When humanity first came to Khorvaire, they found the dwarven clans of the Mror Holds locked in endless feuds. This division kept the clans from uniting against the new arrivals, and the dwarves were forced to swear fealty to Karrnath and Galifar. Over the centuries, they turned their energies to harnessing the astonishing natural resources of their mountain home. The dwarves were then reborn as merchant lords.

In the early days of the Last War, Mror miners made an astonishing discovery: the ruins of an ancient dwarven empire, vast halls deep within the Ironroot Mountains. Explorers uncovered mines still brimming with jewels and precious ores and vaults filled with riches and powerful artifacts. The Mror restored these ancient fortresses and worked to reclaim the secrets of their ancestors. Seeing the untapped potential of the Realm Below and the broken Kingdom of Galifar, the clan lords joined together to form the Iron Council and to declare the independence and sovereignty of the Mror Holds.

One question remained: What had become of the ancient dwarves? The answer soon became apparent. As the Mror delved deeper into the Realm Below, they woke an ancient evil: Dyrrn the Corruptor, a daelkyr lord of madness. Hordes of aberrations and derro rose from the depths to challenge the explorers. For decades, the Mror lords have been fighting a battle in the depths, struggling to drive the darkness from their ancestral halls. Many dwarves revile anything to do with the daelkyr. Others believe that the daelkyr can grant the Mror dwarves the power to overcome any enemy. Some clans have taken up symbionts and living weapons recovered from the depths, and cabals of warlocks draw on the power of the Plane of Xoriat.

The Mror Holds consist of a loose confederation. Twelve noble clans each govern a hold and have a representative on the Iron Council, which resolves disputes and issues affecting the entire nation. Each hold includes a number of lesser clans, who owe fealty to the noble line. Those who occupy land above have the right to claim the halls that lie below if they can.

The Sovereign Host is the dominant faith of the Mror Holds. Kol Korran is the most beloved of the Sovereigns, but the dwarves also revere Boldrei, Dol Dorn, Olladra, and Onatar.


Interesting Things About the Mror Holds

  • The Mror Holds contain deep reserves of gold, silver, and other rare and precious metals, along with iron and other ores. The Mror dwarves are skilled miners and artisans.
  • A clan of orcs called the Jhorash’tar live among the Ironroot Mountains. The Jhorash’tar have been slowly crowded into the least hospitable regions of the mountains. A few dwarven clans seek to incorporate the Jhorash’tar into Mror society, but others wish to drive them out once and for all.
  • The dwarves have recovered artifacts and arcane secrets from the Realm Below. Dwarf artificers are still working to master the techniques of their ancestors, while warlocks strive to harness the powers of the daelkyr. Mror communities are shaped by the artifacts they possess or by their interactions with the daelkyr. A Mror lord might serve guests from a bottomless cauldron of wine, while another studies strangers using a crown of eyes, claiming that this living artifact reveals all evil intent.

Mror Characters

As you develop a Mror character or NPC, consider the following:

Clan Focus. The dwarf clan is the heart of Mror culture. Is your clan known for mercantile power or martial skill? Are you a noble—even if you’re a few steps removed from true power? Or are you a guild artisan or soldier? Most Mror have embraced modern martial techniques, but a few minor clans still cling to barbarian traditions of the past. What caused you to leave your hold? Are you serving your clan and honing your skills, or have you been exiled from your homeland?

The Realm Below. How has the Realm Below affected your family and your character? Do you oppose the foul forces that infest your ancestral halls, or do you see them as a source of power? You might be a paladin sworn to oppose the horrors that dwell in the deep, or you could be a warlock who’s forged a pact with a Great Old One patron, one of the dark powers in the depths.

Pride in Possessions. From the wealthiest clan lord to the humblest miner, the Mror take great pride in their possessions. Quality is more important than appearance, and you are interested in the history of the items you carry. If you find a magic weapon, you want to know the battles it has seen and the warriors who have wielded it before you. This is especially true of the relics recovered from the Realm Below. Who forged the blade you carry? Do you bear a trinket from a forgotten age?

Monsters

Skindancer

Skindancers inhabit caves throughout Khorvaire, although they are a particular bane to the dwarves of the Mror Holds. An enormous skindancer known only as Glamerskin threatens the dwarf enclave of Eigendor, and so far, no champion or concerted assault has succeeded in disposing of the creature.

Slaughterstone Construct

Slaughterstone behemoths and slaughterstone eviscerators protect the cities, strongholds, and necropolises of the Mror Holds. House Kundarak also uses them as guardians in their great banks. The massive slaughterstone behemoth that stands guard inside the Kundarak Bank of Sharn is one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions.

History

Source: Exploring Eberron

Tol kollan! Some say our ancestors came from a place of ice, but we all know that’s nonsense. Our ancestors were the mountains themselves. The dragons were jealous of their mighty stature, so they cast a spell that put them all to sleep, and that’s where the mountains come from. We dwarves? We’re the sweat from their brow. Don’t believe me? Go take a look at the Face of Mror! No one could carve something like that, my friend; that’s the mountain’s original face. As for the others, well, they just went to sleep face down. That’s the tale I had from my father, and you wouldn’t want to call him a liar!

Mror History

Dwarves aren’t native to Khorvaire, but no one knows exactly how or when they arrived. Most spinners concur that the dwarves came from a land of ice and frost, though as seen in the epigraph opening this section, not all stories agree. While that’s enough for the Mror, other scholars continue to debate where they might have originated and how they traveled to Khorvaire. The most popular theory is that the first dwarves came from the Frostfell, traveling by way of a demiplane passage through Khyber. Proponents of this idea believe that there may be an undiscovered dwarven civilization—or ruins of it—waiting to be found in the Frostfell. A second popular theory is that the dwarves originated in the Tashana Tundra of Sarlona, sailing to Khorvaire and landing in the Lhazaar Principalities millennia before human settlers. However, the modern Akiak dwarves have little cultural overlap with the Mror, and there’s no evidence that they ever built ships. The most exotic story is that the dwarves of Sarlona and Khorvaire both came from Risia, and that there may still be a grand hidden civilization deep in the Risian ice. While origin stories vary from clan to clan, the talespinners all agree on the broad eras of Mror history that followed.

