The Founding of Dumatharun

“Where the hammer falls, so rises the mountain’s heart.” – Inscription at Dumatharun’s Gate

With Drakthorite in hand and the fires of Thrangrim (Deep Forge) burning bright, the dwarves set their gaze upon something greater—a home worthy of their craft and the blessing of Dumathar, the Veinsmith. Beneath the towering peak of Kharak-Dur, they began carving the first great dwarven city, a bastion of stone and flame that would bear the name Dumatharun—“Hall of Dumathar”.

Carving the City of Stone

Guided by the glow of Drakthorite veins that wound like serpents through the heart of the mountain, the dwarves carved Dumatharun directly from the living rock. Great halls were hewn with precision, each strike of the hammer echoing the chants of forge-priests who sang praises to Dumathar with every stone laid.

The city’s entrance became a testament to their labor—a massive archway inlaid with molten Drakthorite veins, faintly glowing even in the deepest dark. Above the gates stood a colossal statue of Dumathar himself, hammer raised high to greet all who entered. His gaze, the dwarves believed, watched over the city and its forges, ensuring prosperity as long as the fires of Thrangrim roared.

Beneath the statue, the dwarves etched the words:
“Stone is eternal, but only fire gives it purpose.”

The Heart of the City

At the core of Dumatharun lay the Hall of Embers, a vast chamber housing the sacred flames of Thrangrim. The forge was the city’s lifeblood, a constant source of warmth and creation, where Drakthorite was shaped into tools, weapons, and artifacts worthy of legend.

The Hall of Embers was not only a forge but a temple to Dumathar. Dwarves gathered there not just to work but to give thanks, believing that every blade shaped in the forge bore Dumathar’s mark, his essence lingering in the glow of Drakthorite.

An Age of Fire and Stone

The founding of Dumatharun marked the beginning of the First Age of the Dwarves, an era of relentless craftsmanship and the forging of wonders unmatched by any other race. The halls beneath Kharak-Dur expanded outward, forming vast subterranean networks that stretched for miles, with the light of Thrangrim serving as a beacon in the dark.

From Dumatharun’s gates emerged the first dwarven kings, clad in armor that shimmered with the faint glow of Drakthorite. Their rule was not built on conquest but on the strength of their craft and the unity of the clans who labored beneath the mountain.

The Veins of the Mountain

As Dumatharun grew, the dwarves mapped the veins of Drakthorite deep beneath Kharak-Dur, following them like rivers of fire that guided their expansion. Great mining halls, known as Veinhalls, were established to extract the precious ore. To disturb the veins without reverence was considered sacrilege, for the dwarves believed that Drakthorite carried Dumathar’s lifeblood through the stone.

Legacy of Dumatharun

The founding of Dumatharun was more than the creation of a city—it was the birth of dwarven identity. The dwarves did not see themselves as conquerors of the stone but as its caretakers, shaping the mountains in Dumathar’s image.

Even as centuries passed, Dumatharun remained a symbol of resilience and craftsmanship. Its gates, glowing with Drakthorite, stood as a reminder that the heart of the mountain beats strongest beneath the hammer’s strike.

And so, in the shadow of Kharak-Dur, Dumatharun endures—the Hall of Dumathar, where stone and fire dance in eternal rhythm, and the song of the forge echoes on.