Shield

'''Long ago when the deep maker was unmade by his siblings, there was a race of beings made by the deep maker known as the Dwarves. These dwarves were created to amass an armoury of powerful weapons for the Deep makers creations. After the Deep Maker was unmade there was a powerful silence among his creations. This silence was broken by the rousing of the Plague walker. As the plague walker began to rally the many monstrous creations of the deep maker, a fair dwarven lass, Bruna stepped forth. What she spoke would begin many changes for her people. “Your father is dead. You nor any other of his children can hope for victory without him.” '''

'''Naturally this angered the Plague walker and many other deep things. As they set their claws and teeth upon Bruna, more dwarves stepped forward. Throwing their impenetrable shields in front of these many claws and teeth. Some tales say these dwarves were her siblings, some say they were merely her closest friends. There is no living dwarf now that can say for certain. These shield bearing defenders would become the Shield dwarves. Who would rally much of their people to move toward the surface and settle there, away from the deep things and away from the coming war of the Monstrous Gods. '''

'''This movement deeply unsettled some of their cousins. They saw it as better to remain in the dark, in the deep, with the deep things. To hide from the other makers and their creations. This eventually escalated to a civil war and became known as the first sundering of the mountain. The remainder would stay with the deep ones and unlike their now surface dwelling cousins, their skin would remain dark, their beards pale and thin.'''

After the initial heat of battle, all of the dwarves that chose to venture to the surface began to split into factions.

'''Hill Dwarves: These cousins ventured out of the mountain the earliest to parley with the other makers and their creations. They sought trade and commerce, as they thought it prudent to have allies in the coming war now that they had burned the bridge they crossed to get here. This eventually evolved into the Hill dwarves being wealthy merchants. Hill Dwarf society is well structured aristocracy. A Dwarves worth is measured by the weight of his coin purse. Bribery is common if not actively encouraged. Law really only applies to other races and Poor Dwarves.'''

'''Shield Dwarves: Shield dwarves chose to remain within the mountains close to the surface. Within the shield dwarves was a group of separatists who wished to remain in the deep, but did not have the courage to fight with their deep cousins in the first Sundering. These separatists organised an assassination of the mountain queen, starting a second civil war known as the Second Sundering. (Apparently dwarves are not creative in naming their wars) These shield dwarves now stand guard in their mountain settlement known as Olar Marin (Translates to Endless Peaks). Protecting the ancient armory’s from falling into the deep ones hands.'''