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Royal Decree, Signed by Queen Karrivva Shimmerforge:

Thagdarf, youngest of the princes of the Rift is to become an ArchMage. He is allowed to do anything, that does not work against the Rifts reputation or credibility, to further this goal. Any fundings required to become ArchMage will be sponsored by the Clan. The Prince is allowed certain diplomatic advantages as long as they further either trade or hes progress as a ArchMage. Failure to Accommodate the Prince will not be taken lightly by the Royal Clan.

After becoming an ArchMage he shall return to the Rift and prove the worth of magic in a battlefield, to see if steel or magic is the better weapon. Then he can return to hes training as Warrior Priest of Moradin. This is a Honor-bound Quest.

King of the Great Rift once argued with an Elven king that Wizardry would never beat pure steel! the elven king responded “how would the dwarf king know, when he had never wielded such power?” So the Dwarf King, enraged, decreed that hes youngest son Thagdarf was to be a bloody Wuzard and prove once and for all that Steel could beat magic any day! Because of the potential tragedy of loosing honor, The queen had to accept the decree and sent Thagdarf, her youngest son.

Young Thagdarf was sent to be trained in wizardry under Cormyr's WarWizards, after only basic combat training (an insult to a dwarf!), and spent many years as an Apprentice. it proved quick that he had absolutely no skill whatsoever in magics, but the decree was firm, he was to learn and master magic, becoming an Archmage and prove it. So through a combination of bribes, calling in favors, threatening to break trading contracts, and a little head-bashing, Thagdarf finally managed to pass hes exams (somewhat) and was told to go out in the world to find magic to learn, as the masters could not teach him any more (or so they said).

As the Dwarven prince he was, Thagdarf picked up hes Waraxe and spellbook and marched off to kick the arse of whatever destiny dared to put in hes way.

Short historical summary of the Great Rift:

• -11000 Dwarfs establish the Deep Shanatar, beneath the Almraiven Mountains and Lake of Steam
• -10000 Drow enters underdark
• -9600 First Drow Civilization Underground, war against the dwarfs
• -9000 Dwarfs defeated and thrown out of Deep Shanatar. Drow makes Telantiwar.
• -7600 Moradin destroys Telantiwar with a strike of hes Axe, Dwarfs quick to reclaim territory. Dwarfs officially known as Gold Dwarfs.
• -7500 Deep Realm Created, Deep Shanatar renamed to The Great Rift
• 1330 Tanxor, king of Deep Realm Decrees that hes son is to become ArchMage and show the elves that Dwarfs are superior. Queen Karrivva are forced to accept for honors sake.
• 1360 Thunder Blessing, The Rift getting full and starting to expand.
• 1369 Army of Gold crusades to reclaim caverns of Taark Shanat, place of old Shanatar, Ancient home of the Shield Dwarfs. Met resistance against the Army of Steel (grey dwarves)
• 1372 Thagdarf finish Apprenticeship, Sets out from Cormyr to find magic to learn.

Thagdarf is the youngest prince of the Great Rift, greatest of Dwarven kingdoms in all of Toril. Hes father/mother has decreed that he is to learn Wizardry, and become an Archmage, then prove once and for all that magic is useless compared to good old steel and battle-prowess.

Thagdarf is a typical dwarf in most ways. he is headstrong, stubborn, loves ale, axes and armors. He was destined to become one of the warrior priests of Moradin before hes father/mother's decree. Thagdarf is a warrior born and true, and the decree does not sit well with him, and he is very touchy about that specific area. Being used to get things hes way, he sees himself as a natural leader.

Gruff, proud, headstrong, stubborn, born to be a leader, and refuse to give away the role unless in very dire situations. Deep respect (and admiration) for warriors of any type. Very devout to Moradin. Also the usual distrust for Arcane Magic still lingers strong in him, and he is trying hard to adapt to being a wizard. At least he found some relief in the giant badger that dug into the wine-cellar at the Wizard-Academy, and it has frustrated the wizards to no end that he managed to bond to the badger in ways of a familiar.

Thagdarf is big for a dwarf, standing 4'feet and 3'inches tall, weighting a 184 pounds. He has the typical dark skin of the gold dwarfs, with black powerful beard and brownish eyes. With hes imposing physical skills he is the example of a healthy and fit dwarf. He usually dress in the standard clan working clothes, being comfortable and sporting clan colors and weapon-mark. Always wears Armor on the top when outside or in place not guarded.

• Queen Karrivva Simmerforge [F4/C4-DgF-LG] (mother)

Queen of the Great Rift, Leader of the Gold Dwarfs. Stern but good woman with the most beautiful beard ever to graze a dwarf. A good bit smarter and wiser than Tanxor, whom she fell in love with on the battlefield as he was, as usual, slaughtering something.

