In Nybelmar there exists a famous Thergerim legend. It tells us that before the War of the Chosen there was a great mine under the Zharkanions called Kormor Toltrumerim (Kormor Toltrumerim, lit. "Great Mine of the Toltrumerim"), but when Menemronn crushed the Toltrumerim in their caves the clan was wiped out along with their mines.

But among the Nybelmargerim the legend also says that the greatest of all Toltrumerim mines still remains unharmed and unpopulated under the mountains and when it is rediscovered the dwarves will once again be one of the greatest powers of Nybelmar. On the AleronsZeRotrumEol or the Runes of the Eastern Mountain the history of the Deep Dwarves are told.

Pre-History. Since the beginning the Deep Dwarves lived beneath Nybelmar deep under the Zharkanions.

Other dwarves came to Nybelmar in the Age of Silence. By then they were travelling south in great numbers, fleeing from an evil in the north. Four brothers lead them on their travels. Their names were Keriloin, Mortiloin, Heriloin and Gakeloin, all great leaders and warriors.

When reaching the northern parts of the Zharkanions they met the Deep Dwarves. This was when the trouble started. After a dispute a fight broke out among the brothers about what to do next. Keriloin and Heriloin wanted to create a new great kingdom high up in the mountains were no one could touch them while Mortiloin and Gakeloin wanted to join the dwarves deep in the mountain. In the end the whole group of dwarves was split up by the dispute. They started fighting dwarf against dwarf and the fight didn’t end until two of the brothers died fighting each other.

Mortiloin, the older of the two, and Keriloin, the younger, decided to split up the group and search for fortune on separate ways. As Mortiloin and his friends were welcomed with open arms by the Deep Dwarves, Keriloin took the rest and started walking southwest. They climbed the mountain until they found three high mountains.

The dwarves that lived under the mountains called themselves Toltrumerim, or Under-Rock Dwarves, but in the legends of the other races they became known as the Deep Dwarves. They had found that the Zharkanoins were rich of gold and silver and the stone easy to cut. In the deepest mines they also found mithril and the mine began to flourish. Hall by hall and tunnel by tunnel the system was extended, with much help from the newcomers. More dwarves came from the north and the numbers of both groups grew.

Mortiloin was appointed Garkavon of the Deep Dwarves. He was considered a brave and smart leader by both the Toltrumerim and the newcomers. When the Gornegron died, Mortiloin was chosen to be the next Gornegron.

Keriloin and his Kiingerim, the High Dwarves, created the great dwarven kingdom he dreamt of in a valley they called Heriloin-valley after the dead brother. There, they found many gems and precious stones.

Under the roots of the mountain the Deep Dwarves became richer by the day and started to build colonies in both north and south. Just before his death Mortiloin named the mine Kormor Toltrumerim, "The Great Mine of the Deep Dwarves". The mine was the centre of the cave system.

A generation after his death the tribe had a town in the northeast called Tyr Bruk and a mine in the south called Mor MithtenThuuth. The colonies were connected with giant tunnels that stretched under ground stral after stral. On the way taverns and inns were built so that one could travel in relative comfort. Enormous light shafts and thousands of torches lit up the tunnel just so much as the dwarves like it.

At Tyr Bruk a giant gap inside the first hall worked as protection and the rest of the town could only be reached by a bridge from which the town got its name.

The town was used as trading place with other races and it was the only known place where one could meet Deep Dwarves. The trading however was conducted on the outside of the mountain.

The Gornegron of Kormor Toltrumerim was more powerful than most Gornegrons of his era. He ruled the underground realm like a human king and took little advice from his Gorkavons. Despite this, the Gornegrons were usually well-liked by the Toltrumerim and no revolt ever took place.

The Gorkavons in their turn ruled the colonies like little kings, or human dukes. Because of the long distances involved, the colonies were hard to monitor for the Gornegron. Senders were used to communicate with the other mines, but the local Gorkavon's desires were generally in effect for each colony.

