Elder Vorin

Elder Vorin was not merely a dwarf; he was the embodiment of dwarven tradition, the unwavering voice of the Deep-Delvers during the tumultuous years leading up to The Schism of Stone and Sky. Born into the Stonebeard clan, Vorin inherited a deep reverence for the ancient ways, a belief that the surface world was a dangerous distraction from the true purpose of the dwarves: to delve deeper into the earth, to uncover its secrets, and to safeguard its treasures. He saw the rising influence of the Sky-Seers as a dangerous perversion of dwarven values, a betrayal of their ancestors. Where they sought to embrace the open sky, Vorin clung to the solid earth, believing that true strength lay in the depths. He was a staunch traditionalist, in the style of the Silent Monks of Durin's Peak.

His rhetoric was sharp and uncompromising, and his followers were legion, drawn from the most conservative elements of dwarven society. He saw the Dwarven Abbey as a nest of radicals, its scholars like Archivist Theron dabbling in dangerous magic and questioning the sacred traditions passed down through generations. His suspicion extended even to the Truthseekers, whose pronouncements he deemed increasingly unreliable, tainted by surface influences. His concerns echoed that the Gnomish Tinkers and their devices would hasten the end of dwarven society. He believed in keeping the knowledge of Resonance Weaving under strict control, fearing that its misuse could lead to another Great Sundering. He distrusted the Crimson Cartographers, believing that their maps led to forgotten and dangerous places, like the Obsidian Labyrinth. Vorin’s writings became the central philosophy to those who settled in the Caverns of the Reforged.

He was one of the driving forces of The Schism of Stone and Sky, his unwavering belief in the dwarven past leading him down a dark path toward conflict. Some believe that Vorin’s actions were driven by a genuine desire to protect his people, while others see him as a power-hungry tyrant, blinded by his own ideology. Whatever the truth, his legacy is forever intertwined with the tragedy of the Schism, his name whispered in hushed tones as a symbol of division and loss, but also of unwavering conviction. Perhaps if Vorin had listened to the warnings of the Forgotten Smith, the conflict could have been avoided. Did he know anything about the Chitinous Swarm? Was he aware of the secrets held within the Vault of Whispers? Even after his death, his words live on in some hidden and forbidden texts. Was his tomb raided by the Cobalt Corsairs?