The History of Mildenhaul
by Sonnlinor Hera Braidstone
Dedicated to the memory of Grandmother Durna Ironweaver & Grandfather Halric Braidstone and a very unusual warrior of the All Father
The Mildenhaul clan hold opens along a narrow, south facing passage in a snow swept crag, breaking the mountain’s surface on the western most edge of the Spine of the World mountain chain. For roughly nine months out of the year, this area of the mountain is impossible to travel due to subzero temperatures, howling winds, shifting snow drifts and ice sheets. Strong weather fronts regularly blow in from the Sea of Moving Ice throughout the fall and winter months. However, one summer, nearly five centuries gone, this passage was discovered by a most resourceful and clever gold wyrm, who was chased into the highest Spine peaks by several red beasts from the Sword Mountains. Having crawled into the narrow opening, the gold dragon disappeared into the natural protection of these deep caverns, tricking the red beasts into thinking he had perished in an avalanche.
Less than a decade after the gold wyrm settled into this cavernous rift, a seasoned party of dwarves, displaced by a torrential earthquake, found themselves literally pushed up from the wind protected tunnels of Mithril Hall, into the inhospitable climate of the icy wastelands of the Spine mountain chain. Having just set out on an iron expedition deep within the earth, they were stocked well enough to survive a few tendays along the surface. With the end of summer, also called Ever Day, upon them, weather conditions were deteriorating rapidly and supplies, as well as cloaks, wore thin.
Twenty three dwarves from three separate clans were in the original expedition, however, the harsh climate and great white bears claimed four lives before Sonnlinor Halric Braidstone discovered the wind protected passage that led inside the mountain. It is said that Moradin himself gave vision to Halric by way of a glowing anvil floating mid-air above the passage. Despite the biting winds and driving snow of an oncoming storm, Halric urged his kinsmen to climb higher into the blinding storm, ignoring their protests.
The remaining nineteen exhausted and near hopeless dwarves, could hardly believe their senses when they found themselves in an expansive system of natural caverns, not only protected from the elements, but warmed by a natural hot spring that created an entire system of pools and streams which expanded nearly four miles underground. Jubilant upon their blessing from the All Father, after resting, the dwarves began properly exploring this new shelter and found they were not alone.
Dragons seldom enjoy sharing space with others, especially those of lesser races; (and as far as dragons are concerned, that includes all living creatures save for their own species). It was young Baralgur Ironweaver who had the misfortune to wake a slumbering gold dragon. In the great beasts’ surprise and confusion of being mistaken for an enormous deposit of gold ore, he nearly burned off Baralgur’s beard before the dwarf dodged around a rocky outcropping and screamed for aid. By chance, however, due to the extreme climate where the homeless dwarves and the young wyrm found themselves living, and the vast space of those natural caverns, both parties settled on a mutually beneficial relationship.
The industrious Ironweavers quickly formulated a method to raise blind prawns and cave trout in the natural springs, while the Braidstones hastily crafted the basics of an iron and copper mining industry. The blood thirsty Blackhammers, being Bloodmaidens and Battleragers of old, guarded the deeper passages that led to the underwarren which teamed with untold numbers of goblins and trolls. Thus, the dragon was gifted a steady supply of fresh fish and seasonal bear, which he found far more palatable than the goblins he had become used to eating, while the dwarves found mining and excavation far less perilous with a dragon at guard.
However, as the decades wore on and Mildenhaul grew into a grand dwarven hall, far richer sources of metal were found besides iron and copper. Silver was discovered first after a hidden spring was excavated, then gold found along an old tunnel into the deeper caverns. Garnets and diamonds were also unearthed, which created an even more lusty scent wafting down into the blackness, and one that did not go unnoticed by the drow.
Being opportunistic, drow scouts soon discovered the new, thriving hall of dwarves, and often used their goblin slaves to nick precious bits of ore and gems which only heightened their natural greedy nature. Soon the Blackhammers were finding more than just trolls, goblins and the occasional oddity in the darkest of passages. The dwarves, which had already survived such tremendous odds, were now facing drow.
Though mining tunnels had been completed back to Mithril Hall, connecting the two dwarven fortresses, and many more dwarves had been sent to Mildenhaul to aid in these new and exciting discoveries, the proud folk were not prepared for such an invasion.
Also alerted by the intoxicating scent of gold, a band of white dragons, three in total, took advantage of the onset of the drow and disorganization of the dwarves to launch a frontal assault on the gates. Now, Blackhammers, Ironweavers and Braidstones alike were fighting on two fronts, outnumbered to the extreme by the beating wings and frozen breath of the white wyrms from above and the deadly arrows and poison dipped blades of the black elves from below.
Awakened from a peaceful slumber by the stench and sounds of battle, the gold wyrm found his grand and lushly decorated cavern chambers flooded with drow and goblins. While the records vary on actual numbers from this historical siege, it is certain that the dragon incinerated at least two hundred black elves and unknown numbers of goblins to ash in one, great, fiery blast. Covered in the soot of the numerous dead enemies, the huge Gold climbed out into the grand hall, sending drow and dwarves alike fleeing in terror and quickly assessed the even greater danger of the white wyrms’ assault on the gates. Breached and crumbling, Mildenhaul’s huge stone gates lay in shambles and dwarves were being frozen solid in their strides as the three beasts filled the halls with repeated volleys of their icy breath.
