The Daewar Dwarves (Dearest) are one of the clans of Dwarves who live in the underground kingdom of Thorbardin. They are known to be fanatical in their chosen pursuits and have the best trained and dedicated army beneath the mountain. They believe that they are the beloved of Reorx and many have become Clerics dedicated to him. They built and maintained most of the Temples throughout Thorbardin, charging high fees for their services, filling these temples with rich furnishings and built even grander temples.
History[]
The Daewar were one of the original clans of Kal-Thax. It was under the leadership of the Prince Olim Goldbuckle that the Daewar discovered the cavern that would later become known as Thorbardin. The Daewar sent the explorer Urkhan into a cavern; there he discovered a place that could serve the needs of their entire clan. At first, the Daewar attempted to keep the cavern secret from the Theiwar, and to move into the cavern and hide from the rest of the dwarven clans. With the arrival of the Hylar, and the constant threat of outside attackers, the Daewar reluctantly opened their cavern to all the clans.
The Daewar were also the first clan to recognize the importance of the Hylar and the two clans often worked together on projects throughout the centuries. During the Wizard War the Daewar provided many troops to the effort, including the Golden Hammer squad, that was the elite Daewar fighting force.
Post Cataclysm[]
When the Gods disappeared after the Cataclysm, the true clerics of the Daewar also disappeared. Those who were left could no longer heal the plagues that ravaged through Thorbardin, nor could they cast nurturing spells upon the crops. The other clans blamed their misery on the Daewar and attacked their temples and shrines, looting the treasures held within.
Some tried to keep up with their faith and temples, other’s tried to bring forth “miracles” to show that the gods were still here. Many of the clan turned to worshiping other things, such as albino rats to an unusual rock formation.
War of the Lance[]
During the War of the Lance, Gneiss Truesilver ruled the Daewar. As he was too old to fight in the war, many of the Daewar served under Hylar captains, which led to much resentment between the two groups.
Chaos War[]
Prior to the Chaos War, a Daewar by the name of Severus Stonehand created a cult that preached that the Daewar needed to leave Thorbardin and return to Thoradin to reclaim it from the Zhakar Dwarves that ruled it at that time. Stonehand did what he set out to do: he led the Daewar to Thoradin, where he cured the mold plague and forced the Zhakar to submit to his rule.
War of Souls[]
The Daewar who remained in Thorbardin suffered greatly from their loss of their people to what was called Stonehand's "madness". At the time of the War of Souls the Daewar Thane was Rughar Delvestone. Delvestone was loyal to the Hylar Thane Jungor Stonesinger, and sided with him in Jungor's rebellion. The Klar Thane, Glint Ettinhammer, killed Delvestone and his death left the Daewar divided for the remainder of the rebellion. Following the rebellion, Jungor Stonesinger picked a loyal Daewar to lead the clan.
Habitat and Society[]
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.
List of Daewar Dwarves[]
References[]
- A World in Stone, pg. 43
- Songs of the Loremaster, pgs. 42-46
- Covenant of the Forge, pgs. 115-181
- Dragonlance Campaign Setting (sourcebook) p. 13
- Dragons of the Dwarven Depths (PB) p. 379-382, 554-555
- Hammer and Axe, pgs. 10-12, 139-141