Dashia, Ascendant of Vreyja, Goddess of Earth and War. (Copyrighted.

As read from the Tome of Gwarnhym by Dwarven Loremaster Ozgyyr

In the time of old, Dwarves remembered Vreyja, Goddess of Earth and War. But then came the time without conflict, when war was laid aside, and the call of building rang strong amongst many Dwarven kind. So it was to be the voice of Vreyja would shrink into the shadows of many Dwarven memories, perhaps only to be heard on a fair nights tail amongst those few who sowed the earth and followed its ways. Across the Dwarven lands came the time of Ldwuur, God of Water and Building, and such were the prayers of many Dwarven folk in that day. Thus came the builders, both highborn and lowborn of the building clans, and from them came such wonders as the great towers of Jarheim, the massive gates of Mejirngord, and the grand caverns of Gelnyr. But the foul breath of destruction and disease had been plotting all along, the stench of its wickedness yearning to flood across the Dwarven lands, for it knew the dwarves were ill-prepared against its thirst for conflict. Slowly it weaved the fingers of dissent amongst the great and lesser houses, dissolving the oaths and bindings once forged amongst many Dwarven kind. It was then, in this time of builders, that Dashia would be born unto the Dwarven family Oskornj, a lowborn clan of the village of Skajurrn in the Dwarven realm of Mejirngord. Sadly, it was to be her birth that would take her mother Shiavu, and so she was to be raised by her father Skjory, a wise and great builder, and one of several Elders who guided the village. Yet she was unlike the other Dwarven children who quickly learned the trades and techniques of their builder legacies. As much as he tried, she would not take unto her building lineage, as she was slow to learn, if at all, and was seen lowly by her fellow youth, and in time, much of the village. But It did not take long for Skjory to realize the truth of her being; not as a builder and follower of Ldwuur , but of Vreyja, as was the secret way of his lost wife and her mother. Thus he wisely spoke to Dashia the stories of her great grandmother, a mighty Dwarven warrior whom he believed was a Valkyrie, one of the great female warrior spirits of Vreyja. It was through these stories she learned of truth, honor and bravery, and of her grandmothers trials and triumphs upon the Dwarven battlefields of old, where her words she would always remember; Our Dwarven lands were meant to be free of greed and tyranny, and even the earth will not relinquish its control to those who are unworthy! So it came to be that Dashia fashioned herself a sword and shield, and at night steal away amongst the groves and trees surrounding Skajurrn to practice the ways of the blade and shield. But such things were kept secret from the village, and rightly so, for such ways were scorned and rejected by the followers of Ldwuur. Thus she stayed to the practice of the building ways during the day, carefully assisted by her father, the most revered of builders in the village. But such things could not be kept secret forever, and it came to be that her true nature would be revealed in the villages Celebration of Proving, where all

the youth of age would prove themselves amongst the villagers as able builders unto their own right. Such a thing could not be done by Dashia, and so her secret was thus revealed to all of Skajurrn. First frowned upon, and now scorned and ridiculed, she was put before the Elder council, and all but one wished her from the village lands. Skjory alone stood against the council, and sprang his defiant words upon the council fold. But they had naught for the defense of his daughter, as was the village whole, despite the truth of his words. So he left the council, and prepared his daughter for the journey to come. It was then they came, the Beast Raiders of Yxxl, as warned by a returning village courier, himself bloodied and dying. Fear flooded the village as calls for defenders amongst the neighboring lands went unanswered. And the Elders knew they had little in the ways of defense, or in the ways of battle and war, and so they turned to the only answer they could fathom. Skjory was enraged twicefold; he was to make his daughter fight for the village, and no mention of regret was to be intended. His words burned like the hottest coals, and soon all amongst the village felt the shame of their actions. Yet Dashia answered the Elderss call. She tamed her fathers rage and brought his respected skill into the fold of the villages defense, creating the tools they needed to fortify and prepare. Others followed his suit as many took her call to arms, and with her guidance washed away the fright of battle. When the raiders came, a hundred strong, each thrice the size of a single dwarf, they believed their victory over the village would be absolute. Such was not to be. Dashia made the village land a killing ground, lethal to all but her own kin, until only one was left, the leader Xorrl, a massive Beast Raider whose size and ferocity was terrible. Into the square she approached, facing him alone, brave and resolute, yet tiny against such a horrid goliath. It laughed, then cursed the luck of her and her village kin, and swore their deaths upon his savage blades. Such things he would never see, for she smote his ruin upon the village square, claiming final victory upon all the raiders, and issuing a warning for all others who would dare to come in the raiders footsteps. And so the village rejoiced, and praise laid upon Dashia and her father, and all that was once said was taken back. But she knew she could not stay, and would not, for her ways were not of the village nor the beliefs so vehemently followed. Sadness fell upon the village once more, as the Elders knew their folly could never be reversed, nor their first true warrior contained. So they watched, as did the whole village in reverence as Skjory bid his daughter farewell. Upon the lands of the realm she set out, finding her own path, learning the ways of blade, shield, and earth from others amongst the Dwarven realms, and then beyond them. Many would come to know the strength and honor of her ways, and such began the stories of her travels great and small. And as she traveled, the breath of war would ignite, and its fire would blaze a path to the very doorstep of the realm of Mejirngord. She, like so many others, would answer the Dwarven tongued call of defense against the Beast Horde of Yxxl. But upon her arrival she would learn of the disarray the Dwarven clans had fallen to, both highborn and lowborn. Elders amongst Elders argued amongst each other, many uncertain or unknowing of what should be done in light of such an encroaching force of evil.

