Dwarven Strongholds

The Hammer Lords · Beard Barons

Marching from their Sparkstone bastions in sturdy, heavily armed mechs the Dwarves come to collect their due.

During the fall the dwarves were safe in their mountain holds. They collapsed their entrance halls and retreated to the depths and were not seen again. All that remained were dishonoured dwarves who had been banished to the surface. In the chaos of the fall these desperate dwarf communities thrived and created fortresses from the sparkstone that fell. Unlike their vanished cousins the hammer lords are financially predatory, ambitious and grasping; each dwarf fighting to reach the top of their clan.

A dwarf will be fiercely loyal to their clan, its heraldry and traditions but have no loyalty to individual dwarfs within the clan. This does not lead to backstabbing and deceit as dwarves are unnaturally honest but instead in being openly the strongest, most intelligent and wealthiest dwarf within their gang clan. This makes an exceptionally meritocratic society but one where those at the bottom have no power, protection or sometimes even food.

Fast to adapt to new technology, the dwarven strongholds were among the first to contend with the old alliance with their own battlemechs. Though slow and short, the dwarven battlemechs carry twice the number of weapons than most mechs. They are able to hold ground when being assaulted and provide fire support when they are free to shoot. Backed up by their gunships and heavily armoured assault forces the hammer lords are an impenetrable wall.