Duradin

The Duradin (also known as dwarves) are an ancient race created by Earth elementals.

History
The Duradin were created by earth elementals with the hope of prolonging The Great Elemental War but refused to join the elementals of earth.

Despite having originally been divided into extended families known as clans during the age of plenty at the end of The Great Elemental War the dwarves founded a trade council which came to be run by a Chairman and then a High King. This High King was granted sweeping powers so as to form a united dwarven nation and under his rule many clans mixed across the dwarven strongholds but fate conspired to undo this work.

The attack by the Atolandians had created a weakness in the personality of the elves who had lost their forgiving after witnessing their homes burnt to the ground allowing water to add to their above it all personality a feeling of superiority over other races and a desire to attack water's enemies and pointed them in the direction of the dwarves.

However on the way towards the dwarves a group of air elementals wanting to keep the peace brewed up a stormed that shattered boats and snapped masts and although the elves did eventually make it to land they, with a few exceptions did not want to press on.

But in stopping one attack the elementals created another for, seeing air elementals attack forces about to attack earth, fire turned the permanent irritation that was the orcs into a undefeatable fighting force that stormed into the central mountains threatening an end to dwarvern civilization.

Under siege by waves of refuges the remaining dwarvern strongholds closed their gates and their hearts to the plite of the refugees. This was not just unkind but also constituted a breach of the rules of the Dwarven council and so the Strongholds either left it or enforced the new laws unofficially in both cases weakening the Dwarven council.

It was one of these days that the dwarvern High King, on a desperate diplomatic mission, was kidnapped by goblinoids who intended to take him to their camp and force him to end the dwarvern union once and for all.

However on the way to the camp he was saved by Aruseus at time son of the chief of one of the minor human tribes. In reward The High King gave Aruseus a weapon of great power which he used to unite the humans and drive the greenskins back and with this pressure gone The Duradin came back into being as a single federation.

Politics
The Duradin remain semi-united under The High King but divided between strongholds. Officially clans are no more then a social divider but behind the scenes They fight shadowy battles for control over strongholds and found new outposts.