AFTER RAGNAROK - I

Queen Yataa'Hali had no small task in reestablishing the normal state of life for her people. An event so significant to Dwarven history must surely be recorded into the ongoing lore of the people, but only a handful of the existing Loremasters were in contact with the Queen.

As the Clans began the long process of repairing their society, Yataa'Halli struggled with the task of reuniting the elder Loremasters... if they still lived.

The reports gathered from various Clans brought dire news to Queen Yataa'Halli. Several irreplaceable leaders were lost. Wotan's emissaries had instructed the Dwarves to perform a sacred rite, but three elder Loremasters had perished, and their secrets were taken with them. The ceremony would not be possible.

THE CALL OF WOTAN - II

With the lost of so many Loremasters, the Clans seemed unable to enact the will of Wotan. Believing it a test of their cunning, the Dwarven High Council quickly convened to discuss possibilities. A new Order of Loremasters was already studying to replace the elders, but they would not be ready for years.

Faith remains that there are still elder Loremasters cut off from the Clans, studying on their own. They are outsiders, untrusting of the High Council and its decisions. If they still lived, perhaps old wounds could be healed and the Order reconstructed.

Wotan's message had been delivered at a time when his children needed his reassurances the most. Eager to hear of the great battles of the Heavens, and intent not to fail his test, the search for a solution begins...

The message had been nothing more than a tool to deceive the Dwarves. Mortis had used their abilities to taunt her own lover with their tortured child. When the armies of the Undead overran the ceremony, many of the newly reunited Loremasters were slain. Still, the Dwarves remained strong. The Clans were working together under Yataa'Halli's rule, reconstruction of their cities and the training of new Loremasters was well underway. Unsatisfied with the incompletion of their task, eyes turned towards the Undead. A war was always good for morale, and Mortis had certainly earned one.

THE UNEARTH GODDESS - III

Despite their reputation, the Dwarves longed for a time of peace. However, Dwarven revenge is exceptionally swift and absolutely unforgiving. Within the hollowed rocks of the mountains, axes were pressed to grinding wheels and war rituals were underway.

The Loremasters bowed their heads in shame at their folly. The divine gift of runic magic had been used for impure purposes, and celebration had turned to battle. The Clans would not linger in shame, for every mistake could be corrected at the end of a sword.

Queen Yathaa'Halli was vivid at Mortis' deception. She determined that they must set out for the Undead capital to right all the wrongs that Mortis had wrought on the Clans. The horns of the Loremasters bellowed with rage as the countless armies of Dwarves hurled down the mountainside towards the corpse army.

A Dwarf prizes peace above all else, but if that peace is threatened, they will defend it with fervor. This chapter of the Clan history proved to all of Nevendaar, especially the Elves, that the Dwarves were no longer naïve to the ways of the world.

THE END

Nevertheless, even as the Dwarves were celebrating their triumph, Queen Yataa'Halli could not rest. Her race remained vulnerable. For although the Dwarves were adept at the art of war, the weapons of politics and subterfuge were mysteries to them.

Yataa'Halli decided that the era of Dwarven isolation must end. Spies were sent to observe and report any hint of trouble, and diplomats were appointed to work closely with her allies. The Clans would become an active force in the history of the world instead of unwilling participants.