https://youtu.be/CvPWRKkiPVU

We have spoken about the history of Dwarves on Krynn, and touched lightly on their ancestral homes of Kal-Thax, Thorin and Thorbardin. But what about the others? Let’s have a brief overview of the Dwarven Kingdoms of Krynn.

Transcript

The Smiths were chosen by Reorx. They lost the Graystone which created Scions from them. The Scions led the Smiths to Ansalon and our story of Dwarves continues...

Intro

Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today we are going to talk about the Dwarven Kingdoms. This can be seen as a part two of last week's Dwarves of Krynn episode. I would like to take a moment and thank my collaborator patrons, the Heroes of the Lance, and invite you to consider becoming a patron or member of this channel by visiting the links in the description below. You can even pick up Dragonlance gaming materials using my affiliate link. This episode is informed by the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition Dwarven Kingdoms of Krynn boxed set, but also from the novels and other game materials.

Discussion

As a way of a primer, the first Dwarven Kingdom on Ansalon was called Kal-Thax. In truth, there would be many of them along the coast line. Kal-Thax stands for ‘Cold Forge’. The first of these was formed among the natural caverns and sea caves along the coast of Nordmaar. It was seen as a chill prison/fortress, useful only as protection from the tremendous threat of the wandering Graystone. They would delve deep into the natural and living limestone underground to create their new home. This is truly where the dwarven traits as we know them manifest within the race. As they expanded the network of Kal-Thax they would uncover a sealed cavern where water dripped from the rock, falling to the floor in a deep minor musical key. Upon closer inspection the wall bore the face of Reorx himself, and the great debate as to why he wept would begin. Was it a sign to be content with their new home and find peace or to strike out and build even greater homes?

After the fall of Gargath and the further chaos of the newly released Graystone, the dwarves migrated to a newly discovered home of Thorin. An ancient, abandoned, crude ogre lair by dwarven standards. The deep cave was one feature that was outdone in its significance by the pool of magma at its center. They built a great keep of Thorin at the heights of their kingdom  and delved vast caverns beneath the surface. With their endless energy source at the core of their new kingdom, they would invent glass blowing, mirrors to light their vast underground land, and delve a vast Grand Gather where they would have formal meetings and bring honored guests. They also uncovered the Dragon Orbs the elves hid there aeons before. Bringing them to the surface to destroy them in the Lords of Doom, a trio of active volcanoes, they were lost in a great ogre battle. They would trade with the human realms and find peace and prosperity.

The chieftain and over a thousand followers would migrate to a new home, a Kal-Thax in the west. The Hylar were able to best and convince the Thiewar, Daewar, Daergar and Klar that lived there to join them in a new kingdom called Thorbardin. Thorbardin features a massive lake with the Life-Tree at its center. Each dwarven clan has a vast kingdom of their own underneath the mountain. During the Kinslayer Wars, the Theiwar wanted to ally with Humans, but hide it from the elves. The Hylar discovered the treachery and to rectify it came to the aid of Kith-Kanan, and ultimately settled the war. The Silvanesti never forgave the Theiwar,