Scripture Of The Order

The holy book of the Dwarven Order.

*In the beginning, there was **Armok**.*

*At the end, Armok will remain.*

*As all comes from Armok, so all must come unto him at the end of days.*

*An ever-changing, chaotic force, Armok is the vast, unending, primordial void that all springs forth from.*

*From Armok, came beauty; colour, sound, form, taste.*

*From Armok, came horrors; assortments of limb and bone, strange mixtures of material and immaterial, concoctions of life, death and everything in between.*

*It was from Armok that the Pantheon of the Order came to be.*

***Uthar** was the first. A stout being, not unlike **Dwarves** of today, with a full, rich beard and a fierce temper. It was he who turned around to face Armok and openly defy him; unable to believe that a being such as himself to be the lesser to another. Uthar saw the need to gather beings like himself around him, to further defy the primal force.*

*Uthar devised a plan; to create a world of his own. He would make something that could eventually turn the tide against the great abyss and to have his own set of followers who would burn with his own furious vengeance.*

*So Uthar waited at the precipice of creation and gazed into the abyss to await those who would join him.*

*Uthar took mastery of the world for himself; knowledge of the stone and all of its potential. It was he who first revealed adamant to the Dwarves.*

***Ixrus**, **Miborh** and **Azella** were next. From Armok they came, identical in shape but different in colour: Ixrus, grey and mottled; Miborh, red and hardy; Azella; white and fragile. Uthar gifted three different stones to the three triplets and in their own way they nurtured their charges, until their untimely demise.*

***Ashok** was the fourth. A tall humanoid with milky-white eyes. Ashok had all of time revealed to him, but had not the wisdom to understand what he saw. Uthar would take the blind seer under his care; his prophecies noted.*

*Next came **Råsh**, a shadow looming from Armok and towering over Uthar himself. His head, comprised of many skulls was all that could be seen, as the rest was that of writhing midnight. Uthar gazed upon the skeletal behemoth and drew his sword.*

*Råsh took no heed, instead bending down to pick up a flower, only for it to die in his hands. Uthar sensed its sorrow and gave Råsh the ability to touch that he loved. In return Råsh became the god of death and one of Uthar’s most loyal subjects.*

***Eshon** came next, followed by **Gedor**. Even though they were sprung into existence at that moment, they had formed bickering and arguing. Eshon; caring and nurturing, and Gedor; spiteful and malicious*

*Uthar looked past the squabbling couple and instead saw a state of perfect equilibrium and took the two as the gods of good and evil.*

*A hooded figure emerged and came unto Uthar. **Shoved** was its name, the only thing we truly know about this mysterious being. It talked with Uthar for a time, revealing to him things only he was meant to know. Uthar gave Shoved power over all secrets and mysteries and, in the early days of the world, before much was known, his power was great indeed.*

***Ziril** came next, a burst of fire from the void. Appearing as a pillar of flame, its voice was breathy, but hinted of unknown power. Uthar gave this creature the mastery of fire and it guarded it jealously.*

*A spritely, bounding figure with long flowing hair, came forth from the inky blackness and spoke to Uthar as if speaking to an old friend. Uthar would not tolerate familiarity with those who had not earnt it and smote the creature down.*

*Shortly afterwards, **Egom** appeared from the gulf of blackness. Tall, slender, yet ancient beyond measure and adorned with a beard that wrapped around his waist, Egom slowly walked forward, leaning heavily on his gnarled, wooden cane.*

*He approached Uthar, threw his musty, spore-covered cape back and greeted him as if greeting a king. Uthar was pleased with this and gave to Egom all of nature; flowers, beasts, trees; for the ancient one delighted in dealing with them.*

*A time then passed; if indeed it could be called time in those early days, in which nothing sane emerged from Armok and Uthar and his growing legions battled unknowable horrors and monstrosities from the void. The Age of Unmaking, it was known as, and much work was lost, but after a while Uthar prevailed against the tide of beasts and cast his eyes anew, to seek those who would stand by him.*

