Vulkhund Ziflin Varr

''"Every man acts like they've never seen a dwarf on water before. Do you really not think we bathe? Do you really think we'd live this close to water without harnessing it properly?" - Gorrek Okrisson, Master Engineer''

Vulkhund Ziflin Varr is a dwarfhold located on the easternmost fringes of the continent of Ocedon, on the coast of the Placid Channel. Due to its unique geographic position, the hold features both lively mercantile enterprise and engineering marvels. As the only dwarfhold within the area of the Placid Realms and the only warm water dwarven port in the east, Vulkhund Ziflin Varr is extremely prosperous.

The Edge of the World
The dwarven race is ancient, but in their storied history, Vulkhund Ziflin Varr is one of the younger holds. Rather than being supposedly built on a site chosen by the gods or of great significance to the ancestors, Vulkhund Ziflin Varr is attested in the Chronicle of the Dwarves as being founded approximately 7539 years before the Great Collapse. Records tell of a hardy group of explorers discovering the future site during an expedition to map the Underdark, which prompted the deployment of a full settlement force to the region. This settlement force was drawn to the rich mineral deposits of the region, as well as access to the newly discovered Ocean of Annecto. Upon establishing a small outpost, the dwarves ventured to the surface to survey the nearby land, and found it to be rich in timber of an unusual variety. The trees were massive and dark, and the highest needles of the windswept pines were a silver-white, giving them their name for it: Glimwut, or The Star Woods in the dwarven tongue.

When the dwarves began timber extraction, they found themselves beset upon by unexpected visitors: elves, who had been observing them for some time. They took umbrage with their reckless felling of ancient trees, and came to request a peaceful cessation of logging. The dwarves, however, were steadfast in their want to stay, eager to maintain their new and burgeoning hold, but needing a modest surface outpost to maintain themselves. According to the chronicles, the dwarves ceased to fell timber while the negotiations proceeded, and for many days the negotiations continued. Supposedly the deciding event came after forty days of halted operations, when the thane from Clan Greymane, Raumus Alariksson, came forth with an offering. It was a collection of artful blades done in the elven style, but with the hallmarks of quality found only from a dwarven forge. Elven thinblades, with mithral blades sharpened to the thinness and keenness of a razor along the whole length, embossed with dwarven runes glowing gently upon the handles and wrought with a precision and care unseen and unheard of among the elven race. Alariksson gave one to each assembled chief of the elves and pleaded that his people be allowed a modest bit of surface land, enough to gather timber to fire the forges and allow for their sheep to graze. The hushed chiefs clutched at their new gifts, then left them all in a pile on the ground before him before vanishing into the woods without a word. While most dwarves would have been outraged at this perceived slight, Alariksson brushed it off as either the ignorance of the effete elves, or some ruse to test his temper. He stood watch over the pile of blades for a night and a day, and not without difficulty, as he was assailed in the night by all manner of creatures. It was said he parlayed with a curious dryad, scared away a dire wolf with a mighty shout, and slew a trio of trolls who attempted to abscond with his gifts. Dawn the next day, the assorted chieftains returned, each bearing a different gift: one with a fine dire tiger pelt, another with a barrel of assassin vine wine, a third with a fallen darkwood limb taller and wider than the bearer, and so forth. As it had turned, the elves found themselves all rather embarrassed that they had not thought to bring gifts, and had gone to procure the closest thing they could find to equally valuable gifts. Of course, all paled in comparison to the blades, and when asked what happened overnight, they were impressed by the work of Alariksson. Won over by his character, and by the restraint his fellows had showed in ceasing operations during the negotiation process, the elves conceeded an area on the surface as rightful dwarven territory, larger than the dwarves had initially asked for, on the condition that elven passage throughout would be unobstructed, and the woods never clear cut.

