Subject: MYSTARA-L Digest - 17 Dec 2003 to 18 Dec 2003 (#2003-291) From: Automatic digest processor Date: 19/12/2003, 19:00 To: Recipients of MYSTARA-L digests Reply-to: Mystara RPG Discussion There are 5 messages totalling 273 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Dwarves (4) 2. Sentient Races: Dwarf entry update ******************************************************************** The Other Worlds Homepage: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/OtherWorlds.asp The Mystara Homepage: http://www.dnd.starflung.com/ To unsubscribe, send email to LISTSERV@ORACLE.WIZARDS.COM with UNSUB MYSTARA-L in the body of the message. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2003 10:30:12 +0100 From: Giampaolo Agosta Subject: Re: Dwarves Chris Cherrington wrote: >> From: la Volpe >> >> 3) any information regarding the dwarven invasion of the five >> shires? when did this event take place? > > The only reference I can find is between 1000 and 600BC, the area to > be the shires is periodicaly invaded by orcs, bandits, and > dwarves. I would say that this could also be a time to say > "Dwarven Bandits" or a renegade clan like the Mordiswerg. I think this information must be considered within the frame of the dwarf-goblinoid wars starting in 1000BC. Two major events here: 1) Goblinoids from the Broken Lands swarm to Rockhome, to be defeated by Blystar III (a Dwarven King not from the Everast clan). Survivors will continue raiding for the next 500 years. 2) The great gnoll migration, from Nithia west to Darokin, then to Broken Lands, Plains of Fire and Traldar lands. Orcs control the Five Shires from 1000 BC to an unspecified time, then from 801 BC to 744 BC, and are finally expelled in 601 BC. Around 500 BC, the goblinoids have recovered enough, and Queen Ubdala raises the Great Horde, only to be routed at Sardal Pass. Now, IMO the occupation of the Shires by the dwarves can only happen as a retaliation against the goblinoids after the invasion of 1000BC. When the orcs reconquer the Shires in 801, they're probably retaking it from the dwarves. The "bandits" mentioned might be northern Traldar, fleeing from the gnoll invasions. In order to gain the hin's hate, the dwarves must have kept the Shires for a longer time than any human bandit -- I'd guess at least a century, right before the orcish invasion of 801 BC. So, probably things went like this: 1000BC: Goblinoids and Gnolls invade Darokin, then Rockhome, Traladara, and the Five Shires. They're defeated by the dwarves, pushed back by the southern Traldar, but manage to conquer and hold the Shires. ca. 950 BC: Northern Traldar, fleeing from the reflux of goblinoids from Rockhome and Traladara, enter the Five Shires and take partial control from the local orcs. ca. 910 BC: A Torkrest King (some Blystar IV perhaps?), in an attempt to eliminate the orcish threat from Rockhome, leads an expedition through Darokin, and chases the orcs back to the Shires. Within the next 50 years, Rockhome secures a southern base for further operations against the goblinoids, extending its control to the entire territory of the Shires. ca. 820 BC: Unrest among the local population weakens the dwarven control in the Shires. 801 BC: Orcs retake the Shire, pushing out the dwarves. 744 BC: The hin rise (possibly funded/armed by the Nithians) against the orcs. 601 BC: After 40 years of war, the last orcs are driven from the Shires. -- Giampaolo Agosta http://digilander.iol.it/agathokles ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Dec 2003 08:17:30 +1300 From: Chris Furneaux Subject: Re: Dwarves > 1000BC: Goblinoids and Gnolls invade Darokin, then Rockhome, Traladara, > and the Five Shires. Just wondering, how long has the five shires been the five shires and populated by hin? > ca. 910 BC: A Torkrest King (some Blystar IV perhaps?), in an attempt > to > eliminate the orcish threat from Rockhome, leads an expedition through > Darokin, and chases the orcs back to the Shires. Within the next 50 > years, Rockhome secures a southern base for further operations against > the goblinoids, extending its control to the entire territory of the > Shires. so dwarves are building and fortifying in the shires for 90 odd years outside of rockhome in the shires(?) and darokin(?). Going with this it could make for some interesting ruins and remains in this area. > ca. 820 BC: Unrest among the local population weakens the dwarven > control in the Shires. are the local population are hin? Well I like the timeline but I don't know much about the shires so I'm not really much use. Chris. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2003 20:29:39 +0000 From: Giampaolo Agosta Subject: Sentient Races: Dwarf entry update Hi all, I'm revisiting the Sentient Races listing, and since we are discussing Dwarves, here is a full revision of the Dwarf entry. The original entry was by Matthew Levy, I took over from Giff. In the future, I plan to revise all entries, adding, where possible, entries for subraces, notes on the societies, and references to canon and non-canon works. As always, feedback is welcome -- especially on missing items or references. Dwarf Modern Dwarves are divided into two different races, the Rockborn and the Mordrigswerg. Pre-GRoF Dwarves (Kogolor) exist in the Hollow World. Kogolor These Dwarves were preserved in the Hollow World when the race dwindled in the Outer World. They live in the mountains, but are more likely to be surface dweller than the modern dwarves. Their communities are also less centered around metalworking, and their culture seems to be based on RW Alpine regions, like German-speaking Switzerland or Tirol. Rockborn The main breed of modern Dwarves hails from Rockhome, which is by far the largest centre of Dwarven culture. The government is a sort of clan-based constitutional monarchy, where the power is shared between the King and the Senate. The population is divided in seven large clans, each having a major focus of interest (military, religion, administration, commerce, etc). The clans act as political parties, with senators