Ardun: Dark Portents

Age of Myth

Long ago in the first age of the world Moradin crafted the dwarves from the earth itself. Satisfied with his perfect creations he turned to other tasks and the dwarves lived in peace on the island of Azduum, cradle of dwarven civilization. The dwarves explored their home and built up great monuments to their gods.

Age of Chains

Then the giants came and though the dwarves fought fearlessly they were enslaved. For untold centuries the dwarves toiled for their masters, building works so great that their like has never been seen since. The giants lived as kings in dwarf-built halls and fortresses atop great peaks and the dwarves called out for Moradin who did not hear, too busy with a new task.

When Moradin at last looked up from his work the dwarves rallied themselves and fought back against their masters. With weapons blessed by the Soul Forger and the divine blessings of his priests they threw down the giants and reclaimed their ancestral lands.

Return of the Giants

They lived in prosperity for generations, though their grudge against the giants never waned and they remained vigilant against their old masters until finally, with the aid of new slaves, the giants reappeared and true war swept across Azduum. The giants had numberless servants, bestial and savage orcs who swept across battlefields in a blood frenzy. Unable to stem the tide of savage flesh and unwilling to be enslaved the dwarves were faced with little choice: they retreated.

The only path to freedom were the tunnels and caverns deep below the surface of the world, the Underdark.

Reign of Arduun

The dwarves who would eventually found Arduun were among the first sent below the earth. They wandered the Underdark for years before finally emerging in a range of untamed mountains. It was here that their second home, Arduun, was built and reinforced. The orcs had followed them and as the hordes spilled up into the daylit world they found the dwarves waiting, ready to make one last stand for their second chance.

The battle raged for days and hundreds of thousands died. In the end, however, the dwarves were triumphant and the orc hordes retreated leaving the dwarves time to rebuild their lives.

The reign of Arduun as Northern Calmar’s dominant power was a long one and the dwarves watched as the elves arrived and the humans civilized and began expanding in influence. The dwarves remained content with their vast string of fortified cities along three converging mountain ranges and they traded with their neighbors and fought wars against the orcs and giants until their civilization vanished from the world a thousand years ago.

Modern Times

The few dwarves that remained regathered and built scattered settlements across Northern Calmar. But with their power broken they were easy prey for the orcs and giants. In the end the two cities of Ironwall and Bronheim survived and the rise of Nerath drove back the hordes. During the long reign of Nerath the dwarves lived in peace but as Nerath’s influence waned the mountains became dangerous once more.

Today only Ironwall remains, Bronheim was destroyed a hundred years ago by their ancient foes. The dwarves remain vigilant and angry, thousands of years of unanswered grudges fuel their wrath.