Thunder Peaks

All but impassable, this massive mountain range is the ancestral home of the dwarves. Several of their fortress cities remain, including the capital of Broken Stone. Alas, many more have fallen, overrun by orcs, dragons, and fouler things. Orcs above all other invaders seem to thrive within the stolen vaults and tunnels, so much so that many call the Thunder Peaks an orcish realm… just never within earshot of the bearded folk!

### The Realm Below

The dwarf kingdom is almost entirely subterranean, formed by miles and miles of tunnels, from which precious metals are dredged. These tunnels also link the surviving dwarf cities, often called holds. Unfortunately many have been blocked off or collapsed and dwarf sentinels must endlessly patrol the depths, searching for signs of invasion from below.

### Grengulak

Once the fastness of an evil wizard king, who sought to mine magically imbued ore, the castle of Grengulak and it’s haphazard labyrinth of caverns are now infested with orcs and goblins. A mysterious warchief called The Red Tusk commands these swarming masses, which include the ghostly servants of the dead wizard.

### Hill Folk

Several farming villages, run by humans and halflings, perch within the foothills, providing their bearded neighbors with additional food. King Kuargar Ironsoul of Broken Stone honors an ancestral debt to these hardy folk by providing them with protection in times of trouble.

### Notable History

Note: Dwarf histories were not purged before The Time Of Founding, but each clan keeps so many tales of daring-do that recounting them here would be impossible. The insular nature of dwarves means they rarely possess detailed knowledge of ancient non-dwarf realms. As for orcs and goblins, they are more concerned with survival than scribbling records! Here are a selection of events that remain fresh in the memories of peak dwellers...

**1MR** - Thanks to secret dwarf machinations, Magic has grown weaker. The dwarves emerge from hiding... though nearby human realms are still held in suspicion. With the wizard kings toppled, orcs and goblins raid the lands below with increasing boldness.

**50MR** - Elves of Green Fang Forest cause The War Of Burning Leaves.

**89MR** - **The Stone Ghosts Affray**: Dwarf work crews close to Grengulak are ambushed by packs of animated statues. They capture several orcs from among the attackers, and interrogate them to reveal the source of the trouble... an orc necromancer, tying angry spirits into ornaments forged by Grengulak's long-dead lord. A team of dwarf assassins and saboteurs enter the fortress to slay the culprit, destroy his lair, and purge any arcana used to control the automatons.

**120MR** - Smiths of Coals Tumble, seeking to emulate the lightness of elf weapons sans spellcraft, discover how to forge with a rare metal called airlumina. The resulting weapons are snake-fast, but lack the heft preferred by most front-line dwarves.

**163MR** - A surge of arcane power from The Inner Weft sends waves of demons into the peaks. Seasons of bitter carnage ensue, until suddenly the demons stop coming... as though cut off by something Weftward.

**195MR** - A goblin named Zamtiloq is captured by trolls. She launches into a furious tirade, loosing perplexing metaphors and scathing insults. The trolls are so addled by her rant, they forget to eat her; and indeed, begin acting on her demands. They bully other trolls, forcing them to join Zamtiloq's growing entourage. Against all odds, the self styled "Troll Queen" lives out her days in comfort, unbothered by a lack of scintillating conversation.

**238MR** - **The Great Crumbling**: As if by concerted agreement, huge waves of orcs crash against the bearded kingdom, boiling up from tunnels thought impenetrable. Despite stubborn defiance, holds begin to fall en masse. Bolstered by demons chained since the surge of 163MR, two warchiefs batter their way into Broken Stone; Balogog Face-Ripper and Largrond Twist-Talon. The ousted dwarves spend five years in the wilds, hunting and being hunted by their foes; gathering survivors from other lost holds. Meanwhile, Balogog and Largrond's alliance starts to fray, undermined by whisperings of a greater demon of Whalash. Whether by fortune or Fundun's will, the dwarves choose a perfect moment to strike; arriving just as the two hordes come to blows. Broken Stone is retaken, though many holds and deep-roads are forever lost. Balogog and Largrond, having banished the demon that tricked them, go their separate ways, each taking a captured hold for their lair.

**269MR** - Human villages in the foothills unite to fend off a herd of giants. Elated by victory, they form the new kingdom of Felqôg. Four years later their elected king hikes into the peaks with a host of giant-slayers on a crusade of vengeance... they immediately run afoul of an even larger herd of giants, and the soon-leaderless kingdom falls apart.