It was then the village Elders of Skajorrn would speak, lead by Skjory himself. And their words resonated amongst all the Elders, and then the highborn leaders who then sought to know of this female warrior who was learned in the ancient ways of Vreyja. Who is this warrior you speak of? the great Dwarven King Huroj called. Who is this who knows the ways of earth and battle? Dashia stepped out amongst the great crowd of warriors set before the great king. I am she. He looked upon the strength of her form, the fierceness of her eyes, and the flooding confidence far greater than all those amongst the crowd. All was speechless and silent as the King rose from his great throne and approached the plain warrior, her garments and items worn yet masterfully kept. What is your name, young warrior? I am Dashia, born of the family Oskornj from the village of Skajurrn, great King. All saw the pride of Skjory and his fellow Skajurrn Elders, including the King. And this was all he needed to see. Then show us what must be done. On that very day Dashia set forth unto the realm, guiding the many in building a sound defense against Yxxls advancing horde, doing as she had done so many years past in the defense of her village lands. And beside her stood her father and many of the village Skajurrn, as they remembered what she had taught them, and gifted the knowledge she had passed to them unto all those who came to protect the lands of Mejirngord. Thus came Yxxl and his Beast Horde, one hundred thousand strong in their numbers, and every one of them seeking the bloodlust of chaos and destruction. And such was the horrible greatness of the tramping of their feet, the beating of their warbeasts hooves, and the roll of the siege engines that their advance could be seen over the greatest of distances, and the rumble of the earth heard for even more. But the defenders of Mejirngord had learned the ways of Vreyja well, and set up many defenses against Yxxls horde that many of those forsaken creatures were torn asunder by the stalwart Dwarven defenders. But it would prove to be not enough, as their numbers and ferocity proved too great to be stopped completely. This Dashia would be the first to know, and so gathered a special retinue warriors, then set forth to attack the heart of the foul army, and thus Yxxl himself. Like Xorrl, Yxxl laughed and cursed the daring and brave Dwarven warriors who slew their way into his protected position. Dwarf Ruutahgs! You dare try to slay me? he spat out. I will have your filthy little maggot bodies skinned and feasted upon by all my warriors! Your puny kingdom will fall, you wretched little filths, and I will bath in the glory of its riches while the rest of your kind are put to my whips and chains!

Of this Dashia spoke. Our Dwarven lands were meant to be free of greed and tyranny, and even the earth will not relinquish its control to those who are unworthy! Yxxl snarled, drawing his own gnarled blades and attacked the small group of dwarven fighters. But he did not attack alone. Blade and shield clashed, and many Beasts of the Horde fell, and for every one Dwarven warrior that fell, at least twenty laid dead around him or her. And Dashia had brought fifteen of the finest Mejirngord could offer. Yet they were all dead. She herself was horribly wounded and gasping her last breath. And yet Yxxl still stood before her, bellowing angrily. Disgusting worms of the earth! anger flooded through Yxxl, as the number of his own dead far outweighed the numbers the Dwarven female and her companions had wrought. I curse you and your god to rot! and with this he struck the final blow upon Dashia, a blow witnessed by many amongst the perches of Mejirngord, including the Great King and her father. At that moment, all seemed lost. Fear sprang amongst the remaining defenders like a wildfire. Yet at that moment, a brilliant light flashed upon the battlefield, directly over the fallen body of Dashia. All around her fell by the force of the flash, nearly ten thousand of the Yxxls brutish Horde, including Yxxl himself. And all who could see were blinded for that instant. Yet in that instant, as the spirit of Dashia was about to leave its mortal body, came a Valkyrie. Her armor gleamed brightly, her weapons honed and sharp. Rise, Dashia. Rise and walk again. The words were strong and resonant. Great Grandmother? It was a question she somehow already knew the answer to. The Valkyrie simply smiled, and easily hoisted Dashia to her feet. It took only a moment for the momentary blindness to subside, and it was Yxxl who was the first to see Dashia standing once again, her wounds now gone, her weapons and armor now gleaming magnificently in the setting sun. Yet he was dismayed for only a moment. Kill HER NOW! was his snarling battlecry. And his minions rose to that cry, throwing their fury upon the risen Dwarven warrior. But no blade could cleave her, and no thrust could topple her. Her shield and sword flowed in a motion of blur and finesse, and even the earth itself seemed to help move her every step. And with every Beast felled by her blade grew Yxxls rage until he himself could no longer hold back his anger.