Sol Udar: The Realm Below

Wherever the dwarves came from, they sunk their roots into the soil of Khorvaire. Dhakaani dirge singers sing of battles between dwarf and dar that took place in vast halls below the earth. Dhakaani records—which are more accurate than those of the dwarves—show that the Dhakaani encountered dwarves late in the golden age of the Dhakaani Empire and drove them east, eventually reaching a stalemate. The ancient dwarves lacked the numbers or resources to threaten Dhakaan, but they established a line below the Ironroot Mountains and held it against countless onslaughts. The dar had no need of the territory, and in time, decided the effort of conquest wasn’t worth the rewards. This was the origin of what the dwarves call Sol Udar, the Realm Below.

Mallanok: The Exile

The next major era in Mror history was Mallanok, the Exile. At some point—whether years or centuries later is unclear—a group of dwarven warriors were exiled from the Realm Below, and found a new home in the mountains above, along with their families and followers. The reason for the Exile depends on who you ask. Mroranon talespinners say King Mror of Sol Udar couldn’t decide which of his thirteen heirs should inherit his throne, so he pushed these heroes out onto the mountain to prove themselves worthy of his kingdom. The Soldorak say that King Mror was a weak tyrant, and he exiled the thirteen heroes because he feared an uprising. Professor Melian Mit Davandi of Korranberg has advanced the theory that the ancient dwarves may have exiled criminals to the surface world instead of maintaining prisons, and the founders of the Mror Holds were a broad assortment of criminals and undesirables. The truth is buried beneath the weight of thousands of years and may never be known.

Dul Krok: Bloody Stones

The Exile was followed by Dul Krok, Bloody Stones. When humanity came to Khorvaire, the Ironroot Mountains were divided between thirteen powerful clans of dwarves. These mountain dwarves were proud and warlike, but they were mired in feuds—and these ancient conflicts kept them from substantially advancing their culture or their influence in the world. Even as humans spread across the land, the dwarves continued to devote their energy and resources to their own ongoing vendettas. While they were unquestionably fierce warriors and made fine weapons, their deep division prevented any progress. The Ironroot dwarves weren’t the only dwarves on Khorvaire; some had spread east into what’s now the Lhazaar Principalities. It was largely these Lhazaar dwarves who integrated with humanity, spreading west with them, though there were also a few Mror who left their feuds behind to help build the foundations of the new kingdoms.

Bal Dulor: The Great Sorrow

As the Five Nations took form, humanity largely shunned the Ironroot Mountains and left the dwarves to their feuding. Following the rise of the united kingdom of Galifar, Prince Karrn finally made a concerted effort to pacify the mountain dwarves. This time is known as Bal Dulor, the Great Sorrow. The soldiers of Galifar were disciplined and took advantage of the existing feuds, isolating the clans or pitting them against one another. The central fortresses of the holds were impregnable, but Galifar held the surrounding lands; the compromise that followed left the dwarves as lords of their territories, but as subjects of Galifar, forced to pay tribute and taxes.

Korran Hal: Korran’s Blessing

While the Great Sorrow was a source of deep shame to the dwarves, it brought a forced end to their violent feuds and forced them to raise the funds to pay their tribute. Warriors became miners, and the Ironroot Mountains proved to be an astonishingly rich source of mineral wealth. Mror talespinners say that the Sovereign Onatar had his forge in the mountains, and that Kol Korran kept his hoard beneath it; other scholars have speculated that there could be a more unsavory supernatural force at work, an overlord tied to greed bound beneath the peaks. Whatever the truth, this led to the period known as Korran Hal, Korran’s Blessing. Even with the taxes owed to Galifar, the Mror prospered and built a thriving society. While the ancient feuds were never forgotten, violence was no longer their first answer. The bearers of the Dragonmark of Warding, Clan Kundarak, were drawn into the Twelve and became House Kundarak. Working closely with House Sivis, Kundarak parleyed its wealth and the power of its dragonmark to establish the Banking Guild, and the influence of Kundarak helped to drive a further wave of cultural advancement.

Tra Halor: the Revelation

As the dwarves expanded their mines and fortress holds, they’d occasionally find tunnels and outposts that seemed to be tied to Sol Udar—outposts that appeared to have been abandoned many thousands of years ago. The dwarves continued to dig deeper toward the Realm Below, and this led to a wave of breakthroughs in the early tenth century, an event broadly known as tra Halor, the Revelation. Miners and masons found evidence of a vast, wondrous subterranean empire, with enormous city-halls below all of the modern holds. Early explorers found finely crafted treasures, along with evidence of even deeper mines and fortresses. It was clear that these cities had been built by dwarves, and it speaks to Mror character that rather than pondering the fate of the builders of this abandoned realm, the dwarves simply embraced this as a miraculous stroke of fortune and proof of their collective destiny.

Mror Solu: The Realms of Iron

By this time, the Last War was underway. For the last decade, Karrnath had been steadily raising taxes and demanding troop levies. But the dwarves were conquered long ago by Galifar, whereas Karrnath was just a piece of that broken kingdom. Inspired by Sol Udar and recognizing how far their people had come since the Great Sorrow, the lords of the holds convened in Mror Aulan, the Iron Council. The lords of the Iron Council affirmed their union and declared the sovereignty of Mror Solu— the Realms of Iron—a name which even the Mror themselves usually translate into Common as the Mror Holds. It’s worth noting that in calling themselves the Mror, dwarves aren’t professing fealty to Clan Mroranon or the ancient king of Sol Udar; rather, they’re simply calling themselves “the Ironfolk.”

Dol Udar: The War Below

The time that followed was initially known as Aul Aur, the Age of Gold. While Karrnath engaged in retaliatory actions during the Last War, it was struggling with famine and against its neighbors, and lacked the power to stop the rebellion.

The dwarves expanded and explored Sol Udar, reclaiming wondrous relics and facilities. But soon they learned what had become of the ancient dwarves of the Realm Below, and why the kingdom had never reached up to the exiles. The ancient dwarves had been wiped out thousands of years ago by the daelkyr, for Sol Udar abutted on the demiplane prison of Dyrrn the Corruptor, one of the mightiest of the daelkyr. The first explorers found curious tools formed from flesh and bone—and then they discovered the creatures that made them. Dolgrim hordes rose from the depths. Entire colonies were lost and consumed by illithid corruption. While the Five Nations fought the Last War, the Mror fell into Dol Udar, the War Below, discussed in more detail later in “The Realm Below” section.

