Troops of Sulkhat orcs stormed through a broken entrance, led by their
leader Onkassus to reclaim their once slaves. The dwarves cried to their
allies for help and rallied beside their leaders, determined to fight to
the death for their homeland. Cries mixed with the clashing of metal,
and blood was spilled swiftly. After many long months of campaigning,
the final battle of Kaark'Krazul was at hand.

Kaark'Krazul put up what defense it could muster, but without the
immediate aide of its allies, it fell with a bloody surety. All the
fighters Stavenn could gather made themselves ready in the mines, and
there they met their foes of many homelands, come to reclaim the
dwarvish home. In another relatively fast skirmish, the alliance broke
through and rushed to their charges' aide, though by some accounts they
were too late.

Eota Shalebolt, Elder of Kaark'Krazul laid dead, tortured to death while
the Alliance cleared the city of Orcs. His cries were held back, as Nek
Deepsmith's pleas for help were somehow lost in the noise of battle, and
his very soul was removed for food for the loathesome Necromancer,
Groar. Whilst the fighting outside continued many other dwarves were
slain, leaving the city with a severely reduced population, though it
had already been frighteningly low.

With the dust settled, the group of fighters from all over the continent
discussed further plans to take vengeance upon Stavenn, while Nek
Deepsmith wandered his city, mourning his brethren. While discussing
with the group assembled within his mine he revealed they no longer had
the numbers to do anything but survive, and without a full Council, he
could not teach anyone to make items capable of surviving the curse
created by Katalys. He did, however, open shop to sell the items
required in this new art to whomever might figure it out, hoping to make
enough to begin setting his city upon the proper track once more.

While the discussions with Nek were proceeding, Stavenn met in its city
with Onkassus after he fled Kaark'Krazul safely. He forced his
blacksmith to teach their art of weaponmaking to the Diavlous, as per
their agreement, and declared his vengeance upon the dwarves complete..
for the time being. Now only Stavenn knows this new art of Smithing, and
the only source for materials is their enemy, who knows nothing of their
being taught. Hopefully the dwarves will recuperate their numbers and
find a new Elder fast enough, lest the other cities of the world go
without.

Penned by my hand on the 5th of Artificium, in the year 428 AD.