• Tanxor [F12/DS4-DgM-CG] (father)

King of the Great Rift, highest ranking warrior/general, although not especially tactical nor strategic, he holds the title because hes the meanest and nasties dwarf anyone ever saw in a fight. And because he is the king.

A famous Drow-slayer, became known when he singlehandedly slaughtered a Drow wizard and 17 drows standing in hes way to avenge hes older brother whom was killed by the drow wizard only moments before. He swore an oath to slay any drow he ever laid eyes upon or die trying. while standing in the middle of the battlefield hacking the aforementioned wizard to tiny cubic meatballs. Also known to later acquire a Ring of AntiMagic 10 feet range, cursed so he would never loose it. Which he have among other things used to slaughter a few more Drow wizards, and defeated a drow weapon-master as hes magic equipment lost its potency. Thagdarf will gladly tell more glorious stories about hes father, some might even be close to truth.

• Relmar [F2/C2-DgM-LG] (brother)

Oldest sibling, already finished training as Warior-Priest, is working as Captain in the Army of gold. Lucky bastard.

• Macsen [C3-DgF-LG] (sister)

Middle of the siblings, Trained as Cleric of Moradin and destined to take over as Queen when Mother gets to tired of it.

Clan Simmerforge is the royal family and rulers of Underhome, the main city of the Deep Realm. The Deep Lords usually do the everyday ruling and politics, a council of the elder dwarfs of each clan. But they answers to Queen Karrivva of the Shimmerforge clan in the end.

Clan Weaponsign: Anvil in front of Candle.

Deep Realm is the collected term for the regions patrolled and under dwarfs control in and around the great rift. Towns like Underhome, Eartheart and Hammer 'n Anvil are guarded on the top of the rift by the sixty riftedge towers with siege weaponry and skyriders. And in all this Shimmerforge is the wealthiest and most influential Clan, Being the Royal clan, and also among the best Smiths in the Deep Realm counts for lots.

The Great Rift

• Being a Royal Prince from the rift, Thagdarf naturally have good relationship with the Rift Dwarves, or gold dwarves in general.

Shield Dwarves

• The Gold dwarves have handled a lot better than the Shield Dwarves these past thousands of years and thus would be a great ally and trading partner for the Shields. And also since they are distant cousins, Thagdarf is welcome more often than not among the Shield Dwarves.

WarWizards of Cormyr

• The WarWizards were the poor souls having the dubious honor of training young Thagdarf in the ways of the Wizard. Having a huge wizardy school, and the concept of potentially estrange the Rift trade left little choice in the matter. Thagdarf spent 42 years in Cormyr trying to grasp the concept of magic.

Trading Guilds

• Most trading guilds stand on good foot with the Rift and their trading. the potential benefits of being on good foot with one of their princes, and the potential for loss of profit for standing on bad foot with him, usually makes most trading guilds very help-some and welcoming for Thagdarf.

As many other Gold-Dwarves og higher standing Thagdarf never really had the time to make many friends in what little free time he enjoyed. Instead getting training in various topics ranging from etiquette to warrior training.

Snarl

• Snarl the giant badger is the closest friend Thagdarf ever really had, It is not that he lacks social grace, but he have been thought from young age that everyone is out to exploit hes family bonds, and sucking up to the royal family.

Hrif

• Hes main job is as a bodyguard, but Thagdarf sees him as a companion on the road as well, even if it may not be called friendship, he respects him, and Hrif is one of the few people Thagdarf truly trust in.

Thagdarfs notebook, where he writes in plans, and things that are interesting.

1. First become ArchWuzard no matter the cost!, then continue on Warrior-Priest training.
2. Teach Snarl to drink Dwarf-Bear!
3. Shanatar is the ancient Shield Dwarf home, the Army of Gold are war'ing against the army of steel, gray scumms, hoping to finally resume warrior-priest and fight for the glory of Moradin and the dwarves.
4. Oghramm is an old Dwarven nation overrun by Orcs and Ogres Lying right under Cormyr (storm horns/Sunset Mountains). Could be interesting to look into.
5. Tethymar old dwarven realm overrun by orcs, goblins and demons. probably not wise engaging atm, but interesting finding information about it.

ArchWuzard Requirements:

Skills:

• Knowledge Arcana 15 ranks
• SpellCraft 15 ranks

Feats:

• Skill Focus (Spell Craft)
• Spell Focus (any two schools)

Spells:

• Ability to cast 7th level arcane spells.
• Knowledge of 5th level or higher spells of at least 5 schools.