Annals of the Denwarf Dwarves
by Giulio Caroletti(Note: "Rockhome" will always be called "Dengar" in the following article)
Since the Dwarves risked the extinction due to the Great Rain of Fire's backdrops, to plagues and invasions, Dwarves have become obsessed by genealogies and chronicles. Miniaturers and cronists are considered important artisans, and respected especially since their duty is to keep the history of all families and Clans alive.
Every family, and every Clan, has its own genealogists, that are always in touch with each other to update those books that are collectively known as the "Annals of the Dwarven Clans".
The "Annals" document exhaustively all Dwarves that belong to the Eighteen Denwarf Clans, their dates of birth, death, their parents, their children and their marriages. Family genealogists must report every change to Clan genealogists, and these must report changes to the genealogists that have the duty to update and protect the original "Annals", located in the city of Dengar, so that the "Annals" are constantly updated. It is expected that Dwarves outside the Clans always send regularly information to their family and Clan. If a Dwarf disappears, and nothing is known about him for a long time period, it's nearly always because he is no more capable of writing - and this means imprisonment or death.
The "Book of Clans" contains the Register of Clans, and the name of all families that belong to each Clan, plus the change of Clan of families from one to another, and the information related to the creation of new Clans.
According to dwarven genealogists, a group of dwarven families may be considered a Clan if and only if they are in charge of a Forge of Power. In AC 1000, there 18 Clans in charge of a Forge of Power. They are:
1.EVERAST ("high mountain")
2.SKARRAD (from skyrrad, "forge")
3.TORKREST ("strong teeth")
(the three original Denwarf Clans of Dengar, 1800 BC)
4.SYRKLIST ("the colour of a silver plate just cleaned and exposed to the light")
(formed in Dengar, 1323 BC)
5.HURWARF ("born in the depths")
(formed in Dengar, 1089 BC)
8.BUHRODAR (from buhrod-hrodar "order of the golden battle")
(formed in Dengar, 287 BC)
11.WYRWARF ("born to eat")
(formed in Dengar, 803 BC)
6.TORDAL §("strong hollow")
(formed in Highforge, Karameikos, around 450 BC)
7.MAKREST §("broken teeth")
(formed in Buhrohur, Thyatis, 1st century AC)
9.DENKRES §§("longtooth")
(formally established in AC 400, in Kildorkak ("stormhaven"), Norwold; colony of Kildorkak founded in AC 386)
10.BARRAD * ("blonde iron")
(formally established around AC 400-425; twin Clan of Denkres; founded Borneth'k'rak, twin colony of Kildorkak, AC 391)
12.WURKREST * ("wyrmsteeth")
(formed in Wyrmsteeth, Norwold, around AC 800)
13.TAKKRAS ** (?)
(formed near Arcadia, Norwold, AC 828)
14.DUGER (? - from dulgar, "house in the deep") 15.HEWER (?)
16.HAMMAR ***("hammer")
17.RAK ***("stronghold")
(formed in Minrothad, around AC 850-900)
18.HURGON
(formed in Alphatia, around AC 950)
§ Clans Tordal and Makrast appear respectively in Gaz1 with name "Stronghollow", and in DotE without name.
§§Clan Denkres appear without name in CM1; their city is named "Stormhaven"; translated to dwarven "Kildorkak" in Mystaran Almanac.
* Clans Barrad and Wurkrest: non-canonical, see Giulio N. Caroletti, "History of the Dwarven Race", parts still unpublished.
**Clan Takkras: non-canonical, see Mystaran Almanac ***Clans Hammar and Rak appear in Gaz9 with names "Hammer" and "Stronghold".
The "Genealogies of the Clan" are eighteen encyclopaedias, one for each Clan. There is a copy for every family belonging to the Clan. They are updated regularly and with great precision. When all the Dwarves of a volume are dead, the volume is hidden in a secret and safe place, but a place that can be reached easily; generally, inside the family or Clan stronghold. Thus, there are always more than five hundred copies of the family registers, regularly updated, in order to preserve always the origin of Dwarves, their families, and their genealogies.
A copy of the "Annals of the Kings" is preserved in each Clan's strongholds; they detail the list of Kings of Dengar, and of the Kings and Clan Masters of all Clans outside Dengar.
The original "Annals of the Kings", exquisitely decorated in gold, a marvellous example of dwarven art and writing, are kept in the Everast Stronghold in the city of Dengar.
Last but not least, a Denwarf dwarf always learns all his direct genealogy, both on his father's and his mother's part, until his/her first progenitors at the time of King Denwarf. An official presentation among dwarves is always a very long affair, as they mention al their ascendancy. To ease things, generally Dwarves learn only all males of his/her father's line, and all females of his/her mother's line - so a dwarf could say: "I am Thoric, son of Reghar son of Dwalinn son of Bifin son of Thrain son of Thoric son of Reghar, and of Bifia daughter of Nais daughter of Bifia daughter of Syhar daughter of Ois daughter of Waldris.
More often than not, a Denwarf dwarf knows also very well the history and ramifications of his family up to the fifth degree of relationship - this often means learn to know and recognise more than a hundred names and people.