GOTL - Chaos Wars

Daewar Dwarves

In the years predating Thorbardin, this clan had little to do with the others.
The Daewar lived in a great keep that they erected on the slopes of Sky’s End Peak. There they lived in isolation, yet with a kind of permanence and dignity that escaped their cliff dwelling and cave-dwelling neighbors. It was the Daewar explorer, Urkhan, who discovered the vast caverns that would one day house Thorbardin.

Daewar are the dwarven craftsman. They excel at battle and at metalworking and are considered to be 'good' dwarves as well. Daewar are almost as 'noble' as the Hylar, but they are more concerned with the acquisition of wealth and are usually the merchants of dwarvenkind.
The Daewar divide themselves into orthaxes, or religious sects such as the Forgers, Silverhands, Golden Hammers, Firehearts, and other religious organizations.

The Forgers are the worshippers of Reorx the Forge. They believe that perfection of oneself comes from perfecting one’s craft, a path requiring hard work,dedication, and sacrifice.
The Golden Hammers revere Thak the Hammer, the god Paladine, who appears as a platinum-skinned dwarf with a silver beard and a golden hammer.

The Silverhands are those dwarves who revere Shinare, the Silver Master, in a unique masculine incarnation, as a god of industry. These dwarves believe in accumulating wealth through hard work, and for the benefit of all. The Firehearts revere Sirrion the Firemaster. Firehearts revere the flame that fuels the fires of the forge, endeavoring to use the forge in creative pursuits.

Hylar Dwarves

The Hylar have traditionally been the ruling clan of Thorbardin. it was their arrival that
first united the clans, and it was Hylar pressure that forced the Daewar to open up the
underground cavern to all the subraces of dwarves.

The Hylar are the most inventive of the dwarves, as evidenced by the technology for things such as aqueducts, pulleys, lifts, and cart tracks that they brought with them from Thorin, not to mention the superior steel that they alone knew how to forge.

Dwelling primarily in the great Life-Tree, the Hylar have created one of the wonders of Ansalon from this great stalactite. The Hylar have been the force behind the two great colonizations in Thorbardin’s history, the journeys to Thoradin and Kayolin.

Hylar live in fabulous underground cities beneath immense mountain ranges. The most famous of all dwarven kingdoms is Thorbardin, a 300 square mile area in the Kharolis Mountains. Mountain dwarves have little interest in the affairs of other races. In fact, most mountain dwarves have never seen a non-dwarf. They are not interested in helping others unless they can be shown that the matter affects them directly. Two other dwarven races are closely associated with the Hylar and often live in the same cities. The Daewar, who are respected fighters, deter to the Hylar's leadership. The Klar are hill dwarves who serve the wealthy Hylar in menial roles.
The Hylar are the primary worshippers of Reorx, showing little tolerance for the worship of other gods. They have been wary of the “new” magic of the Age of Mortals. Those dwarves who embrace mysticism are viewed with distrust. They have broken age old traditions established in the days of the earliest thanes. Mystics are shunned at best, exiled at worst.

Klar Dwarves

The Klar were a clan of dwarves that were one of the original four clans of Kal-Thax. These wild dwarves are rendered mad by their use of the false metal tamex, or quicksilver.
Klar delight in the flowing of tamex, and typically use it to add a sheen to their works of art, as well as keeping bowls and dishes of the stuff around to play with.

Klar are temperamental, unpredictable and, when angered, almost immune to the effects of logic or pain. Other dwarves consider them rude and unkempt, but the Klar are tolerated, in part, because of their skill in battle. The Klar are excellent scouts, able to maintain a movement rate of 12 when unencumbered by metal armor, and they are absolutely ferocious when attacking.

The Klar are not as productive laborers or as skilled craftsmen as the other clans. Still, their needs are simple, and they have managed to delve for themselves an extensive and multi-leveled city. The buildings and streets are somewhat chaotically arranged, and connecting passages are sparse. Often two buildings back each other, but a dwarf must travel from one through a mile or more of winding tunnel to reach the other building’s entrance.

The Klar have always had close ties with the earth. The Klar believe that when Reorx forged the world, he imbued into his creation a spark of his own divine essence. This spark
gave life to the earth, which in turn made it fertile. Klar clerics are charged with spreading the word of the living Krynn. To understand the living earth is to understand the secrets the earth holds. It is said that Klar clerics can speak with the stones, and draw strength fromthem. They can also command the creatures of the earth.

Theiwar Dwarves

The first thane to form in Kal-Thax, the Theiwar were cliff-dwellers who inhabited the
high summits of Cloudseeker Peak. Shrewd and ambitious, they are stocky and broadshouldered. The Theiwar are the only dwarves who claim any proficiency in magic use. Through their savants, who are often physically deformed and repulsive in appearance, the Theiwar have a potent source of fear that they freely use to intimidate dwarves of the other clans.

Among the Theiwar themselves, the savants are despised and feared, even as they are obeyed.
The members of this subrace are selfish and malicious, deriving cruel pleasure from the sufferings of others. They are cunning deal makers, and will conceal trickery and deception in the midst of apparently innocent conversation and negotiation. When the tables are turned, however, a Theiwar often seeks vengeance in blood for any kind of trick played upon him.
The dark Theiwar dwarves worship the dark gods of the dwarves. These evil gods are often seen as perversions of dwarf craftsmanship.

Tamex the False Metal (Takhisis) is chief among the Theiwar deities. Tamex is the master manipulator and schemer, whom they believe seeks to put the Theiwar as the masters of all dwarf clans with her machinations.