Dwarves, axes, hammers and a handful of goblins were frozen within seconds and stood helpless as newly made ice sculptures. To further add insult to injury, the whites beat their wings fervently, not just to topple the remaining living dwarves but to send those already frozen to topple and be shattered against the stone floor.
Sonnlinor Halric Braidstone, already weakened by drow poison, gathered the strength of the ancients from the very rock he stood upon and called forth the wrath of the All Father. Massive elementals of stone and molten ore rose up from the floor of the halls while heavenly wreaths of fiery rock descended upon the drow hoard like an avalanche. Dwarves and elementals alike sent the charred drow and goblins hurling into the stone walls while the gold wyrm lunged through the rubble of the gates to face the white beasts.
Bloodmaiden Durna Ironweaver then did something unprecedented; instead of diving out of the way of the thundering and furious gold dragon, she caught hold of his wingtip as he passed and hurled herself onto his back, seating herself along his shoulders as he bolted through the entrance. The dragon let out a roar which shook the entire canyon.
A handful of Battleragers were already outside the halls and witnessed the great Gold bursting through, immediately tackling one of the two smaller whites and crushing its neck in his massive maw. Off guard, the white wyrms did not expect the rage of a great Gold, and the veteran dwarves took advantage, hurling a volley of throwing axes at the other dragon’s eyes, blinding it and sending it fumbling into the rubble of the gates. It was only moments before the second of the white wyrms lay cleaved and dead with many victorious dwarves standing atop its carcass, thrusting bloody axes into the air and chanting Clangeddin’s praises.
The third wyrm, a huge, ancient white, was just turning on wing in mid-flight, seeing the deaths of its underlings and coming straight toward the Gold and remaining dwarves. Nearly simultaneously, the Gold crouched, preparing to blast the oncoming white with fire while Durna braced her knees against the dragon’s neck and readied her attack.
Dragon fire burst forth as the huge white lunged, talons outstretched to rake the dwarves and Gold alike. Though the white was caught in the fire cone, strong winds had sheared much of the strength, and the white was able to topple the Gold. Rolled over in the white’s launch, and only exposed for a moment, the Gold’s belly was ripped wide by the white’s sword like claws, spraying blood all over the mountain side.
Unrelenting, the Gold flipped upright with Durna firmly planted, and took wing after the white’s retreat, not realizing the mortal wound he had sustained. Losing consciousness and strength, the Gold lost altitude. As he fell, the Battleragers reported seeing Durna jump from the Gold’s back, landing on the huge white and taking the dragon by surprise.
The white swerved sideways to avoid being crushed under its falling enemy, swiping the side of the canyon wall above the dwarves while Durna kept her grip by burying her great axe into its neck. Pelted by the rubble of ice and rock, the dwarves kept a valiant watch as Durna used the spikes on her mining boots to scale the neck of the white wyrm, positioning herself just behind its head as it flew erratically, trying in desperation to dislodge her.
With his remaining strength, the gold dragon coasted back toward the fallen gate, landing heavily on the wide shelf, and collapsed into the snow as several dwarves rushed to his side.
As the white leveled out and flew out over the expanse of the canyon, Durna stood one last time, taking advantage of the moment, and slammed her axe deep into the dragon’s head, cleaving through the armored plates and causing the beast to seizure mid-flight. The dwarves hailed out in victorious war cries before they saw, with sudden realization, that while the heroic Bloodmaiden did triumph, she was also riding a dead wyrm who was quickly dropping out of view and down into the huge expanse of the canyon below. Rushing to the edge of the cliff face, the remaining dwarves could do nothing but watch the spiraling descent of the dead wyrm and its dragon rider, Haela’s finest, Durna Bridstone.
Both Durna and dragon quickly fell through the thick layer of clouds ever present in the canyon air, and out of view, eventually crashing against the jagged crags of the canyon floor.
Battered and bloodied, Sonnlinor Halric Braidstone and many battle hardened dwarves rushed through what remained of the gates after defeating the last of the drow. Seeing the Gold laying prone and bleeding out on the ice, Halric dropped his hammer, removed his helmet and knelt at the dragon’s side. Calling again to Moradin for aid with tears streaming through his blood and soot stained face, Halric attempted to lay hands and heal the glorious dragon, however, his wounds were too deep and far too much blood had already been shed. Bereaved at his inability to heal a most heroic being, Halric wept by the dragon’s head and apologized, through heavy sobs, for his failure. At that moment, with the dragon’s last breaths, the Gold spoke to Halric as a friend and thanked the dwarf for providing him company for these many years and revealed, after two centuries of cohabitation, his name; Valencar.
Moradin has never shed light as to why a gold dragon would befriend a haggard and desperate band of dwarven refugees, however, we dwarves of Mildenhaul will be forever in debt to that magnificent wyrm. In honor of the sacrifice Valencar made for Mildenhaul and Moradin, Sonnlinor Halric Braidstone took the gold wyrm’s image and imparted it into the Braidstone crest, making the pact between dragon and dwarf permanent, if only in history.