With the surface territory secured, the outpost of Vulkhund Ziflin Varr rapidly grew into a true hold, with Raumus Alariksson as its first king. A mighty stone atop the land was hewn into the lighthouse Barak Zharrgromthi to guide the dwarven ships that now went out to explore the bold new world, and the cliff face carved into Grombryndurazwyral, whose gaping maw drew in and out the tides like a true dwarf drawing in cold mountain air. The dwarves even learned a new metallurgical secret from the aquatic elves, and the formula and properties of pearlsteel were entered into the Grand Codex of Smithing. Living in a seaside cavern system rather than a typical mountain presented a new way of life to the dwarves, with new challenges unforeseen. In response, innovative engineers devised all manner of technologies, from hydraulic moving platforms to sluices for diverting seawater to be boiled away for salt and potable water. Using the bounties of the sea alongside what could be gathered from the subterranean and surface territories or traded for from the elves, alchemy flourished, with all manner of ingredients being available. Overseas trade brought in a variety of exotic goods as well as new markets, especially with the rise of Suel in the east. For several thousand years the hold prospered, connected by the Underpath System with the rest of the dwarfholds. During the Suel era, they held their ground against human encroachment, holding back attempts to force them off their land.

The Lost Pearl
While the political power vacuum left by the fall of the Suel Empire would be largely inconsequential, the tectonic upheavals of the Great Collapse were devastating to Vulkhund Ziflin Varr. While, miraculously, the hold itself suffered little damage, the Underpath routes were devastated, severing the connection between most holds; even the closest caravansary of Ungol Ruvalk Azul was an arduous trek, and the route to Karak Bolu largely insurmountable. Without the connectedness of the holds, the dwarven race in general fell into decline. In dwarven verse, the sum of the holds was always described as being the Treasures of Moradin, and after the Great Collapse, mournful dirges sang of each hold as a lost gem. Vulkhund Ziflin Varr was the lost pearl of the dwarven race, polished from grit by the passing millennia and left cast off by the seaside.

The Great Collapse did have one positive effect on the hold by the sea: fresh new veins of minerals and ores exposed all around. The already rich reserves of base, precious, and exotic metals only swelled, and with the difficulty of underground travel, the seacliff dwarves focused on overland and sea routes to the Placid Realms and the far realms of Ore'ham. The remnants of the fallen thalassach civilization took solace with them, commiserating with the dwarves and trading pearls for tridents. The manlings of Mamaros became constant trade partners, and a touch more likable than most humans. The elves of Glimwut were eager to supply rare darkwood, alchemical reagents, and precious pelts in exchange for mithral finery. While rumors persisted of a dwarhold in the far east, it was apparently still too far for some of the merchants in Carthage and Ore'ham, who eagerly traded exotic goods for dwarven masterpieces. Still, a melancholy descended over Vulkhund Ziflin Varr, like every other dwarfhold, a sense of profound loss, of the dissolution of the great family that had once been. The arrival of dwarves from another hold became cause for celebration and fanfare, and an expedition to another hold a pilgrimage of sorts. Far from the annual reckonings of ages past, it was considered fortunate if once a century an expedition was sent to the Nine Peaks, and their return was always tinged with sadness. The morose business of mourning those lost along the way, of hearing of the losses and trials suffered by the cousins abroad, the glacial pace of updating the Grand Codices, all brought a sense of connectedness tinged with terrible sadness. Like the other holds, Vulkhund Ziflin Varr prospered, but still rang hollow, gold growing tarnished even as it piled ever higher.

The Great War Against Tiamat represented one of the greatest trials in the history of the hold. While they were used to having to fend off threats great and small, from goblin tribes to errant aberrations to the occasional black dragon rising from a sea cave, they had not planned on a full-scale draconic invasion. Rising from the seas, they struck at Vulkhund Ziflin Varr, flying into the maw of Grombryndurazwyral before it could be sealed. The dwarves held back the black dragons while slowly backing deeper into the hold. As the pressure mounted, King Brom Raumusson and his royal guard held an immovable line against the scaled terrors when reinforcements arrived. The dwarves were relieved by the forces of men, both the civilized types from Mamaros and the savage Teutobrens of the mountains to the west. Rallying, the combined forces smashed the draconic threat before marching on the surface to do the same to the beleaguered elves of Glimwut. There, the green dragons of the line of Zargothrax wrought havoc, though the elves did their best to thwart them. By the time the men and dwarves arrived, the elves had been exchanging blows in guerilla moves for days, with war parties suddenly succumbing to acid breath as readily as wandering dragons were turned into pincushions by elven arrows. The combined forces of good pressed their newfound advantage and slew a great many dragons over the next day and into the night, when Zargothrax himself was revealed and descended on them. His presence was frightening and his dread powers many, and he blasted them with his acidic breath. King Brom himself was laid low by it, but as he drew his dying breaths he bore witness to the fruits of his labors: the manling Count of Mamaros, Matthias, picked up Brom's royal hammer and flung it skyward at the retreating dragon, cracking his skull and sending the dead beast back down to earth. Matthias would be rechristened Matthias Drakehammer, and peace would return to the land.

