same kings constructed, within the lowest levels of the range.

Variations & Mutation

some versions of the myth tell of a great river of fire, or lava, and erupted from beneath even the lowest of Durnhelshka's halls and the great stone in reality stopped the creation of a massive volcano where Kazaram now stands. These legends tell of a judgement day, when the volcano will break its bonds, and destroy the world.

Date of Setting

-10000

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