Brothers War

The Brothers War was a war between dwarven clan fought across Miranda during the time known as the Firstborn War. Unlike many of the lesser races to come along later (human, kithkin, etc.), the dwarves did not spread so fully across the world. Instead they gathered in great clan holds where they could be close to the Earthmother. For this reason the destruction of each clan hold was far more devastating. Nearly 70 million dwarves died during the war itself, with another 40 million perishing in the aftermath. In the hundreds of thousands of years that followed they have yet to recover.

The Brothers War raged for over a thousand years (1000 years) across Miranda. In the end less than 1 million dwarves remained on the world, their great holds were in ruin, and the war machines they built were destroyed. To punish the survivors the Earthmother sent the giants to enslave all by the few dwarves who never raised their arms against the own kind. These dwarves were tasked with keeping the dwarven lore for when the enslaved dwarves were freed.

Living Forges

To bless her children and grant them the ability to repair this world, which holds Mir's life essence, she created living forges. These forges could draw upon her power while she slumbered. To care for these forges she created the seven (7) great dwarven clans. These clans were called the Dragon, Fire, Stone, Steel, Storm, Soul, and Noble. Each of the great clans held on of the Living Forges.

Those who skill with the forges was recognized were adopted into the great clans, while those lacking the courage to work the forges left the great clans and formed their own clans. The Stonehefters, Firefists, Steelbeards, and Firecrags were some of the hundreds of petty-clans that built clan holds outside of the great clans.

As thousands of years passed resentment grew as the great clans demanded tribute from the petty-clans. There were many Runic Masters among the petty-clans, but without access to the Living Forges they could not work the strongest magic. The great clans only allowed clan members access to the Living Forges, denying the vast majority of dwarves to serve their creator.

Soul Metal

While dwarven history claims it was the creation of The Incar (i.e. Soul Metal) that sparked the Brothers War, the truth is that resentment had been building for hundreds of years. The advancement of Dwarven Runic Magic had advanced rapidly (at least in dwarven terms), with the petty-clans left behind. The great clans considered themselves the favored of the Earthmother and put themselves far above their lesser kin.

So, when Nathan of the Truestrike clan, one of the petty-clans, actually created true life with his and his brothers skill in Runic Magic it broke the orthodoxy of the great clans. The belief was so strong that only the great clans were favored by the Earthmother that they assumed the Soul Metal was the work of Mir seeking her freedom. The fate of Nathan is unknown as his name was purged from all records during the proceeding war.

War of Cleansing

Although the war lasted for nearly 300 years, the first decades are referred to as the War of Cleansing by the scholars that study what few records remain. This war was started by the great clans against the petty-clans. The great clans claimed they were purifying the petty-clans of those who have fallen under the influence of the devils and their demonic servants.

In truth this war sought to kill all of the Rune Masters that lived among the petty clans. The great clans considered Runic Magic to be only given to the favored of the Earthmother and so anyone outside of the flavored clans got their power from Mir. The Rune Masters of the petty-clans had only a few choices. They could become slaves of the great clans, be killed, hide, or fight back. Eventually enough of the petty Rune Masters decided to fight back and the war began in earnest.

War Engines

While no other dwarf could duplicate the creation of the Soul Metal that started the war - they were able to capture and enslave them. As the Soul Metal could procreate with enough magical energy they were force-fed magic and forced to procreate. This alone constituted a dark sin upon the dwarves, but they became more depraved when the forge masters created large siege engines and chained the soul metal inside to give them life.

These war engines had no equal except themselves. They towered over the world and commanded the very elements to rain down destruction on all in their path. Even demons who knew no fear retreated to the darkest corners of the world to avoid these engines of destruction. They were created for a single purpose - to kill; although they were driven by innocent life.

This drove them insane and they turned on all dwarves and started a massacre that only ended when nearly every dwarf was killed. Hundreds of thousands of dwarves gathered in large armies to try and destroy these monsters, but in the end they could only trap them and seal them off from the world. They removed the Soul Metal that gave them life, but that only put them into a deep sleep. They still slumber in desolate and dark places awaiting the time to once again destroy all life.

Quenched

The war did not end due to one side or another suing for peace, instead there were simply too few dwarves on the world to continue the war. The survivors were scattered into desolate places were it was a constant struggle simply to survive. The Earthmother sent the giants to enslave her wayward children until they have paid for their sins.

So that this would never happen again - the Earthmother stripped from the dwarves the ability to work any Runic Magic or control the sole surviving Living Forge. It was with the knowledge of this final shame that all but a handful of dwarves were led into slavery by the giants. Rumors persist that in her mercy she left the ability of Runic Magic and knowledge of the Living Forge with a single dwarf. This dwarf waits until the day comes that his people are forgiven.

Clan Total Deaths Notes
Dragon Clan xx
Total 70 million