The Dwarves of Ezrahn are hardy, but faithful people. For millennia they toiled underground, building a vast network of tunnels beneath the surface. They never ventured above ground, content within their stone halls and passageways. If a dwarf discovered his digging had reached the surface, they would collapse the tunnel and change direction, even if that meant abandoning the ore they had been mining.

One day, a group of orcs discovered one of these collapsed tunnels while seeking a place to camp. As they explored deeper, they came across a group of dwarves peacefully digging away. The orcs, thinking they had found easy prey, attacked. Though they slaughtered the group of dwarves, their victory did not come without cost.

As the blood of the dwarves seeped into the ground, their god, Bodvarrk, felt the cries of his people’s souls. From his forge deep in the center of the world, he raised his hammer. Striking his anvil with all of his godly might, Bodvarrk caused a shockwave that reached to the surface and beyond. The western half of Ezrahn became forever changed. Tall, jagged mountains rose to the sky, splitting the land in two.

The Dwarves suddenly found themselves in the middle of the war against the Orcs. Fast alliances were made with the now split Elven nation as well as the various human kingdoms fighting for their survival. The weapons and armor created by the Dwarves turned the tide of the battles and led to the combined forces driving the Orcs back into the lands to the North.