Meric the Storyman: Rega and the Dragonstones
Chapter 8: Cromwell

The dwarven city of Cromwell was ancient and splendorous. Dwarves have lived there ever since they were first placed on the planet. Granite, marble, silver and gold, all become works of art at the hands of these hardy people.

Legends are told of the first dwarves placed on the island. With nothing readily available for shelter, they searched and found a series of caves. These caves were to be the start of the city.

Tools were fashioned to dig into the caves. Separate rooms were carved out of the rock. Some of these rooms became personal dwellings, others became common areas.

Food was plentiful. Wild game and fish was the main diet of the dwarves.

As the caves grew, the dwarves discovered the silver and gold deposits. They learned how to mine and smelt the metals. They also found deposits of shiny, sparkling, red stones. Occasionally, smaller deposits of blue stones would be found. Dwarven craftsmen combined these stones with some of the creations of silver and gold. This practice is still going on.

It was at about this time when a strange creature appeared to the dwarves. It was a large silver-toned, reptile-like creature with large wings, a long serpentine neck and had four legs ending with sharp claws. Amazingly, it spoke their language. It called itself a dragon.

The silver dragon’s name was Wassla. He came to offer his friendship. The dwarven leader, Rougl, came forth to speak.

Up until now, the dwarves had never known any other intelligent life. This was new and exciting. Rougl eagerly accepted the offer. Once the pledge of friendship was given, two more silver dragons came from the sky. They carefully set down many different fruits and nuts and then departed.

Wassla explained that these were things which could be eaten. They had come from places far from here. Rougl reached down and took a bite from a peach. Juice dribbled down his bearded chin, but he did not mind. Never before had he tasted anything so good. He was pleased with these gifts.

A gift was brought to Wassla in return. A handful of the shiny red and blue stones were brought out. Rougl explained that he did not know what they were, but his people liked how they looked. The dragon, with a glint in his eyes, told Rougl that they were called rubies and sapphires. He explained that they were very valuable stones.

Wassla departed with the rubies and sapphires. He said he would return with more fruit later. He did, many times. Eventually, Wassla decided it was time to let Rougl know about the Council of Dragonlair.

He landed one day with a harness attached to his back. After explaining to Rougl about how it worked, he convinced the dwarven leader to take a quick ride. Rougl loved it from the start. After landing, Wassla described the Council and its members. He also told him about the battle against evil.

Rougl, not being a person who feared much, agreed to attend one of the meetings. So, three days later, he was strapped to Wassla’s back again, but this time he was on his way to the Council.

This was the first time that a dwarf had left the island. Below were sights unimagined. They would have to be investigated. For now, however, he would enjoy the ride.

It took over a day to get to the meeting point. Wassla introduced him to a gold dragon, a bronze dragon, a copper dragon and a brass dragon. He also met two other humanoids. One had been introduced as the Elven King. The other one, smaller than Rougl, was called a gnome.

Much was discussed. Wassla translated for Rougl. The dwarven leader also learned that there were other types of dragons around. They were color-hued, like red, green, black, white and blue. These ones were all evil-natured.

Plans were made, and Rougl was given a stern warning. Once word spread about the rubies and sapphires being mined at Cromwell, he would have to be careful. He was told to be especially careful of the red and white dragons. They would be the ones most likely to be seen. The meeting then finished.

On the return trip home, Wassla invited Rougl back to the next meeting. The dwarven leader accepted. Upon returning home, Rougl presented the silver dragon with another gift. It was a ruby the size of a peach. Wassla thanked him and left.

Rougl became a regular member of the Council. He took on a more formal title of the Dwarven King.

His people were taught how to build seagoing vessels. There was a vast land to explore. Elves, halflings and even the race of gnomes were encountered. Silver and rubies were traded for other supplies and knowledge.

The dwarves generally disliked the magic used by the elves and some of the good dragons. If it wasn’t crafted by the hands, it wasn’t worth the effort. There were very few dwarves capable of performing magical spells.

