Histories of the Glowing Shield clan, Neutral Page Kingdom, in the land of Todidefini.
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The Dwarves of the Glowing Shield clan have had a troubled history. Born into the Dwarven Kingdom of the Neutral Page, they wanted nothing more than to delve in the mountains for precious stones and metals, a belly full of plump helmets and dwarven ale, content to remain in the northern mountain halls and ignore the petty warring of the lowland dwellers - humans, elves and goblins. This was not their fate. It was during the reign of their first and greatest king, Zaneg Enterarrow that the goblin raids began, in the new calendar year of 24. The attacks came from the lair of the Fly of Trash goblins, ruled by the demon Kodor Smearedgloomy, a great zebra with burning embers for eyes and flames for a tail. It's thirst for violence and dwarven blood is unquenchable. The Dangerous War was short, not lasting the year and the goblins were repulsed, but it was certain they would return once they had regained their strength, and goblins breed like roaches.
They returned in the year 35, beginning what would become known as the War of Thunder - a series of vicious yet low intensity raids spanning over a decade, the goblins plundering the dwarven coffers for loot and slaves. The brave king Zaneg Enterarrow lead the miltia of DefenceClasps personally, but was slain during the Assault of Murders by the goblin hero Nako Showerbad, a fearsome one-eyed goblin of unusual size and martial skill. The death of the king would mark the beginning of a long chain of exceptionally short reigns, and to this day the dwarves of the Glowing Shield regard kings as cursed. Unbeknownst to the dwarves of the Neutral Page, worse was in store for them. In the forests to the south, ruled by the Elves of the Crab of Dells, trouble was brewing. While the dwarves were occupied with the goblin raiders, the night walker Mame Roofbud had enthralled the elves and become their druid! His twisted elves attacked the dwarves of the Neutral Page and their allies the Spry Tour dwarves in what would become known as the Assaulted War. The attacks were unrelenting until the year 47, when Mame Roofbud suddenly disappeared from his treetop stronghold in GlacierCovered. Rumour says he was taken for a consort by a more fearsome creature, but none are sure. The elves woke from their madness as though from a bad dream, immediately ceasing their war of extermination against the dwarven kindoms, but the damage had been done. Few of the dwarves of the northern mountains remained, and many of their once proud mountain halls stood empty, or worse, occupied by monsters and beasts from below. It was in this time that the dwarves of the Glowing Shield came to hate the elves for their weakness of mind.
In the years that followed the dwarves survived in the mountains as best they could. The mountain halls were so poor even the goblins rarely bothered to take what little of value the dwarves had managed to produce. The elves to the south warred with the goblins and humans nearby, waging many great battles. Over time the power of the elves and humans grew, while the goblins shrank to the cold north and the edges of the infinite sea. They were no longer great powers in the northlands, sending forth large armies, but content to raid the farms of the humans and forest retreats of the elves - their demon rulers compelled them and also protected them, for an assault on their dark fortresses could not be attempted without great cost. The humans have come to be the friends of the dwarf, waging war upon both elf and goblin.
***
It is now a time of relative peace, new calendar year 195. In the intervening years, many of the Neutral Page left the northern mountains, claiming they are just as cursed as their kings of old. The elves of the Crab of Dells are at peace, allowing an easy passage to the south and away from the Fly of Trash goblins. The humans to the south, the Confederation of Defence are friendly and their towns will allow us safe passage. It is decided that the remaining clans will leave the northern mountains forever. The Outrageous Mine clan will go first, to test the route and find a safe home - they are the strongest and most numerous clan, once they are settled and established in the south the Glowing Shield clansdwarves shall follow them to establish their own halls nearby.
Excerpts from the Journal of Rakust Clearsalves, head of the Glowing Shield Clan:
4th Granite, 195:
Today we bid farewell to our brothers of the Outrageous Mine clan. Endok Gearoiled leads them in search of a new home in the mountains to the south. Armok grant them safe journey. We have sealed off many of the ancient halls of DefenceClasps, they are of no use to us now.
28th Galena, 195:
Mixed news reaches us today. The Outrageous Mine expedition was set upon by the Low Ghoul goblins of Terrorlurk - they were forced to flee but were fortuitously rescued by a patrolling squadron of Bald Kingdom men, who drove the goblins back. Endok writes that the men were from the hamlet of Padcritter, and kindly offered the dwarven caravan a nights rest in the barns.