**302MR** - Murethi ambassadors brave the peaks to visit several dwarf holds. The bearded folk, despite misgivings over their guests' attitudes toward Magic, are thrilled by the cleverness of Murethi mechanisms. Conclaves are held in which the two species exchange mechanical and alchemical knowledge.

**309MR** - At a feast of fellowship, Pwend Oakfist of Deeping Delve argues with Etrîk Cunningbeard of the host-hold Khord Tozahd. What begins as a disagreement over ale, spirals into accusations of cowardice, and insults toward famous forebears. Just as the verbal match settles, Pwend calls Etrîk a "Grak Azul," a profanity so terrible that dwarves are forbidden to translate it to outsiders... or even write it down. The hall explodes into anarchy. Near-all attendees are left injured or shaven. To this day, whenever bands from the two holds meet, it is traditional for a pair of champions to engage in a contest; whether it be wrestling, drinking, or some alternative… however, should dwarves of clan Oakfist meet dwarves of clan Cunningbeard, the contest is always decided by first blood drawn!

**331MR** - **The War Of Wyrm And Cog**: A flightless dragon, Aziphen The Molten Hiss, crawls from her lair and sets to devouring nearby orcs. One tribe convinces her that their crude siege engines would be better served cracking open treasure-laden dwarf halls than as kindling. Pleased by the idea, Aziphen dubs her new ashborn The Molten Horde. Magically clad in red-hot metal, she slithers from hold-to-hold, ransacking with impunity, as her orcs break down any barriers. Finally, word of Aziphen reaches Turagi Copperbraid, brightest siegesmith of Gemlin Höda. The ingenious dwarf sets her skill against the oncoming threat, filling the tunnels and passes around her hold with traps of devilish cunning. A stalemate is reached. Aziphen is unable to proceed... then treachery strikes. An engineer named Côdhim Runebringer, jealous of Turagi's talent, sabotages an entrance, inviting Aziphen within. Turagi is dismayed, but does not falter. She evacuates her kin before collapsing the hold, trapping the dragon below... at the cost of her home.

**368MR** - Scabrous Skakigg, a goblin chieftain, finds The Scarlet Hand spreading among his lackeys. Unusually, the disease seems reluctant to kill, leaving his warriors red-spotted but frenzied. Skakigg wastes no time in unleashing his tiny berserkers upon unfriendly orc tribes. Alas, his mindless army is lured westward and spills out of the mountains, splitting into rabbles that veer off in all directions. Of Skakigg's fate, it is thought he fell victim to the disease... or his own rabid forces.

**370MR** - Felqôg is reformed in the foothills, when a charismatic village leader calls for a reclamation of Grengulak. From the outset the questing throng are beset by orcs and alpine monsters, and soon lose their way. After much stumbling, they reach Broken Stone. The dwarves see only a bedraggled army, come to fight. Some inelegant demands are made by the ill-prepared humans, and the dwarves march out, making short work of them. Felqôg unravels for the second and last time. Afterward, Broken Stone's defenders grasp the pitiable truth, coming to regret their hasty attack. King Duádlin Ironsoul vows that his line will watch over the humans of the foothills, aiding them in times of dire need, steering them away from future foolishness.

**418MR** - Ubin Hammerheld, a dwarf raised in Arkhos, leads a pilgrimage of devout kin to Broken Stone's temple of Fundun. Days from arrival, they are waylaid by ogres. Growling a prayer to The Chained Smith, Ubin stands alone, buying time for his companions to climb to safety... then a great storm rolls in! Lightning lashes the ogres, causing a rock slide that helps Ubin escape. Upon hearing his tale, King Duádlin declares Ubin a paragon of dwarfdom, despite his birth outside the holds, and recruits him to his personal guard.

**444MR** - A mistreated half orc named Xruul flees his horde and treks south. Claiming to receive visions from Zorg, he gathers a warband of outcast zealots. Spies loyal to The Narga kidnap and devour Xruul, yet to their astonishment, his followers continue Weftward, guided by his cryptic auguries.

**474MR** - The Pharidae War begins.

**583MR** - The Pharidae War draws to a close.

**595MR** - Prophets across Scy’kadia receive visions of the Weftyril portals reawakening. Bands of dwarf treasure seekers set out Weftward, shadowed by gangs of orcs and goblins smelling a chance for plunder.

**630MR** - A gigantic orc cambion rises to fame among the hordes of Grengulak. His gore-drenched victories for Gorgos draw many followers, and earn him a dread title... The Red Tusk. The warchief slays all rivals, securing total rulership of the orcs and goblins of the fastness, and gaining the service of Grengulak's wraiths.