Ben's Lore Corner - The Dwarves of Eserim
Added 2016-03-31 20:05:33 +0000 UTCWelcome to the very first edition of Ben's Lore Corner! Every week, I'll talk about one specific aspect of Etros, the fantasy world Tabletop Escapades is set in. One week, I may describe a god. Another week, I'll tell the story of a huge kingdom or individual character. The reason I'm doing this is to give you all a better understanding of the world so you can more fully appreciate Tabletop Escapades. Keep in mind that these entries are not exhaustive accounts. I'll still need to expand upon the concepts over time. I've had so much fun creating Etros and I hope you enjoy it as well. This week, I'll be focusing on the dwarves of Eserim.
[NOTE 1: This entry assumes some knowledge of groups and characters mentioned previously. That information can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13QWrTodG98KZ0oy3ZwhSySS1XFXw4Awbro-_ZakZbMg/edit?usp=sharing]
[NOTE 2: If you would prefer a Google Doc version of this entry, go here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ui5QJG-H641PMmgqU_nbZ01jwJ5alqGkZXs_6xfhTQU/edit?usp=sharing]
Dwarves - For as long as anyone can remember, dwarves remained secluded in the Great Forest of Ralanpost, located on the southern tip of Eserim. Amidst giant oak trees, dwarves lived primitive lives, isolated from the rest of the world. The only other notable inhabitants of the forest were the seemingly innumerable trolls that constantly raided dwarven settlements for food, weapons, and tools. The two species fought for hundreds of years and the neverending struggle made it difficult for dwarves to advance as a society. While other races discovered irrigation, wrote literature, and established complex political systems, dwarves lived in small wooden huts and used crude stone weapons. Dwarves also scoffed at the idea of writing historical accounts. Such an activity was considered wasteful when you could otherwise contribute to the war effort.
Elves, who spied on dwarves without them knowing, often wondered why the group didn't move to a different, safer part of the continent. It's because dwarves are an extremely proud and stubborn race that believe the land they come from is who they are. The entire dwarven culture is wrapped up in Ralanpost and leaving it essentially means discarding that identity.
Everything changed for the dwarves when Eldwin, one of the "Five Fathers of Magic", arrived in Ralanpost one morning. Like the other Fathers of Magic, Eldwin traveled the world teaching "worthy" groups the arcane arts with the hope that it would make their lives easier. The vast majority of dwarves believed Eldwin and his teachings to be an evil that could corrupt their society. Thorgen, the eldest and most decorated dwarven warrior, pushed back against these ideas. He knew the group was low on food and if things didn't change, the dwarves would slowly die out. Seeing magic as something that could save his people, Thorgen persuaded others and eventually the entire community embraced Eldwin and his teachings.
Baradin, a young dwarf with no battle experience, was the most naturally adept at magic. In a few years time, Baradin constructed giant buildings and unbreakable weapons with his arcane abilities. He, along with several other adept dwarven mages, advanced the civilization to unprecedented heights. Eventually, an entire city was built with magic.
Seeing his work as finished, Eldwin left the dwarves, seeking another group to teach. Without Eldwin's guidance, Baradin began to suffer the side effects of magic more acutely. Because magic is so taxing on the mind, if used too much within a short period, it deteriorates the brain. The society put so much pressure on Baradin that he practiced magic from sunrise to sunset, and he began to lose his mind.
Baradin slept less and less every night, obsessing over the idea that his powerful magic could easily wipe out the trolls. Without alerting anyone else, Baradin snuck out of the city one evening, hunting any and all trolls he could find. Those that Baradin did discover he ignited with magical flames. As the attacks went on throughout the night, Baradin wasn't merely content with just killing the green-skinned creatures. He began torturing them as well, using arcane blasts to destroy them limb by limb. By morning, Baradin had gone completely insane, viewing himself as an unstoppable god who was above all other sentient life.
Baradin returned to the dwarven city and started killing his own kind indiscriminately. Although he was eventually pinned down by a group of warriors and beheaded, Baradin wiped out roughly 60 percent of the dwarven population. The atrocity forever changed those who managed to survive. They forsook anything related to the arcane arts, abandoning their own city and everything that lie within it. They traveled to the outer rim of Ralanpost and started anew, once again embracing a primitive hunter/gatherer lifestyle.
