Chapter on Yudora, From the Travels of Baldin "Ironside" Frostbeard through Kharvuur

[mateolog 1551]

 

The Travels of Baldin “Ironside” Frostbeard through Kharvuur: 

Chapter on Yudora, The All Mother

 

During my three years in Kharvuur I saw many things, things that Khorvad stole from the dwarven folk and witnessed paths former dwarven heroes took through this realm to return home. One of my findings in Kharvuur was Khorvad’s library of forbidden knowledge. A library that holds stolen artifacts and books that Khorvad plundered from our race, as trophies, or to hinder our duties as Keepers of Yemekar’s Balance. One of these books was the tales of Yudora, the first female dwarf and All Mother to all dwarves, whose history was for the most part lost. With this book and the work of Paragon Valen Grandaxe and Fimlin’s work on Aegian kings, we are able to see holistically who our All Mother was, why she is a worthy paragon, what she gave the dwedmar race, and what Khorvad tried to steal from us.

 

 

It is established that one of the major crises of the dwarves was when Urguan, the father of all dwarves disappeared, and a power vacuum emerged. Those that did not try to usurp the power looked at the All Mother to take the place of her husband and rule. But she did not. Yudora understood that to rule like her husband one would need to like Urguan, one molded from scratch by Yemekar to be the embodiment of his balance, would be worthy of the crown. She knew the answer to the crisis but she wanted her children to figure it out for themselves.

 

Maybe she placed the expectations too high for her children, or Khorvad’s corruption wasfogging their vision, but the children of Urguan did not stop squabbling. This forced Yudora to finally intervene. She did not ascend to the throne as some desperately desired, instead Yudora snatched the crown and exclaimed to all  her children “Shame on ye! None o’ ye are fet teh fit teh walk in yer fathur’s footsteps!”.  The All Mother, in fury, sealed herself and the crown in her palace and refused to come out, telling her children that she will only talk to one of them about the crown, and that until then they must handle things without being led.

 

"Ye are naesheep, ye are dwedmar. Act like et if ye claim to be worthy of Urguan's crown!" Those were her last words before she entered her palace.

 

 

The dwarves were ashamed, and afraid of losing their mother after having lost their father. After great debate and struggle, one dwarf was elected to represent the children of Urguan, and they were sent to speak to Yudora. After some time talking the dwarf and the mother came out. She proclaimed that this was the way the dwarves should act. Urguan was the indivisible will of Yemekar made manifest, hence the dwarven people are the collective will of Yemekar. No one dwarf is worthy to claim such a mantle but Urguan himself.

 

"In teh way you elected one among ye teh meet with me, so too will ye make yer decisions. Only then will teh king of teh dwarves shall represent thes collective Will. That es teh difference between ah dwedmar king as opposed to a tyrant."

 

After this declaration the dwarves once more gathered and through the process taught to them by their mother, Barradin was elected as King of the dwarves and given Yudora’s Hammer as a present by the All Mother. This new realization brought the dwarves closer to their nature as keepers and preservers of Yemekar’s balance, something Khorvad could not accept. He corrupted the Aengul Wyrvun, an ally and friend of Yudora who kept watch over the coldest of mountains to keep them safe for her children. Wyrvun was corrupted into Ondharch and turned against his dwarven allies, his first victim being Yudora herself.

 

 

Yudora sacrificed herself to bind her essence to Wyrvun, to prevent the complete corruption of her former friend. By happenstance or by holy intent, when Barradin fought Ondharch he was able to expel Ondharch from the mortal realm(and many decades later Paragon Igor Ireheart with this same hammer would liberate Wyrvun from Ondharch fully).

 

After the Deep Cold of Ondharch, that almost destroyed the dwarves, came the Age of Gold and then the Age of Iron. In these times the dwedmar still followed the command passed on to the by Yudora. It was not until the Blood Age that Khorvad was able to gain a grip on the dwedmar once more, due to Velkan Ironborn. Emperor Velkan betrayed the All Mother’s memory and teachings by gaining the throne by force and becoming the very tyrant Yudora warned a dwedmar should never be. Velkan’s descendants continued to tarnish her legacy. But the one that sought to completely destroy her teachings and her memory was Thorgarn Ironborn whose rule oversaw the great collapse, where the larger part of the dwarven knowledge was believed to be destroyed. However, the dark arts of the Ironborn were actually acting as a direct conduit with  Khorvad, resulting in the dwarven knowledge destroyed by the Ironborn to be sent to him. It is clear that many souls and entities that dwell now in Kharvuur were once dwedmar, either old Ironborn turned into greater Inferi or sacrificed souls used to feed the forces of Khorvad.

 

However, our lost knowledge and artifacts that are being kept hidden in Khorvad’s realm, will one day fall back into the hands of us dwarves, through rediscovery or through his annihilation.

 

 

[_RoyalCrafter_ 3189]

"I hab long believed that teh system o' ah dwarven council es a holy concept, due to teh nature o' Yemekar's Will. This story goes much furthur than that." Garedyn commented to himself as he read the chapter. "We shall nevur allow thes knowledge teh beh lost again!"

[kindEmperor 997]

A certain someone would flex his ancient blade of khorvad relic.