Thror's Memoirs

The Dwarven Quarters By Thror Stormhammer

For the aid o' folk thet would read me tale, I've hired a local scribe to clean up me writin' some, as I've been told en the past thet me common es nae very easy for some ta unnerstand, so hopefully this helps folks.

The first I'd heard about the area known as the Dwarven Quarters were shortly after I'd arrived en Mikona. Me brother en faith, Kharak Hammerstar, told me the tale. From me talk with Kharak, what I could find en the Mikonan Library, and me conversations with the spirits thet dwelled en the Quarters durin me quest ta free them, I've compiled what I know of ta be a representation o' ets history. I'll recount this history for ye now.

A little over 2000 years ago, the human tribe folk o' M'Chek started unitin' inta the nation we know et as today. Dwarves from Galdos, lead by the preist Kang Graniteanvil, later came ta them and soon built the city known now as Mikona for the humans. In return for their aid, the humans gave the dwarves the area under the city to mine, work, and live in as their own. This area o' the city became known as the Dwarven Quarters. Much rumor an' urban myth have been said 'bout what happened down en those tunnels mebbe only a year or less after the city were completed. But what I've been able to piece together or been told be this. The dwarves started ta open a new mine en the unnerdark below their Quarters, and humans o' the surface heard tell o' the dwarves diggin a tunnel. Somehow this lead to the belief by much o' the populace that the tunnel bein' dug was a tunnel all the way back ta Galdos, and thet th' dwarves were goin' ta invade the city. This o'course was false, though the city didnae know this, and so the cities leaders decided ta launch an attack on the dwarves usin' their army. This attack fell on the dwarves without warnin and en their sense o' dissarray at the sudden attack, every dwarf en the complex were slaughtered. Shortly after, the Dwarves' Halls would become filled with their spirits, and the complex would become lost to memory. It remained lost until much later, when it were rediscovered by the cities adventurers durin' the times when the city were facin' the menace o' the lich Sorvanok, who laired in the unnerdark beneath Mikona, and had been using the old dwarven tunnels to launch attacks on the surface. Later, Sorvanok would be defeated and the Quarters would be recognized as a property o' the Church o' Gorethar by M'Chek, and et would be often patrolled by the resident Order o' Gorethar, lookin ta keep folks out who wished ta search for the rumor o' lost valuables among the old dwarves' posessions. However, the spirits still remained, and over the years, many tried ta help free them, from Kharak Hammerstar, the dwarf who first told me o' the Quarters, ta followers o' Dagath's orders.

This es where meself came en. In the year 2151, me brother en faith, Vastan Thenald, and meself were invited to a meetin' in the City o' Mikona at the home o' Lord Donnie Grumbald, a member o' their Noble House and a fellow Paladin o' Gorethar. Also at this meetin' were: Moira Windspar and Mara Millenen o' the Council o' Balance, Missy Flows o' the Keepers o' the Cycle, Shen Ko and Alphonse Irofin o' the Council o' Dagath; Jared Evershield, Spit and Samwir o' the M'Chekian Guards. At this meetin' Lord Grumbald announced the intentions o' the Joint Houses o' M'Chek ta purchase the Dwarven Quarters from the Church o' Gorethar, so thet M'Chek might use the unnerdark below ta attempt underground farmin' ta help feed ets people. The Church o' Gorethar en Galdos agreed ta sell ta the Nation o' Mchek under certain conditions. The first condition were thet the Dwarven Quarters must be cleansed and the spirits that had dwelled their be returned ta Gorethar's side. The groups assembled at the meetin' were ta undertake this, with the Order o' Gorethar en charge o' the whole thing so as ta make sure things were done properly and no sacrilege were committed. The second condition were thet any artifacts found durin the process or located en the Quarters, would be returned ta the Church en Galdos. Lord Grumbald also spoke o' some trouble bein' had en the unnerdark as well, a dracolich plaguin' the area, and thet ef we could take care o' thet problem while we were dealin with the Quarters, he certainly wouldnae mind.

