TheVoice:
Ok, so it has been a long time since I last turned my hand to Chaos Dwarf fluff, and even longer since I wrote any that I posted. Time to get back into old habits.
Anyone who remembers my fluff (and there’s no reason why you should, so good for you ;P) will probably have read some of my Clanstrife stuff. Obviously the Chaos Dwarf fluff consensus has shifted some since then, but I’ve invested a lot of effort over the years into my current CD fluff. As a result, I will provide in this first post an ever-updated glossary of characters, organisations and locations that the reader may not be familiar with. I’ll probably flesh some entries out as more gets revealed in the fluff.
The map I based my original fluff on was this one, except without the red highlights. I only found out a couple of years afterwards that it was fake, but I found a CD empire with four settlements dull to write about, so retained them (updating for Ogre Kingdoms developments where necessary).
With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy my work. Any constructive criticism to improve my no doubt rusty writing skills would be greatly appreciated. Criticism of concepts I try out in the stories are also fine, but don’t be rude!
Glossary:
Asphodel Makazlok, Lady: The Voice’s spouse, a daughter of the Thrang Makazlok.
Azazul: Roughly translates as ‘reliable war axe’, the Azazul are The Voice’s elite troops. They usually form their own small battlegroups and undertake long, isolated missions.
Clanstrife: A period of conflict within the Chaos Dwarf empire between clans that supported the advancement of daemonic research and those that resisted it, known as the Grand Alliance. This was inspired by the truly terrible flamewar Hand of Hashut had on the subject. I thought if we did it, the actual Dawi’Zharr definitely did.
Dur Madaktu: An outpost that shares its name with the island, this small outpost on one of the westernmost Dragon Isles conceals an Odro Ungor facility hidden in the interior.
Gorthrash: Originally a low-ranking sorceror, he led the research into sanguimancy following Sindri’s original - largely accidental - breakthrough on Tashbaan.
Kattoshan: The settlement on the southern island of the Dragon Isles, this city acts as a staging post for ships plying the Sea of Claws, heading from the River Ruin, the Old World and Far Cathay.
Malachaior: (sp?) A Lammasu, and Prophet of Hashut. Resident in the highest tier of the Tower of Zharr Naggrund. Traditionalist in outlook.
New Temple: An ancient theological philosophy brought to prominence during the Clanstrife. It divides worship of Hashut into the ‘High Temple’ - the Dawi’Zharr and their sorcerors - and the ‘New Temple’, comprised of all non-Dawi’Zharr Hashut worshippers. Initially formulated in response to Hashut worship amongst the slave populations, it has proved a controversial doctrine since its foundation.
Odro Ungor: The “Eight Caverns”, a secret alliance of outer clans and renegade sorcerors led by The Voice, formed during the Clanstrife. It provided the core of the broader Radical resistance to the Grand Alliance.
Rughat: An Obsidian Heart sorceror, charged with leading the Sacred Spawning experiments on Dur Madaktu.
Sanguimancy: The art of using the blood of sacrificial offerings, blessed and ensorcelled by a priest of Hashut, as a thaumaturgical agent.
Scaled Hand: The five founding priests of the New Temple on the Dragon Islands, all skinks.
Sindri: A daemonsmith in service to The Voice, and High Thaumitect of the Odro Ungor. Amongst the highest-ranking of The Voice’s servants.
Tashbaan: The principle settlement on the northern island of the Dragon Isles. More out of the way and slightly more secretive.
The Voice: Sorceror, self-proclaimed prophet and Father of the Thrang Obsaihek. Secretly led the Radical rebellion during the Clanstrife, and founded the Odro Ungor. Has recently returned after leading an army on a decade-long expedition into Ind for unknown reasons.
Thrang Makazlok: Clan of the Ornate Weapon - close allies of the Thrang Obsaihek and the clan of Lady Asphodel.
Thrang Obsaihek: Clan of the Obsidian Heart - The Voice’s clan. Has influence in Zharr Naggrund but most of its holdings lie in the outer territories.
Thrang Schwarhek: Clan of the Black Heart - an unusual clan in that it once adopted a human into the clan, the descendants of which survive today. Vlathek Schwarhek has been one of The Voice’s chief lieutenants for a long time
Zalamantluan: High Priest of Hashut and the New Temple, first of the Scaled Hand. A powerful skink sorcerer from a spawning of Hashut.
Zharr Naggrund: Capital of the Ankor Zharr. Only large city in the entire dominion. All thrangs have holdings here, although it is a traditionalist stronghold.