Chronicles of Astravara

Where gods whisper and empires rot.

Tharum-Zar – The Stonebound

“From the mountain we were carved, and to the mountain we return. But before the last bell rings, we forge our name in flame.”
— Inscription over the gates of Durath’Khar

Overview

The Dwarves of Astravara, known among themselves as the Tharum-Zar, are one of the world’s oldest and most resilient peoples. Born of stone and sanctified in flame, they are artisans of unmatched craftsmanship, warriors of unbending honor, and keepers of a legacy chiseled into the very bones of the mountains.

Their societies are deep, layered, and fiercely traditional—governed by oaths, guilds, and lineages as ancient as the gods themselves. While the world above shifts and burns with war, the dwarves endure below, where the forge never cools and the past is a living weight upon every brow.

Physiology

Short in stature yet titanic in endurance, dwarves typically stand between 1.2 and 1.4 meters tall, with compact, heavily muscled frames. Their bones are dense, their lungs efficient in low-oxygen environments, and their skin toughened by centuries of subterranean life.

Notable traits:

Lifespan: 250–300 years
Vision: Adapted to darkness and emberlight
Beards: Grown by all, meticulously groomed, and often rune-braided to signify clan and trade

Few dwarves possess a gift for magic—those who do are revered or feared in equal measure. Their connection to divine or elemental power is almost always channeled through tools, metalwork, or rune-inscription rather than raw sorcery.

Society and Cities

Dwarven civilization is defined by its civic guilds, ancestral halls, and sacred forges. Each city-state is a stronghold carved from the roots of mountains and guarded by rune-bound golems or stonewatchers.

The Four Great Cities:

Durath’Khar – The Jewel of the Mountains; political and spiritual capital; home of the Sacred Inquisition of the Divine Flame
Krag’dun – A fortress-mining complex, famed for its blacksteel and siegecraft
Thol-Moradrin – Center of rune-wisdom and vault of deep secrets; often rivals the great elven towers in mysticism
Ghor’Nazruk – Once the pride of the Tharum-Zar, now fallen to orcs and daemons. Its loss remains a bleeding wound.

Dwarves are ruled not by kings since The Daemon War, but by councils of masters—forgemasters, battlelords, and flamepriests—each sworn to uphold the Anvil Laws, the codex of their people. Honor, lineage, and work define worth; not birth or wealth alone.

Faith and the Forge

The dwarves are devout followers of Vulkanar, god of Fire, Forge, and the Deep Mountain. To them, creation is worship, and every blade hammered in silence is a hymn.

Temples are subterranean sanctuaries lit by ever-burning coals.
Priests are also blacksmiths, branding scripture into steel.
Relics of past wars and miracles are kept in molten sanctums, guarded by golems and oathbound crusaders.

Vulkanar’s teachings emphasize duty, endurance, and sacred labor, but leave little room for mercy or improvisation—a reflection of dwarven ethos itself.

Relationships with Other Races

Humans – Trade partners, yet often seen as impulsive and short-sighted.
Elves – Distrusted, especially those of the forest. The dark elves (Drellari), however, maintain mutual respect due to shared isolation and trade.
Orcs – Eternal enemies. The fall of Ghor’Nazruk to the orcs and their daemon allies is a national trauma.
Gnomes – Viewed with condescension or pity.
Ruh’Rashi – Rarely interact, but some dwarves respect their spiritual paths and craftsmanship.
Halflings – Considered magical anomalies; dwarves often avoid them out of superstition.

Legacy and Grudges

Dwarves never forget.
They carve Grudge-Stones for every betrayal, every lost kin, every slight.
These are not merely records—they are vows of vengeance, passed down through generations.

Their songs speak of hammers breaking mountains, of kings buried in golden tombs, of daemonfires quenched by steel and sacrifice. They mourn in silence, and celebrate in stone.

Yet even in mourning, the forge remains lit.

“To live is to endure. To endure is to serve. And to serve is to forge until the gods themselves remember our names.”
— Forge Psalm of Thol-Moradrin