***Malchus** strode out of the abyss next, confident and tall, and Uthar felt like he glimpsed the closest to an equal he had seen in a long time. Malchus took the realms of the sky, the sun and royalty, among others, as his own and Uthar, not caring much for either of those things, allowed the Sky King to forge his own destiny.*

*A puff of smoke appeared from the void and clouded Uthar in fog and mist. Enraged he slashed through the fog, only to find a figure shrouded in a glimmering cowl. Howling, he struck the figure, but it smashed into a thousand pieces, as if made of mirrors. Quick as a flash, the smoke was driven away and before him stood **Aroth**, trickster and master of illusions. To swiftly end the bloodthirsty rage he had placed upon Uthar, Aroth used all of his knowledge and performed feats of magic unknown to him. Uthar eventually calmed down, his sense of wonder taking over and as he laughed at the figures mastery over magic, he took him to his side and bestowed that mystical realm to him.*

***Arel** poured forth from the chaos as a flowing stream. She was carefree, not tethered by anything, but her rage was unyielding and righteous. Uthar gifted her all the water in his realm; from the mighty oceans to the smallest brooks.*

*It was at this point that no more figures worthy of Uthar’s attention came forth and for the greatest time, he was bored. He set forth, wandering the abyss with his brethren, for many ages. During this time, the Age of Discovery, many strange and wonderful places and creatures were found, but also many terrible ones.*

*In the midst of a calm patch of the abyss, not yet hurled into tumult by Armok’s mindless writhing, Uthar found a mountain. As he neared the peak, he caught a glimpse of candle light at the base and made his way forth, keeping his wits about him.*

*Eventually he came to the entrance, a small tunnel leading into the mountain. As he made his way inside, the tunnel became more illuminated and he could make out the intricate carvings on the walls. As he was deep in thought he bumped into a titanic figure that stood before him.*

*A titan, wearing a suit of armour peered down at him. As Uthar looked up; his eyes being level with the figure’s knees, he noticed the armour was wrought and carved with shapes and figures unimaginably intricate and detailed. As he looked up, he saw a pair of piercing green eyes staring back at him from the helmet of the beast.*

*The titan peered down at Uthar and bent at the waist, until he was only a short distance away from him. The titan asked him what he was doing in his home, referring to Uthar as ‘little one’.*

*Uthar, never one to be patronised, took offence and told the titan to take up arms.*

*Ordering the others in his retinue to stand back, Uthar and the titan launched themselves into an epic struggle that threatened to sunder the mountain. Uthar’s might, fury and strength was such that it put him as equal to the goliath, who swung his greatsword around with power unimaginable.*

*After a tremendous fight, neither of the participants would back down and the mountain threatened to crumble around them. A shouting was heard from further down the cavern and four short, stout beings emerged. They were covered in dust and their beards were unkempt.*

*As they introduced themselves to Uthar, they explained that the titan was **Ïkor**, a warrior unmatched in strength or skill until this day.*

***Zoden**, the builder of the group, took the stone and formed it into marvelous feats of architecture; gigantic arches, sturdy pillars, intricate carvings.*

>***Eshtân** was a metalworker. His love of metal and skill in shaping it to his will was second to none. He was the one who wrought the titan’s suit of armour.*

***Rigòth** delighted in crafts and the creation of all goods. He worked closely with Eshtân, but dared not encroach on the master smith’s realm. **Nish** was the last; a portly figure who had explored the abyss and made contact with countless other being who had made their home there. It was he who first united the various groups in discussion and trade.*

*A time passed in the mountain home and the various gods talked about their plans and ambitions. Uthar had always wanted to create a race of his own and so, with the help of the creator-gods he did so.*

*However, just as the Dwarves were about to be brought to life, two smaller creatures burrowed into the mountain and presented themselves to the others.*

*Small and covered in fur, the two creatures stood before the mighty ensemble. One introduced himself as **Atol** and the other disagreed, stating he was **Os**. They argued back and forth for a while, each disagreeing with the other, until Shoved whispered unto Uthar. Uthar laughed and placed a small collar around each of the creatures, labelling them as Atol and Os, and he placed the balance of truth and lies within their paws.*

*And thus, his retinue complete, Uthar took his brethren and began their work.*