Golloch Empire
The most powerful of the dwarf empires in Kings of War, the Golloch Empire is represented by their "dwarf armies" list. Like dwarfs in most settings, they are known for their craftsmanship, their stubbornness, their love of strong drink, and their mastery of legal contracts. They were one of the first two races created for the game, appearing in the original two player starter set.
Fun fact: many of the names of places and people in the Golloch Empire are inspired by the Welsh language (a nation known for it's long history of mining). The name 'Golloch' is a Welsh word which translates as "you lost".
Background
The dwarfs of Mantica are said to have been created from the tears of the goddess of the underworld. It is said that she couldn't bear the thought that she would live forever without children of her own. As her tears fell on the stones of the underworld, they animated these rocks and begat the dwarven race. The dwarves are said to reflect this creation in character; they are as strong and enduring as stone and as passionate as the goddess who created them.
Like the other races, the dwarfs lived in unity until the God War. With the outbreak of that war, dwarven kind split into three major camps. The Abyssal Dwarfs in the northern lands of Tragar aligned with the Wicked Ones and the orcs. The southern dwarfs of Abercarr remained unified, but did not align openly with the Shining Ones. Between the two lay the Free Dwarf Lands, a collection of independent dwarven city-states.
At the end of the God War, the dwarfs of Abercarr went underground, shunning the surface world. There they remained until the rise of Basilea. As peace slowly returned to the land with the defeat of Winter, the dwarfs of Abercarr began to appear in the Golden Horn. These dwarfs revealed that Golloch, son of Grund, still ruled the dwarfs. He had renamed his country the Golloch Empire and ruled from the great hold of Caeryn Golloch. He also ruled over many other holds, having seized them by carving vast tunnels beneath their feet through the stone during the previous centuries.
Basilea lies just west of the ancient dwarf capital of Diffeth. Both humans and dwarfs are forbidden from entering this ancient hold, but Golloch claims the human nation lies too close to his ancestor's resting place. Perhaps more importantly, Basilea sits astride the only land bridge connecting east and west, making it a lucrative trade hub. In the centuries since the end of the Winter War, Golloch's armies have laid siege to the Golden Horn twice, but have been driven off with the aid of the Shining Ones both times.
South and east of Abercarr lies the nation of Ophidia. Few outside the Golloch Empire know of this nation aside from their role in the creation of necromancy. To the north remain the Free Dwarf Lands, coveted by Golloch just as Basilea is. These dwarfs remained on the surface throughout the ages, often facing atrocity at the hands of the orcs and their abyssal cousins. Although they value their independence, with the recent death of Thorrick Rockfist at the hands of Mhorgoth the Faceless they have been forced to align with the Golloch Empire. The Heavyhand Clan acts as intermediary between these peoples and peace remains between the two for now...
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