The Bashar
First Post
Hrimr turns his head to Alric as he lays down on his roll.
"My hold, Granite Hold, has a long tradition of Dwarves becoming Druids. Most other Holds do not. Those Dwarves who wish to serve usually join the service of Moradin, the Dwarven All Father. We would probably still do that as well were it not for what happened.
Some 400 years ago my hold was invaded and seized by the Black Foots, the orcish tribe that contested our mountain. The legend says that a fire elemental showed the orcs a secret way into the hold. The elemental was jealous of our great works of and wanted the orcs to lay waste to it. The came through the forges, the poor blacksmiths of the holds were mostly killed. The forges were in the heart of the hold and the guard barracks were near the hold entrance. The orcs cut off the guards from the rest of the populace. In a panic most of the people ran towards the barracks and were promptly cut down by the awaiting orcs. A small group of 15 dwarven guards managed to break through the orcish line and lead a group of 300 dwarves down into the caves below.
They spent days wandering through the caves trying to find a place to hide and be safe. Some were found by the orcs, others we carried away by the terrors that lay in the bones of the mountain. Only 3 of the Dwarven guard and 200 dwarves remained when they found the Heart Cave. It was a large natural vault that had river that ran through the middle of it. There were gems and minerals in the wall that glowed with a red light. It was here the Dwarves lay down their burden and wept. It is said the their tears were so many that they flowed into the river and out of the mountain. The river came out of the mountain in a giant waterfall that filled a pool that was on a small plateau on the side of the mountain. The water nymph Nenya lived in that pool. It was said she tasted the sorrow and the pain of the Dwarven tears. Nenya asked the earth elementals to open a path through the mountain to allow the water in the pool to flow out so that she may find help for those who shed the bitter tears. The valley of Nenya was thus formed and she went with the vanguard of this new river to find help.
She swam for weeks until she came to a forest. In that forest a group of druids had gathered to witness the birth of this new river. As the waters came down Nenya saw the druids and implored them to help. Most of the druids refused saying that sorrow is the way of nature and that the creations of all races were doomed to fade. However, one young human druid disagreed with his peers. He believed that it was worth helping those in need. He turned himself into a large trout and with Nenya swam back to the mountain. In the meantime the Dwarves had built crude shelters and were barely surviving off the mold and mushrooms they could grow in the caves. Miriam, the only surviving cleric of Moradin, was at the river praying to the All Father for deliverance. As she lay their in prayer she heard a splash. From the river a large trout had jumped forth. It, however, landed as a man.
'Be not alarmed' He said 'I am Beric, druid of the forests to the south. I have heard of your sorrows and wish to help.'
Miriam looked at him and said 'I thank you for your kind words and your desire to help. But what can we do? We have no tools to harvest ore, nor fire hot enough to smelt it and forge weapons to dispose of the orcs. We are so few and they are so many.'
'There is power in this place' he said gesturing to the cave around them 'The mountain is a living thing and here you are at its beating heart. Industry and steel cannot match the power that lay in this place. You are blind to it and so I will open your eyes. I will show you the power.'
Beric began to teach some of the Dwarves the way of the druids. This is the origin of our Druidic tradition.
The hour grows late my friend and I am quite tired. I hope I did not bore you with my tale Alric. I will have to tell you the rest of it some other time."
"My hold, Granite Hold, has a long tradition of Dwarves becoming Druids. Most other Holds do not. Those Dwarves who wish to serve usually join the service of Moradin, the Dwarven All Father. We would probably still do that as well were it not for what happened.
Some 400 years ago my hold was invaded and seized by the Black Foots, the orcish tribe that contested our mountain. The legend says that a fire elemental showed the orcs a secret way into the hold. The elemental was jealous of our great works of and wanted the orcs to lay waste to it. The came through the forges, the poor blacksmiths of the holds were mostly killed. The forges were in the heart of the hold and the guard barracks were near the hold entrance. The orcs cut off the guards from the rest of the populace. In a panic most of the people ran towards the barracks and were promptly cut down by the awaiting orcs. A small group of 15 dwarven guards managed to break through the orcish line and lead a group of 300 dwarves down into the caves below.
They spent days wandering through the caves trying to find a place to hide and be safe. Some were found by the orcs, others we carried away by the terrors that lay in the bones of the mountain. Only 3 of the Dwarven guard and 200 dwarves remained when they found the Heart Cave. It was a large natural vault that had river that ran through the middle of it. There were gems and minerals in the wall that glowed with a red light. It was here the Dwarves lay down their burden and wept. It is said the their tears were so many that they flowed into the river and out of the mountain. The river came out of the mountain in a giant waterfall that filled a pool that was on a small plateau on the side of the mountain. The water nymph Nenya lived in that pool. It was said she tasted the sorrow and the pain of the Dwarven tears. Nenya asked the earth elementals to open a path through the mountain to allow the water in the pool to flow out so that she may find help for those who shed the bitter tears. The valley of Nenya was thus formed and she went with the vanguard of this new river to find help.
She swam for weeks until she came to a forest. In that forest a group of druids had gathered to witness the birth of this new river. As the waters came down Nenya saw the druids and implored them to help. Most of the druids refused saying that sorrow is the way of nature and that the creations of all races were doomed to fade. However, one young human druid disagreed with his peers. He believed that it was worth helping those in need. He turned himself into a large trout and with Nenya swam back to the mountain. In the meantime the Dwarves had built crude shelters and were barely surviving off the mold and mushrooms they could grow in the caves. Miriam, the only surviving cleric of Moradin, was at the river praying to the All Father for deliverance. As she lay their in prayer she heard a splash. From the river a large trout had jumped forth. It, however, landed as a man.
'Be not alarmed' He said 'I am Beric, druid of the forests to the south. I have heard of your sorrows and wish to help.'
Miriam looked at him and said 'I thank you for your kind words and your desire to help. But what can we do? We have no tools to harvest ore, nor fire hot enough to smelt it and forge weapons to dispose of the orcs. We are so few and they are so many.'
'There is power in this place' he said gesturing to the cave around them 'The mountain is a living thing and here you are at its beating heart. Industry and steel cannot match the power that lay in this place. You are blind to it and so I will open your eyes. I will show you the power.'
Beric began to teach some of the Dwarves the way of the druids. This is the origin of our Druidic tradition.
The hour grows late my friend and I am quite tired. I hope I did not bore you with my tale Alric. I will have to tell you the rest of it some other time."
