The dwarves call themselves moradha, literally, the “Smith’s children.” Their name is derived from Moradhîn, the “One Smith,” corrupted into Moradin by the common tongue (Govannan in flannish). Their own tongue is named moradhûl, the “smith’s own.” The following history is translated from moradhûl, and is therefore not verbatim.

          In the beginning of the First Age, Danan, the “All-Mother” desired to create the World, and populate it with living things of her own design. She expressed her desire to the Uthîn, “the Ones,” her children, and together they set out to enact Danan’s wish.
          Of all the Uthîn, Moradhîn was the strongest, the most clever and the most skilled. Already, he had created a great forge for himself made from the raw stuff of chaos. To Moradhîn fell the task of designing the World. All of its mountains, oceans, plains and hills needed to be planned before the Uthînha, the “children of the Uthîn,” great servants of the Uthîn could undertake the work. Although Danan had already created the Felenhîn, the “beautiful ones,” to assist the Uthîn, Moradhîn found them too fragile for his great work. Already, he was assisted by Melethrandhîn, the “One of Skill,”a great spirit who shared his love for the craft of creating, but Moradhîn needed many assistants who were tireless, unyielding and who shared his ethics and pride. Taking the purest raw substance of the world, adûn, literally “the pure,” Moradhîn created nine images of himself. Placing his creations in Anzûlbelegost, the “Forge of Creation/Heaven,” Moradhîn heated life into them. The resulting moradha were the nine fathers of all moradha.

           The moradha worked tirelessly with Moradhîn in Moridananzûl, the “Smithy of Creation/Heaven,” located in the Heart of Anzûlbelegost. They were resistant to heat and cold, they were strong and unyielding. The moradha knew neither pain nor exhaustion. Moradhîn rejoiced in his creations. He taught them the skills of metalcrafting, the working of stone, the cutting of gems. The fathers of the moradha learned much about the inner workings of the World, watching it, as they did, unfold according to Moradhîn’s plans. Melethrandhîn also loved the moradha, and took them under his wing. Melethrandhîn was revered greatly in the eyes of the moradha, for he was very cunning and skillful. Whereas Moradhîn laid out great works, Melethrandhîn complemented his master by concentrating on the details. Moradhîn’s works were useful, breathtaking in their practicality and simplicity. Melethrandhîn’s work was ornate, baroque and dazzling. Moradhîn encouraged Melethrandhîn’s work, and the moradha emulated the spirit’s craft.
          In time, the World was taken from Anzûlbelegost by the Uthînha, and laid down. There was still much work to be done. The clouds, the sky and the sea still needed to be fashioned. Amra and Menenha (literally, “Bright One” and “Dark One”) approached Moradhîn with requests for other great constructions -the sun and the moon. Moradhîn, the creator of such beautiful works himself, was spellbound by Menenha. Secretly, without the knowledge of the other Uthîn, Moradhîn set about making a creation lovelier than even the world. Melethrandhîn and the moradha were not asked to join as there was already so much work to be done, but such was their devotion that they volunteered to aid their master. Together, all created the stars. Moradhîn set them in the night sky as a gift to Menenha.

          Although this was the happiest of times, trouble began to stir. In the World, the Feha (the “First Ones”) set about waking plants and animals. The khellemha (“Proud Ones”) had awoken, the first mortals in the World. Melethrandhîn was often away from Anzûlbelegost, and spent time with the khellemha, teaching them the skills of Moradhîn. This stirred discord among the fathers of the moradha. Why should their skills be taught to others? The pride that Moradhîn had instilled in them to encourage fine work began to become twisted as the moradha grew jealously guarded of their skills. Melethrandhîn himself encouraged this strife, bringing great and beautiful works out of Anzûlbelegost and gifting them to the lords of the feha and kellemha. Soon, those peoples felt desire for the treasurers of Melethrandhîn and the moradha. They clamored for more and beseeched Melethrandhîn to teach their smiths the skill of creating such beautiful works. This Melethrandhîn did, but he taught only enough skill so that the works of Anzûlbelegost would always be superior. The feha named Melethrandhîn “Belaiden,” the “Maker of Good Works.” Now with inferior works by which to judge, the demand for the precious works of Melethrandhîn and his assistants grew greater.
          The feha and khellemha lords offered great riches in return for such works, soon many became indebted to the smiths. Melethrandhîn and his followers encouraged this, and soon began to demand greater and greater prices and services in return for their goods. The World began to become inflamed by greed, and the treasures of Anzûlbelegost became horded. The Angrha (“greedy ones”) appeared, the living embodiment of a greedy earth. They rampaged across the face of the earth, ransacking hordes. This only increased the demand as fabulous treasures beyond compare were in turn horded by the angrha.
           Moradhîn did not know the extent of the trade between his servants and the peoples of the World. He had sent Melethrandhîn to the World to pass on his skills. Moradhîn was a teacher, and believed in the dissemination of his skills. He was not aware of his assistants’ duplicity in hording the skills to themselves. Moradhîn would never have approved of the waste of the World’s materials to create baubles that served no purpose. He certainly never knew of the increasing turmoil Melethrandhîn and the moradha were creating. Already, the feha and the khellemha began to resent and distrust the moradha, who began to exercise increasing power over them. In secret places in the World, armories were created by especially greedy feha, and plans to raid Anzûlbelegost were being laid.