Today, the Mror Holds are in a stalemate against the aberrations below, and remain balanced between the Age of Gold and the War Below. Even with their current holdings, the dwarves continue to draw vast wealth from their mines. Clans take pride in the treasures reclaimed from the depths, and Mror artificers continue to learn from studying ancient artifacts. Though the dwarves are few in number, their economic power and strong fortifications have deterred any Karrnathi retribution, and no one challenged their recognition under the Treaty of Thronehold. The dwarves are proud and prosperous—and yet, old feuds linger. The Realm Below remains both a glorious lure and a deadly threat. And tensions are further exacerbated by the other treasures recovered from the depths—tools made not by dwarves, but by the daelkyr.


Source: Eberron Campaign Guide

The Mror Holds are a loose confederation of dozens of dwarven clans. Though they paid fealty to Karrnath for much of the history of Galifar, the dwarves abruptly declared their independence during the Last War and have maintained it ever since.

Khorvaire’s finest iron ore comes from mines in the Holds, the best of which is shipped to Breland and the shops of the continent’s greatest blacksmiths, weaponsmiths, and armorers. The Mror Holds are also home to House Kundarak, and a significant portion of the commerce of Khorvaire is controlled from these remote mountains.

The dwarven clans’ long subservience to Karrnath was largely a product of their history of feuds and infighting. For thousands of years, the dwarves skirmished with each other and with the Jhorash’tar orcs of the mountains, so that in the earliest days of the kingdom of Galifar, they were unable to stand against the forces of Galifar’s son Karrn. The Holds became a protectorate of Karrnath, its people made subjects of Galifar. However, the enforced peace that human rule brought to the mountains allowed the dwarves to build a cohesive civilization for the first time.

Another benefit of the Karrnathi occupation was the discovery of the Mark of Warding, which had gone unrecognized for centuries among the members of Clan Kundarak. Even as the Mror Holds became the cornerstone of Karrnath’s economy, Kundarak was accepted into the ranks of the dragon marked houses, creating a greater acceptance of dwarves across the Five Nations.

The members of Clan Mroranon were the first to agitate within the holds for dwarven independence, though this dream initially met with wide resistance. Before the coming of Karrnath, the dwarves lived in a state of distrust and constant warfare. It was argued that without the implicit threat of Karrnathi response, the clans would quickly fall back into strife if left to govern themselves. However, the leaders of Mroranon had faith in the unified culture the dwarves had built over centuries of occupation, and in the power of their newfound wealth to keep the clans from falling back into barbarism.

Though peace has reigned between the clans of the Holds for generations, the dwarves’ ancient feuds have not been forgotten. However, instead of fighting with axes and hammers, the dwarves now do battle in the more subtle arenas of politics and economics. A clan’s support—or lack of it—on the council often has more to do with hundred-year-old grudges than with the issues at hand. Likewise, business decisions are decided not only on the basis of profit but on the losses—or humiliation— they might inflict on a rival clan.

The ancestors of the dwarves of the Ironroot Mountains originally came from deep within Khyber. More than 10,000 years ago, the first dwarves came to the surface as exiles, with all memory and history of their past lives lost to them. Numerous expeditions in search of the dwarves’ lost homeland have met with failure.


Source: Dragonshard

The Mror Holds are founded on iron and gold. The Ironroot Mountains hold vast deposits of precious metals and rare ore, and the dwarf lords have used these resources to create a mercantile empire that stretches across Khorvaire. But there is steel beneath the jewels and finery of a Mror dwarf -- the heart of a warrior whose ancestors engaged in constant battle for almost seven thousand years.

Much of the early history of the Mror dwarves is based on fragments passed down through oral tradition and scattered across the clans. It is generally accepted that the dwarves first appeared on Khorvaire approximately twelve thousand years ago, but beyond this, stories differ. Some tales say that the dwarves came from a land of ice and snow, which most modern scholars deem to be the Frostfell -- although to date, those few, brave souls who have explored this frigid land have found no evidence of a dwarven civilization. Others claim that the dwarves rose up from the earth itself, that Kol Korran and Onatar forged them from the stone of the mountains or that Eberron created them to battle the aberrations of Khyber. Every clan and every dwarf has his own opinion, and most are ready to fight with anyone who challenges it.

Regardless of their origin, it is clear that the dwarves were a mighty power long before the present day. Dhakaani dirges speak of battles with the "stonefolk of the mountains," and the Dhakaani were repelled from the Ironroot Mountains by a unified, disciplined dwarvish nation. Even today, scholars observe that Mror battle tactics are ideally suited to counter the traditional techniques used by the Dhakaani and their Darguul descendents.

The dwarves themselves have many tales from this age of glory, though it is difficult to separate fact from myth. Tales speak of Stone Kings and Dragon Keepers, of runesmiths forging mighty blades in the depths. This age came to an end in the reign of Lord Kordran Mror. A number of warriors and heroes had stirred up unrest in the deep realm, and Mror banished twelve of the leaders plus their followers to the surface of the mountains. The depths were sealed off with magical wards and a clan of wardens sent to the lands above to ensure that the seals remained until the others "proved themselves to be worthy of the kingdom below."

The dwarf lords took many steps to prove their worth. It is said that the great stone face of Lord Mror was produced at this time, though this is itself a point of some debate. Korranberg sages claim that the dwarves simply didn't have the skills to produce such an artifact, and argue that they must have sculpted down a larger image. For evidence, they point to obscure references to "the face of Eberron," and suggest that "Dragon Keeper" may have referred to a draconic monument dating back to the dawn of time.

In any case, when none of these efforts produced results, the banishe dwarves fell to fighting among themselve. The culture slowly devolved, and while the surface dwarves clung to the secrets of iron, they embraced the grim joy of battle. For thousands of years the clans fought one another, each seeking to prove its ultimate superiority and earn the keys to the kingdom of stone.

When humans first came to Khorvaire, they ignored the feuding clans of the Ironroot Mountains. The dwarves were too busy fighting one another to take an interest in the world beyond the mountains, and the ancient battles continued unabated until Karrn cast his eyes toward the region. The young prince guessed at the wealth that might be hidden in the mountains, and he wanted his share. With his father's permission, he led an army to subjugate the "mountain barbarians." Though (or perhaps because) they had been fighting for millennia, the dwarves were ill prepared to face an unfamiliar foe. Together the clans could have easily expelled the invader, but Karrn played on their feuds to divide and conquer the clans. Within a decade, the clan lords had bent the knee to the prince of Karrnath.