The dwarves remained this way for several years until they caught wind of the Nightingales and their westward conquest across Eserim. They were fearful for their lives, certain they could not survive another attack. Elves within The Gilded Dawn alerted Virion to the dwarven plight and he reached out them, offering safety if they pledged themselves to the rebellion's cause. Although the dwarves were hesitant to leave Ralanpost, they humbly accepted Virion's offer and took up residence in the Kingdom of Callice.
Comments
Kingdom of Callice? What's the story with that?
alan roosen
2016-04-06 22:14:16 +0000 UTCDoes anyone know if Tabletop Escapades will be posted in audio form, or even better, if it will be posted as a podcast on the major podcast services?
Kári Kárason
2016-04-04 10:00:12 +0000 UTCBen. I cannot stress enough how awesome this is. Thanks for the lore, can't wait to see more!
Jacob Culhane
2016-04-04 04:56:41 +0000 UTCVery cool. Side note for people who may not be interested is it possible to have the lore on a separate page with a link.? So it doesn't extend the patreon page so far.
2016-04-02 00:46:06 +0000 UTCNice job Ben! man, Eldwin should have known better than to just abandon Baradin, what a dick. For all the help he did the dwarves, he really didn't understand them
confusedhulk
2016-04-01 12:30:18 +0000 UTCI second this. I listen to most of the Easy Allies stuff while at work (helps get me through the day) so a podcast of you or Brandon reading the lore would be awesome.
2016-04-01 09:36:39 +0000 UTCReally cool lore. Ben! Amazing work!
2016-04-01 06:41:14 +0000 UTCNice! I'm digging it. I wonder if D&D could incorporate less traditional fantasy worlds like The Dark Tower. Mid-World/All-World has some pretty robust lore. Could be a very interesting and fresh place to draw inspiration from. Would love to see some some elves mixing it up with the Can-Toi . XD Maybe some dwarf/Children of Roderick shenanigans! Could even get the Crimson King in on the action! The gang goes Todash? I'd read it. Ha anyway just a recommendation if you find yourself looking for creative vein to tap! Love what you've got so far, look forward to seeing you flesh it out.
Gan Khef
2016-04-01 06:24:42 +0000 UTCAny chance of Jones reading this out loud? Heck, that'd be an audiobook I'd pay for.
2016-04-01 03:58:54 +0000 UTCAlso, does all magics cause such issues with the user's mind? I can't wait until next week!
2016-04-01 00:44:06 +0000 UTCVery cool take on dwarves. Dwarven mages are an interesting take and I would love to see how this would affect Law's development. Speaking of Law, Huber mentioned his family's greed I and cave dwelling is what drove him to be a monk. I am really interested to see what will spin he will take with the new lore.
2016-04-01 00:42:37 +0000 UTCOf course people don't want things repeated. I thought that was obvious? It's why much of the lore is existing here and isn't eating up every episode. =P -Ben
Easy Allies
2016-04-01 00:24:52 +0000 UTCI love the lore. Keep it up
2016-03-31 23:37:25 +0000 UTCBy the by Ben, I hope this means your players are kept up on the lore basics off-camera. I don't think anyone wants to see you repeat basic history or geography to someone who's not been paying attention or refusing notes =P
Eóin Dooley
2016-03-31 23:32:44 +0000 UTCI would actually love this as a video show. Just Ben with like a huge leather bound book reading lore like what was written add links to further reading and maybe answer some questions on last weeks subject.
2016-03-31 23:23:21 +0000 UTCAwesome work Ben, I love twists on classical fantasy like this.
Tygre
2016-03-31 22:52:48 +0000 UTCThis is really entertaining Ben. Thanks for the lore.
Tim O'Keeffe
2016-03-31 22:25:59 +0000 UTCI live for this kind of world building. Great work Ben!
2016-03-31 21:56:24 +0000 UTCso excited for the next episode!!
2016-03-31 21:41:01 +0000 UTCGreat read, i hope you keep posting these in the future. An interesting world you have built.
