Dwarven History
The nib of the pen scritched over the parchment pages. "The large fins of the windmill are located approximately seven meters above the magma chamber's surface. By using a thirty degree angle, we've managed to generate a sufficient bellows system for the great forge." A dirty thumb smudged the corner of the page, followed by a grumbled curse that sounded of rocks grating together.
The history and creation of the Dwarves can be linked back to the earliest of Ivalice's history. Rumored to have been crafted directly from the hardest granite, the spirit Titan breathed life upon the boulders of stone and the first dwarves came into being. These earliest Dwarves had been given a task by their creator: build the spirit a fitting throne room and city about it so more of their brethren could be created.
This directive spurred the dwarves into mining, chiseling, sculpting, and forging materials of the earth to start their first great work: Titanganger Thron. The vaulted ceilings stretched upwards of fifty meters, adorned and encrusted with all manner of precious metal filigree and cut gemstones. The center of the vaulted throneroom boasted an opulent throne. As good to his promise, Titan breathed life to more of these stone men and women.
At Titan's ascension (many believe Titan to have been a Geomancer with the ability to create homunculi), the Gift of Stone had faded from the stone men and women, leaving them with flesh. Confusion came, leading to infighting amongst the people before a King rose from them all, believed to have been Marked by Titan himself for rule.
Magni Ferrousbrow is noted for being the first Dwarven King according to Dwarven archives. The caverns and caves surrounding Titanganger Thron began their slow transformation into a warren of alleys and buildings built for the dwarven people under the leadership of King Magni. The king also established a priesthood entrusted with the upkeep of the Titanganger Thron, which became a holy shrine for the Dwarven people.
With the priesthood established, King Magni turned to establishing both a military branch and merchant service. Rumors had spread to them of peoples who lived on the surface, and these people looked for metals and gemstones to adorn themselves. Magni saw opportunities for his people, and new emotions came to the people once made of stone: avarice, envy, and suspicion. These emotions fueled the wars for power in the caverns beneath the surface, driving back other native denizens and the Dwarven peoples moving in further. Military fortresses began to spring up along underground river, leading to the creation of the Dwarven Defense Force.
Time passed, and innovation began to replace the need for war with the Dwarves. Channels were dug to divert lava as security moats near the larger underground cities. Machinery began to spring up, powered by heated steam and heated air. Forges began to churn out specially tempered steel.
The pen nib continued upon the parchment. "They have at least allowed me the opportunity to study in their archives. I've learned the language fluently enough to examine still further on the history of the spirit Titan. He is seen as a religious figure amongst the Dwarven people, with a host of other lesser earthen spirits seen as beneath their Creator."
While the lands of the surface suffered heavily from the Larsan Folly, the Dwarven city-states had their share of destruction. Most notably, the city-state of Grummantag's magicite encrusted vaulted ceilings suffered from one major flaw: the magicite veins that gave the city-state it's unusual indigo glowing lights had also doomed it. Exposed magicite veins to the dormant volcano caldera above had been exposed to the dreaded Mist. Magical explosions down the entire vein led to the caving in of Grummantag's vaulted ceilings, collapsing the city and causing catastrophic loss of life.
News of Grummantag's collapse spread throughout the remaining Dwarven city-states, bringing more of their younger folk to the call of arms. Barracks sprang up, the need to protect the borders vast against Mist-spawned fiends and enraged beasts. Clergy gradually began a dual career as both soldier and priest, leaving their shrines in not so pristine condition as they once were. Most notably, Titanganger Thron also fell into disrepair, the precious metal filigree looted to fund the ever growing military and need to upkeep soldiers.
Currently, the Dwarven city-states number as many as five. Many of the citizens are either part of the active military, or are reservists awaiting the next Fiend uprising on their city-state borders.
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