being the head of the largest families. The Dwarven society is also quite complex, with a significant role given to "Guilds", which seem to be social clubs. The Rockborn Dwarves have also sent colonies to many lands. The largest is probably the Kingdom of Stoutfellow in Alphatia, but considerable numbers of Dwarves also live in the mountains of Norwold and in or around Oceansend. The Barony of Burohur in Thyatis is another Dwarven holding. There are dwarven clans in Karameikos and Minrothad, and Dwarven quarters in most Ylari towns. Dwarves probabily are quite common in Darokin, especially in Selenica. According to "Lathan's Gold", a dwarven explorer where sent as far south as the Thanegioth Archipelago to look for prospective new colonies. There are also a number of dwarves living in the Gulf of Hule and on the Savage Coast, up to Bellayne. These Dwarves came to the Savage Coast around 450 BC, after the end of the Dwarf-Goblinoid wars. From east to west, Dwarves appear in the City-State of Zvornik, in the Savage Baronies, mostly in Cimarron County, though one Dwarven Barony (Montoya) existed from 906 to 937 AC. In Robrenn, a Dwarven Duke holds Avernos, while many dwarves live in the County of Harstal in Eusdria. The westernmost dwarven settling in the Coast is a recently established community of coal miners in Penwick, Bellayne. These dwarves probably come from Cimarron County. Mordrigswerg These odd Dwarves live in caverns in the Northern Reaches. They were created alongside with the Rockborn, but are definitely different from several points of view: first, they have an affinity for weird magics, and are known as makers of wondrous item, most of which, though, seem to be myths or fakes. Second, they are as much asocial and prone to mental instability as the Rockborn are social and sound-minded. References: GAZ4 The Dwarves of Rockhome, GAZ7 The Northern Reaches, The Savage Coast Campaign Book, Hollow World, Dawn of the Emperors Boxed Set, GAZ1 The Grand Duchy of Karameikos, GAZ9 The Minrothad Guilds, XSOLO Lathan's Gold. -- di nuovo come un tempo sopra l'Italia intera urla il vento e soffia la bufera ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2003 21:04:51 +0000 From: Giampaolo Agosta Subject: Re: Dwarves Chris Furneaux wrote: >> 1000BC: Goblinoids and Gnolls invade Darokin, then Rockhome, Traladara, >> and the Five Shires. > > Just wondering, how long has the five shires been the five shires and populated > by hin? Uhm, I don't have the Gaz here right now... > so dwarves are building and fortifying in the shires for 90 odd years outside > of rockhome in the shires(?) and darokin(?). Going with this it could make for > some interesting ruins and remains in this area. More likely, they were busy fighting the orcs, and keeping the hin from chasing them away. Anyway, they certainly did build some fortifications -- dwarves don't like "temporary" items, so they wouldn't have settled for simple barracks. >> ca. 820 BC: Unrest among the local population weakens the dwarven >> control in the Shires. > > are the local population are hin? Yes. Basically, for the dwarves it was just a military base, for the orcs a place to plunder. > Well I like the timeline but I don't know much about the shires so I'm not > really much use. Thanks anyway :) -- di nuovo come un tempo sopra l'Italia intera urla il vento e soffia la bufera ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2003 16:11:20 -0500 From: Chris Cherrington Subject: Re: Dwarves I believe these are all canon sources... 1300 BC: The halflings from the southern continent, long-abandoned by their friends the elves, and increasingly endangered by the ever-growing human population, make a mass naval migration to the northern continent. They settle the area later called the Five Shires, which they name Faerdinel. They become friends with a declining, pacifistic clan of elves called the Gentle Folk. 1000 BC: The Broken Lands are overpopulated. Broken Lands orcs, ogres, trolls, gnolls, and goblins migrate outward, especially southward, displacing other humanoid tribes before them. All forces join and raid Rockhome; they are defeated by dwarven King Blystar III. Minor raids go on for 500 years. Orcs from the Broken Lands invade and conquer the region now known as the Five Shires. Their reign is brutal, to say the least. 1000 - 610 BC: Orcs, part of the migration from the Broken Lands, invade the Five Shires region and enslave the halflings. The Gentle Folk elves of the Five Shires region disappear or are destroyed by the orcs. Over a period of four hundred years, the halflings are conquered and reconquered by orcs, dwarves, and bandits of different races; eventually they reclaim their land and establish Shaerdon, a strong nation of hin. 744 BC: Hin rise up against their orcish overlords; the Time of Heroes begins. 610 BC: Inspired by the example of Atruaghin and his people some two centuries before, the Hin revolt against the humanoids and reclaim their place as an independent state. The modern Five Shires are born. 609 BC: The Restoration of the hin nation; Gunzuth the Clanless becomes the first (and last) Sheriff of the reunited Shaerdon. 572 BC: Gunzuth dies, splitting the rule of Shaerdon among his five sons; the Five Shires are founded. The hin formally organizes their land into five semiautonomous Shires, each ruled by an elected Sheriff. 492 BC: At the battle of Sardal Pass, they are routed, the orcs utterly massacred. Ubdala dies. Hordes routed south and west, crowding Cruth Mountains and Altan Tepes. Gnomes kicked out. 475 BC: Dwarves begin exploration and colonization of neighboring territories. 450 BC: Dwarves arrive along the eastern Savage Coast and build small colonies. 98 BC: Rebellion against the corrupt King Bollo of Rockhome - the Rockhome Senate is established. 200 AC: Rockhome dwarves begin colonizing into outside lands; they are usually welcomed into human communities. ------------------------------ End of MYSTARA-L Digest - 17 Dec 2003 to 18 Dec 2003 (#2003-291) ****************************************************************