The Great Beast, Jorvin Starbreaker, loomed silent in the halls of Starbreaker, contemplatively pouring over that most-sacred book of the Kornazkarumm, the Tome of Kazraden, half familial record- And half relic, runic bindings on the book flaired whenever the family tree expanded, whenever additions were made. They had been dim now, for quite some time. A somberness fell over the Clan-Lord, and his inner forge waned.
Lulubelle, gone, Lyni, gone, Stromni, gone, his mother, gone. Nara, Sif, Crevin, Azdal, Kazarath, all missing. . . Even his father, Kazrin, wisest of their kin, now spent more time within the Ancestor-Sleep than not. That fool, Ulfar had sequestered himself off to the far north, Ulfar, on who Jorvin laid his faith for the future, who he had strove to support always. Had he not done enough?
What use was greatness if it couldn't be passed on? What had he done to wound Ulfar so, that the boy had thought to humiliate him? Was there a shred of truth to Ulfar's words, or was it just rampant ambition? Rampant ambition. . . Jorvin had known that well, he had nearly fallen to it himself- He saw it in the eyes of his uncle, when he took his traitorous head, he saw it in his mother's eyes, moments before an arrow found her throat at the siege of Nordengrad. That bane was Velkan's curse, he used to tell himself- Though in truth, who was more ambitious than those who played with creation itself? They were blacksmiths and golemancers, yes- But so much more than that also. They were the apprentices of the Godsmith himself. There were few more ambitious than Gotrek's Folk- Could Jorvin blame Ulfar?
The Halls of Starbreaker were always dim- Save for forge glow, for Cave Dwarves had little need for the light of the surface. But now it truly fell dark, it felt cold- Empty. By his command, kingdoms had fallen- With his voice, he had broken armies, his axe had slain beasts beyond imagination, beyond space and time itself- And his hands directed the hammer that had cloven the skull of a God.
What had he done to be abandoned? Had he done all these great things, and still failed? That famous rage was absent now, a melancholy had seized the Great Beast, the Godslayer. Doubt plagued his old brow.