Shortly after this I took a group o' folk down inta the Quarters. Early attempts ta speak with the spirits failed, but later on we spoke with some spirits o' priests who informed us thet there were different sorts o' spirits down thar. Some knew thar fate and were aware o' the Quarters as they were.... while others suffered from the trauma o' the sudden attack and believed et ta be a few days afore the attack, and thet the Quarters looked like they did back then. Soon we came ta the places Great Hall and Temple ta Gorethar, where we spoke with Kang Graniteanvil, the leader o' the spirits en life. He informed us o' prior attempts at freein' the spirits and folk o' Dagath who'd come ta talk ta him en the past, some tried prayer and others tried force. While force temporarily would send the spirits ta rest, et didnae work permanently. Only thar essences remained entrenched en thet place, so by tryin ta remove them by physical means, they'd only be ripped back again from the afterlife by the curse thet layed upon them. We then decided ta ask Kang how the curse came about. He didnae recall et comin' to pass, as he musta been dead durin thet time, he only remembered seemin ta fall inta a slumber when he died, and awakin' ta find he werenae returned by Gorethar as he thought he musta been...but were still dead. The last bit o' information Kang gave then were thet he thought thet the curse might have somethin ta do wth' the foulness below the quarters, as thought before back when Sorvanok laired down thar. He also mentioned thet a few days before the humans attacked, the dwarf miners had uncovered a narrow passage en the mine, with an odd shinin glowin thing they could see at the end o' the passage en the distance. Thinkin et prhaps odd er foul, they covered et back up...and then the attacks came.

The next excursion below Mikona occured later, with the intent by meself ta discover this narrow passage thet Kang had spoke o' the last time. The group again included representatives o' all the groups thet had been present at the meetin' with Lord Grumbald, and also Lord Grumbald himself this time. We made our way down through the Quarters inta the unnerdark below in search o' this tunnel, and instead we encountered the foulness o' thet place. We were first attacked by the cultists who formerly served Sorvanok and had been livin ragtag down thar since, and they were accompained by a pit fiend and some other bloody things o' thet nature. We eventually encountered the bloody dracolich etself and much ta me dislike, our group started speakin' with et. Ets name we found out were Draxithrax, and et knew why we were down thar. Et offered ta give us the knowledge needed ta lift the curse only ef the city agreed ta let et keep the place as its eternal dwellin', and o'course, et wanted ta be kept undisturbed from the city dwellers. We told the beast thet we would return ta the surface and discuss his proposal and think on et. From the onset I knew me answer were goin' ta be ta tell et thet et could go bugger itself, despite the wishins o' the valokians with us thet we should trick the beast, and use et ta find information thet could help us, then go back and slay et. But the final word in the decision were given ta me by Lord Grumbald later, and oi decided ta nae enter inta any sort o' deal with et, despite the valokians' pissin' and moanin' about me bein an idiot ta do such.

A week or so later another group lead by meself would again descend inta the unnerdark beneath the Quarters in search o' thet passage Kang had spoken o'. This time we ended up en what once was Sorvanoks throne room after encounterin' more o' the foul cultists and fiends. While most o' us explored fer the passageway, Jadrienne Starfire, who were present on behalf o' the Council o' Dagath, were messin' with this rune circle near the back o' the cave, which I were told Sorvanok used ta summon a mighty balor years and years ago. She said Draxithrax'd been tamperin with the portal, and tryin ta change ets destination, but en doin so Draxithrax had broken et. She said she could fix et and allow us ta pass through, so that we might see where the dracolich had been tryin ta go. I however, insisted thet we keep lookin fer the passage Kang had told about. Eventually, we succeeded en findin et after a few hammerblows managed ta knock a passage through the rock otherwheres en the unnerdark. We descended down inta the passage, where another hollow en the rock was. Before I could knock through the rock again ta the next passage beyond, an Archon appeared, a messenger from me lord Gorethar. She ordered us ta stop and leave the place. She claimed thet what layed below could nae help us. She had been forbidden ta tell us mortals what layed below exactly, she only said et been neither good nor evil and beyond our ability ta comprehend. As she spoke this, some o' us had visions o' nine figures o' various races holdin hands around a pillar o' light. While some were fair, others dark, all were ... beautiful en a way. Et coulda possibly been a vision o' The Nine. The Archon spoke thet this same thing which layed below caused the downfall o' the Dwarves, though indirectly. After some questionin, she said thet the Harpinger had been keepin the Dwarven Spirits the 'way they were, since after what they discovered down there they were nae mortal anymore, en a way. We then vacated the area on me order, and once gettin back inta the unnerdark main area, we sealed the passage back up. Afterwards, Jadrienne looked at thet rune portal again and activated et and we went through. When we stepped through we found ourselves en the secret room where Sorvanok once kept his phylactery. We didnae find much there, until Draxithrax appeared. He thanked us fer openin his portal and then asked me ef I'd thought on his offer. I told him he could bugger off, then there were some more talkin, mostly Jadrienne bein' polite and nice ta et, whether she were afraid o' pissin et off or was just suckin' up, I dunno. She even offered ta give the dracolich the location o' thet hidden passage in exchange fer information, I o'course shot this idea down. Soon afterwards Draxithrax started gettin agitated and then started attackin us and unleashin ets breath on us, sayin I'd offended et. Most o' us were knocked around er paralyzed by fear or ets breath 'cept fer Moira o' the Council o' Balance and meself. I hammered away at et fer a long time as Moira helped ta keep me on me feet. Twere a long battle, but en the end I smote down Draxithrax. We found his gold ring en the rubble and Moira took et fer safe keepin'. After those who'd been knocked around were ready ta move, we returned ta the surface.

