Chapter of Woe
The "Chapter of Woe" is not a single volume, but a collection of fragmented scrolls, and stone tablets within the Dwarven Abbey, each bearing witness to a specific tragedy or period of intense suffering. Unlike the historical accounts of Elder Borin's Chronicles, these chapters delve into the emotional fallout of significant events, focusing on individual experiences of loss, despair, and regret. Each is a dirge sung in stone and vellum. Some recount the horrors of The Great Sundering, not from a strategic perspective, but through the eyes of a miner trapped in a collapsing tunnel or a family fleeing the Lost City of Umbral. Others detail the slow descent into madness of dwarves exposed to the Null Fields, or the anguish of those who lost loved ones to the Chitinous Swarm.
Archivist Theron meticulously collects these accounts, believing they offer a vital counterbalance to the more objective historical records. He argues that understanding the emotional impact of events is crucial to preventing future tragedies. However, the Keepers of the Cog view his work with suspicion, fearing that dwelling on past sorrows will only weaken the dwarven spirit. The collection contains many works from the Truthseekers, detailing the horrors they have foreseen. The location of the chapters is hidden, perhaps guarded by Stone Golems of Karak-Ungol.
One particularly disturbing chapter tells the story of the Forgotten Smith, driven to despair by his inability to prevent the Sundering, taking refuge in the Umbral Anvil, and his self-imposed exile. Another details the fate of the Lost Pilgrims who disappeared while searching for a cure to the void sickness. The Silent Monks of Durin's Peak offer a grim acceptance of the events, believing the sorrows are a test to purify one's soul. One recent addition details the anguish after the Cobalt Corsairs raided Elder Vorin's tomb. The Crimson Cartographers even add their own maps and stories of despair, perhaps detailing how to prevent such tragedies from occurring again, and where the Veins of Whispers are located. Perhaps there is a new tale to be written about the tragedies of Valia, the Empty. Perhaps Aethelgard also felt this sense of woe, before the creation of the Sunstone of Aethelgard. These events also caused the rise of the Herald of Emptiness. The texts warn about The Gaze of the Deep.
It may even hold insight on how to enter the Warped Gates safely. Despite the darkness they contain, the Chapters of Woe serve as a reminder of our shared humanity, a testament to the enduring power of the dwarven spirit to persevere in the face of unimaginable suffering. The book detailing the stories is called the Book of Sorrows. The only light found within these tales may be the Runes of Lumina.