Having freed the goblins in his conquest of the Five Nations, King Galifar was not about to condone dwarvish slavery. Karrn was instructed to bring the King's Peace to this savage land. The dwarves were forced to stop their warring ways and encouraged to develop a new nation based on the model of Galifar, providing tribute to Karrnath and the old kingdom. The Karrns surveyed the mountains, but they could not pierce the ancient wards, and they drew their conclusions from the veins of ore they could reach.

Decades passed. Many dwarves abandoned their old ways and spread across Khorvaire. Those who remained in the mountains grumbled under the burden of tax and tribute, and slowly their discontent pushed them together.

Then came the summons. The dwarves of Kundarak were the keepers of the wards, and they called the lords of the twelve clans to their hold. In the halls of Korunda Gate the clan lords met in peace, discussed their plans for the nation, and expressed concern about their future in the Kingdom of Galifar. After a few days of talk, the Patriarch of Kundarak led the leaders down beneath the holdfast to one of the ancient wards. "At long last, you have set aside your differences," he said. "Step forward, and open the gate to the kingdom below." As twelve dwarves touched the seal, it faded away, and the path to the past was revealed.

What lay below was a shock to all. While the clan lords battled on the surface of the mountain, the descendants of Mror had fought the Daelkyr in the depths -- and lost. There was no glorious kingdom of noble dwarves awaiting their return, only ruins and shadow, with terrible monsters lurking in the darkness. Ancient treasures remained in these desolate fortresses, and mines still dripped with all manner of ore. Slowly the dwarves reclaimed the ancient fortresses and the fortune hidden below.

Now that its ancient duty was discharged, clan Kundarak -- which had long possessed the Dragonmark of Warding -- was drawn into the greater community of dragonmark houses. With the aid of the Zil gnomes, the dwarves of House Kundarak established themselves as the foremost bankers of Khorvaire. Many of the other clans worked with Kundarak, selling their ores and jewels through the bank or serving as guards and enforcers.

Through all this, the dwarves remained citizens of the crown of Galifar. The dwarves were patient, and most placed great stock in their word and the honor of their ancestors; the clan lords of the past had sworn an oath to Galifar, and it was not the place of their children to break that vow. Even though Karrnath raised taxes, the wealth of the deep mines far outstripped this tribute. Many of the dwarf lords called for rebellion, but the clans could never come to an agreement, and no single clan wanted to act on its own.

Then came the Last War. The dwarves had sworn an oath to Galifar, but that kingdom no longer existed. Never again would the dwarves submit to the rule of a single king, not even a dwarf. They declared the birth of a new nation, a formal alliance of the clans that would one day rival the kingdom of old: The Mror Holds.

Natural Resources

The Ironroot Mountains have some of the richest mineral deposits in Khorvaire, and the dwarves of the Holds are the masters of that wealth. The mountains are also home to tribes of Jhorash’tar orcs, with which the dwarves have battled for centuries. The aggressiveness of the orcs extends to any civilized humanoids journeying within the Holds. All such travelers are presumed to be allies of the dwarves—and typically given no chance to prove otherwise.

Though the best veins of ore and gems within the Holds were long ago staked by the clans, tales persist of even greater deposits hidden in the remote mountains. The dwarves maintain that rumors of great wealth in the hidden parts of the Holds are just that—rumors. Impassable terrain, deadly weather, and the wrath of the orcs are the only rewards for explorers foolish enough to venture into the Ironroots’ uncharted depths and high passes.

The Jhorash'tar

These barbaric tribes of nomadic orcs were once found throughout the Holds. However, as the dwarven civilization expanded under Karrnathi rule, the Jhorash’tar were forced deeper and deeper into the wilderness. Today, the orcs of the Ironroot Mountains hate the Mror dwarves with an all-consuming passion, and they disrupt the commerce and life of the Holds at any opportunity.

Characters who encounter the Jhorash’tar while exploring the wilds of the Holds can expect no quarter or diplomacy. However, characters whose goals run counter to the will of the clans might seek an alliance with the orcs—but should tread carefully if they do.

Clan Feuds

The dwarven clans all have longstanding and complicated relationships, and clans that have been allies for hundreds of years might well have been bitter enemies for a thousand years before that. The clans of the modern-day Holds have no intention of slipping back into barbarism, however.

Nowadays, when clans or individual dwarves want revenge on their rivals, they typically hire outside help to keep their retribution at arm’s length. Adventurers who have a connection to the Mror Holds might be surreptitiously approached and asked to perform espionage, sabotage, or even murder in the name of settling old scores.

Fashion and Design

Humans often see the Mror dwarves as greedy and vain. The truth is more complicated. Most Mror dwarves appreciate fine workmanship in a way that few others can comprehend; the dwarves will literally fall in love with objects. Looking at a beautiful goblet, a dwarf sees the toast he will share with his wife (when he finds her). A Mror dwarf can tell stories about every valuable object he owns, either looking to the past he has shared with his treasure or the future he expects to have.

Beyond this, the Mror see personal appearance as far more than simple vanity. A dwarf's accoutrements reflect his wealth and thus, his power, but they also indicate his appreciation of beauty, his judgment, and his intelligence. A poorly dressed merchant has a hard time in business. If he cannot judge the worth of his own clothes, who will trust his merchandise? As a result, a Mror dwarf may spend more on his clothing, armor, jewelry, and weapons than on his home. The Mror are stoic and content to endure physical discomfort and hardship. Sleeping on stone is preferable to wearing drab clothing.

As a result of this, a troop of Mror soldiers are a colorful sight. Dwarven armor is typically coated with enamel or covered with complex engraving. Weapons are equally striking; in addition to colorful hafts and gilded blades, many are made in unusual designs personalized to the warrior. Jewelry is very important to the Mror and often carries special significance, indicating rank within a clan, military honor, or civic office. A Mror dwarf can recognize the significance of another dwarf's jewelry by making an Intelligence check (DC 5); any character can recognize the relevance of the jewels with a Knowledge (nobility) check (DC 20).

