Dwarves

In the realm of Nhoordland dwell the dwarves of Tvologoya. They are steadfast and durable like the mountains they live under. They do not allow themselves to be bothered or moved by arbitrary things and events, standing where they always have unlike the humans that wage war or emigrate for even the smallest change. The sons of soot and stone value that which is lasting, that which remains and is as it always has been, like the mountains. This is perhaps because the dwarves have been here for so very long, some people even say longer than the elves. It is said and sung that the dwarves came from the sparks that were emitted when the shaper Borjorn struck his mighty anvil with his hammer and created the world. When these sparks hit the ground, they took the shapes of worms that slithered about and hid beneath rock and stone. Borjorn noticed the sparks and was fascinated by their transformation. He started to shape the worms and bestow them with a consciousness, the power to craft, and strong and sturdy souls. Ever since that moment when the worms became what we today call dwarves, there have been three types in Trudvang: the Buratja, the Borjornikka (grey dwarves), and the Zvorda (troll dwarves).

Today the dwarves live in the underbelly of the world known as Muspelheim. They keep to themselves and hammer away by the burning logi furnaces, forging things of such might and beauty that ordinary folk cannot fathom the craftsmanship. But the dwarves, however stubborn, have no choice but to commune with the outside world, and it is most often the Borjornikka that deal with traders of the northern Stormlands or the parts of Mittland that exist in the shadow of Jarngand.

The Buratja keep to themselves and labour by the lava rivers of the deep chasms. They do not seek to commune with or understand others and are perfectly happy to simply do that which they do best: craft. They spend so much time by the anvil and the logi furnaces that their very skin has evolved to withstand their heat. The Buratja are the greatest crafters of all the dwarves.

The Zvorda dwarves are sometimes called troll dwarves by common folk. This is because of their immense size and strength and their more brutish appearance. These dwarves often labour as warriors, masons, or tunnel diggers and lead lives of great unrest and weariness. This may have to do with the fact that, until The Age of the Iron Dragon, the Zvorda were few in number and were very lonely folk.

Thuuldom

The dwarves of Muspelheim worship the mountain itself. They believe in the stone, in its inner workings and the precious metals within. Holy dwarves are known as rune smiths, or Thuuls. They are the ones who hold sway over the mountain and the art of shaping it into things so precious and near-divine that not a living soul in Trudvang could hope to mimic them. Thuuls have learned the secret ways to study and refine the mountain and its raw materials. This art is worshipped by all dwarves. The rune smiths can spend days, weeks, and even years to find the perfect materials and components for their divine craft. It is as if they seek precious stones and metals that were made by Borjorn himself for the sole purpose of being used by the Thuul. This is by far the most important mission that the Thuuls have in the everyday lives of dwarves. Certain minerals, gems, and ores have a single purpose. Some are meant for weapons, and others for armor, houses, or tools. Not until a Thuul receives a vision of what a certain piece of rock should be used for can it be drained by other dwarves. When a Thuul receives such a vision, they place a rune upon that rock and its purpose is then known to all. Some parts of the mountain remain unmarked for long periods of time, sometimes entire ages. These mineral deposits and their purposes are unclear to the Thuuls and thus remain untouched. The dwarves have deep respect for such deposits, fearing what slumbering power resides within, and avoid them until they are marked by a Thuul.

Borjorn

The great maker and shaper, Borjorn is the one who is believed to have created the dwarves and perhaps even the very mountains themselves. When Borjorn struck his great anvil with his mighty hammer, sparks erupted. From those sparks maggots appeared and they crawled around at the feet of Borjorn. The maggots slithered away to dig nests and homes under the rock. Borjorn quickly grew fond of the maggots, as he did with all his creations. He saw that they loved the rock, the soot and the mountain and that they seemed to be in connection with it. He gave them a soul and little hearts of their own and the power to shape the rock that they loved so much. He also gave to them the kingdom of Muspelheim where the dwarves now dwell, deep in underbelly of the world.

The Mountain

If there is one thing that his holy to the dwarves, it is the mountain itself. It is their home and the place from which they draw their power. Their entire culture is centered around the mountain and the stone that makes up its shape. Therefore, mountain is revered in a greater way than anything in the dwarven culture. A mineral or rock can only be mined and shaped once its purpose has been revealed and understood. For even the smallest pebble and grain of dirt has a destiny. Such destinies can be as mighty as being the jewel in the king’s crown or as humble as being a step in a stairwell. The ones who can decipher the destiny of the mountain are called Thuls and once they have decided what role a stone or mineral has to play, they will place the mark upon it in the form of a great rune. There are some rocks that never have their purpose revealed and such rocks are feared and respected. The dwarves do not know what events might be set in motion or what forces might be called upon if they should dare tinker with it. Therefore, entire cities can sometimes be constructed around a single block of stone or a deposit of minerals that have no known destiny.