True to the Council’s warning, the stories about their rubies and silver spread. Sure enough, these stories were checked out. The dwarves finally encountered orcs, goblins and even the evil dragons. Fortunately, their caves were designed for protection against the harsh winters. It also proved to be effective against enemy attacks.

Some dwarves left on adventures and never returned. These were groups who traveled to other lands. Other dwarven cities were established in these lands. All of the cities had one thing in common. They were all built from a series of caves.

Cromwell continued to grow. The other races began to visit the island. A clearing was made, allowing room for larger docks, a multitude of shops, and a large battling coliseum. This was used for the dwarven guards. A guard force had to be established to help protect the city from attacks.

Then one year, many kings after Rougl, they met a new race called humans. The non-Cromwell dwarves had reported about this race, but the Cromwell dwarves had never before seen them. They were larger than the elves, and uglier.

Like the elves, dwarves tended to have a long life, unless they happened to fall down a mine shaft or something. The humans, on the other hand, only lived about a third as long. Since they have such a long life, a dwarven childbirth was a special event.

A death was also a special event. The deceased was honored in a ceremony held in the coliseum. The deeds accomplished during his or her living years were told to the audience. Afterwards, much drinking and celebration took place.

The death of a Dwarven King was even a larger event. It brought in many people not from the island. After every great deed accomplished by the King, the crowd would break into cheers. Once his entire life was brought out to celebrate, the crowning of a new King would take place. The party that followed would usually last for several days.

Then came the Day of Departure. The war against evil had been going well. Humans had spread all over the main land. The good dragons felt that for their own safety, it was time to go into a kind of hiding.

The current silver dragon Council member came one day, explaining the situation to the current dwarven King. As a parting gift, he then presented the King with a ruby about the size of a peach. The dragon then departed.

The King had the ruby mounted in his crown, honoring the friendship of the silver dragons. Now, ten kings later, it remains in the crown. The current King is unaware about the powers locked away in the ruby. The ruby, once presented to Wassla from the dwarf Rougl, and then later given back to the dwarves, is one of the five Dragonstones.

The current-day kingdom city of Cromwell is one of the more interesting cities on the planet Dacarn. Being carved out of the mountain that makes up the island, it is impressive. The walls of the city are carved into a part of the mountain that is more plateau-like than mountainous. They rise to a height of up to 400 feet in some places and have been polished smooth throughout the years. This helps prevent attackers from gaining any foothold.

This is a mining city. Silver is the main item mined, although gold, rubies and even some sapphires are found here as well. The city has three large mines in operation, each with its own smelt. These mines can be worked around the clock.

The city has two ports of entry. The main one is used for import and export as well as for visitors. The smaller port to the west is used to dock the King’s warships.

Upon entering the port, one sees a large silver dragon statue. Closer inspection reveals that the statue appears to be made of pure silver. Looking further into the city you can see many buildings lining the city walls. These buildings are crafted of the same stone as the island. In the center court, there are more stone buildings. The only place that stands out in the court area is the open market. It is not stone, but actually a large tent. It is here the main population of dwarves buys their food.

At the innermost part of the carved-out city, lie the church, the coliseum and the King’s Castle. Over two-thirds of the castle is actually built inside the mountain.

The homes of the dwarven population are all inside of the mountain. An intricate network of roadways exists on the island, allowing them to go from their homes to either the mines or the open city area. Checkpoints are strategically placed throughout these roadways to prevent unauthorized people from going to the restricted areas.

Also, deep inside is the Tomb of the Old Kings. From Rougl on up, all the Kings are placed there upon their death. For those who wish, this is open to public visit.

On top of this section of the mountain, there is fertile soil. Eventually, the dwarves learned how to grow some of their own crops. This area was perfect for that. There are only two ways the farmers can get to the top. Checkpoints set up near the homes have stairways that lead to the top. Guards are always posted at these checkpoints.

In all, Cromwell is well fortified. The last attack made by the ogres and orcs twenty years earlier ended soon after it started. For the most part, the majority of the attacking army went after Striplind. There were some that did bypass that area and took crude boats to get to the island city. Of those that made it to the island, only a few of the ogres survived and all of the orcs perished. The only dwarven causality came in the first few minutes of the attack.