The Dweghom
The Dweghom, forged in the fires of war, are a race with a history steeped in conflict and loss. Originally crafted by the dragons to be supreme artisans, their Ancestors were designed to be the ultimate servants—tireless, resilient, and devoted to creating beauty. Gifted with long lives and deep memory, they carried the secrets of their craft across generations. For millennia, they labored for their dragon masters, transforming dragon hoards into collections of exquisite artifacts and turning the dragons' Rooks into marvels of architecture and engineering.
Loyalty was ingrained so deeply in their essence that even thoughts of rebellion were rare. Those few uprisings that did occur were quickly quashed, with leaders executed and followers exiled into the dark depths of vast mining networks. Yet the dragons’ meticulous crafting had backfired. The Ancestors who toiled in these unforgiving depths were not broken but emboldened, their anger feeding a relentless determination to overthrow their masters. Their tunnels drove ever deeper, fueled by their fury, until they reached the planet’s core, where they encountered something that would transform them forever.
Bound by the dragons in the ancient Primordial Earth and Fire, War itself—the Second Horseman and Incarnate Soul of Destruction—waited in a chthonic tomb, thought to be beyond the reach of mortals. With each furious strike, the Ancestors' labor became a prayer of defiance, a pilgrimage that breached the borders of reality. They stood before War’s throne, where their fate and race were irrevocably changed. The Dweghom were physically transformed, their bodies now bearing the gifts of Primal Fire and Earth, with increased resilience to heat and flame. Many Dweghom discovered latent powers within, though without mastering them, these powers threatened to consume their wielders.
Their return from War’s prison marked the end of peace. No longer mere servants, the Dweghom rose as equals against the dragons, shaking the world’s foundations. The dragons' Rooks burned, and when the smoke cleared, only the Dweghom remained, their pride quenched in the blood of their creators and kin. The dragons and their servants were reduced to ash.
But War’s teachings scorn peace, and memory does not bring unity. After eradicating the dragons, the Dweghom turned upon themselves. Their High King, repulsed by their unrelenting aggression, abdicated, leaving the Dweghom without clear leadership. The Mnemancers were summoned to record their deeds and help shape a new society, but differing interpretations led to immediate discord. The resulting Memory Wars fractured their people into rival castes, clans, and beliefs, bringing them to the brink of extinction before they retreated to their Holds. This struggle has left deep scars, and to this day, Dweghom civilization is a fractured mosaic of conflict.
Today, the Dweghom are split between the Ardent, the fanatical warriors; the Tempered, the gifted but often volatile wielders of their powers; and the civilian populace. Violent confrontations between these factions are frequent, as old grudges can rapidly escalate into full-blown warfare. Leadership within each Hold is a precarious balance of power, maintained through violence, compromise, and the guidance of the Mnemancers. One of the few points of agreement is that internal feuds must be set aside in the face of an external threat. Consequently, Dweghom hosts are always ready to unleash War upon any enemy bold—or foolish—enough to cross their path.