Aghar Dwarf

History

The Aghar, or Gully Dwarves, 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 also 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.

Daewar Dwarf

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.

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.

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.

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.

Hylar Dwarf

History

The Hylar are generally considered to be the most noble and leaders of the mountain Dwarves. This clan serves as the ruling clan for the dwarves in which the High King comes from. The Hylar are descended from the Calnar who traveled to Kal-Thax and united the dwarven clans there. The first governing body was the council of Thanes created by Colin Stonetooth as the head of it. Colin was succeeded by his daughter's (Tera Sharn) husband, Willen Ironmaul. Willen would have a child with Tera whom they named Damon Omenborn, which meant father of kings. Damon was born at the conclusion of the war against the wizards.

At first the mountain dwarves had no High King but instead were governed by a council of Thanes. After the war with the Empire of Ergoth was concluded the dwarves selected Derkin Lawgiver as the first High King. Centuries passed until the dwarves experienced one of the most terrible traumas in their history. When the gods cast the mountain onto Istar the dwarves were forced to make a terrible decision. King Duncan seeing that the food stores in Thorbardin could not support both his people and the Neidar ordered the gates closed. This caused a the Dwarfgate War in which the Neidar believed that their cousins and trapped them outside to leave them to die. The truth of the matter was that King Duncan was forced to make a decision and decided that the Neidar would have a better chance at surviving outside. His only alternative was to take all the dwarves inside the mountain and be unable to feed them. King Duncan defeated the Neidar army that was backed with knights and plainsmen and led by the mage Fistandalaus. Following the war King Duncan passed away and no clear successor had been named.

The position of high king remained vacant after the death of King Duncan. To help find a new high king the dwarven hero Kharas (who was grieving over the Dwarfgate wars) hid the Hammer of Kharas claiming that no new High King would be crowned until the hammer was found. The Hammer remained hidden for many years until it was found by Thane Glade Hornfel Kytil. Hornfel passed the hammer onto Baker Whitegranite during the Chaos War. When Baker perished in the Chaos War defeating Chaos he passed the hammer onto Tarn Bellowgranite. Under Tarn's leadership the mountain dwarves reopened communication with the Neidar. Tarn ruled for many years until the War of Souls in which he was overthrown by the dwarf, Jungor Stonesinger, who took the hammer from Tarn after leading a revolt against him.
Habitat and Society

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.

Mountain dwarf leaders are called thanes. Each thane represents his clan on the Council of Thanes, an organization founded for the purpose of settling disputes and promoting common interests. Seats on the Council are held by representatives of the Hylar, Theiwar, Daewar, Daergar, Neidar, Klar, and Aghar. The dwarves venerate their dead and consider the Kingdom of the Dead to be represented on the council. The High King is chosen by acclamation of the Council and must be ordained by the citizens. Most of the great dwarven kings have been Hylar.
Ecology

Tension persists between the Hylar and the other dwarven races. They have reasonably good relations with the Qualinesti Elves. Hylar enjoy roasted meats, boiled vegetables, and strong beer. They rarely trade with other races.

Kayolin Dwarf

History

The Kayolin Dwarves are actually a grouping of two clans of dwarves who live in the Garnet Mountains. These two clans are the Hylar and Daewar who settled here as a mining outpost for Thorbardin. For the first portion of the colony's history it was controlled by Thorbardin who dictated the actions of Kayolin. Even after these dwarves received their independence the Kayolin retained close ties to Thorbardin.

Following the Cataclysm the dwarves of Kayolin were forced to develop a high degree of self-sufficiency. Even though they remained social and cooperative with the nations outside of their borders. Their history has been marked with open communication with the Knights of Solamnia and trade has flourished with them. With the destruction of Thoradin the dwarves were only to willing to serve those who were displaced by the loss of Thoradin.
Habitat and Society

The Kayolin dwarves are not too much different then their cousins in Thorbardin when it comes to nature and appearance. They are a mixture of the two clans that originally settled there and have been able to live peacefully throughout their history.

Intermarriage between the two clans is common and the mixed-clan dwarves nearly outnumber those who are pure blood. This is just one sign of the peaceful coexistence of the dwarves. It is through the value of open communication with each that these dwarves have become a united group rather then the splintered factions found in Thorbardin.

Even though the governorship is Hylar, it is not held over the heads of the Daewar. The rest of the nations posts are decided upon merit and not blood ties. It is not uncommon for a Hylar to serve under a Daewar and do so willingly. When relating to the outside forces these two clans do so as one clan acting in their best interest.

