DWARF HISTORY and RELIGION
Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 2:27 am
I have altered this a lot from your original post in the OCD thread to match up with a few things about my existing history. For a start, goblins are recent, and also, I don't do gnomes (Red Dwarves, I'll accept). Also some of the events you describe need to have been longer ago. All told, the dwarves have had a rough time! Lemme know if it still works.
In the beginning...
Very little is known about origins of the ancient dwarvish religion. Legend has it that the very earth and moon were forged from the RockFather's tears, when Thorium Stormforged the RockFather learned that the wicked Troll King Gomdar had stolen the Hearthstone from the Hall of Children. A mighty war between the Goblin King and the RockFather. Blood fell upon the earth, and brought the existence of the rockfolk (dwarves). Trolls came into existence at the same time, though less is known about how. The generally accepted belief is that Thorium challenged Gomdar to a duel, who lost control of his bowels at the thought of dueling the RockFather, creating the Troll race. Eventually the Hearthstone was recovered, and the Troll King was crippled and cast out from Rockhaven, as were the troll spawn.
Thousands of years ago
The rockfolk lived peacefully, with the dwarves becoming master stoneworkers and ironsmiths. Both worshiped the RockFather devoutly, who empowered his followers with the ability to magically shape the earth, defend the devout, and smite his enemies. During the Undercrust Wars, trolls were driven back into the farthest recesses of the earth, and a golden renaissance of rock reigned across the dwarven realms, as they began more and more to inhabit the surface world, and make ties with the elvish people, and the incoming human race.
2000 years ago (during the human iron age)
Alas, such a renaissance could not live forever! Driven deep underground, the trolls found allies such as hordes of grimlocks, surface giants, and rare but ruthless umber hulks. The initial attacks overran the dwarvish outposts unfortunate enough to be deep underground, and after centuries of peace, rockfolk mobilization was slow. King Bronzebeard eventually sallied forth with a legion of dwarven defenders, all of whom were decimated within the first few battles. Babbling survivors spoke not only of trolls and grimlocks, but also a new enemy from the north, an enemy the rockfolk had never heard of before: dragons.
The Dragon Wars, as they came to be known, were a turning point in both dwarven history and dwarven religion. Rockshapers and ironforgers had replaced warpriests as the core of the dwarven clergy, and the 'red' dwarves (who some call 'gnomes', or knowledgeable ones) could no longer create the tecnological juggernauts of the Undercrust Age. Slowly, the dwarven races became isolated from each other, with the troll hordes reclaiming territories from all the dwarvish kingdoms.
1500 years ago - The dragon alliance with the trolls and giants did not last long and the dragons seem to have retreated to the far and north east, or have lived on in seclusion guarding vast hordes of stolen dwarvish treasure etc.
However the destruction wrought by dragons such as Kossa and Malmitor was so terrible it took several dwarvish generations to recover. In the intervening centuries, giants, trolls, grimlocks and many other subterranean creatures continued their inroads against Aarn and other smaller states, to the point where the dwarvish states were nearly in ruin.
800 years ago -
Desperate to end the war of attrition, King Ironshield III (Bronzebeard's great-grandnephew) petitioned for an unlikely alliance with the upcoming Kingdom of Yoll. The human king had but one stipulation: surface rockfolk residing in Yoll would renounce the RockFather and follow the ways of the One Church; and rockfolk visiting Yoll would not worship the RockFather while in Yoll.
Facing eventual decimation of the dwarf kingdom and having no communication with the gnomes, Ironshield had no choice but to agree to the terms. In the years that followed, the humans of Yoll helped the dwarves to reclaim much territory held by trolls.
The Goblin Invasions - 400 years ago (CE 950)
Just when things were getting better, the goblins came. Goblins were an entirely new threat when they emerged from the east, and had not been heard of before. They are different from the dwarves ancient enemy, the trolls, in that they breed very fast, and can live above ground in a range of environments....yet still, the dwarves survived, and their alliance with the humans held firm.
Fast forwarding to the present...
Having been sorely beset for so long, many of the dwarf race no longer feel that their rockfather is protecting them at all. Many have turned to the human god, as it is humans who have been the dwarves best allies in recent centuries.
Almost all surface rockfolk follow the One Church, and hardly any know of the RockFather beyond name. Farther north, outside of Yoll, the RockFather is still worshipped, but not as devoutly as before. Many dwarves feel that the RockFather had abandoned them during the Dragon Wars and subsequently, in their encouters with giants and goblins, and the attempts by pleading dwarven priests to rediscover the divine spells of combat and protection were ignored by the RockFather. Yet they still worship him, and it's said that in the clang of the forge, the roar of volcano, devout followers can still feel his presence.