2016-03-31 21:35:21 +0000 UTCAwesome read, Ben! Don't forget to have a wasteland, every fantasy world has a nice "You can't go there or you'd get fucked up" part of the world hahahhaah
Eduardo
2016-03-31 21:18:54 +0000 UTCAwesome! I'm so glad to see tabletop back. Please do more than an hour a week!
2016-03-31 21:06:47 +0000 UTCExcellent stuff. Digging the twist on classic fantasy dwarves. Dwarves... In a forest? Whaaa?
2016-03-31 20:57:22 +0000 UTCI'm lower tier but I'd still help Ben out if he asked, with game or lore or anything. I'd be higher up if I wasn't a dirt poor college student.
Eóin Dooley
2016-03-31 20:55:29 +0000 UTC*Moore Lore
Everett Coe
2016-03-31 20:46:34 +0000 UTCgreat
2016-03-31 20:40:11 +0000 UTCThis is a great idea Ben, with just one episode and this post the world this season feels a lot more fleshed out than the last one. Love this, look forward to getting more every week.
2016-03-31 20:39:44 +0000 UTCThis was a magnificent read. Thank you, Ben.
2016-03-31 20:39:42 +0000 UTCI know the conclusion is brief and I apologize for that. Yes, you're correct. Even though the dwarven identity is wrapped up in Ralanpost, they must accept Virion's offer or get destroyed by the Nightingales. They accept the offer to have a chance at survival. -Ben
Easy Allies
2016-03-31 20:34:08 +0000 UTCThats is awesomely well written! Love it!
2016-03-31 20:31:51 +0000 UTCBen is this is amazing. You are making Iowa proud.
2016-03-31 20:29:42 +0000 UTCBen this is great in so many levels I can't even. Huge effort must've gone into this.
2016-03-31 20:24:18 +0000 UTCThis is awesome
Dale Payne
2016-03-31 20:22:38 +0000 UTCBen thanks for posting this... Really like it. A quick question.. At the end it seemed like the dwarves actually gave up their lands for fear of the nightingales... A decision that would seem very difficult for them given their proud nature. Was that simply because they were so broken from what had happened to them or was this out of fear of the nightingales?
Mango
2016-03-31 20:22:33 +0000 UTCWow
Dale Payne
2016-03-31 20:22:32 +0000 UTCThis is different from what I posted yesterday. -Ben
Easy Allies
2016-03-31 20:20:35 +0000 UTCI would LOVE to make a map, but I just don't have the skill to do it. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know. -Ben
Easy Allies
2016-03-31 20:20:13 +0000 UTCIs this different from the Google doc you put on Twitter? If so, I'm stoked to read through this on break today.
2016-03-31 20:18:23 +0000 UTCNiiice, why dont you seek help from some high tier patrons to make some of the lore, i know fron experience that making huge lore is a hard task for 1 mind
2016-03-31 20:16:48 +0000 UTCI love it! Great writing and can't wait to dive deeper into the world of Etros.
Dan Sebring
2016-03-31 20:15:39 +0000 UTCThis is amazing that you're putting so much thought and effort into this world Ben. Kudos to you and many thanks for bringing back tabletop! I'm very excited for all the shenanigans the group will inevitably bring!
Garrett Fox
2016-03-31 20:15:35 +0000 UTCThis is very awesome, Ben. Thank you. Also, actually seeing all the spellings of the names of the people and places that you talked about in the first episode helped me get into the Lore of the new series a lot more. I definitely appreciate that.
2016-03-31 20:14:40 +0000 UTCHey Ben, have you thought about creating a simple map with important locations marked on it? Might help to follow along, but don't feel pressured.
2016-03-31 20:13:43 +0000 UTCDamn, look at all those letters. I´ll wait for the movie. Just kidding, going through all of it right now.
2016-03-31 20:11:29 +0000 UTCThis is some impressive work Ben, really excited for the adventures
2016-03-31 20:10:45 +0000 UTCSo excited you are uploading lore like this! Seriously Ben write a book please
2016-03-31 20:10:13 +0000 UTCONE DOES NOT SIMPLY WALK INTO MOORE LORE
The Hashtagonist
2016-03-31 20:08:16 +0000 UTC
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