Goriath is the world capital of the Klai, also known as Dwarves. Within the mountain and descending into the depths of the earth, the fortress-city of Goriath resists the most diverse terrors and trials that the world has to throw at the indomitable and resilient dwarves. Absolute experts in defense and resistance, these dwarves were one of the few peoples that were encountered by the dragon Gralgor and that were not defeated. Locking themselves inside their mountain, the dwarves withstood and repelled every attack of the dragon and its servants, never surrendering, never submitting, never giving up, always resisting. The klai are immensely proud that their king, Vortran, was the first being to wound the dragon Gralgor. He jumped from the top of the mountain, plunging his axe close to the dragon’s left eye, almost blinding it. Despite the blow that made the beast practically never come near his mountain again, the king died in the moments following the blow, his body being taken by the vengeful cousins of the klai, the sindarklai, the dwarves of calamity who served Gralgor.
With the death of King Voltran, his son, Gralim, assumed the throne. At the coronation, he made an announcement that reached every corner of the world. He himself would produce a suit of armor for anyone who agreed to try to kill the beast. Years passed and no one other than a deceiver seeking the value of the armor appeared. That is until he arrived flying with his white dragon. Otes Abiak appeared in front of the gates of the mountain of Goriath, offering himself for the task.
Despite the dwarves’ doubts about this brave young man, the king agreed to make the armor. Named Mytrani, it was made with the same color as Otes’ dragon, and so they set out to kill the beast. Days later, the news arrived: Gralgor had been killed. It was news that shook even the rigid halls of the Klai. In the years leading up to the war and in the first year after it began, the dwarves had been an indispensable ally in Otes’s success in conquering his initial territory. The dwarves had donated armor, weapons, and warriors to conquer the large tract of land that came to be known as the Drakynium.
“If a friend of the dwarves needs help, they need only ask. If Otesis needs help, they don’t even need to ask.”
— King Gralim, the promise of eternal friendship with Otesis.
Culture
“The three Fings that a dwarf lives for: Family, Friends and Fun”
In addition to being excellent miners and the best mortal forgers in the world, dwarves have a culture that values strong companionship and friendship. It is said that becoming friends with a dwarf is like digging for gold. The process is long, but the reward is worth it. For dwarves, friendships are sacred. To be called a friend by a dwarf is to know that you will have someone to fight for you whenever possible, and that he will do everything in his power to help you with whatever you need. In addition to being the best drinking and partying partner there is.
Despite being great seekers of treasures beneath the earth, dwarves know that true friendship is rarer than any jewel they can find, so they end up being extremely demanding and slow when it comes to truly calling someone a friend.
For the residents of Goriath, even surrounded by metals and precious stones, it is their families that represent their greatest treasures. Moments spent with family and friends are more valuable than anything they find digging deep into the earth they love so much. In the dwarven race, women end up being extremely valued, as the birth rate of female dwarves is significantly lower than that of males, with women making up about 1/3 of the dwarven population. Therefore, the birth of a girl is particularly celebrated by the family. Throughout their lives, dwarven women are extremely respected figures by all their compatriots, regardless of social class. Dwarven women have complete freedom without judgment to perform any profession they wish. Whether it is mining or forging alongside the males, or even performing more feminine tasks such as sewing and arts, whatever a woman wants to do with her life, she will be allowed to do. And war is no different, however the number of women in the dwarven army is tiny, if not non-existent. Due to their rarity, dwarf women themselves know that each death is an immense loss to the race as a whole, with only the most stubborn and true warriors going to the battlefields, but practically all of them know very well how to defend themselves if the battle comes to them.
It is said that there is no happier and more satisfied wife than a dwarf wife. Because, once married, the dwarf makes his family his priority, being only him and his wife, the husband will do everything possible to keep his wife satisfied and protected. Dwarves are naturally monogamous, having no carnal or romantic interests in their lives other than their partners. Of course, while single, a dwarf can do whatever he wants with his life, but once married, his life becomes the well-being of his family, always showing deep love for his wife and children and having a tremendous desire to protect them.
Once a family is formed, the loss of it for a dwarf can be devastating. There are rare cases of a healthy and non-destructive recovery. But it is almost a rule that the dwarf will never love anyone again, or at least not as he loved his wife. And if he is not consumed by an extreme vengeful rage, the dwarf easily ends up losing himself in a deep sadness with which he will have to live for the rest of his days.
The Bença Of Mothers
Since women are extremely valuable in dwarven culture, the most important women in each person’s life would certainly have a specific ritual for them.