Age of Reckoning
Vulkhund Ziflin Varr returned to the status quo until the beginning of the Age of Reckoning, roughly coinciding with the beginning of the Great River War among the humans above them. While the human wars did little to affect them, reports filtered in from bards and other travelers that a new High King had been elected. Targim Purebeard, the new High King, had assembled a mighty throng and retaken the lost Ninth Peak of Karaz-a-Karazan, and vowed to wipe clean the Dammaz Kron of all the grudges of the dwarven race. Hundreds of eager dwarves left Vulkhund Ziflin Varr to join his throng, and while many stayed on the march, a goodly number returned early bearing the new secrets of engineering and runecraft that had propelled this new age of reconquest. The reconnection of the holds allowed for the Grand Codices to be updated for the first time in centuries, with all manner of insights and proven techniques that had spent ages being refined and improved in their holds of origin. In addition, the concerted effort to restore and rebuild the Underpath System began in earnest, bringing a real chance of quick, safe terrestrial travel between holds again. While the work is underway, Vulkhund Ziflin Varr has readily embraced the new technologies, such as whirligigs and black powder. While not inventors of them, the local guilds were well equipped to use them, as many of the raw materials and specialized technical expertise was already present. Now, the Alchemists' Guild of Vulkhund Ziflin Varr is the leading producer of black powder for the armies of the resurgent dwarven empire, and the Engineers' Guild has already begun experimentation with new, more efficient whirligig models as well as steam power for aquatic vehicles as well. The Treasures of Moradin are reunited, and the Pearl shines bright as ever.

Religion
The dwarven pantheon is venerated as is standard among all holds. Moradin sits at the head of the pantheon, with shrines to the other deities having their own hewn chambers in the Hall of the Gods. Thautam enjoys slightly above average veneration due to the above-average presence of dream dwarves in the hold. Like all good dwarf holds, there is a Hall of the Gods, with each member of the pantheon given their own chamber where the faithful leave offerings, say prayers, seek clerical counsel, and swear oaths. Since Vulkhund Ziflin Varr is not as rich in gems as some holds, it is not as bejeweled as some holds, but each god statue at the very least has jeweled eyes, and the finely hewn stone is still highly impressive.

The pantheon of the gnomes enjoys minor reverence, as the Gnome Quarter, while small, has been around long enough to warrant the accommodation. Their Glitterden, the traditional gnome area of worship, is modest but servicable. The gnome community is hardly two dozen families, and oftentimes entire families will come and go chasing adventure or fortune, but a few live their whole lives in the hold, and it is usually an elder of a family who adopts the calling of the clergy late in life. The Glitterden sits in the middle of the Gnome Quarter and, like most, is built like an amphitheaters with circular rows of bench seats around the central stage. Small idols of the gods sit in niches around the wall, usually with a stray candle or offering left at their feet, and the cleric in charge will usually lead a daily service before the workday begins.

The dwarven ascetic tradition known as Wagodurz, or "The Way of The Stone", has a few adherents around Vulkhund Ziflin Varr. The natural cavern systems offer ideal meditative spaces, and the dream dwarves in particular enjoy visiting them. Those who follow this path, the Wagodurzon, are said to enter all manner of altered states and cross paths with ancestor spirits, emanations of the gods, and otherworldly entites tied to the deep earth. Wagodurzon come from many walks of life, and take their secrets with them, usually incorporating references to these visitations into their spiritual lives.

A very rare few dwarves give lip service to Ehlonna and Obad-Hai, though not so much out of devotion as out of respect. Dwarven druids, many of dream dwarf stock and quite a few also Wagodurzon, recognize the great tapestry of the natural world as the domain of these gods, and thus are respectful as they see themselves as guests. When in their few surface outposts, stacked stone cairns hidden well in Glimwut, they carve a prayer to the two somewhere inside for protection.

