Ismark, Kharburg & the Khazdural Dwarves

Ismark and the Fall of the Kingdom of Khazdural

@Ismark, once a sovereign dwarven territory called the Kingdom of Khazdural nestled in the eastern reaches of the @Gespaltener, was captured by the Hesan Empire approximately 150 years ago. The annexation marked a turning point in imperial expansion, as Hesa gained access not only to strategic territory, but to the deep mineral wealth and ancestral expertise of the native Khazdural dwarves.

The Mines of Khazdural

Ismark's ancient name is the Kingdom of Khazdural, meaning “the Split Crown”, referring to @Gespaltener —are rich in rare earths, deep iron, and a unique black ore of spiritual and metallurgical significance. Hesa exploits these mines, such as @The Deepworks within @Kharburg, with brutal efficiency, relying on dwarven labor and knowledge to extract the finest materials for imperial use. Most notably, the Swords of Bladewake, wielded by elite Hesan Knights in the War Covenant, are forged from Khazdural ore from Ismark. These blades are prized not only for their durability and runic conductivity, but for the mythic aura surrounding the black stone itself—said to hum with ancestral memory and elemental flame.

The Khazdural Dwarves

The Khazdural dwarves are a people of deep legacy and quiet endurance. Though most now speak Hesan with a distinct eastern dialect, some elders still remember the Old Tongue. Those who leave Hesa and travel the wider continent are regarded as ancient curiosities—even by other dwarves—bearing ancient customs, songs, and scars.

The Hammer Sang First — the creation story of Khazdural Dwarves

Among the oldest surviving cultural artifacts is the creation song “The Hammer Sang First”, still sung in Kharburg taverns and forge rites. Scholars believe it shares linguistic and thematic roots with Hesa’s own creation myth, and may even predate it. The song speaks gods who carved the sky, and dwarves who rose from slag and stone. Its verses are etched into the walls of the Deepworks.

Song: The Hammer Sang First

The hammer sang first in the hollow dark,
Stone rang out from the god’s first mark.
The sky was slag. The stars were seams.
The world was forged from a miner’s dream.

Iron was the first vein, cold and bold,
Bronze the next, with fire to hold.
Obsidian deep, where secrets sleep,
And flame was the last, too proud to keep.

The gods were delvers, not kind nor fair,
They split the sky and left it bare.
The stars bellowed, the sea did smoke—
We rose from ash, and we never broke.

So strike the stone and drink it deep,
Our oaths are long, our roots run steep.
The mountain holds what time forgot—
And we are the fire the world is not.

Ancient Airship — The Legend of Varkuun

(@Varkuun, Ancient Dwarven Airship is protected by the monster @Tharuz-Kel, the Vaultwound Sentinelin the @The Skyvault . Players must deal with Tharuz-Kel before accessing the ship. )

Beneath the city of @Kharburg, in the lowest ring of @The Deepworks, lies the whispered legend of Varkuun—an ancient dwarven airship said to rest in a sealed chamber known as @The Skyvault. According to dwarven myth, Varkuun was built not for war, but for return—a vessel forged to rise from the mountain and reclaim the sky. Hesa dismisses the tale as ancient superstition, and the Council of the Wound believes it to be a misinterpretation of creation lore. Yet among the Khazdural, belief lingers. Some say the runes still glow. Others speak of a great beast that guards the deepest corridors, a darkness that hungers beneath the stone.

Scholars outside Hesa speculate that the story of Varkuun may be a fantastical retelling of dwarven migration—that the Khazdural came to Skybride from another continent, bearing tools, songs, and skycraft, and settled in the mineral-rich folds of Gespaltener. Whether myth or memory, the tale endures, etched in song and silence, waiting in the dark.

@Tharuz-Kel, the Vaultwound Sentinel & @The Skyvault

@Tharuz-Kel, the Vaultwound Sentinelis a gargantuan construct that guards @The Skyvault and @Varkuun, Ancient Dwarven Airship. A wound was built, hammered shut with runes and stone. And it remembers. Tharuz-Kel is the final guardian of the Skyvault, forged in the twilight of the Khazdural golden age, sealed into being as a fusion of runic will, obsidian armor, and the echoing grief of a dying age.

Size & Structure

  • Length: ~120 feet from prow to stern.

  • Width: ~30 feet across the central hull.

  • Height: ~40 feet including keel and upper deck.

  • Design: Dwarven stone‑steel plating reinforced with rune‑etched timber. A single central deck with cargo bays beneath and a raised helm above.

Capacity

  • Crew Requirement: Minimum of 3 operators (pilot, rune‑keeper, engineer).

  • Passenger Limit: 20 maximum (for balance and rune stability).

  • Cargo Capacity: Up to 10 tons of goods. Cargo must be evenly distributed; imbalance risks destabilizing flight.

Travel Speeds & Limitations

  • Cruising Speed: ~50 mph (faster than a horse caravan, slower than magical flight).

  • Burst Speed: ~70 mph for short periods (requires rune overcharge, risks damage).

  • Altitude Limit: ~9,000 feet; beyond this, runes flicker and lift weakens.

  • Range: ~1 days continuous travel before requiring rune recalibration and mineral fuel resupply.

  • Weather Limitations:
    - Strong winds halve speed.
    - Storms risk rune disruption; lightning can overload the Skyvault core.
    - Fog or snow requires magical navigation checks.

Starting & Operating Mechanics

Activation Ritual:

  • First initial activation requires a Arcane expert to awaken the Skyvault Core, after that not needed.
    - Ritual involves inscribing dwarven runes with mineral dust into the helm dais.
    - A successful Arcana (DC 16) or Religion (DC 18) check is required to start. Failure drains fuel or risks backlash.

Operation Roles:

  • Pilot: Steers using rune‑etched helm.

  • Arcanist: Maintains balance between lift and propulsion.

  • Engineer: Repairs mechanical systems mid‑flight.

Checks During Flight:

  • Arcana (DC 12–18): Stabilize runes in turbulence.

  • Athletics (DC 12): Adjust rigging or cargo manually.

  • Perception (DC 14): Spot hazards.

  • Survival (DC 13): Interpret weather patterns.

Landing Rules

Where It Can Land:

  • Large open plains or fields.

  • Cliffside docks or specially built sky‑piers.

  • Wide mountain plateaus.

  • Massive courtyards or fortress yards.

Where It Cannot Land:

  • Dense forests (risk of collision).

  • Narrow city streets (too large).

  • Marshes or unstable ground (weight sinks).

  • Storm‑ridden seas (runic instability).