Hello Community members,

Since the last community update the team has been hard at work creating more content. Just like the last update this one will be text heavy and lore focused. As you will all be meeting the dwarves first, here is a look at another dwarf jarl and location

Jarl Lardor Fatbeard

The Legend of the Merchant, the Sailor, and the Pirate Destroyer

Before he sat upon the Gilded Throne of Vael’Zarith, Lardor Fatbeard was not born into nobility—he earned his rule through steel, gold, and fire. A dwarf of ambition and unbreakable will, he was first known as a merchant, traveling across treacherous waters, forging trade routes where others saw only danger.

However, his rise in wealth did not come without hardship. As a young trader, Lardor was deceived by a group of cunning scammers, losing his entire fortune in a single disastrous deal. Stripped of his wealth, his name disgraced among the merchants of the dwarven halls, he had nowhere to turn. But instead of succumbing to despair, he turned to the sea—for while the roads of stone had failed him, the tides offered new opportunities.

He became a sailor, working under grizzled captains and ruthless traders, learning the ways of the sea. He fought off raiders, battled monstrous sea creatures, and braved storms that would shatter lesser ships. Though the scars of his losses remained, he hardened his resolve, becoming a master navigator, a cunning trader, and most importantly—a warrior of the open waters.

During his years at sea, Lardor found his true calling as a pirate hunter. He joined battle after battle, leading crews in boarding raids against notorious pirate fleets, reclaiming stolen dwarven gold, and earning the respect of seasoned warriors. Every skirmish was a victory, every battle another step toward reclaiming his name.

Through blood and fire, he amassed a fleet of his own, and his name became feared across the seas. He was no longer the cheated merchant—he was Lardor Fatbeard, the Pirate Destroyer.

By the time he returned to Vael’Zarith, he was already a legend, his coffers overflowing with the gold of fallen enemies. When the time came for a new ruler to take the throne, none dared challenge him.

Lardor Fatbeard had conquered the seas—now, he would rule the land.

The Beer Battle Against the God of Death

Of all the tales sung in the Grand Feast Hall of Vael’Zarith, none is greater than the night when Lardor Fatbeard drank against the god of death himself – Hermdor.

The legend says that Hermdor, grim and patient, had come to take Lardor’s soul long before his time. But the Merchant-King was not ready to leave the world just yet. With a booming laugh and a slam of his tankard, he made a wager with the god:

“I’ll drink ye under the table, reaper! If I fall first, ye take me to the halls o’ the dead. But if I win… ye leave me be and never set foot in my city again!”

Hermdor, amused by the dwarf’s defiance, accepted the challenge.

For three days and three nights, they drank—barrel after barrel of Stonefire Ale, each mug strong enough to floor lesser men. The gods themselves are said to have watched, placing bets as the contest raged on. But while the god of death remained cold and still, Lardor roared, laughed, and drank like a dwarf possessed.

On the fourth morning, Hermdor faltered, his skeletal fingers loosening, his head slumping onto the table. The god of death had lost.

And so, Hermdor honored the wager, leaving Vael’Zarith untouched. To this day, it is said that those who feast in Lardor’s halls, who drink and revel in his name, are spared from untimely death—for Hermdor still honors the King’s victory.

Vael’Zarith – The City That Mocked Death

Vael’Zarith stands as a testament to defiance, revelry, and a deep-seated irreverence toward the god of death, Hermdor. This port city is known for its wild festivals, seafaring heritage, and above all, its unshakable belief that death itself is weaker than Lardor Fatbeard, the legendary Merchant-King.

A City That Laughs at the Reaper

Unlike most civilizations that honor or fear the god of death, Vael’Zarith openly mocks him. The famous tale of Lardor’s Beer Battle with Hermdor, where the Merchant-King allegedly outdrank the deity and won his own fate, has become the city’s proudest legend. As a result, Hermdor’s image is not one of terror or reverence here-he is a figure of mockery, commonly depicted as a drunken, stumbling fool in festival masks and effigies. Statues of him are dressed in clownish garments, with exaggerated features, bottles of ale replacing his scythe, and ale barrels replacing his traditional deathly throne.

During the Festival of the Fallen, a yearly celebration of this fabled victory, the streets are filled with laughter as actors dressed as Hermdor stumble through taverns, challenging people to drinking contests. Effigies of the god are set up in public squares, only to be playfully “defeated” by impersonators of Lardor in staged drinking duels. Even tavern signs and banners boast phrases like “Stronger Than Death, Wilder Than the Waves”, reinforcing the city’s famous disregard for the reaper.

The High-Stakes Games of Vael’Zarith

Among the city’s many pleasures, gambling is a favorite pastime.

The Golden Undertow, a famed gambling hall and casino, is where fortunes are won and lost in the blink of an eye. The most prestigious players seek out Sigfir Coins , incredibly rare.

To possess a Sigfir Coin is to be recognized as an elite in the world of high-stakes gambling, granting access to the most exclusive games and circles of power.

Those who dare to wager these coins often play for legendary stakes-some leaving the tables wealthier than Barons or Lords, others vanishing without a trace.

The House of Pleasures – Vanessa’s Domain

Among the many distractions Vael’Zarith offers, few rival the reputation of Vanessa Felliberta fon Glucken’s establishment. A dwarfess from distant lands, Vanessa sought to carve out a kingdom of her own-far from home, yet rich beyond measure. She now reigns over one of the most renowned public houses in the city, where sex workers of all kinds offer their services to sailors, merchants, and nobles alike.

Her house is a sprawling den of decadence, filled with exotic decor from all corners of the world. Those who enter seeking simple pleasures often find themselves enraptured by the intricacies of Vanessa’s business mind, for beneath the silk and candlelight, deals of great importance are whispered between sips of fine dwarven wine.

A Sailor’s Sanctuary

As one ventures deeper into the city, beyond the raucous taverns and festival streets, Vael’Zarith reveals its deep naval heritage. Lardor was a sailor first, and his past is woven into the city’s foundations.

Ships’ masts rise from the skyline, repurposed as watchtowers or street lantern posts, their sails now banners bearing Lardor’s sigil, a golden ale mug over crossed cutlasses.

Docks stretch deep into the sea, bustling with merchants, mercenaries, and seafarers from distant lands, all trading goods, tales, and challenges over mugs of spiced rum.

The ports and docks are above the surface, allowing the sailor business to operate properly.

Taverns are adorned with ship wheels, harpoons, and salvaged wreckage, each piece with its own story. The most famous inn, “The Sinking Scythe,” claims to have the remains of a pirate warship as its foundation.

The Old Lighthouse, now converted into a grand drinking hall, is rumored to have been the very tower from which Lardor once spotted a fleet of marauders he later sank

The Deeper Mysteries of Vael’Zarith

While the city thrives on revelry and seafaring, whispers tell of darker truths lurking beneath the surface. Some claim that, despite the mockery, Hermdor hasn’t truly forgotten Vael’Zarith’s insolence. Strange happenings occur in the oldest parts of the city

Ghostly figures appear in foggy alleyways, their skeletal grins twisted in silent laughter.

Cursed coins are sometimes found in gambling dens, their owners vanishing without a trace.

The Catacombs of the Lost Sailors, beneath the city, are filled with murals depicting an ancient fate not yet fulfilled.

For now, Vael’Zarith remains defiant, its people laughing in the face of fate, drinking to victories past, and sailing ever forward-stronger than death, wilder than the waves.