Dverchros

The dverfon kingdom of **Dverchros,**named for its founder Dveron, rules the north west reaches of Dyowan from their mountainous realm and their capital city of Highhelm.

# **History**

## **Prehistory**

**Dverchros** was created through the unification of the dwarf people by the First King Dveron in the Age of Creation. After their fashioning by their god-father Moradin, dwarvenkind was hunted to near extinction by the goblin-blooded children of the Mother of Monsters, Cylista. As they were hunted down, the children of Mordain bounded together at the base of the later named Kings Mountains in a final stand against the unending tide of the goblin-blood wartribe. See the impending death of his children, the Forge Fire broke the cardinal Divine Mandate and provided direct aid to his creations. Wielding the Dwarven Axe of Kings, Dveron destroyed the immortal troll army of the wartribe, and defeated the Warlord Smorlmek in a single blow. With the scattering of their racial enemies, and with a definitive leader among them, the dwarfs traveled into the mountain range and fashioned a great capital to their burgeoning kingdom. From his throne in Dverstema, Dveron led his people for nearly a millennia, all the way through the Age of Creation and into the Age of Relics before finally succumbing in the second great goblin-blood war.

## **Second Great Goblin-Blood War**

The second great goblin-blood war was not started by marching armies or grand declarations, but by bloodshed and betrayal. The Warlord Smathec the Venomancer greatest strength was his mastery of compulsive magics and with it he rose to legendary infamy. Whispering poisonous words into the Prodigal Son Lozmuth's ear, he was able to slowly degrade the First King's physical might before finally landing the final death blow with a goblin-made dagger, slaying the favored son of Moradin. Lozmuth attempted to escape the capital with the *Dwarven Axe of Kings* in his possession however he was met and struck down a barely matured dwarf by the name of Thrakgen who saw him attempting to escape. With the traitor in tow and armed with the Axe, Thrakgen returned to the throne to a procession of grieving faces. As the dwarves deliberated what to do with their dead king and who should take his place, Smathec struck with his war-tribe, breaking through the auxiliary defenses of the capital while the nobility squabbled. Just as the war-tribe broke through the gates of the city, Thrakgen spoke the warcry that dwarves echo even today:
"*Honor Dveron, cleave them down Dverfon!*"
Leading the charge against the forces of the war-tribe, Thrakgen fought with his siblings-in-arms in a battle that lasted three days and three nights. In the final moments of fighting, Thrakgen cut the poisonous tongue from Smathec's mouth and held the *Dwarven Axe of Kings* high in triumph. In fear, the war-tribe fled from the sight of the *Dveron's Axe*and escaped into the shadow of the mountain. Smathec, with his final breath, struck Thrakgen with his poisoned dagger, becoming the only being in history to strike down two True Kings. In the ensuing days, the nobles of the city each attempted to wield the axe, all failing to keep a hold of it until Barika the Matron was able to show the *Blessings of Moradin*and claimed the right to rule as the third True King.

## **Era of Kings**

Following the fall of First King Dveron, the leadership of **Dverchros** has never been helmed by any dwarf for longer then a few centuries. Every True King was notable for their ability to demand respect and obedience from their brethren as well as their conviction in Moradin. In all the line of True Kings, there have been none that has led the dwarf people astray or betrayed the will of their God-Father.

## **Modern History**

With the destruction of Dverstemaat the hands of the Devorer, Morkren, and the loss of the *Dwarven Axe of Kings,*the dwarvish kingdom has seen a recent decline of power. Its military might is being upheld not by might dwarven warriors but by the golem army of Stonemender Dougiul Steelforged. Its economy is mostly dependent on their greatest ally, the human kingdom of Xotross, surviving off exporting metals and jewels for their international significance. With no true king to helm the destroyed throne of Dverstema*,*the morale of the Dverfon have not been as cataclysmicly low since the days of the first goblin-blood war. It is feared that if the *Axe* is not recovered soon from Morkren, the dwarven people will fall to the next major threat to endanger them, whatever that might be.