The ring we found from Draxithrax's bones would play ets own short tale as well. Apparently after me encounter with Draxithrax, the M'Chekian Guards went on a mission ta talk with a dragon en the unnerdark o' the wilderness, after talkin with it some the spirit o' Draxithrax appeared and took over the other dragon, transformin et inta his new host. Draxithrax told the Guards o' how id smote him and his ring had been taken. The Guards would attempt ta gain this ring throughout the time meself and moira kept it, by attemptin and later on succeedin en gettin a House order fer me ta do so. Durin' this time though the ring were kept secret as ta who carried et and had et en their posession, as assassins en the from o' the cultists, now under Draxithrax's control, came lookin' fer et. Later en a meetin with the joint house, et was revealed ta them o' the Noble House thet Moira had the ring. This followed by more assassination attempts now on her life, but en the form o' men now, nae cultists. Et turns out after some research by very powerful magefolk, thet ets magical qualities were hidden inside et and was actually very powerful, with the ability ta banish outsiders back ta their home planes among other things. I then took the ring inta me own possession and sook out Kangs knowledge on et. From what I learned from him and from research en the Church archives, et were found by meself ta apparently be an Artifact o' the Church o' Gorethar, known as the Fist o' Gorethar, a weapon against demons and devils that had been found by the Church millenia ago en Galdos. Presentin this information ta the Houses, et were ruled thet et was a Church Property and so et didnae have ta be turned over ta the Guards. This would later be overturned after even more information were presented thet I had nae known about. This information were uncovered by Damar Ogdem, though I couldnae tell ye where from. Apparently, the ring were originally forged by followers o' a Demon Lord en the deep unnerdark fer use en the wars down there between demonkin and thar followers. Around the time o' the Demonspawn Wars and those battles en South Galdos, the ring were lost by those followers, and found by preists o' Gorethar, who took et ta be a gift from the Battle Lord. Over years o' use as a weapon o' good, the ring became purified and so were considered an Artifact o' Gorethars Church. The ring came south with Kang, who were ets keeper, and apparently et were lost durin the Mikonans attack on the dwarves. It was surmised thet somehow Sorvanok over the years had it come inta his possession en the unnerdark, and from him et passed inta Draxithrax's possession. So after this the decision were overturned and I were forced ta turn the ring over ta the Houses, which I did. Last I knew et were goin ta be researched on by some board o' folks, Ogdem included. Thats the last I heard of et.

Sometime over the next while, Draxithrax's actual origins were pieced together. Apparently he were a young dragon thet was slayed in battle by a young M'Chekian Lord after a short rampage on the countryside. His bones apparently lay dormant fer a great many years until Sorvanok raised him and made him inta a dracolich. After Sorvanok were defeated, Draxithrax remained still, apparently havin escaped the notice of all who'd encountered Sorvanok. He in fact seemed ta keep very well hidden until his appearances shortly before the meetin' with Lord Grumbald. In short order he also seemed ta have taken over Sorvanoks Cultists, so he likely displaced Lord Nyax, a lieutenant o' sorvanoks who'd been leadin the cultists since sorvanoks destruction. So Draxithrax could very much be considered the last remnant o' Sorvanoks evil left en the unnerdark o' Mikona.

The M'Chekian Guards would soon organize and head up a mission down inta the unnerdark with the intention ta find Draxithrax's phylactery, and destroy et, destroyin' him. The Guards en charge o' the expedition were Ayren Milen and Jared Evershield. Others en the group included: Mara Milenen, Tamia Amakiir, Mink, Minas Lightbringer, Gothardt Staahl, Hert Snyder, Vastan Thenald, Kaz Siger, Moira Windspar, Jadrienne Starfire, Missy Flows, Aradan Kir, Onath R'Daenen, Samwir, and Meself.