In contrast, Mror architecture is stark and functional. Possessing darkvision, dwarves have little need for windows, though most buildings are lit out of deference to gnome and human immigrants. The Mror dwarves derive pleasure from good company, fine food, strong drink, and physical activity. They rarely bother with soft cushions or similar comforts. A wealthy merchant is more likely to spend his profits on beautiful clothes or finely crafted weapons than on lush carpeting and feather comforters.

Ancient History

The Mror Holds are founded on iron and gold. The Ironroot Mountains hold vast deposits of precious metals and rare ore, and the dwarf lords have used these resources to create a mercantile empire that stretches across Khorvaire. But there is steel beneath the jewels and finery of a Mror dwarf -- the heart of a warrior whose ancestors engaged in constant battle for almost seven thousand years.

Much of the early history of the Mror dwarves is based on fragments passed down through oral tradition and scattered across the clans. It is generally accepted that the dwarves first appeared on Khorvaire approximately twelve thousand years ago, but beyond this, stories differ. Some tales say that the dwarves came from a land of ice and snow, which most modern scholars deem to be the Frostfell -- although to date, those few, brave souls who have explored this frigid land have found no evidence of a dwarven civilization. Others claim that the dwarves rose up from the earth itself, that Kol Korran and Onatar forged them from the stone of the mountains or that Eberron created them to battle the aberrations of Khyber. Every clan and every dwarf has his own opinion, and most are ready to fight with anyone who challenges it.

Regardless of their origin, it is clear that the dwarves were a mighty power long before the present day. Dhakaani dirges speak of battles with the "stonefolk of the mountains," and the Dhakaani were repelled from the Ironroot Mountains by a unified, disciplined dwarvish nation. Even today, scholars observe that Mror battle tactics are ideally suited to counter the traditional techniques used by the Dhakaani and their Darguul descendents.

The dwarves themselves have many tales from this age of glory, though it is difficult to separate fact from myth. Tales speak of Stone Kings and Dragon Keepers, of runesmiths forging mighty blades in the depths. This age came to an end in the reign of Lord Kordran Mror. A number of warriors and heroes had stirred up unrest in the deep realm, and Mror banished twelve of the leaders plus their followers to the surface of the mountains. The depths were sealed off with magical wards and a clan of wardens sent to the lands above to ensure that the seals remained until the others "proved themselves to be worthy of the kingdom below."

The dwarf lords took many steps to prove their worth. It is said that the great stone face of Lord Mror was produced at this time, though this is itself a point of some debate. Korranberg sages claim that the dwarves simply didn't have the skills to produce such an artifact, and argue that they must have sculpted down a larger image. For evidence, they point to obscure references to "the face of Eberron," and suggest that "Dragon Keeper" may have referred to a draconic monument dating back to the dawn of time.

In any case, when none of these efforts produced results, the banishe dwarves fell to fighting among themselve. The culture slowly devolved, and while the surface dwarves clung to the secrets of iron, they embraced the grim joy of battle. For thousands of years the clans fought one another, each seeking to prove its ultimate superiority and earn the keys to the kingdom of stone.

When humans first came to Khorvaire, they ignored the feuding clans of the Ironroot Mountains. The dwarves were too busy fighting one another to take an interest in the world beyond the mountains, and the ancient battles continued unabated until Karrn cast his eyes toward the region. The young prince guessed at the wealth that might be hidden in the mountains, and he wanted his share. With his father's permission, he led an army to subjugate the "mountain barbarians." Though (or perhaps because) they had been fighting for millennia, the dwarves were ill prepared to face an unfamiliar foe. Together the clans could have easily expelled the invader, but Karrn played on their feuds to divide and conquer the clans. Within a decade, the clan lords had bent the knee to the prince of Karrnath.

Having freed the goblins in his conquest of the Five Nations, King Galifar was not about to condone dwarvish slavery. Karrn was instructed to bring the King's Peace to this savage land. The dwarves were forced to stop their warring ways and encouraged to develop a new nation based on the model of Galifar, providing tribute to Karrnath and the old kingdom. The Karrns surveyed the mountains, but they could not pierce the ancient wards, and they drew their conclusions from the veins of ore they could reach.

Decades passed. Many dwarves abandoned their old ways and spread across Khorvaire. Those who remained in the mountains grumbled under the burden of tax and tribute, and slowly their discontent pushed them together.

Then came the summons. The dwarves of Kundarak were the keepers of the wards, and they called the lords of the twelve clans to their hold. In the halls of Korunda Gate the clan lords met in peace, discussed their plans for the nation, and expressed concern about their future in the Kingdom of Galifar. After a few days of talk, the Patriarch of Kundarak led the leaders down beneath the holdfast to one of the ancient wards. "At long last, you have set aside your differences," he said. "Step forward, and open the gate to the kingdom below." As twelve dwarves touched the seal, it faded away, and the path to the past was revealed.

What lay below was a shock to all. While the clan lords battled on the surface of the mountain, the descendants of Mror had fought the Daelkyr in the depths -- and lost. There was no glorious kingdom of noble dwarves awaiting their return, only ruins and shadow, with terrible monsters lurking in the darkness. Ancient treasures remained in these desolate fortresses, and mines still dripped with all manner of ore. Slowly the dwarves reclaimed the ancient fortresses and the fortune hidden below.

Now that its ancient duty was discharged, clan Kundarak -- which had long possessed the Dragonmark of Warding -- was drawn into the greater community of dragonmark houses. With the aid of the Zil gnomes, the dwarves of House Kundarak established themselves as the foremost bankers of Khorvaire. Many of the other clans worked with Kundarak, selling their ores and jewels through the bank or serving as guards and enforcers.

Gnomes of the Mror Holds

Source: Exploring Eberron

While humanity largely ignored the Mror until after the foundation of Galifar, Zil explorers came to the mountains well before Bal Dulor. The characters of the Zil and Mror complement each other; the Zil are fascinated with abstract knowledge and love keeping records and accounting, while the Mror prefer story and emotion to dull fact. Resultingly, Zil scribes quickly became a standard feature in clan courts.

As the Mror embraced banking and international business, this partnership grew. The Mror Holds and Zilargo are strong allies, and the alliance between House Kundarak and House Sivis is the strongest of the Twelve.


Source: Dragonshard

Many outsiders have trouble with the image of dwarf bankers; they see dwarves as warriors, not bean-counters. In fact, the dwarves have little interest in book-keeping. The dwarves have the gold. They take pride in their ability to protect their vaults. They know how to drive a hard bargain. But the paperwork? That's where the gnomes come in.

