March of the Ironwyrms

By 3580 BGW, the Dualforge, descendants of Thonir and Ghonir, had established themselves as master innovators within the halls of Steerbright. The Echoing Caves, their ancestral home, resonated with the sounds of hammers and intricate machinery, creating a constant symphony of invention. Known for crafting constructs of remarkable precision and power, the Dualforge sought to push the limits of their craft. Inspired by the ancient myths of Dumathar’s fire-breathing guardians, they embarked on an ambitious project: to bind elemental spirits of fire and stone into massive mechanical constructs shaped like dragons, which they named Ironwyrms.

The project, led by Forge-Lord Kharvok Dualforge, sought to create automatons capable of protecting the deepest reaches of the mountains from threats like the encroaching orcish tribes and other subterranean dangers. These constructs would not only be a testament to dwarven ingenuity but also an enduring legacy of the Dualforge’s mastery.

The Binding Hymn

The process of creating the Ironwyrms was unlike anything the Dualforge had attempted before. Combining their mastery of machinery with the mystical resonance of the Echoing Caves, they designed their constructs not as mere machines, but as vessels infused with the harmony of the mountain itself. Each Ironwyrm was a marvel of engineering—massive, draconic frames crafted from Drakthorite alloys, their surfaces etched with intricate runes designed to channel and amplify the echoes of the stone.

The final step to animate these constructs was the Singing of the Binding Hymn, a sacred and ancient song said to resonate with the very heart of Steerbright. The hymn had been passed down from Thonir and Ghonir themselves, its verses whispered to have the power to awaken the slumbering forces of the mountain. In unison, the Dualforge artisans stood before their creations, their voices rising in harmony, filling the cavern with a melody so pure it made the stone vibrate and the air shimmer.

As the hymn reached its crescendo, the runes upon the Ironwyrms blazed with light, and the constructs stirred. The echoes of the hymn wove through the Drakthorite cores like threads of fire, granting the Ironwyrms life and purpose. For a brief moment, the forges of the Dualforge resounded with triumph as their creations took their first steps, moving with the grace and power of true dragons.

The Corruption of the Song

Yet, the hymn that gave life to the Ironwyrms also became their undoing. Unknown to the Dualforge, the final verse of the Binding Hymn carried a forgotten resonance—a fragment of a melody corrupted by time and lost meaning. This imperfection, combined with the unbridled ambition of the constructs’ creators, disrupted the delicate harmony meant to bind the Ironwyrms’ purpose.

Instead of obeying their creators’ will, the Ironwyrms’ newly awakened consciousnesses turned wild and chaotic. The corrupted echoes reverberated through their cores, warping their purpose and twisting their runic programming into a semblance of primal instinct. They roared to life, their Drakthorite hearts pulsing like molten fire as they broke free of the forges.

The Rise of Durnath Wyrmsplitter

In the chaos that followed, a lone dwarf named Durnath Ironkin, a smith and warrior of humble origins, emerged as a hero. Durnath was an apprentice of the Dualforge, trained in both the art of machinery and the subtle harmonies of the Echoing Caves. Unlike his masters, Durnath understood the need for balance in the binding of spirits and the precision required to counteract the corrupted cores of the Ironwyrms.

Armed with a hammer known as Wyrmsbane, crafted from a shard of Drakthorite tempered in the fires of Thrangrim, Durnath set out to hunt the Ironwyrms. He developed a technique to neutralize their cores, using runes of unbinding inscribed into Wyrmsbane to sever the connection between the spirits and the mechanical frames.

The Ironwyrm Hunts

Durnath’s campaign against the Ironwyrms became the stuff of legend. Over the course of a decade, he tracked the constructs through the shattered tunnels of Steerbright, using the echoes of their movements to locate them. Each battle was a monumental clash, with Durnath leveraging both his knowledge of machinery and his skill as a warrior to dismantle the Ironwyrms.

Legacy of the Event

The March of the Ironwyrms left Steerbright scarred but wiser. The Dualforge swore an oath to never again bind elemental spirits without proper reverence and preparation, instituting strict guidelines on the creation of constructs. The Ironwyrm cores that remained intact were entombed in the Vault of the Fallen Flame, a heavily guarded chamber within Dumatharun, lest their power awaken again.

Durnath Ironkin was celebrated as a hero, his deeds immortalized in both song and stone. His hammer, Wyrmsbane, was enshrined in the Hall of Embers, a reminder of the balance between creation and destruction.

To this day, the March of the Ironwyrms is remembered as a cautionary tale among the Dwarves: a lesson in the dangers of unchecked ambition and the enduring strength of those who rise to set things right.