The “Bença” of the Mothers is a popular ritual among the dwarven race, but unconsciously mandatory in Goriath. When a dwarf leaves home for any reason, be it to explore the world, travel to certain places, and to fight, of course, they go to their mothers to ask for the Bença. They kiss their mothers’ hand in an extremely respectful way and say “Bença, mother”, as if to say “Bless me, mother”. And the mother responds: “May the mountain bless you, my son (daughter)”, demonstrating deep love and desire for her son or daughter to return home alive and well. Once the Bença is granted, the dwarves walk towards the world, wherever or for whatever reason they are going. The Mother’s Bença can be requested and granted not only by the biological mother, but also by any maternal figure that the dwarf truly considers, such as an aunt, grandmother or even an older sister. In more extreme cases where the dwarf has no one else like that, he asks for the Bença from Goriath, the mountain itself. In the dwarven language, Goriath means “Mother Mountain”, and she is the mother of all dwarves who will always be there waiting for the return of her beloved sons and daughters.
The Cult Of The Bakalavar
The Bakalavar, translated from the dwarven language as “bachelors”, are a group of male dwarves who have visibly given up the search for marriage. Due to the low number of dwarven women, with one woman for every two men, many dwarves will remain without wives for the rest of their lives. The Bakalavar are the dwarves who, even among the single men, do not seek marriage, eliminating themselves from the competition for dwarven women, thus facilitating the formation of couples within their race.
To show their choice, all Bakalavar have a huge tattoo of lines and symbols that covers their entire left arm and tapers until it forms a ring-shaped tattoo on their ring finger.
Although they cannot have serious relationships, the Bakalavar are completely free to have casual relationships at will. Likewise, because they do not tie themselves down to anyone, they are among the freest of the dwarven race. A Bakalavar goes wherever he wants and does whatever he wants, which is why most dwarves who choose this life are dwarves who seek adventure, explore the world and raise their profile. They are dwarves who want to live for themselves, not selfishly, but freely. They want to dedicate their lives to their own will, without anyone holding them back, so with freedom and plenty of time to dedicate themselves, the Bakalavar naturally become very experienced and experts in whatever they have chosen for their lives. Whether it is adventure, exploration, crafting or even war, the Bakalavar, with all their freedom, dedicate themselves completely to whatever they want to do in their lives, without the impediment and burden of having anyone to worry about other than themselves.
Many people outside of dwarven culture may think that the Bakalavar are frowned upon by their own people, but this is far from the truth. Since there are more men than women in the dwarf race, the Bakalavar do not put the multiplication of their race at risk, since there are still many options for men for women to marry. In addition, they are very popular among the children of their race due to their carefree and free, and even rebellious, behavior. But what makes the Bakalavar respected among the dwarves is their competence. Dwarves pride themselves on performing well in any role for which they are famous, and this is largely due to the Bakavalar. By dedicating themselves solely to their passions, these dwarves become true professionals who are highly competent in their fields, giving even more fame to their entire race.
Even though they are a normalized and even valued cult, noble dwarves forbid their children from becoming Bakalavar, since the continuation of the family lineage is much more important to them, meaning that the majority of Bakalavar are dwarves from more normal classes. A father cannot forbid his son from joining the cult, for the Bakalavar admire freedom, and so they do not deny anyone who wants to become one of them. However, the father can punish him by disinheriting him or disregarding him as part of the family, which is never a pleasure for a dwarf.
Titles
The Axe of Goriath
The Axe of Goriath is the title given to the best dwarf warrior in the capital. This title, once granted, is carried until death. However, the old age of the dwarves, even if late, is brutal, not allowing them to fight anymore. It is at this moment that the dwarf gives up his pride and resigns from his title, which will be promptly granted to a younger dwarf. Many wish to carry a unique honor like this until their last breath. Contrary to the famous pride of the dwarves, an old Axe of Goriath gives up this noble title so that it can be better represented by a young warrior and active in battles. For, as it has been said for millennia: “The Axe of Goriath must keep cutting.”
Even if he is an active part of the army, the Axe of Goriath has the privilege of choosing where he will fight, having no obligation to obey orders from any superior; even the words of the king of Goriath himself are nothing more than suggestions for the Axe. That is why the choice to receive this title is a true honor that practically one dwarf knows every century, for the chosen dwarf is not only the best warrior, but the one whose honor and loyalty have been strongly demonstrated. Where the dwarves and Goriath need a strong cut, the Axe will be there.
The Hammer of Goriath
The Hammer of Goriath is the title given to the best dwarf forger in the capital. Like the Axe, it is a title held by right until the end of life, normally the bearer gives it up when he is no longer physically able to perform the function that granted him this title. However, the Hammer title ends up being more secure than the Axe, since the activity of forging is less affected by age than that of fighting, therefore, the Hammer of Goriath title is held by the bearer for longer in his old age compared to the Axe.
Unities
Inokrar
The Inokrar, translated as “Reborn of the Earth”, are the elite and royal guard of the dwarves of Goriath.
The funeral rite in the dwarven capital of Goriath is to allow the mountain to carry and absorb the bodies and minds of the dead dwarves. For them, few things are worthy of respect, but among them are friends, family and home. This rite is a way for the dead to always remain at home, their mountain, and close to their loved ones.
