Shazstundihr is a Dwarf Hold in the Serpentreach known as the Marble Gate, the home of master sculptors and builders and gate to the land of Bulwar. The hold was known for it's skill of working with marble, creating many large and intricate sculptures and buildings such as the Ancestral Mausoleum of Argor Whitebeard. The Marble Dwarves opened their gates to many cultures from Bulwar and Kheterata, creating a great cultural center where people could coexist together.
Culture and Customs[]
Shazstundihr traditionally was ruled by the Whitestone Council, a group of 50 of the most prominent dwarves of the hold. The council members rarely changed unless a major event occurred, allowing Shazstundihr to prosper under the long-term vision of strong-willed leaders. The location of Shazstundihr as the southernmost part of the Serpentreach meant that it opened its gates to many different cultures and beliefs. The humans of Bulwar were always welcome in the marble hold, whether for trade or otherwise. Shazstundihr had always managed to maintain an enduring peace with its neighbors of the surface realms, and in its heyday was a great cultural center where many cultures from Bulwar and even Kheterata could be found.
The Marble Dwarves were renowned for having many master sculptors and builders from the hold who made many creations. The grand Marble Gate to the hold of Shazstundihr is a true wonder of the world. Made up of two giant blocks of marble, each door is estimated to weigh over 1500 tons. Meticulously maintained, the designs and decorations on the surface of the gate show the immense skill of the Shazstundihri stoneworkers. The Ancestral Mausoleum of Argor Whitebeard was a structure which contained detailed statues of the most famous ancestors along with a 30 foot statue of Argor Whitebeard, the founder of Shazstundihr.
Marble works were also built in Bulwar, with works such as the old walls of Aqatbar, much of the island city of Azkaeliš, and the great fortress of Azka-szel-Azka. Time, war and devastation, as well as the desperate scavenging has wiped away much of this work, but traces of the Shazstundihr still remain everywhere. Many modern buildings stand on dwarven foundations, and dwarven stonework decorations can still be spotted on some ancient walls.
History[]
The Precursor War[]
In 6229 BA, Arethon, the Emperor of the Precursors and Aldan sieged the Hold of Shazstundihr which resulted in a battle where Mhoki Brightbeard, the champion of the hold slayed Arethon. Having lost their Emperor, Aldan called for peace with Aul-Dwarov and broke the siege of the Hold and in 6200 BA, the Precursor Elves were called back to Aelantir for reflection.
Aftermath and New Enemies[]
As the Precursors left the Dwarovar, one elf, Ducaniel still remained in the depths of Hul-Jorkad. He had created the orcs which had devastated the Western Dwarovar and destroyed Amldihr by 5888 BA. With an orcish victory and Ducaniel leaving for Aelantir, in 5400 BA, the orcs breached the Argrod Junction after much fighting against the dwarves of the Serpentreach, including the Marble Dwarves. The orcs slowly advanced across the Serpentreach and with the leadership of Arg-Ôrdstun, the Marble Dwarves followed them into battle, defending every inch of rail they could.
By 4538 BA, the forces of the holds of Ovdal Lodhum and Verkal Skomdihr were withdrawn from the war which forced the remaining holds to levy their populations for the war, taking a large toll on Shazstundihr. By 3800 BA, seeing the futility of fighting, the Holds of Shazstundihr and Orlghelovar elected to retreat to their respective holds and close their gates.
The Relic[]
While unable to reach Dwarovrod anymore, the Marble Dwarves thrived and had a golden age. Much of the architecture of Bulwar was created using marble from Shazstundihr, its style apparent in man palaces of the God Kings. In 2400 BA, one of the God Kings in particular had offered his patronage to the Marble Dwarves to build him magnificent marble statues. They had obliged and were offered a relic as payment, one that allowed them to enchant their tools to require less repairs which greatly helped the master builders and sculptors. Little did they know however, is that with every use, the relic drained some of their lifeforce.
After centuries of use, the ancient relic’s power started to wane, the Marble Dwarves continued squeezing out any power they could, until the relic became corrupted and started draining their lifeforce at an accelerated rate. Rather than enchanting hardness, it now took it away. Buildings would crumble, and soon the dwarves did too. There were many attempts to destroy it, but they all failed, any dwarf that tried to remove it from the hold, would break down to dust before they could even walk out of the room.
Many dwarves died, others abandoned the hold. The relic would gradually lose all its powers over the years, but the damage was done. Shazstundihr was finally uninhabitable by 271 BA, with scavenging goblins eventually making their way to the hold and squatting there, with the ancient relic reduced to a headpiece for the tribe’s clanboss.