The Cardinal Sin

"Thou shalt not steal," a dwarven tenet as ancient as their race itself, yet one that an unfortunate number amongst their kin failed to honor. In their homeland, theft was deemed a cardinal sin, punishable to the utmost extent of their laws, at times even by death.   Those dwarves harboring avaricious desires deep within,biding their time for the perfect moment to sin unpunished, saw their opportunity amidst the war-torn Luyarnha. Concealed within the ranks of their well-intentioned brethren, they entered Luyarnha only to scatter, some swept away by the tide of war, but those who survived coalesced into marauding bands preying upon the vulnerable.   Their plundering persisted until they dared to trespass upon a dwelling that should have remained undisturbed, its walls etched with an archaic language, and its occupant patiently awaiting their intrusion. Unwittingly, they had captured the attention of an entity far more formidable than they could fathom. On that ill-fated day, the lives of these dwarves were irrevocably altered, as they metamorphosed into the Y'ha-nthlei, the enigmatic Deep Ones, a destiny far grimmer than death.  

The Long Night

A multitude of dwarves had chosen to dwell within the Waterfront district, where the central railway terminus lay, and the ships dock, their shared culture fostering a harmonious coexistence. In a mutually beneficial relationship, they imbued the district with distinct dwarven elements, adding to the gothic architectural landscape and bequeathing the area with a unique aesthetic that endures to this day.     Yet, the enigmatic Deep Ones, though but a minority amongst Luyarnha's dwarven populace, insidiously encroached upon the Waterfront district. They renounced their thieving ways and instead, embarked upon a sinister campaign of abduction, forcibly indoctrinating their unsuspecting brothers into the worship of their slumbering sovereign, slowly corrupting the inherent goodness that once thrived within the district's walls.     One fateful night, the Deep Ones executed a vast, coordinated kidnapping, spiriting away hundreds of dwarves in the span of a single, darkened eve — the Long Night. Wanted posters soon plastered the city streets, while the cursed bloods and scions marshaled their forces, and the church dispatched their hunters, all determined to unearth the truth behind the sudden, inexplicable vanishings. And, as mysteriously as they had vanished, the dwarves reappeared, slumbering upon the shoreline, fragrant with the potent aroma of alcohol. The House of Blood's interrogations yielded naught, and soon town criers announced the incident a grand dwarven celebration of the new lunar year, characterized by inebriation and disorientation, leaving the dwarves with no clear memory of the events. Yet from that day forth, a heightened presence of hunters and wardens patrol the district, either to impart a sense of security or, perhaps, because those in authority are privy to some unsettling secret.     Ever since, the dwarves of Luyarnha have felt a disquieting shift in their lives. Though many remain untouched by the insidious corruption of the Deep Ones' cult, blissfully ignorant of its existence, uncertainty lingers in the air as to how long this fragile equilibrium will endure, before another Long Night befall the remnants of dwarvenkind within Luyarnha, reducing them to nothing but enslaved thralls.  

Raiders to Smugglers

The Scions, scientists skilled in melding life through electricity to craft manikins and other constructs, grew increasingly reliant upon trade, their experiments demanding gold, mithril and other alloys capable of withstanding the forces of lightning. Yet, as the Scourge surged anew and Luyarnha was once more besieged, the Scions found themselves in dire straits, the resources essential to their groundbreaking research now perilously scarce.     In this desperate hour, the Y'ha-nthlei emerged, their singular mastery of smuggling enabling them to procure vital materials from beyond the beleaguered city. Young Deep Ones, proficient in navigation and seamanship, who retained greater control over their faculties, could alone navigate the hazardous routes into and out of Luyarnha, defying the lockdown imposed on the city. These enigmatic dwarves proved invaluable to the Scions, and in exchange for their services, the Y'ha-nthlei furthered their inscrutable goals, burrowing ever deeper into the city's fabric, drawing the unwitting populace closer to the unfathomable depths of their eldritch master's influence.     Owing to the secretive nature of the Deep Ones and the waning number of "ordinary" dwarves, the race is seen less frequently by the city's denizens. Although they continue to trade and offer their expertise in architectural planning and resource gathering, these skills diminished in importance as the Scourge expanded. Many dwarves adapted their inherent talents to farming, their stout physique ideally suited for laboring within the town's greenhouses, striving alongside others to produce sustenance for the populace. A handful of thrill-seeking dwarves enlisted in the ranks of the hunters, unfortunately a sizeable portion of battle-hardened dwarves unburdened by scruples have already fallen under the thrall of the Y'ha-nthlei, now toiling to fulfill the sinister objectives of their eldritch master rather than fighting for freedom.