Hitax the Flaw (Hiddukel) is the god of lies and betrayal, whose clerics drive the Theiwar to turn upon their Hylar cousins. These dark clerics spread the seeds of greed
and jealousy within the hearts of the Theiwar, using the flaws in all things to their advantage.
Morgax the Rustlord (Morgion) appears as a dwarf made of rusted metal that falls off of him as he walks. Morgax is the decay that not only affects metal, but also the dwarven heart. Clerics of the Rustlord wear armor with thesymbol of an upside-down axe.

Aghar Dwarves

Gully Dwarves, or Aghar, are considered by many to be the most repulsive of races on Krynn. Gully dwarves are the diminutive cousins of true dwarves, though they still have a seat on the Council of Thanes in Thorbardin. Their leader, the Highbulp, is the Aghar who is most accomplished at groveling his way out of any given situation.

The Aghar were one of the original dwarven clans living in Kal-Thax. Although they can be found living in clans all over Ansalon their history is often lost on the outside world. The Aghar were often considered to be comic relief to much of the other dwarven clans.

The Aghar have been led by a variety of people. Their earliest known Highbulp was Faze I who led the Aghar at the time of the creation of Thorbardin. Not much is known from the time of the first Highbulp but there are a few notable instances of Aghar bravery.

During the Dwarfgate War the Highgug led a group of gully dwarves in the defense of Pax Tharkas. When many could have ran they stood their ground and were defeated by the Neidar army. Another instance is the Aghar Regal Everwise who led Tarn back to Hybardin.

Habitat and Society:
Aghar communities are quite small. Most clans live in abandoned villages or in the wilderness in old mines or caves. Others live in slums, refuse dumps, or the sewer systems of large cities. When several clans live together, the strongest and cleverest becomes the local king, whose title is produced by adding the prefix "High" to his clan name. Each successive king often calls himself "the first" owing to the Agar's inability to count.

Gully dwarves believe magical items are useless because other races put their magic into them. To gully dwarves, the most powerful items are those that do nothing at all. Objects such as old bones, rotten fruit, fur balls, and bent sticks are treasured and venerated. The clan's shaman keeps these "holy relics" and administers their use.

Terrified of any threat, Gully Dwarves are exceptionally hardheaded and stupid, but when driven into a corner can fight with a surprising ferocity using their only weapons-tooth and nail.

Ecology:
Other races avoid Aghar, but they are occasionally hired to perform menial tasks. Gnomes occasionally hire them as assassins and spies, even though gully dwarves aren't particularly adept at these jobs. Gully dwarves eat anything; many gully dwarves keep a pot of stew boiling constantly, throwing anything dead or nearly dead into the pot.

Daergar Dwarf

The Daergar (Deepest) are one of the Clans of Dwarves who live in the underground kingdom of Thorbardin. They are closely related to the Theiwar clan and are considered “Dark Dwarves”, some clans even refer to them as “Dewar” due to inter-marriages between them. Their numbers are plentiful, and are fiercely consumed with hate for the other clans.

They were banished to the deepest parts of Thorbardin after being accused of conspiring against the Hylar. The Daergar have long been miners by trade, skilled at finding and mining precious ores, be it iron, gold or silver. They really didn’t mind being banished deep underground because that was where the best ore could be found.

The Daergar are also one of the original clans of Kal-Thax. One of their earliest known thanes was Vog Ironface, who ruled at the time of the Hylar arrival. After the Hylar arrival, the Daergar played several important roles in the Wizards War and the wars against the Empire of Ergoth.

Post Cataclysm:
When the mines were shut down following the Cataclysm, the Daergar were hit the hardest. Their city became ruled by thugs and gangs. The city sank into squalor and the inhabitants turned to any means to get by, most often dishonest. They blamed the Hylar for closing the mines and joining forces with the Theiwar to try again to overthrow the Hylar.

War of the Lance:
At the conclusion of the War of the Lance the Daergar Thane was Halt Blackmetal. He was thane until Darkend Bellowsmoke replaced him. Darkend Bellowsmoke led a rebellion against the Hylar. He convinced the Theiwar and the Klar to fight against the Hylar during the Chaos War. It was during this time when Darkend's sister, Gerimeth Bellowsmoke conspired with Zarak Thuul, a Chaos Daemon, in conquering all of Thorbardin. During the rebellion both Darkend and Gerimeth are killed, and the daemon Zarak Thuul is defeated. Following the rebellion, the dark dwarves rule for a time before the return of Tarn Bellowgranite, the true High Thane.

Habitat and Society:
Daergar are the counterparts of the Theiwar in much the same way the Daewar are the counterpart of the Hylar. They are the brawn behind the Theiwar brains. However, they are not allies: the Daergar are even more murderous than their Theiwar cousins, and much more prone to physical violence rather than cunning to resolve any given situation. Daergar have established impressive strongholds in the caverns beneath the Kharolis Mountains. Outposts are also rumored to exist elsewhere on the continent. Daergar cities are dark and gloomy. Windowless prison modules and a huge arena where prisoners engage in bloody combat for the amusement of the citizens dominate a typical Daergar city.

Among the most revered members of the Daergar society are the bonemasters. Bonemasters are elder Daergar who attend to the bone pits located on the village perimeters, designing weapons, tools, and armor made from the bones. Bonemasters also have the ability to animate bones, creating living skeletons to do the bonemaster's bidding. A bonemaster can animate humanoid and animal skeletons alike; a number of skeletons equal to the bonemaster's level can be animated at the same time. The animated skeletons cannot be of any class; they choose their successors, to whom they teach the bone-animating ability.

Ecology
Daergar have little interest in the affairs of other races. They hate Neidar and have no particular affection for Humans, Elves, or Kender.