At last, one of the Uthîn came to the World. Perhaps drawn there by the simmering turmoil, Zelledha (“Splendid One”) came to admire the great works of Anzûlbelegost. In secret, Zelledha approached Melethrandhîn and proposed a deal. He sought the Adûndel (“Pure Stone”). The Adûndel, called the Arkenstone by the Fey, was perfect in every way. It would capture the light of the stars, only thousands of times brighter. It would be clear, flawless, perfect. Both Melethrandhîn and the moradha were spellbound by Zelldha’s description of this perfect stone. They knew instantly that the creation and cutting of such a wonder was beyond their power and skill, but they also knew that such a prize would bring them rewards beyond all measure.
          Thus, Moradhîn was betrayed. Melethrandhîn and the moradha conspired in secret to steal the Star-Smith’s secrets. They began the construction of the Adûndel. In dark, unlit corners of the Forge, away from their Lord’s attention, they worked in the shadows. For centuries, in agonizingly slow detail, they fashioned their greatest work. Soon, however, it became apparent that despite the stamina of the moradha, and despite Melethrandhîn’s dazzling skill, the Adûndel was beyond them. Full of remorse for the work thus spent, and full of unfulfilled greed, the moradha implored Melethrandhîn to find a solution. The greedy spirit did.
          Melethrandhîn approached Moradhîn in the heart of the Forge. With cunningly crafted words he convinced his lord that Menenha could be won by the creation of a gem above all gems, of a stone greater in beauty than the stars. He presented the Smith with the unfinished Adûndel, telling him that his faithful servants had labored in secret to create this gift, but that they had not the skill to complete it. Moradhîn was one of the strongest of the Uthîn. His mind was one of the cleverest and most insightful, but he knew nothing of lies and deceit. Melethrandhîn’s words bound him, and he cast aside his many works to labor on the Adûndel.

