The Birth of the Stonefather
The Making of the Stonefather
According to ancient scripture and chiseled hymn, Ignara, the ever-burning forge-heart, and Terran, the unshifting stone-body, looked upon the mountains of Largitas and saw they were beautiful — but cruel.
“No feathered folk may tread here, nor soft-skinned kin endure. Let us make one who can dig, endure, and thrive.”
Thus, in the Deep Days before time was measured, they shaped a great pot — though the tale splits here: some say it was a crucible, others a cooking pot of divine proportion. Within this vessel, they blended:
- Clay of the first riverbed
- Stone from the core of Terran’s spine
- Molten metal gifted by Ignara’s breath
- Shards of gemstone tears from both gods
As the pot boiled and hissed, they spoke words older than stars. And from the steaming mix emerged the Stonefather — thick of brow, deep of chest, with eyes that glowed like coals in a hearth.
The Birth of the Clans
The Stonefather, given voice and will, turned to the divine pot and shaped it again. From its depths he drew forth the First Clans:
- The Clayborn, shapers of pots, bricks, and earthen walls.
- The Stonewrought, builders of halls and cutters of roads.
- The Ironveins, forgers and smiths of legend.
- The Gemkin, jewelers, lorekeepers, and flame-whisperers.
Each clan was molded from the very material that birthed them, and the Stonefather gave them tasks — not to conquer the land, but to understand it, master it, and live within it as kin.
Summary
The Stonefather, known as the First Dwarf, is said to have been forged by the divine union of fire and earth. Created by the gods Ignara and Terran, he was the prototype of resilience, born to survive the treacherous peaks and subterranean dangers of the continent of Largitas. From his mighty hands sprang the first Dwarven Clans, each molded from different sacred materials and imbued with a legacy of craft.
Spread
Legacy
From the Stonefather’s myth arises the belief that craft is sacred, and that each Dwarf must find their material — their essence — and shape their life as their divine ancestor did. His story is retold not just in temples, but in every forge, every recipe, every stone laid with purpose.
To be Dwarven is to be forged from intent — and none symbolize this more than the First Dwarf, the Stonefather.
Variations & Mutation
Interpretations and Variants
- Southern Clans depict the Stonefather as solitary, creating clans as his children.
- Highridge Dwarves believe each god made a Dwarf separately — Terran the body, Ignara the spirit — and the Stonefather is simply the first to unite both.
- Some Bloom Touched Dwarves believe the crucible has cracked, and that modern Dwarves are being reshaped by the Bloom.
Cultural Reception
Cultural Significance
The myth of the Stonefather lies at the foundation of Dwarven identity. Dwarves do not see themselves as merely born — they are crafted, intentionally shaped, each carrying a purpose rooted in divine will.
- Stonefather’s Day is celebrated with feasting and forging, where Dwarves symbolically re-create their ancestor’s shaping by cooking communal stews in helmet-pots or lighting clan crucibles.
- Some chefs and philosophers debate whether this sacred pot was culinary or industrial — but most agree the distinction is trivial: in Dwarven culture, to cook is to forge.
In Literature
Associated Sayings
- “We are not born — we are poured and cooled.”
- “By flame and stone, shaped are we.”
- “In pot or forge, we find our form.”
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