Even though they are a great distance from Thorbardin this has not stopped the Aghar from entering their society. The gully dwarves here though take no interest in the happenings of the realm. The Aghar living here live better then those who live in Thorbardin.

Klar Dwarf

History

The Klar were a clan of dwarves that were one of the original four clans of Kal-Thax. Their ability to use the Urkhan Worms allowed them to take over the farming practices of Thorbardin. During the Dwarfgate War the Klar were trapped inside of Thorbardin and unable to leave to assist the hill dwarves. Following the Dwarfgate war the Klar were put into a status of servitude towards the Hylar people. Living as servants for generations caused a burning hatred, which led to their rebellion during the Chaos War. At the moment Thorbardin most needed help the Klar were the only clan that fought with the Hylar to prevent the spread of Chaos.

Following the Chaos War, Tarn Bellowgranite pardoned many of the Klar for their actions during the Chaos War. The Klar once again came to Tarn's aid during the War of Souls in which the Hylar Thane Jungor Stonesinger led a rebellion against Tarn. After Tarn was defeated by Jungor, some of the Klar joined Tarn in his exile while others began an underground campaign to overthrow the new High Thane Jungor Stonsinger.

Neidar Dwarf

History

The Neidar (knoll dwellers) are the name given to those dwarves who at the time of the creation of Thorbardin chose to live outside. All hill dwarves are grouped into this thanedom. Many of these dwarves could trace their ancestry back to one of the other clans. The role of the Neidar prior to the Cataclysm was scouting and tending to the flocks outside of Thorbardin. Led by Cale Greeneye, this group was indispensable during the war against the wizards and the fight against Rage.

The original Neidar were represented on the council of thanes. They were able to make contacts with the other cultures. It was the Neidar Cale Greeneye who established the permanent boundary with Qualinost. The two cultures (mountain and hill dwarf) had warm relations prior to the Cataclysm.

Once the Cataclysm occurred the Neidar suffered from a lack of communication with their mountain dwarf cousins. The Neidar believing that they had been left to die in the outside world raised an army against their mountain cousins. Led by Reghar Fireforge and backed by plainsmen and knights this army fought in the Dwarfgate War. The dwarves fought against their mountain cousins and were defeated on the Plains of Dergoth by the treachery of the Dewar.

Following the Dwarfgate War the Neidar suffered terribly. Many of the Neidar voices were destroyed in revenge for the war. The result of this led to a dark century for the Neidar who fought starvation, disease and the chaos that resulted from the cataclysm.

During the War of the Lance relations improved with their mountain dwarf cousins but still remained tense. The Neidar did prevent arms sales to the Dragon Army by preventing the Theiwar from taking over their village of Hillhome. The defense of Hillhome, was led by the Fireforge family, began a period of open communications with the dwarves of Thorbardin.

Following the Chaos War the Neidar faired better then most of the other races. They helped the Hylar and Klar exiles survive through the first few years until the exiles could return to Thorbardin. Prior to the War of Souls, Tarn Bellowsgranite had married the Neidar Crystal Heathstone and relations had steadily improved.
Habitat and Society

Neidar clans form small villages that consist of modest houses of thatch, wood, and stone. Because of their dwarven roots they are excellent miners metalsmiths, and woodworkers. The eldest male serves as clan leader, but most major decisions are made by consensus. Unmarried Neidar often set out on their own, returning to their original clan only occasionally. The Neidar clan system predates the Cataclysm by hundreds of years and, true to tradition, different clans seldom associate with each other. This attitude has not only bred suspicion and a lack of cooperation among the clans; it has also hindered trade and economic development, keeping most clans in relative poverty.

Once part of the society of subterranean dwarves, the Neidar were cast from their homes in the wake of the cataclysm that preceded the Age of Darkness. Forbidden to return to their former homes, the Neidar were forced to live permanently above ground. Neidar have been reasonably successful at integrating themselves into Krynn society and are as likely to be found in urban taverns as in their own modest villages.
Ecology

Neidar get along well with Humans and Kender. Some have established cordial relationships with Elves. However, most other dwarven races shun the Neidar, particularly the mountain dwarves. Fond of animals, they keep kittens, sparrows, and ponies as pets. They produce few items of value, but sometimes they create metal tools and honey candies to sell in human towns. Neidar have voracious appetites, favorite dishes include cornbread, mushroom soup, and roast kingfisher.