Lords of Salt and Sail
The dwarves of Vulkhund Ziflin Varr are abnormal for their proximity to, and familiarity with, water. While most dwarfholds are built near aquifers or use aqueduct systems to provide a ready freshwater supply, Vulkhund Ziflin Varr has both a large aquifer system and access to the open seas. The unique climate has shaped their culture to be somewhat more outward facing than some, as the high seas have opened all manner of avenues for trade, as well as the bounty of the seas themselves for harvesting. Cartography is an advanced science in the hold, and the dwarves possess all manner of maps and charts of the Ocean of Annecto and the lands touched by it. Complete maps of the Spice Islands of the east, Carthage, and other distant lands exist in great detail. Dwarven fishing vessels are a common sights, harvesting all manner of fish, including many that simply are too deep dwelling or exotic for men to eat frequently. Furthermore, the great cave port within the mouth of Grombryndurazwyral houses a small ecosystem ripe for exploration, to the point that it is regularly trawled for shellfish that have taken residence there. Vulkhund Ziflin Varr, while protected, bucks the trend of dwarves being so closed off from the world.

The demands of the sea have led to several novel technological advances that the Engineers' Guild proudly maintain. While not practical in most other holds, the abundance of water has led to hydraulic technologies being ubiquitous to the hold. Moving platforms, running water, and advanced sewer systems are all commonplace. Especially impressive to many outsiders is the fact that the great cave port is occasionally dried out, as an ingenious series of sluice gates allow for the whole area to be drained, leaving ships secured to the docks hanging in the air for cleaning and maintenance on occasion. Another feat impressive to outsiders are the locking jaws of Grombryndurazwyral; by ingenious design, pearlsteel teeth emerge and meet to completely seal off the port entrance, blocking water entirely to prevent floods during major storms. In addition, steam technology, which now has applications across the great realm of the dwarves, has been readily embraced and experimented with in new applications; the same steam engines driving the whirligigs out of dwarven skydocks are being tested for seafaring vessels, and the ready availability of seawater, which already was boiled for salt collection, has encouraged further experimentation. Steam pressurized water blasters have become popular cleaning tools for the undersides of boats in drydock, and the use of highly pressurized boiling water for preparing the exotic eastern beverage "coffee", while already popular, has now become an ubiquitous part of life in the hold.

In addition to engineering marvels, Runesmiths' Guild and the Alchemists' Guild is quite active thanks to the ready available of exotic and diverse materials. The fungal gardens of the hold, the bounties of the sea, and items foraged or traded for in the Glimwut have given them a massive inventory of ingedients to work with. Hearthfire, the alchemical substitute for traditional flame, illuminates the many halls and roads of Vulkhund Ziflin Varr with smokeless iridescent fire. The great lighthouse, Barak Zharrgromthi, is illuminated every night by a reserve of hearthfire, casting a brilliant coruscating beam of blues, greens, and purples, reflected by mithral polished to a mirror sheen, out over the waters. Black powder, the most closely guarded secret of the Guild, is produced in unmatched quantities. As the main connection between the wider world to the east and the dwarven race, the runesmiths are in high demand for commercial purposes, exporting magical goods unheard of in the east. Especially given the rich mithral deposits around the hold, they are given plenty of high quality materials to work with.

While the three High Guilds have their place of great import as in any other hold, a few of the Low Guilds are of surprisingly influence in Vulkhund Ziflin Varr. The Saltworkers' Guild is responsible for processing much of the seawater passing through the hold, generating both potable water and barrels of salt for food preservation and trade. The Merchants' Guild, responsible for commerce between dwarves and non-dwarves, is quite busy and maintains a small fleet of elite ships capable of traversing the world. Their proudest vessels, the so-called "black pearls", are exquisite behemoths, examples of shipbuilding centuries or even millennia old. To travelers and merchants in Carthage, the dwarves appear especially alien, as ships with darkwood hulls, pearlsteel bottoms, and earthsilk sails slice through the waves, the way forward lit by hearthfire lanterns as they arrive in port loaded with exotic treasures from across the world.