When Karrn brought order to the Ironroot Mountains, he paved the way for a massive gnomish immigration. The gnomes of Zilargo were inquisitive, diplomatic, and skilled miners in their own right. Karrn initially brought gnomes to the mountains to serve as translators, mediators, and advisors. The dwarves were more comfortable dealing with gnomes than with humans, because clan lords disliked looking up at the invaders. For their part, the gnomes saw a tremendous amount of potential in the mountains, and many of the gnomish families sent envoys east. These immigrants played a major role in shaping the mercantile culture of the emerging nation. Most clans have a close relationship with one or more of the gnomish clans. House Sivis and House Kundarak have very strong ties. Sivis gnomes uncovered the full potential of the Mark of Warding and helped Clan Kundarak find its place among the dragonmark houses, and Sivis notaries and stonesenders play a crucial role in the Kundarak banking guild. Most gnomes in the Mror Holds maintain ties with their families in Zilargo, but a few have broken ties with the homeland and fully embraced Mror culture.

Because the dwarves place great importance on personal appearance, the number of gnome tailors and estheticians in the Mror Holds is growing. Gnome prestidigitation experts excel at keeping colors fresh, and wealthy Mror pay good platinum for the latest gnome glamerweave designs.

Aftermath of the Last War

The Mror Holds declared independence during the Last War. Many nations depend on the resource of the Holds, and the Treaty of Thronehold affirmed its sovereignty.

To the casual observer, the Mror dwarves’ star appears to be rising. Their mines seem to offer limitless resources. Mror artificers make amazing strides as they study the relics of their ancestors. The dwarves are proud of their ancient past and optimistic about the future. Most Mror are generous and courageous, eager to show off their wealth and accomplishments.

Those who dig deeper realize that this prosperity is built on an unstable foundation. The Last War may be over, but the war against the daelkyr has barely begun. The clan lords hold their reclaimed halls in the Realm Below, but no one knows the full extent of the power of the daelkyr. A renewed assault could come at any time, whether it’s a force of monsters boiling up from below or a creeping madness that infects the weak-willed.

The dwarves are also divided by their attitude toward the aberrations. Some of the clans—notably Soldorak—embrace symbionts and other daelkyr gifts; some even experiment with flesh-warping techniques and create their own monsters. Others—notably Clan Mroranon—avoid contact with the aberrations. Such dwarves treasure the relics of their ancestors but despise those who use symbionts or form pacts with the darkness.

Long ago, the dwarves engaged in vicious feuds that kept them from uniting as a nation. This new divide could reignite those rivalries, leading to a civil war on the surface even as evil gains strength in the depths.

Mror Holds: Birthplace of an Abomination

Voice of Karrnath reporting -

It’s been exactly seventy years since the Iron Council declared the Mror Holds’ independence from Karrnath. King Kaius II was newly seated on the steel throne and lacked the resolve to bring the dwarf lords to heel. Now we see the harvest we have sown, and it is horrifying. Without the firm hand of Karrnath to keep them on a righteous path, the Mror dwarves have embraced foul powers.

Witness Lord Malus Soldorak, seen in Korth this week for trade negotiations. His breastplate was forged from chitin and muscle, and it seemed to pulse with its own heartbeat. A guard present at the event said that Soldorak’s axe moaned when the blade came close to him, as if the weapon hungered for human blood.

This is what springs from our mercy and forbearance. Who knows what horrors the dwarves are crafting — or breeding — in their mountain halls? We cannot stand by and let this vileness continue. For the good of our nation, we call on all true Karrns to demand that Regent Moranna unleash our full might on the Mror Holds and cleanse this horror!

Ironroot or Hoarfrost

Source: Exploring Eberron

The Mror Holds occupy the mountainous region that separates Karrnath from the Lhazaar Principalities. The Mror dwarves occupy this entire region, and they call it tra Mroreln, the Iron Roots. When humans first came to Khorvaire and settled the Lhazaar Principalities, they called the foreboding range to the west the Hoarfrost Mountains.

Today, the Mror and most others refer to the entire region as the Ironroot Mountains. However, the people of the Lhazaar Principalities still call them the Hoarfrost, and some people use this term to refer to the mountains east of Mirror Lake.

What Defines the Mror?

Source: Exploring Eberron

Dwarves aren’t human. In creating a Mror character, it can help to reflect on the ways dwarves differ from humans. Clan plays a significant role in Mror culture; especially in the wake of rediscovering the Realm Below, a Mroranon dwarf is quite different from a Soldorak dwarf. But there are a few common things that can be borne in mind for any Mror character.

Biology

While the dwarves of the Realm Below may have spent their entire lives below the surface, the Mror dwarves were born on the surface of the Ironroot Mountains. Mror dwarves appreciate sunlight and color, and their buildings typically have windows, but dwarves don’t need light. Absolute darkness impairs their darkvision, but this is merely inconvenient, not unbearable, and many mine tunnels and stretches of the Realm Below have no light sources.

Resulting from this, the circadian rhythms of dwarves are more flexible than those of humans. While it’s important to maintain a regular schedule, day and night have little meaning for the Mror. Mror communities are active at all hours, and major Mror businesses are continuously open. “Nightlife” isn’t a concept in Mror society, and entertainment can likewise be found at all hours, so traveling Mror are often frustrated by the limited opportunities in human communities.

The War Below

Characters from the Five Nations are shaped by the Last War, and similarly, Mror are shaped by Dol Udar, the War Below. Currently, this conflict is simmering, but there has been no victory and the threat remains. When the war was at its height, all Mror lived in daily fear of aberrant attacks and society’s resources were devoted to the war effort. The Mror Holds are smaller than the Five Nations, and the impact of the conflict was intense. All civilians engaged in combat drills in preparation for dolgrim assault, and everyone was expected to contribute to the war effort—repairing or producing arms and armor, maintaining fortifications, or fighting. For the Mror, this is the source of the Weapon Training and Tool Proficiency racial features. For example, if you are proficient in brewer’s tools, you may have been involved in creating supplies for the soldiers.

In creating a Mror character or NPC, consider how the war affected you and how this is reflected by your class and proficiencies. A few questions to consider . . .