I will mount your head on a great pole for all the lands to see! And with those words he threw his might against hers, the fury of his wrath pressed against the chosen Ascendant of Vreyaj, Dwarven Goddess of Earth and War. Such a blow was not seen by many, but perhaps such a thing was good, for the blow rendered upon Yxxl tore him asunder so horribly that many of the Horde still surrounding them were blown back, themselves horribly wounded by the devastating impact. It was then when those who survived realized their great Horde leader was dead. It was then when they realized that not one of them, not all of them could ever best the Dwarven female warrior standing before them. And such was the fierceness gleaming in her eyes that fear finally sparked upon the Horde like an angry disease, running rampant upon the remaining droves until the Horde became a fleeing mob, punished by many of the Dwarven defenders for days to come. Cheers erupted across the realm. All across Mejirngord came the calls for celebration. And so the Great Dwarven King made such celebrations, honoring all the dead by custom of Vreyja, and granted a great feast upon those warriors who had proven their strength and honor. But of the greatest warrior they had seen was not known, for Dashia had disappeared amidst the disarrayed retreat of the fallen Horde army. So it was to Skjory that the Great Dwarven King asked; Where has she gone? Our kinsman calls out for her presence. And then a sudden cold thought occurred to him. Has she fallen? The Elder, his age now much more noticeable, his status now highly revered amongst all the great highborn builders, answered softly with a tear in his eye. She has been chosen, my great king. The King understood immediately, and placed a strong brotherly hand upon the Elders shoulders. Then we shall honor her choosing! His cup rose high into the air, along with ten thousand others, and a great cheer echoed across the realm. Dashia quietly looked back upon the forest, its shadows growing stronger with the setting sun. Was that cheering she was hearing? She had walked for some time now, and the world seemed so much differently. Everything around her hummed with magnificent life, and she herself could see and hear it all. It was as if she herself was part of this newfound magnificence, yet she could not understand why. And somehow she had found her way through the huge breadth of the bordering forests of Mejirngord to the Great Ocean of Meyrchotyr in a mere waking moment, where before her was an ancient pier, its massive width and length on the verge of collapse due to its brittle wood and shattered rock. Yet was it there before? A great human kingdom once lived amongst these shores, and used this very pier to load its great merchant ships with goods collected from the lands beyond these forests.

Dashia looked upon he who had spoken to her. A human sailor. I was told you would be here. I am called Driftwood. She looked him over, somehow knowing he meant no malice in any form. Why am I here? she asked, uncertain as to what brought her here. You are Ascendant now. I am simply here to help you. Driftwood looked behind him, pointing out the great ferry tied up beside the pier, where there wasnt one just a moment before. A sudden realization then came to Dashia. You will take me to her temple? Driftwood humbly nodded, then glanced over to each of the anchor lines holding the ferry to the pier. All of them quickly unraveled by themselves and returned unto the ferry. I welcome you aboard my ferry, Dashia, Valkyrie of Vreyja. She nodded back, and stepped aboard. Despite having no crew, and no sails, the Ferry easily set forth into the wind, and took her to the Isles of Mystyr, where she did find the great Temple of Vreyja, and thus learned her role in the times to come. Since that time much has changed, but many faithful know that Dashia still walks amongst the realms of all Dwarven kind, giving those who favor the Goddess of Earth and War the means to defend themselves in times of need, as is told in stories of one such village who called upon Vreyja for their defense. Such was their faith that a friendly outsider came unto them, showing them how to fight, and touching each of their weapons so they would have faith in them, and then leading them in battle when the enemy pressed upon their village. And such was the enemys dismay when their greater strength was cut asunder and so easily vanquished, that no others would ever dare come to take the village from the small army of expert fighters armed with the highest quality shields and blades that lived there. But this was not so, as it was this stranger who had blessed their soft wooden instruments with strength and sharpness and a battle wit unbecoming of anything the villagers could make or know. Nor did they realize this until their cheers of victory and celebration, when they turned to express their gratitude to the stranger who had seemingly vanished from the village. It was then they realized that they had been saved by Dashia, Valkyrie of Vreyja.