In the beginning...
Very little is known about origins of the ancient dwarvish religion. Legend has it that the very earth and moon were forged from the RockFather's tears, when Thorium Stormforged the RockFather learned that the wicked Troll King Gomdar had stolen the Hearthstone from the Hall of Children. A mighty war between the Goblin King and the RockFather. Blood fell upon the earth, and brought the existence of the rockfolk (dwarves). Trolls came into existence at the same time, though less is known about how. The generally accepted belief is that Thorium challenged Gomdar to a duel, who lost control of his bowels at the thought of dueling the RockFather, creating the Troll race. Eventually the Hearthstone was recovered, and the Troll King was crippled and cast out from Rockhaven, as were the troll spawn.
Thousands of years ago
The rockfolk lived peacefully, with the dwarves becoming master stoneworkers and ironsmiths. Both worshiped the RockFather devoutly, who empowered his followers with the ability to magically shape the earth, defend the devout, and smite his enemies. During the Undercrust Wars, trolls were driven back into the farthest recesses of the earth, and a golden renaissance of rock reigned across the dwarven realms, as they began more and more to inhabit the surface world, and make ties with the elvish people, and the incoming human race.
2000 years ago (during the human iron age)
Alas, such a renaissance could not live forever! Driven deep underground, the trolls found allies such as hordes of grimlocks, surface giants, and rare but ruthless umber hulks. The initial attacks overran the dwarvish outposts unfortunate enough to be deep underground, and after centuries of peace, rockfolk mobilization was slow. King Bronzebeard eventually sallied forth with a legion of dwarven defenders, all of whom were decimated within the first few battles. Babbling survivors spoke not only of trolls and grimlocks, but also a new enemy from the north, an enemy the rockfolk had never heard of before: dragons.
The Dragon Wars, as they came to be known, were a turning point in both dwarven history and dwarven religion. Rockshapers and ironforgers had replaced warpriests as the core of the dwarven clergy, and the 'red' dwarves (who some call 'gnomes', or knowledgeable ones) could no longer create the tecnological juggernauts of the Undercrust Age. Slowly, the dwarven races became isolated from each other, with the troll hordes reclaiming territories from all the dwarvish kingdoms.
1500 years ago - The dragon alliance with the trolls and giants did not last long and the dragons seem to have retreated to the far and north east, or have lived on in seclusion guarding vast hordes of stolen dwarvish treasure etc.
However the destruction wrought by dragons such as Kossa and Malmitor was so terrible it took several dwarvish generations to recover. In the intervening centuries, giants, trolls, grimlocks and many other subterranean creatures continued their inroads against Aarn and other smaller states, to the point where the dwarvish states were nearly in ruin.
800 years ago -
Desperate to end the war of attrition, King Ironshield III (Bronzebeard's great-grandnephew) petitioned for an unlikely alliance with the upcoming Kingdom of Yoll. The human king had but one stipulation: surface rockfolk residing in Yoll would renounce the RockFather and follow the ways of the One Church; and rockfolk visiting Yoll would not worship the RockFather while in Yoll.
Facing eventual decimation of the dwarf kingdom and having no communication with the gnomes, Ironshield had no choice but to agree to the terms. In the years that followed, the humans of Yoll helped the dwarves to reclaim much territory held by trolls.
The Goblin Invasions - 400 years ago (CE 950)
Just when things were getting better, the goblins came. Goblins were an entirely new threat when they emerged from the east, and had not been heard of before. They are different from the dwarves ancient enemy, the trolls, in that they breed very fast, and can live above ground in a range of environments....yet still, the dwarves survived, and their alliance with the humans held firm.
Fast forwarding to the present...
Having been sorely beset for so long, many of the dwarf race no longer feel that their rockfather is protecting them at all. Many have turned to the human god, as it is humans who have been the dwarves best allies in recent centuries.
Almost all surface rockfolk follow the One Church, and hardly any know of the RockFather beyond name. Farther north, outside of Yoll, the RockFather is still worshipped, but not as devoutly as before. Many dwarves feel that the RockFather had abandoned them during the Dragon Wars and subsequently, in their encouters with giants and goblins, and the attempts by pleading dwarven priests to rediscover the divine spells of combat and protection were ignored by the RockFather. Yet they still worship him, and it's said that in the clang of the forge, the roar of volcano, devout followers can still feel his presence.