War of the Dwarves and Dragons

''"The Great Dying. It was the moment when the dwarves truly became what we are today. Hardy, tough, all just to try and heal an old burn that won't ever go away. Guess we have something to thank those scaly bastards for in the end." - King Nakor II, of Kalatar''

The War of the Dwarves and Dragons was a conflict that took place between the dwarves of Dhurend and the Red Dragons of the North. It resulted in the complete destruction of Dhurend, which was henceforth renamed "The Sacked Lands". Many dwarves were slaughtered during the war, both civilian and military, so much so that it has often been termed the 'Great Dying' by some legends. Accounts of the war are conflicting, with most tales stemming from the legends of the various dwarven heroes who led the survivors out of their homeland and to new continents. The war probably lasted about 3 years in total, but it's casualties cost nearly all of the dwarven population, leaving less than 10,000 alive according to one legend: these 10,000 each sailed in a different direction, east and west, north and south, and notably became the founding clans of dwarves on the continents of Enthuiah and Exorterra, giving birth to the nations of Kalatar and Dwarrow Crossing.

Background
It is not known why or how the red dragons sacked the land of the dwarves: some think of it as a punishment accosted by the gods, while others believe that it was due to the dragons needing to move to more southern regions to adapt to some sort of cataclysm in the far north that made it uninhabitable for them.

The Sun beneath the Earth
The dwarves had moved to the islands of Dhurend from their ancestral homeland in across the pathless ocean, long before recorded history. The kingdoms of Dhurend were each individual city-states, with the dwarves caring little for the good of the islands as a whole. However, the kings would often convene a moot to meet on matters that concerned the whole of the land.

The dwarves, long concerned with mining, unearthed an object of great power underneath the sea. This stone came to be known as the "Sun beneath the Earth". Some said that it had the power to grant a man anything he wished if he looked upon it and asked. Others said that it was a light brighter than the sun that would bring about the golden age of the dwarves. It is said that this, as well as the uncountable wealth of the dwarves, brought the dragons upon Dhurend.

The Initial Attack
According to legend, the great city-kingdom of Ninvylen was the site of the dragon's landing. Many people were killed within the first few days of the dragon's arrival, and the survivors were trapped within the city's walls by the winged beasts, forced to hide in the burnt wreckage of their former city. Ninvylen sent a signal fire beacon to the various neighboring city-states, who, upon realizing the enormity of the situation, sent thousands of men towards the burning city.

Continued losses
After the sacking of Ninvylen, the dwarves would continue to lose every territory that was attacked. All but a few of the city-states agreed to put soldiers towards the war in an effort to combat the dragon menace. The dwarves had seemed to be ill-prepared for such an attack, as their arrows and axes could only bounce of the invincible monsters and the dragon fire spread across the land uncontrollably, starting huge firestorms which blotted out the sun. Many dwarves migrated to the coast in order to flee Dhurend, but the dragons advanced to quickly for travelers on foot and pony to outrun them.The dragons seemed to be an unending horde, and surrounded the islands from all sides. The initial assault was led by great four-legged beasts with impenetrable hides and red scales, but there were also winged serpents and other monsters loyal to the dragons or after the treasure of the dwarves themselves. Most legends depict the dragons as having been actually invincible, with battles fought only to slow them down and allow citizens to escape. The last of the dwarves' armies were driven back into their ships, and then destroyed at sea by the dragons as they retreated. Less than 10,000 are said to have survived, forming the Founding Clans of the dwarves. The 10,000 split and each clan sailed in a different direction: north, south, east and west. The western ship eventually landed in Dwarrow's Crossing, from whom all dwarrows are descended. The southern ship was at sea for 40 years, eventually landing in the south on Enthuiah, and founded the nation of Kalatar. The Great Dying is remembered by all dwarves, and the Faith of the Light was one of the only aspects of early dwarf culture that has survived into the ages.

Aftermath
The war is remembered by nearly all cultures of dwarves in the world, and it has been credited as the reason the dwarves know so little of their early history, since many of their great libraries were lost during the war. The city of Ninvylen was the namesake of the capital of Kalatar, and the Faith of the Light was passed down to multiple cultures, though it does not exist in its original form. Many sacred texts were lost concerning the religion, leading to many additional sects springing up in later eras.

The Sun beneath the Earth was lost during the war, and the dragons, after searching in vain for it, abandoned their quarry and returned to the far north, according to some legends. Others say that the gods, in anger of their atrocities, destroyed them all.