In the ancient days, many thousand years ago, on the highest place where the city of Outnorth is placed there was a castle. In that castle there once lived a evil Witch lord. It is said that this evil wizard had lived in uncountable years his life prolonged by foul magic. It is said he had tricked death itself. From his castle in Outnorth he controlled the surrounding areas by means of all sort of terrible creatures created by the “Which Lord”. Many of them of the remnants of the unlucky ones that dared oppose his reign.
It is said that the clan of Edoram of the south dwarves that time lived in an area north of what now is Mandos. One day the king of the dwarves got a insidious message. The message was the head of his son in the hands of his dead body still walking. It carried a note that bade the king to never again penetrate into the domain of the “Witchlord” again.
This message didn’t function as planed. As one man all the dwarves of clan Edoram, men and women, rose to defend the honor of dwarven kind. All preparing for battle and marching towards Outnorth. When they arrived the army of undeads created by the “Witch Lord” stood ready covering the fields from horizon to horizon. The dwarven army was but a drop in the sea compared. Non the less, when the second morning of the “blood battle at Outnorth” rose one third of the undead army were slain. Not without a cost though, half of the dwarven army lay on the battlefield deeding the crows. The other part did not hesitate in going on though and in the front line stood the dwarven king wielding his mighty hammer “Deed”. Wherever the hammer fell undeads was slain. It is said that he called lightning from clear sky among the undead and spread holy light that forced the undead to retreat.
But when the second night came, the “Witch Lord” raised their own dead from the battlefields. Nonetheless when the morning arrived the undead foe had been driven to the gates. At that time it is said only hundred dwarves were remaining from the once great army and still in the front line the dwarven king wielding his hammer. It is also said that when only fifty brave fighters remained the gates were closed and the dead forced to defend the walls. It was then with one mighty blow from the hammer “Deed” the dwarven king opened the gates again.
The remaining dwarves milled into the courtyard driving the undead horde back and crushing the remnants against the wall of the courtyard as an dwarven hammer against an anvil. It is told that deep under the castle the dwarven king met the “Witch Lord” as the only survivor and defeated him in battle himself falling in the fight. Thus died the last king and the last dwarf of Clan Edoram. Thus the kingdom of Edoram fell fighting for the dwarven honor. The kings name forgotten but strangely not the name of his hammer, “Deed”, but forever his courage and stubborn resistance to lay down and die, remain an example for all dwarfs to follow.
First told to Astrat by High Swordmaster, Sir Masrat of Kosa. Retold by Astrat to Azardu under a sharing of tales around the campfire in one of their less exiting adventures.