Mines of the Toltrumerim. Before the War of the Chosen there existed the following mines of the Deep Dwarves, the Toltrumerim:

- Kormor Toltrumerim ("Great Mine of the Deep Dwarves")
This was said to be the greatest mining town in the whole of Caelereth. Above the huge mines and forges, gigantic halls were carved out of the living rock. The Hall of Motilolin, one of these stunning artificial caverns, is described in the AleronsZeRotrumEol like this:

The rest of Kormor Toltrumerim was just as impressive. The extent of the mine was unmatched, and the tunnels went deeper and longer than any other tunnels had gone before. The stone carvings were not as impressive as the ones in the Kiingerim cities, but no human or elf could ever dream of matching such craftsmanship.

- Mor Mithuth ("Mine of Iron-Fire")
The Mor MithtenThuuth was a mine rich with iron ore, and possessed the grandest forges in the realm. From Mor MithtenThuuth ore and iron bars and even fine metal art came all day long. The mine was only occupied by the miners and no military were present as there was only one way out - through the tunnels to Kormor Toltrumerim.

- Tyr Bruk ("Town of the Bridge")
This town was the contact to the outer world for the Deep Dwarves and the only settlement known to other races. For all that humans knew, the Deep Dwarves were just a few dwarves living in the northern parts of the Zharkanions. One would think that they might have estimated more accurately, with all the merchandise coming out of the mountain.

The dwarves had a market set up about 70 strals southwest of where Fullwannooth now lies. That is also close to RotrumEol, the place of runes. The opening to the town, however, was always kept as a secret. To meet with Toltrumerim the trader stopped at a certain place and waited until someone from the town came out to meet him. Humans assumed, correctly, that the dwarves had scouts who monitored the place day and night.
There was a great bridge inside the mountains and it was guarded day and night. At Tyr Bruk the military presence was at its greatest strength, as this was the main way in and out of the realm.

- Mor Dishuniolin ("Incomplete Mine")
This mine was named after the War of the Chosen. The final verse, given below, does not seem to have been written by the same person who wrote the first nine. The runes are badly carved and only the magic protecting the whole stone has kept them in good condition. The tenth verse speaks of a newly-built mine that was very rich with gems and gold, but also claims that it was destroyed before it was finished. The dwarf who carved the last verse could very well have been from that mine.The mine is said to have been located in the northwest part of the mountains.

Towns of the Kiingerim. The old Kiingerim tales and myths referring to the time before the War of the Chosen tell us about an underground kingdom that was a friend of the tribe. They speak of great tunnels and ramps that lead up to the cities. Therefore there is reason to believe that the two tribes traded with each other.

- Kerrintyr - ("Highest Town")
This was the capitol of the Kiingerim. Located high up in the mountains, south of Kormor Toltrumerim, the city covered three mountaintops and the vallley between them. All three moutains were filled with halls and tunnels and in the three mountaintops rooms for the sharp-eyed scouts were cut out.

The three mountains were called Granoli, Ovikoli and Bonasolin after their first Garkavons, and Garkavons were in command of each one from the creation until the end.

They were, as well as the other colonies, run like provinces. The Gornegron sat on his throne in RotrumOvikoli - Mount Ovikoli - and oversaw the whole realm. He had more direct power over the realm than the Gornegron of the Deep Dwarves.

The stone of Mount Ovikoli were dark grey and the tunnels would have been very dark if not for the light shafts that were set through their roofs.

- Kiindenityr ("High-Holy-Town")
The northern city of the Kiingerim was also the seat of the Denirim. The Kiingerim had only one Denirim for all of its dwarves, and he or she had subpriests called Denierons. There were about twenty-five of them, ten for the big towns and five for Mor/Tyr Faerath.

The stone of Denirotrum (the Holy Mountain) - was light grey, sometimes almost white. The lighting of the city was therefore not needed in the same degree as in Kerrintyr.

- Mor/Tyr Faerath (In Thergerim "Mine/Town of Hiding" and in Santerran "Tower of Iron")
This was the smallest settlement of the Kiingerim and the last to be built. That was lucky for them, as it seems as they were the only town to be overseen by the hordes of the Burning Mountains. Whether the city had a connection to Kormor Toltrumerim is debatable - the Traders Council is not saying anything about it. The most common guess is that there was a connection to the tunnels but not to the mine. The tunnels would serve as an escape if the city were taken by force. If a connection to the mine currently existed, the Council would be foolish not to use it anymore.