  • Did you fight on the front lines, battling aberrations in the depths? If so, what’s the most terrifying thing you saw in the conflict? Are you scarred by your experiences, or does nothing scare you anymore?
  • If you didn’t fight in the Realm Below, did you serve on any civilian support brigades? Did you spend your childhood sharpening axes and repairing armor? Were you kept out of the conflict by family connections, or did you refuse to serve?
  • Who or what did you lose to the conflict? Did you have a stake in a colony or mine that had to be abandoned? Do you have a sibling or lover lost in the depths—and if so, are you sure that they’re dead, or could they be prisoners of Dyrrn?
  • Do you dream of delving deeper into the depths, or would you rather see the Realm Below sealed away forever?

Family First

The Mror Holds are a feudal society, comprised of holds, spires, and families. There are twelve active holds, each governed by a ruling clan, which gives its name to the hold— so Droranathhold is ruled by Clan Droranath. Each hold is then broken up into smaller territories known as spires, each ruled by a clan; there are ancient ties of kinship and marriage between clans and the ruling clan. Within a spire, families maintain tenant relationships with the local clan. Land is held by a clan or family, and most businesses are family businesses. Families are long established, and the creation of a new family is an extremely rare event.

The Mror engage with their history through stories, and clans and families are the characters in those stories. Typically, a Mror tale refers to heroes and villains solely by their family names. So in Mroranon and the Troll King, it doesn’t matter exactly when the story took place or which specific Mroranon it was; it’s a story about Mroranon. In one tale, he is a heroic youth, and in another, she is a battle-scarred veteran, and yet they’re depicted as the same Mroranon. And in both cases, all Mroranon dwarves should strive to live up to that example. Where the Tairnadal elves seek to emulate specific ancestors, Mror dwarves view their family as a greater whole. Your family is a direct extension of your identity; it’s only natural that you’d help a family member in need, and betraying a family member is like stabbing yourself in the hand. This drives feuds and alliances; if you’re wronged by a Hronnath dwarf, the blame lies with Clan Hronnath, not simply the individual. To draw another comparison to the elves, the Aereni preserve their ancestors as deathless undead. In contrast, the Mror don’t feel that need to preserve individuals; you preserve your family by living up to its character and by adding to its story. The Mror also aren’t as particular about precisely following the traditions of ancestors, as shown by the clans that are embracing symbionts; what you do is less important than how you do it, the values you stand for, and the lines you refuse to cross.

This doesn’t mean that Mror don’t take personal responsibility for their actions or feel pride in their personal deeds. The deeds of living dwarves are generally acknowledged by name, but when they take their place in history, their names are unlikely to be remembered. Instead, every dwarf hopes that their grand deeds will be added to the trove of stories told of their family—and that they won’t shame their family with the memories of their misdeeds.

In creating a Mror character or NPC, consider your family. Are you part of a clan or ruling clan? If so, are you close enough to power to take the noble background, or are you a lesser heir? Are you from a tenant family, and if so, what is your family’s business? Even more crucial, what is your family’s character? When people tell stories about your family, what are the virtues they highlight? Are there any particular things your family is known for, any celebrated deeds you might emulate, or anything a member of your family should never do? Some families have specific taboos; a Tronnan must never break their word, while a Holladon never turns away a guest. Does your family have any such traditions?

Also consider how your family was affected by the Dol Udar. Did they invest deeply in the depths, only to suffer grievous losses when the horrors rose? Did they fight on the front lines, or largely remain above? Do they have a family treasure recovered from the Realm Below—a legendary item or artifact you might someday have the honor to wield? Are they willing to embrace symbionts, or are they disgusted by the tools of the daelkyr?

Finally, what is your standing with your family? If it’s good, consider why you left the Mror Holds; chapter 1 of Eberron: Rising from the Last War includes a table with suggestions for this. If your standing is bad, what happened? Is it a situation you hope to fix, or have you turned your back on your family? As a player, talk to your DM about the role your family might play in a campaign; do you want to have cousins showing up in need of assistance or to be drawn into new feuds, or would you rather your family remain in your backstory?

Long Life and Treasured Stories

The Mror attitude toward family is one example of how they deal with their long lives. A dwarf can live to be up to 350 years old; intellectually, they mature at about the same rate as humans, but they generally aren’t considered to be full adults until around 50 years of age. This ties to the fact that dwarves have a low fertility rate and their reproductive peak is between 50 and 120. While under 50, a Mror dwarf is usually learning the family trade and working directly for their parents, uncles, or aunts; at 50 and above, a dwarf starts thinking about starting their own branch of the family tree and the family trade.

In stark contrast to the elves of Aerenal, the Mror dwarves deal with their long lives by largely ignoring the passage of time: they intentionally don’t record every detail or remember every person, instead simply holding on to the best moments and ideas. To them, the story matters more than the concrete facts. Individuals come and go, but the family remains, and the story continues. And the Mror deeply love stories. Like the dar, they prefer stories to be based on fact as opposed to being absolute fiction—but to the Mror, a story should always be entertaining, and as long as the spirit is true, it’s fine to exaggerate the details. So while the talespinner bard serves as a keeper of history, their role as entertainers is as important— if not more so—than their role as sage.

Mror dwarves can be seen as boastful by outsiders, quick to share tales of their exploits. However, they don’t seek to dominate every conversation with their tales, but expect others to share their stories as well—and if others don’t, Mror are quick to boast about the deeds of their companions. Anyone who spends much time around Mror quickly grows used to the phrase Tol kollan—or the Common translation, “That reminds me of a story.” Mror hate quick meetings; any gathering should have time for tales. In playing a Mror character, you might come up with a few stories you love, as well as taking joy in dramatically retelling the story of your adventures—the deeds of both you and your fellow adventurers—celebrating and highlighting your finest moments.

Grand Gifts and Storied Treasures

The Mror are known for their love of objects—their love of treasure. In part, this ties to a deep appreciation of quality work. The dwarves appreciate beautiful things, but durability and functionality are far more important—as shown by the willingness of many dwarves to embrace grotesque symbionts. However, the dwarves are not greedy hoarders; while there are certain families known for their thrift, generosity is an important virtue to the Mror. As much as they value their treasures, there’s joy in giving the perfect gift—showing that you can afford to give away a treasure, and that you recognize someone who will appreciate it and make good use of it. A common tradition at a grand feast is for each of the greatest heroes present—typically, the scions of ruling clans—to offer a gift to the host along with a tale of how they came by the gift; the one who gives the finest gift is served first at the feast.