The group made ets way down through the unnerdark, fightin' the Cultists and undead along the way, and they were en good number. We soon came upon the corpse o' a fallen dragon en the tunnels down thar, and after discussion, et were raised by Mara. Without the dead dragon, et was one less set o' bones for draxithrax ta possibly re-inhabit. After some more conversation thet didnae really tell us much, the dragon left fer the surface disguised in human shape. We then pushed on and encountered more cultists and other things, until we came upon a strange lookin' portal thet were also guarded by more cultists. After dispatchin these foes en timely fashion, we started investigatin the portal. Jadrienne went through ta the other side ta see where et came from, when nae word was heard from her after a bit, Ayren went en and shortly after both returned. They spoke o' many enemies awaitin beyond the portal and then Jadrienne sealed et so thet they couldnae follow us. We then went the long way around and came to where the portal had lead ta accordin ta Jadrienne. We charged thar and heavy battle took place, with a few o' our number fallin ta thar press. We pushed back an' overcame the cultists, slicin and smashin 'em down, when the dust settled we helped our fellows ta thar feet and investigated where we were. Here we found the bones o' another dragon layin en a corner. A few o' us then proceeded ta break up ets bones, so as ta make et useless ta Draxithrax. And at thet moment, the dracolich himself appeared behind us. He roared and called out thet we would all die at his hands. A pitched battle ensued, and when Draxithrax seemed ta be nae likin his odds, he escaped through a portal and shut et down from the other side. We then started back, smitin' down any cultists thet we found en our path on the way. Another portal found etself en our path then, and after preparin we charged through ta a room full o' enemies and Draxithrax. Many o' us fell in the battle then, and once the cultists had been dealt with those remainin all turned attention ta Draxithrax. The fell beast paralyzed some and killed others, while some who managed ta stand ta fight et found thar attacks doin little ta nothin against the beast, hardly phasin et at all. The only ones who seemed ta be hurtin et at all were Ayren Milen and meself. Atween his fast sword strikes and me hammerin blows from me maul, the Dracolich soon succumbed ta us and toppled. After bringin our fallen folk back ta us, the others then proceeded ta investigate the room and search et fer the phylactery. While they did this I used me hammer ta smash up the bones o' Draxithrax layin there after he'd been beatin, nae wantin ta take any chances. We would later find the phylactery en Sorvanoks old library, hidden behind a bookshelf. Once et were destroyed, Draxithrax reappeared. Havin' destroyed the other possible hosts fer him, he were forced ta re-inhabit his last body, which had been beaten down by ayren and meself, and then had ets bones broken up by meself. So when he reappeared he were pissed off, but he could barely stand and his bones were bout ta collapse in on themselves, one last blow were delivered ta him by Gothardt Stahl, and thet were the end o' Draxithrax.

A few weeks after this came ta pass, I sat havin a conversation with Garlack, a local preist o' Gorethar who'd been in Mikona since afore anyone can remember. Durin this conversation I hit on a thought and the way ta free the spirits came ta me, a revelation. Gorethars sight somehow had been hazed and his presence had been turned from the Dwarven Quarters by this curse. So en Order ta free the spirits, which I believed ta be fully en Gorethars power, all thet had ta be done would be ta turn the gaze o' Gorethar back ta these halls below Mikona. So I called ta me brethren en the Order o' Gorethar, ta gather one week from thet point en the temple ta Gorethar located down en the Quarters.

The followers o' Gorethar assembled later fer the task would be: Terra Earthkin, Vastan Thenald, Lu'wein Amakiir, Damien, Garlack, Dalabrin Gillivray, Halia Stonefire, Aspen Stormcat, Zahn Reyer, E'Skelos, Lord Donie Grumbald, and meself, Thror Stormhammer. Samwir o' the Guards followed us down and bore witness as Tanmar Stronghammer, Head Cleric o' the Order o' Gorethar, lead us all en prayer. We reached up ta Gorethar with much fervent prayer, en both the dwarven and common tongues. Eventually after some time, we could feel our calls answered and Gorethars presence comin back inta the place.

The Dwarven Spirits then started dissappearin, bein allowed ta depart fer the Halls o' Gorethar. Kang appeared one final time and thanked meself fer all I'd done en search o' a way ta free himself and his brethren.

Later the Order o' Gorethar with some outside assistance would go back down inta the Quarters, ta gather up the belongins o' the dwarves, which were packaged and boxed up and were sent back ta Galdos. This completed the second o' the Church's conditions, and so the Church then officially sold ta the Joint Houses o' M'Chek.

Et would later be announced thet the Joint Houses decided ta remake the old dwarf temple en the Quarters inta a new temple ta Gorethar, with the aid o' Gorethar's Church. Months later et would be completed, and a new High Preist o' Gorethar fer the City o' Mikona would be appointed and sent from Galdos, his name es Orin Thunderfeet, and he resides thar now.

And so, Gorethars presence was returned ta a place where et had thrives a millenia before, and the poor spirits o' those dwarves who'd been trapped thar fer so long were freed. Finally bringin' ta rest a dark chapter o' Mikonas past, once and fer all.