This is the first part of a series about the Dwarves of Loaerth, one of the three Races of Men found in the upcoming adventure setting Loaerth & Feywyrd for the Savage Worlds Roleplaying Game. Part 1 in this series can be found here.
History (cont.)
The dwarves, at least at first, brought the power of dvergarkol to the table.
Before the elves vanished in the Helfay, most dwarves were not much better than slaves, and this was purely due to physical differences between dwarves and the other races of men. There are many differences, but the elves were quick to realize one thing: dwarves are shorter than than most humans and nearly all trolls, but their strength and natural constitution afforded them the ability to survive for long periods of time in many harsh environments elves detest. So, as the elves of the Feywyrd expanded and (eventually) dominated all of the Known World, they subjugated the dwarves and forced them to work as miners, quarrymen, factory hands, forge-smiths, and stone masons. Anything that the elves considered grueling, manual labor was often given to a dwarf to do. (Trolls, with their willful attitudes, were usually to insubordinate to be useful this way). This made dwarves the perfect workers. And elves — for their love of material wealth (gold!) and property above all else — needed the dwarves to dig it up. And dig they did, but while digging up gold, silver and iron ore - and all the other shiny things that elves were so obsessed with – they discovered something else: a black oily stone they called dvergarkol.
This new rock was something special indeed. Something they would keep a secret for decades. They called it dvergarkol (“dwarven coal”, or sometimes coalstone, in the common tongue) because since no one else had discovered it.
The Discovery of Dwarven Coal
Dvergarkol Miner Concept, by Rob Torno
In some parts of the Known World there once grew magnificent trees called Euloru (a elven name). These were massive trees, like seqouias, but reaching hundreds of meters tall – some reaching over 300 meters. Their trunks could reach 30m in diameter and their roots would reach down, searching for Mantle Water, into the very foundations of the world. The elves would siphon the sap from these trees and use it to make a wine: Tali’ven, or mantle wine. The dwarves, however, found their own use for the tree: the euloru had roots that extended several kilometers underground and in the deepest reaches of dwarven mines, where the bedrock was cracked by groundwater seeping from deep aquifers of mantle water, the massive Euloru roots would creep in, soak up it up, and over time harden into a crumbly, oily black stone. Dvergarkol.
The fascinating properties of dvergarkol were discovered by accident. The story goes that a few dwarves were taking a break from their duties and decided to cook a meal on a stone slab made from Euloru Stone. Once fire touched the surface of the stone it began to burn and flare with a fierce white light all the while pulsing and hissing with scalding steam. The dwarves all died from their wounds; but their friends, after finding their parboiled companions, realized what they had discovered: power. And, like all good dwarves, they followed the chain of command back to their elders and told them of this news. The elders decided then and there that this new stone would be kept a secret from the elves at all costs.
The dwarves struggled to keep the stone a secret for more than a century, all the while developing an entirely new science, Coalcraft, which harnessed the incredible energy of dvergarkol. Eventually, the secret of the stone made its way to the ears of elven lords – who immediately acted to secure the dvergarkol and make it their own – but it was too late.
Dwarven Archtype Concepts, by Charles Dickey
The Helfay banished the elves from the Known World just a few weeks after they learned of dvergarkol, and in the Feywyrd this stone was nowhere to be found. Coalcraft, however, remained in the Known World – and the recently freed dwarves were its master. In the few centuries since the Helfay, knowledge of Coalcraft has swept the Known World. It is practiced by dwarves, humans, and trolls alike – although the dwarven cartels that deal in dvergarkol still keep a tight control on who buys and sells the stone, and where it is mined from. They have become very rich indeed. And all the major first discoveries fueled by DC have been made by dwarven coalcrafters and fuelsmiths: they built the first Coalstone Steamery in Loaerth (a restaurant that makes roasted cheese, and adds mixes of nuts and berries to your liking while you wait). They crafted the first Coalstone Firestarter as a gift to the Troll King Moosingsing (and at the same time the first Coalstone Fire Extinguisher). They built the first prototype coalcraft Airship, the DC10 Stargazer, and the first leakproof submersible, Deepview 1. And they designed the first ever functional Steam Jogger (a steam powered set of mechanical legs that lets the user run for hours over rough terrain). A recent discovery of malachrome – a new alloy found only on The Island, has spurned a whole new level of innovation among coalcrafters. The Malachrome Guard Dog being just one example of that ingenuity.
So one could say that the dwarves have stepped forward into the bright future of the Known World along with the rest of humanity. Dwarven coal is not longer a secret whispered about, but is instead a centerpiece of modern society. In fact, the need for more DC grows each year. A mad rush for discovery of new veins of coalstone still drives much of the expansion and exploration of the world in the wake of the Helfey.
In the next post in this series, you’ll find the complete Savage Worlds game mechanics for playing a dwarf in Loaerth and see some more concept art! Stay tuned! In the meantime — let us know what you think in the comments! Have any questions? Would you change anything? Does anything need clarification?
written by Jonathan Jacobs
editing by Cassey Toi
artwork by Rob Torno and Charles Dickey
