The Sindarklai, translated as “Calamity Dwarves”, are a hateful and cruel dwarven people who dominate the temperate region of Abolith, southwest of Eredwyn. They are led by the dwarf Zaroth, Gralgor’s Avenger.
Zaroth was a great dwarf warrior from the dwarven capital of the world, the “Mother Mountain” of Goriath, and held great admiration and respect for the ancient King Vortran. Zaroth spent most of his time outside the mountain, fighting the Drani of Maliris and rescuing any slaves they had, especially dwarven slaves. When it was discovered that the dragon Gralgor was coming to Goriath, Zaroth gathered all he could and set out for the Mother Mountain. The dragon’s fire and shadow were near, but they were close to their home. It was then that, by order of King Vortran, the great gate of Goriath was closed, leaving Zaroth and all those who followed him and whom he had freed at the mercy of the dragon.
Contrary to expectations, Gralgor did not kill them. It was a real surprise to see mercy coming from the one who was known as the End of the World. The dragon then personally escorted Zaroth and all his followers to the west of Goriath, to the base of Mount Olis, the largest mountain in the world, and there they founded Azgor, their capital, and declared themselves now as the Sindarklai, the Dwarves of Calamity; faithful servants of Gralgor and his wrath and desire for destruction.
Mount Olis is not a volcano, but the industrial activities of the Sindarklai deep within it cause dark smoke and fiery glows to rise from its caverns. The Sindarklai founded their capital Azgor, as they themselves founded their people, out of hatred and vengeance against their cousins in Goriath and against anyone who would go against Gralgor.
The main center of worship of the Sindarklai is their main furnace in the center of Azgor, whose fire was lit by the breath of Gralgor himself; this flame is called Gralzar, “Gralgor’s Flame”. Gralzar never goes out, representing the burning anger and hatred that lives in the heart of every Sindarklai.
Even though they are extremely devoted to the First Calamity, another being greatly worshipped by the Sindarklai, becoming their main deity after the death of Gralgor, is the elemental Inali, the Fire Goat. Inali favors and encourages the industrial, brutal and hateful culture of the Sindarklai, being a perfect combination of deity and devotee.
The Calamity Dwarves have a strong slave-owning and oppressive culture, exploiting and tormenting anyone who is not one of them. Due to their heavy and unstoppable industry, the consumption of slaves is constant and unbridled, causing much of the Abolith region to be taken over by the Sindarklai in just a few years, transforming it into a land of smoke, fire and ash. The Calamity Dwarves manufacture weapons of war based on hatred, iron, fire and steam, these machines being made with the pure purpose of annihilating and destroying everything that is contrary to them, not only killing them, but turning everything their enemies love into dust.
Of all the Successors, the only one who was truly enraged by Gralgor’s death was Zaroth and his Sindarklai, as they saw the dragon as their true savior. Thus, they swore not only to destroy the dwarves of Goriath for having betrayed them, but also to annihilate Otes Abiak and all his Drakynium founded on the corpse of the First Calamity.
Unitites
Karovar
Reborn from fire, the Karovar, translated as “Eternal Rage”, are the royal guard and elite of the Sindarklai army.
Despite having severed all ties, other than hatred and vengeance, with their Koloklai (mountain dwarves) cousins, the Sindarklai still maintained their funerary culture of allowing their home to absorb and consume the bodies of their dead.
The Calamity Dwarfs throw the bodies of loved ones and family into the Gralzar, Gralgor’s Flame, to be consumed and will forever be present as long as the fire remains alive. However, some Sindarklai have so much hatred and anger still burning in their bodies, that all these feelings are not able to join the flame, but rather to leave it. With sheer willpower and all the anger they can summon, the minds of these Sindarklai simply leave the great flame in a form made of pure fire and hatred. Reborn in flames and without an ounce of flesh on their bodies, these dwarves have returned as the elite of fiery fury who will serve the king of the Sindarklai once more, now as his finest warriors.