In the early years of the second century, the Dwarf Domain, under it's new King Morgrim, changed fundamentally in character. Whereas the old King Undin had claimed lordship over the entire realm, his son quickly won over grey beards by claiming rule of Karak Brynaz alone. Karak Debaz and Kazad Varr were declared one city, a reality obvious to most. Renamed Karak-a-Varr, it's crown was handed to the High Admiral Thorgir. A hold was swiftly raised in the far north, in the land won in Undin's final conquests. Named Karak Grimnil, rule was given over to the old King's standard bearer Arrec Goldtooth.
With the old political opponents to the south appeased, and the north held by a true warrior, Morgrim began to encourage his own hold of Karak Brynaz to grow as a cultural and mercantile hub.
To the north Arrec, an old militaristic soul, looked about for enemies. The humans of the HSE made for interesting diplomatic opponents initially, until Orcs and goblins were found in greater and greater numbers. In a year long campaign Arrec personally led attack after attack, smashing villages, burning dung-monuments and slaughtering every greenskin that could be found. Eventually a horde of grobi coalesced under one war leader and the two armies clashed. In a bloody battle, both sides lost warriors of all calibres. The brutal orc elites smashed Dawi formations with apparent ease, yet the rest of the greenskin horde faired less well, and soon the blood slicked remnants of the black orcs found themselves alone on the field, surrounded by angry dwarfs. With many an angry curse spat over his shoulder, the orc warboss left the battlefield, promising to return with more "crumpier boys".
Returning from his genocidal campaign, Arrec found not peace, but fear. In his absence, increasingly more and more dwarfs had disappeared from mines and farms in the west. Talk of ghost, and blood coated man-things intermingled with tales of the dead walking. Little proof was to be found and Arrec sent ambassadors to his westerly neighbours, Aquila. The dwarves had believed them to be harmless, under-developed men. When some returned with tales of widespread slavery and sickening hedonism he became worried. When others did not return at all, he became enraged. Armies were gathered, aid called for from the other holds, and preparations were made.
Meanwhile at sea, the expanded fleet of the new Admiral Snorri Saltbeard, was led out to successful defence of dwarf waters time and again. Led by the Flagship "Wrath of Grimnir", coupled with the battleship "Undin's Vengeance", the dwarf fleet moved against an elven privateer fleet attempting to cross dangerously close to the dwarf port city. Both sides were mauled, but the dwarfs emerged from the smoky waters as victors, their huge lead ships still floating. Later in the same year, a human force had the audacity to approach the dwarven port, in their midst nothing other than a ship clearly powered by stolen dwarf engineering! This insult could not go unpunished and all available ships (and dirigibles) were ordered into the open seas. Early in the battle the dwarfs were dealt a mortifying blow as their admiral boldly advanced ahead of the fleet, only to be boarded by marines of great skill and captured. Soon though, true dwarf technology prevailed. HSE ships fell one after another, until only the human flagship faced the tattered remains of the dwarf fleet, led by "Undin's Vengeance". With a deafening crash and fire ball that left all the dwarf mariners blind for hours, the flagship exploded to a lucky shot from the ironclad battleship. Tired and blinded, yet satisfied, the dwarfs returned to port. Luckily the admiral was found floating in the wreckage; soggy, disgruntled, yet safe. Human ambassadors would later claim no knowledge of the source of this fleet.
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