However, at will, some dwarves can even overcome the force of death. More common in times of war, the minds of some recently dead dwarves absorbed by the mountain manage to fight and win the battle against their own logic and return to the physical world. Their mind passes through the soil and stones of the mountains, carrying everything along with their consciousness, and reaching the living with a new body. One made entirely of Kalat, a brown-colored jewel. Enduring to the extreme, tireless, and immortal in time, these reborn of the earth are now Inokrar, the elite within the klai, serving with a strength, determination, and loyalty more unbreakable than their bodies.
Characters
Olin, The Axe of Goriath
Bearing the legendary title of “Axe of Goriath”, given to the greatest dwarf warrior of his time, Olin is the tireless muscle and brute force of the dwarven army. He formed the mythical trio of the Otesian Age, “the elf, the dwarf and the mole”, along with the elf Itrian, an Otesis knight of the Brasali legion, and the molom Praile, general of the Otesian army.
Grildom, the Hammer of Goriath
He was the founder of Grilfor, a faction within Goriath that committed to forging weapons and armor for the Drakynium. Despite being mostly formed by dwarves from Goriath, they accepted blacksmiths from all over the world and religions, both to produce and to learn. Grildom himself was responsible for forging the 5 weapons of the founding commanders of the Otesis legions.
Haulin
With the dragon Gralgor’s rule over the surface of the continent, the dwarves of Goriath locked themselves deep within their mother mountain. This resulted in the birth and creation of dwarves who never saw the world above the earth, the sky, or even the light of the sun. Haunlin was one of these dwarves; he was a child when the gates of the mountain were closed. In this way, he reached adulthood without ever leaving the earth, but when the dragon was slain by the dwarves’ friend, Otes Abiak, the gates were able to be opened again.
For the first time in their lives, many dwarves, including Haulin, were able to leave Goriath and see the world above. Haulin was amazed by the beauty of the world he could only imagine through the tales and descriptions told by his elders. But above all, there was something that struck his soul with a greater force and light than his eyes. Beyond the earth, the clouds, the sky, there was him. That which marked Haulin’s life for the rest of his life: the Sun.
No forge bathed him with such comfortable warmth in his life, no jewel on earth had such a pure and beautiful glow as that star that shines in the sky above. Haulin began to admire the sun as a devotee dedicates himself to his god. After his first encounter and despite his respect and love for Goriath, the dwarf could bear life trapped beneath the earth, even if it was a bit shameful for someone of his race to admit. He simply could no longer measure a life deprived of contact with such a glorious star.
Haulin began to apply the sun to whatever he could in his life. All of his equipment was made with the metal Solium, a bronze-yellow metal capable of absorbing and storing light to be reused later. His shield, Ofast, is molded in the image and shape of the Sun. His main weapon is Orglia, a morningstar club whose thorny sphere continues to emit a constant and pure light. Not only is his equipment based on the sun, but also his personality. Haulin seeks to be to everyone around him what the sun was to him when they first met him. He seeks to make people happy in the same way that the sun makes him happy. Kind, friendly, loyal and honorable are just a few of Haulin’s many qualities. He seeks to be a sun of comfort and support to everyone around him, he seeks to charm people in the same way that the sun charmed him. Some testimonials from people about Haulin
- “Haulin, on his saddest day, bought drinks for everyone in the bar. He said that the happiness of others made him happy.”
- “He delivered my 7th daughter. My wife said that she had never delivered such a peaceful, painless and safe birth. My daughter was born healthy and perfect. Only after the birth did I discover that Haulin is not even a doctor. His friendliness seemed so medical, he genuinely convinced me that everything would be okay.”
- There is an old dwarf in Goriath who lives alone, since all her family has already died. As she got older, she developed mild dementia. Haulin pretends to be her grandson because it makes her smile.
- “I was once getting the worst beating of my life in an alley by some bullies. Haulin came in and made all the guys run away. Even though he didn’t contribute anything during the whole fight, he helped me up and said, ‘They didn’t stand a chance against the two of us.’”
- Haulin has prevented several suicides. • “I was having the worst day of my life, unable to find a way out of my problems. Haulin simply told me ‘everything will be fine’, that made me smile and since then my life has started to go well.
- He has spent days in the forge to create gifts that would make orphans happy.
Haulin fights mainly so that every good person has a place under the sun. He fights so that evil will never be strong enough again to force an entire people to live underground, deprived of the legendary sunlight that he loves so much.
Some races have characteristics for which they are known. Beauty is not one for which dwarves are famous. However, Haulin is said to be quite handsome, with hair like his beard, blond and long. The dwarf has a morning ritual, he spends the late hours of the morning awake, facing east, sitting and waiting for the sun to rise. He says he does this because he does not want to miss a single second in which the sun covers him with light and invigorating heat.