While you may not have many feasts, consider this tradition when you have time and opportunity. Is there a chance to give a comrade a perfect gift? Is there a treasure you possess that might be better suited to one of your companions?

The Mror are deeply interested in objects with stories of their own. Every family has their own family treasures. Sometimes these are the most powerful magic items the dwarves have acquired, notably the case with artifacts and legendary items that have been recovered from the Realm Below over the last century; part of the pride of the ruling clans is derived from the treasures they can boast of. But a family treasure can also be a mundane item that has been a part of many epic stories. As noted earlier, no one cares which specific Mroranon heir was the hero of Mroranon and the Troll King. But if the house still has the bracer that hero made from the troll king’s nose ring, carrying this relic is a tremendous source of pride. As a Mror adventurer, when you find treasures, you want to know the stories they already carrying—who forged this flame tongue shortsword and what battles has it seen? Also consider the items you possess that you feel a strong attachment to—how are their stories evolving along with yours?

Fashion

Clothes tell a story, and Mror dwarves love to tell tales with them—of clan and family, faith, and personality. As with most Mror possessions, the quality of clothing comes first. Because of this, dwarves from lesser families may only have a single set of clothing, but these are durable and well made. Though their basic outfits may be few, Mror place great stock in accessories, and a Mror outfit typically has elements that can be reversed, shifted, or removed. Brooches have important cultural significance, and can depict family crests, the seal of the ruling clan, the symbol of a Sovereign whose favor is sought, or even moods; some brooches mean “leave me alone” or “looking for company.” Other forms of jewelry—rings, chains, bracelets— are commonly worn by dwarves of both genders; this is an opportunity to show wealth, but decorative ornaments of iron are also worn by common folk. The dultar—blood blade—is a dagger worn both as a utilitarian tool and as a statement of allegiance; each of the ruling clans has a distinct style of dultar. Any Mror dwarf can immediately identify another dwarf’s clan from their dultar; for an outsider to recognize one, it requires a successful DC 13 Intelligence (History) check.

Many Mror clans favor a martial aspect to their attire, especially in the wake of Dol Udar. However, not everyone wants to wear heavy steel all day, and the Mror generally use light alloys and thin layers of metal to craft their armor. Many Mror wear decorative armor that uses the statistics of light armor, but evokes the general flavor of a heavier breastplate— though anyone proficient in medium or heavy armor immediately recognizes the decorative nature of it.

Facial hair is common among the Mror, but styles vary by clan and family. Some families prefer neatly trimmed beards. Many clans weave beads into beards, with the design of the bead invoking the favor of a Sovereign or honoring a clan. Hair dye is often used as a form of personal expression.

Clans that have embraced the use of symbionts—notably Soldorak, Toranath, and Narathun—have developed many exotic fashions over the last century. For such dwarves, wearing symbiont clothing or accessories is a sign of courage and power, much as a hunter might wear the hides of animals they’ve defeated. Living clothing typically has a texture similar to leather, though chitin plating or hornlike protrusions are possible. Patterns or colors may shift to reflect the mood of the wearer, and a living cloak may ripple or billow of its own accord. Living clothing is self-cleaning and mending, and feeds on the excretions (primarily sweat) of the host. Narathun currently has the finest artisan-breeders working with living clothing, and styles are constantly evolving.

Cuisine

Mror dwarves have exceptional constitutions and are resistant to poison, and thanks to these traits, they enjoy cuisine that others might avoid. The dwarves live in high mountains and subterranean settlements; while some of their meats and vegetables are familiar to the people of the Five Nations, they also use a wide variety of mushrooms and moss. Red pudding is a form of peaceful ooze raised as livestock and used in a variety of dishes. Mror stew can sicken creatures with more delicate stomachs, but it’s entirely harmless to any creature resistant to poison damage, and many stout halflings of the Talenta Plains enjoy Mror cuisine.

Alcohol is also a form of poison, and Mror spirits have to be exceptionally strong for sturdy dwarves to enjoy their mindaltering properties. Mror brewers often use mushrooms to produce alcohol, and also produce mushroom-based beverages with light hallucinogenic effects. The drinks of the Five Nations are extremely weak by Mror standards, and some consider the ability to brew personal supplies to be a basic survival tool when traveling in foreign lands. And when outsiders visit the Mror, their hosts are careful to keep these travelers from buying drinks that could kill them.

Religion

Mror talespinners maintain that the dwarves are the original chosen people of the Sovereigns, especially Kol Korran and Onatar. It’s a curious coincidence that kol is the Dwarvish word for “commerce,” while dol means “war,” and the talespinners say the Traveler stole the names of the Sovereigns from the dwarves during the Exile. The priests of Krona Peak say that Kol Korran came to the hero Mroranon and promised the dwarves wealth if they remembered his name and followed his path, while the talespinners of Doldarunhold swear that the hero Doldarun was the son of Dol Dorn and Dol Arrah. The records of the Library of Korranberg show that Zil missionaries were active in the Ironroots in the centuries before Bal Dulor, and some sages assert that these tales may have been the work of clever missionaries. Whatever the truth, the Mror already had shrines to the Sovereigns when young Karrn led his forces to conquer the holds.

While the Mror broadly acknowledge all of the Sovereigns, Kol Korran and Onatar are the most beloved; Boldrei and Olladra are also often invoked. Clan Doldarun, Mroranon, and Soranath are especially devout, while Droranath, Soldorak, and Toldorath are the most pragmatic. The Blood of Vol and the Dark Six have small followings in Narathun.

Mror Families and Dragonmarked Houses

Source: Exploring Eberron

Most Mror businesses are family businesses passed down over generations. However, families can and do adapt to deal with changing circumstances. In particular, the arrival of the dragonmarked houses forced many families to change their paths or to find a way to work with the houses. The Jolnar family of Toldrathhold had been healers for generations, but they couldn’t match the healing capabilities of House Jorasco. Over time, the Jolnar shifted their focus to cultivating medicinal herbs and other supplies needed by Jorasco. They are still devoted to the health of others, but they’ve found a way to work with Jorasco instead of directly challenging it.

In short, Mror families are more flexible than the Tairnadal or Aereni. They are willing to change their specific traditions or techniques to adapt to changing times; what matters is remaining true to the core values of the family