          There is none, nor will there ever be one like Moradhîn. Where the greatest of his servants failed, he succeeded. He fashioned and completed the Adûndel. When he was done, even he was spellbound. It was greater in beauty than any. Melethrandhîn and the moradha looked on in awe as the Smith held the Arkenstone high. Suddenly, there was a great evil in the world. The Smith’s heart, for the first and only time, was touched by greed. “This is my greatest work,” he said. “This, I keep for myself.” And he fashioned a great coffer in which to keep it.
          The Smith had never kept any of his works before, nor had he locked any away. At first the moradha despaired, for although their prize was created, it was kept secure by the Smith. Again Melethrandhîn approached the moradha. In secret, they arranged for Zelledha to arrive at a secret place in Anzûlbelegost, down in the cold forges, at the lowest gate, away from the heat of the Smith. Zelledha, upon being told of the Arkenstone’s completion, made promises of wealth and power to the moradha. The plan was completed, and dark oaths were made in the depths of Anzûlbelegost.
          Under the cover of an especially heavy workload for the Smith, Melethrandhîn snuck into the Smith’s private quarters. In secrecy, he had fashioned tariqha. With it, even the great lock the Smith had placed sprang open. Melethrandhîn took the Arkenstone, and with his followers, he fled to the cold forges to meet with Zelledha.
           But Zelledha had not come alone. The wealth and power of the moradha had earned them enmity from the Feha and Kellemha. The Feha had become greatly indebted to the moradha, and blinded by greed. They too had heard of the Arkenstone. They assembled a host, and pressing a Khellemha host into service, they marched on Anzûlbelegost. Melethrandhîn and the moradha met Zelledha at the lowest gate even as the host of the Feha approached. Zelledha and his servants demanded to see the stone before they concluded the bargain. Melethrandhîn withdrew the Arkenstone, and its perfection lit up the heavens, which were dark with soot by the billowing chimneys of the Forge.
          Upon seeing the Arkenstone, the moradha were consumed with greed. As one, they refused to relinquish it. Simultaneously, Zelledha dropped all pretense and sweet words, and moved to take it from Melethrandhîn by force. The Feha and their host, seeing the bright gleam of the Arkenstone even from their position at the lowest roots of the Forge, gave a great shout and fell upon the gate.
          Moradhîn, from the heart of the Forge, heard the Feha shout and was troubled. The Arkenstone had begun to grow on him. Often, he stopped his work to admire the stone. His first thought was that thieves had come to steal his treasure, a fear confirmed when he found the empty coffer. Blazing in fury, Moradhîn raced to the lowest gate, his booted feet shaking the heavens.
          At the gate, the moradha were engaged in pitched battle against Zelledha and his fellenhîn troops, and the feha and their khellemha army. Melethrandhîn fought at the head of the conspirators, weaving powerful magics against the terrible might of Zelledha. The hammers of Anzûlbelegost were strong, the children of Moradhîn were unyielding. Even surrounded by a superior force, the moradha might have fought their way back to the gate and sealed it if the Smith had not come upon the scene. Moradhîn had known love, he had known greed. He had never known sorrow. He looked as his children, consumed with greed, threw the waves of attackers back again and again. He saw Melethrandhîn, his most trusted friend, battling with Zelledha, the stolen Arkenstone blazing in his grip. He himself felt the urge to claim the Arkenstone as his own, but knew now that it’s lure was too great for anyone. With a heavy heart, Moradhîn lifted his great mattock, the instrument with which he had forged the World.
          Seeing Moradhîn, Melethrandhîn and the moradha, lost to the Arkenstone’s beauty, were convinced the Smith had come to take the stone from them. “The stone is ours, “ they cried, and the Smith’s own children turned against him.
          Moradhîn brought the mattock down, shattering all the lower slopes of Anzûlbelegost. The armies fell screaming into the World. The Arkenstone fell with them. Moradhîn turned and, locking the lowest gate behind him, returned to the Forge alone, where he smiled no more.
 

Glossary:

Adûn: (ay-DUNN) Adamantium, in moradhûl. An unbreakable substance created by the dwarves.
Adûndel: (ay-DUNN-dell) The perfect stone, also called the Arkenstone. A mythical gem greater than any diamond. The greatest precious stone in all of creation.
Amra: (AMM-rah) The God of the Sun.
Angrha: (ANG-grah) Dragons
Anzûlbelegost: (ANN-zool-BELL-ah-GOST) The Forge of Creation/Heaven, in moradhûl. Used by Moradhîn to create the World and the Stars. The Heaven of the moradha.
Danan: (dah-NANN) See also Danu, Earth Mother.
Feha: (FAY-yah) The Fey
Felenhîn: (FELL-ehn-HEEN) See also Irda.
Khellemha: (KELL-emm-HAH) The elves.
Melethrandhîn: (MELL-ee-THRAN-deen) See also Belaiden, Iuz.
Menenha: (MENN-en-HAH) The Goddess of the Moon, named Meness by the Flan.
Moradha: (MORR-ah-DAH) Dwarves, in moradhûl.
Moradhîn: (MORR-ah-DEEN) See also Govannan, Moradin.
Moradhûl: (MORR-ah-DOOL) The language of the moradha.
Moridananzûl: (MORR-id-DANN-ahn-ZOOL) The Smithy of Creation/Heaven. A part of Anzûlbelegost.
Tariqha: (TAH-reek-HAH) The One Key. A creation of Iuz during the first age, a magical key capable of opening any lock. Lost during the Exile of the dwarves from Anzûlbelegost. It is said that it has since been recovered by the dark spirit.
Uthîn: (ah-THEEN) See also Gods.
Uthînha: (ah-THEEN-nah) See also Titans.
Zelledha: (ZELL-ledd-HAH) See also Zilchus