6th Sandstone, 195:
I have recieved word from Endok once again - they have reached the BridgedTimes halls of the Mountain Pick dwarves. He tells me they are in worse state than we at DefenceClasps. The caravan shares a little of it's precious supplies and quickly moves on. They will send word once they have established new mountain halls in the south and these poor dwarves can join them.
20th Timber, 195:
Good news. The caravan fares well. Even though it is now winter, the milder climates of the south allow them easy passage on the human roads. They have passed by the friendly larger town of Paintrhymed in the Bald Kingdom, and further south through the hamlets of the Lucky Empires, Clutchpigs and Muscleblotted.
15th Obsidian, 195:
The Outrageous Mines visited the Simple Armours dwarves of Keeperbolt. I hope they did not stay long, there are tales that once they were ruled by a night creature. Endok writes that they have made a deal with them Simple Armours to send a caravan, as they intend to settle on the other side of the mountain range.
4th Granite, 196:
Strike the earth! Endok Gearoiled and his Outrageous Mines have founded the new mountain hall of Tuftedcrypts. He writes that hematite is so plentiful it thrusts forth from the ground, as if yearning to be plucked and wrought! We begin the preparations to leave ourselves.
***
3rd Limestone, 196:
The people of Tuftedcrypts flourish. Endok writes that they have received some hungry migrants from the Mountain Pick kingdom, but are well prepared to feed them and put them to work in the smelters. Our preparations are complete but we are snowed in for the winter and will wait till spring to leave the halls of DefenceClasps for good.
***
11th Granite, 197:
We set out today. We will settle near Tuftedcrypts, but we will take a different and faster route - by sea. One of our scouts has managed to strike a deal with some merchants from Sporttome, part of the Confederation of Defence, from there we will sail to the Fortress of Brusheddents and on to Evengold, and continue our journey on land.
3rd Felsite, 197:
We have met with our contacts in Sporttome. The prices they are demanding are outrageous, but we have little choice but to pay - the Outrageous Mines were lucky enough with the Low Ghoul goblins and they were better armed and more numerous than us. Perhaps one day their merchants will visit our mountain hall and we can return the favour. We have a few days rest in town until the ships depart.
25th Felsite, 197:
We have arrived in Evengold, of the Unions of Dangling. The sailing was largely uneventful aside from the occasional squid or whale, but the sailors seemed to know how to handle them. The worst of it was the seasickness - dwarves are not meant for sailing, I shall never again set foot on a boat if I can help it. Ill tidings are received from Tuftedcrypts, Goblin thieves have been spotted but were not caught. No doubt they will make their way back to wherever they came from and bring more of their kind.
7th Galena, 197:
We trade for some supplies with the men of the Lucky Empires at Fort Horntired. We are not admitted into the city, but they are willing enough to trade. We will give their farmlands a wide berth.
20th Sandstone, 197:
Tuftedcrypts has been assaulted! It was the goblins of the Unseen Lie from The Ticks of Wind, far to the east near the sea. Endok personally assisted in the defence, and the attacking goblins were wiped out by the superior iron weapons and training of the Outrageous Mine clandwarfes. We are changing our destination, we cannot settle in the same mountain range with our limited weapons and supplies and risk a goblin ambush. We will head for a nearby mountain range, the humans tell me it is named The Special Finger.
14th Moonstone, 197:
We have found a suitable site in The Special Finger, in the foothills with a freshwater spring. The area is somewhat arid outside of the streams banks, but the prospectors tell me it has the makings of a good mountain hall. I shall name it Prestigehandles.
STRIKE THE EARTH!
Map of the Glowing Shields journey to found Prestigehandles:
Map of the area surrounding Presigehandles (north) and Tuftedcrypts (south) of the Neutral Page:
Old version
Immediately to our east and northeast are the human federations of the Lucky Empires and the Most Empires. Beyond them lie the Growth of Authority Elves and further still, the hated Unseen Lie goblins. To the north lies the friendly Bald Kingdom men and beyond them the Diamond Sister elves. To the south lies more Lucky Empires settlements and the relatively unknown Factional Realm of men.
***
I hope that isn't TLDR, it was pretty interesting going through the legends and building a story out of it. I'll start playing the game in the next update.
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