Black Dwarf Under-Empire

The history of the Black Dwarves is that of tragedy, betrayal, hatred, and paranoia, but also of triumph, ingenuity, ambition, and tenacity. They have gained as much as they have lost, and, at least in their eyes, then some. They have become rulers of their own world, a **** greater than any god could ever achieve. Normally, this would be a very arrogant belief that would lead to a kingdom's downfall...but according to the Black Dwarves it is very well warranted, for they have killed their gods.

To properly explain how they came to be, we must go back in Dwarven history to the Age of the Green Menance. The awakening of the Greenskins led to catastrophic battles and sieges. Some of these battles resulted in the Greenskins or the Dwarves to strategically destroy certain tunnels in their infrastructure. By doing so, several Strongholds were destroyed and a whole half of the empire was cut off completely from the surface world. Many Dwarves had survived the tunnel collapses but were now stuck in the dark depths deep beneath the mountains with no means of going back to the surface realm. And there were still some Greenskins left to fight off while they were **** to keep their own communications and supply runs, while they had no means of replenishing their emergency stocks.

They had focused hard on their mining operations to try and keep their need for stone and metal satisfied, as well as exploration efforts to route out Greenskin activity, create shorter tunnels to other Strongholds, and try to find biome chambers that could give food supplies. And it was because of their wanton digging that would begin the next chapter of their story. A very tragic, dark chapter...

Cracking down a wall within one of their newly constructed tunnels, a team of miners had found an already existing tunnel leading down to a dark, cavernous area. There was no floor at the end of this tunnel, and tracking back lead only to what seemed to be an artificial cave in to block it off. The chasm they had discovered felt moist, but it had an impenetrable darkness and throwing anything within it gave no sound, even light sources tossed in would eventually be swallowed in the darkness, never to be seen again.

While the Dwarves were discussing this discovery, *they* had struck. Abominations from the primordial darkness below had clawed through the tunnel and found their Strongholds. The might of the creatures were too much for the strained Dwarves to fight against, and they even chased off the Greenskins that they had no interest in. After all, the poor underground trapped Dwarves made much more interesting test subjects.

These Eldritch "saviors", had then spent the next few generations warping and experimenting on the Dwarves. They had afflicted them with many mental afflictions, ran intricate breeding programs, fed them various experimental diets, and used all sorts of dark magic and even some other kind of magic involving purely the mind and one's own will rather than another realm's connection, or deific interference, or even their soul (if they had any). Of course, they even used some of the more promising members as breeding material, infecting them with their young to turn them into the new masters. Even through extensive brainwashing programs, the Dwarves had been convinced that these abominations were their new gods.

Over the course of time, generation, and many experiments, the physiology of the Dwarves had changed. Their had became white, grey, and black, and also became very stiff, not silky or course, their skin matched that of the dark stone around them...they became immune to some poisons...their natural resistance to magic even lessened and unlike their surface brethren, they could wield magic. That was due to more tampering by their masters, who were curious to see what happened if their magic resistance was somehow lowered, or if it could even be done. Little did the Eldritch messiahs know, that would be the beginning of their downfall.

With a deeper understanding of magic, the Dwarves' runecraft had improved drastically. And with a deeper understanding of magic and the ability to cast their own spells, it was only a matter of time until a few were able to free their own minds from the influence of their dark, living "gods". Helping free the minds of their fellows, they had soon led a revolt against the abominations and slaughtered them with their newly empowered runecraft-augmented equipment and carefully cultivated magic abilities. While it is unknown if they had killed every single one of their enslavers, if some had escaped back to the Abyss, or if there are even more down in those dark depths, the newly evolved Black Dwarves still claimed victory and declared themselves godkillers as they sealed off the tunnel leading to the Abyss and begin forming their Under-Empire.

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Black Dwarf Society:

Due to their history, the Black Dwarves have formed what one would consider a society with a sole focus on the community at large. The individual is second to the state, the safety and continuance of the whole helps the individual. After all, the only people they can truly trust and rely upon is one another...after been forsaken by their surface cousins, enslaved by those below, and constantly at odds with those around them, all they have is their brethren right beside them.

Much like their surface brethren, they have taken to craftsmanship and pride themselves on being able to create equipment and runes. Though, they take even more pride in their work and do not see need for tapestries or beautifications...instead focusing purely on function over form, practicality over aesthetics. Indeed, the only time anything a Black Dwarf will look "aesthetically pleasing", so when they use jewels and precious metals into their craft as necessary for magical benefits. As their magical potential is unlocked and so they can worry about the practical usage of gems and metals for magical means.

Speaking of that, it is thanks to this magical means and the strong need of leadership to stay unified and survive in the Underrealm, a caste system was made within the Under-Empire. Though, because there is a caste system does not mean anyone was mistreated. While some had more authority than others, even took pride in their works and lot in life and are also respected for doing their part in keeping the Under-Empire running. But it did designate where one would stay in life, and those born in their caste stayed within their caste. There was a means of moving about the castes though, if one showed ample enough talent to be deemed worthy.

There were the Laborers, those that toiled in the fungal fields, cared for the beasts, managed the slaves, and so forth.

Then there is the Crafters, the ones that made the armor and weapons, built the buildings, and in partnership with the Sorcerer caste they made magical apparatuses, runes, enchanted gear, and ritual sites and portals.

The Under-Guard worked as body guards for the many military points, escort expeditions, soldiers in fights, and patrols within the lands to keep the populace in check or keep an eye out for intruders.

Finally, the Sorcerer caste that were more or less the defacto leaders of the Under-Empire as they are some of the most important figures in Black Dwarf society, the strongest among them making a council of thirteen heads of state, the thirteenth being the Grand Vizier who overlooked the council and acted as a mediator and tie breaker. This caste also work as researchers to improve the Under-Empire, medicine men, and representatives of the Under-Empire.

It should be no surprise that with their superiority complex, they have taken to what their former gods have done. Namely, enslaving and experimenting on those they considered lesser. With no access to the surface world, they had formed a relationship of sorts with the Dark Elves. In exchange for services, sometimes magical tutorship, escort protection, and equipment trade, the Dark Elves would in turn exchange slaves or an odd magical tome or two. Granted, the two do still get into the odd border skirmish here or there, but they seem to benefit enough from the trades to not hold too much of a grudge. The Black Dwarves even took to keeping close eyes on the Greyskins and their antics to try and nick off any surviving monsters or other specimens after a good hunt from those crazies, giving them more research materials or even things that can possibly be domesticated for their own purposes.

A truly methodical and paranoid race of beings that don't think much of outsiders, and only care for their own. Ironic, considering they would go out of their way to ensure none of their own kind go homeless, hungry, or sick, yet they'll do very unthinkable things to those they consider "outside" of their circles.