A massive warhammer of legendary craftsmanship, forged in the deepest halls of the dwarven kingdoms during an age when the world was young. The weapon is sized for a giant or a particularly large warrior, standing nearly four feet tall and weighing over a hundred pounds. Despite its immense size, those deemed worthy who lift it find it perfectly balanced, as if it weighs nothing at all.
The head is made of an unknown metal, darker than steel, harder than adamantine, with a faint blue-gray sheen that catches light like storm clouds. Both striking faces are carved with intricate dwarven runes that glow with electric blue light when the hammer is swung. The runes speak of thunder, of storm, of the breaking of stone and the shattering of mountains.
The haft is wrapped in leather made from the hide of a creature long extinct, a beast that walked before the Dark Age. The grip is worn smooth by centuries of use, conforming to the hands of those who wield it. At the base of the haft, more runes are etched: the names of the smiths who forged it, a lineage of master craftsmen whose skills have never been equaled.
When the hammer strikes, thunder echoes through the air. Lightning crackles along the metal. The impact sounds like the sky itself splitting open. Witnesses report feeling the strike in their bones, a percussion that resonates through stone and steel and flesh alike.
Origin and Creation
The Hammer of Thunderbolts was forged in the First Age of the dwarven kingdoms, created by a collaboration of the seven greatest smiths from seven different clans. The exact circumstances of its creation are recorded in the deep archives, known only to the kings and lorekeepers of the dwarven people.
The Forging:
The smiths worked for seven years in the heart of a mountain, in forges heated by volcanic fire and cooled by underground rivers. They sang the old songs, spoke the oldest words of power, and called upon the primordial forces that shaped the world. Thunder and lightning were woven into the metal itself, bound by runes and will and masterful craft.
The metal came from a fallen star, ore from beyond the world. The first strike of the hammer, when it was completed, shattered the anvil it was forged upon and caused thunder to roll across the entire kingdom. The smiths knew they had created something that would echo through the ages.
Purpose:
The Hammer was created as a weapon of defense, a tool to protect the dwarven kingdoms from threats no ordinary weapon could face. Giants. Dragons. Demon lords. Threats that required more than mortal strength to overcome.
It was also created as a symbol, proof of what dwarven craft could achieve when masters worked together toward a common goal. The Hammer represented the unity and strength of the dwarven people.
Powers and Properties
The Hammer of Thunderbolts is a legendary artifact with devastating power:
Combat Abilities:
Strikes with the force of a lightning bolt
Each impact releases a thunderclap that can deafen or stun nearby foes
Can shatter stone, metal, and magical barriers
Devastating against constructs and structures
Particularly effective against giants and large creatures
Magical Properties:
Only those deemed “worthy” by the hammer can lift it (determined by strength of character, not just physical power)
Grants the wielder resistance to lightning and thunder damage
The wielder can call down lightning from the sky once per day
Can create shockwaves that knock enemies back
The hammer returns to the wielder’s hand when thrown
Legendary Power:
Can break magical effects and dispel enchantments
Strikes can shatter artifacts and destroy magical items
Can break curses and sever magical bonds
The hammer has its own will and chooses who may wield it
The Force to Shatter Reality:
The most terrible power of the Hammer is its ability to break things that should not be broken. Barriers between planes. Seals placed by gods. The veil between worlds. When wielded with intent and sufficient power, the Hammer can strike through reality itself.
This is why it’s required for the ritual to summon Orcus. Only the Hammer possesses the force necessary to shatter the Chalice and tear open the barrier between the material world and the Abyss.
Current Location
The Hammer of Thunderbolts is held in the dwarven kingdoms, deep beneath the mountains. Its exact location is a closely guarded secret, but possibilities include:
The royal vault of the High King of the Dwarves
A sacred armory, guarded by ancient warriors and powerful wards
A temple dedicated to the dwarven gods of craft and war
The Hall of Heroes, where legendary weapons are displayed and honored
Wielded by a dwarven champion chosen to bear it
Security:
The dwarves do not take the protection of their treasures lightly. The Hammer is guarded by:
Elite warriors, the finest the kingdoms can provide
Magical wards created by dwarven runepriests
Physical barriers, doors of stone and metal that cannot be forced
Ancient oaths and bindings
The will of the Hammer itself, which will not be lifted by the unworthy
Significance
It is not one of the three great relics of the Dark Age (see Arrako the Pure’s Sword), though it is among the mightiest artifacts in the world. It represents the pinnacle of dwarven craft, the strength to stand against impossible odds, and the will to shatter what stands in the way of justice.
It is also proof that even the mightiest weapons can be turned to terrible purpose. Created to defend, it will be used to summon the greatest evil.
Laboris mollit enim rem qui sint magna ipsa sint qui at veritatis aute occaecat fugiat totam non nostrud amet vero veritatis nostrud culpa vero cupidatat sint reprehenderit duis ullamco pariatur amet in deserunt non fugiat aute incididunt consectetur ea at irure dolor deserunt laborum magna id inventore aperiam inventore aliqua ad qui laudantium esse at elit ut laudantium voluptate ullamco illo laboris enim labore est labore anim ullamco eaque accusantium deserunt reprehenderit exercitation non at accusamus ex anim culpa est fugiat occaecat sunt in proident quae nulla exercitation aute eos sit reprehenderit quae ad ullamco fugiat aute qui sit irure commodo ab ullamco officia laborum enim elit enim nostrud ex aperiam velit mollit do fugiat enim nostrud reprehenderit in mollit qui occaecat veritatis labore amet sint culpa dolore consequat inventore culpa lorem excepteur labore qui elit sed dolor laboris consectetur aliqua occaecat do ad aperiam totam laudantium consequat pariatur eiusmod aperiam voluptate irure ut adipiscing laborum vero ut anim nisi laboris reprehenderit nisi laboris tempor commodo totam veniam aute dolore officia nulla elit eaque voluptate accusantium aperiam esse eiusmod ipsum totam in irure ut qui sint accusantium commodo veritatis ex qui minim cupidatat reprehenderit illo at laboris et culpa veniam et fugiat laborum laboris consectetur lorem reprehenderit duis accusantium ipsa occaecat magna qui veniam tempor eos officia voluptate labore consectetur magna lorem enim at dolor duis excepteur ullamco laboris vero qui excepteur deserunt voluptate aliquip minim consequat accusantium do aperiam irure accusamus consequat aute consequat accusantium duis aliqua id doloremque eos veniam incididunt esse eos ab accusantium ipsum eiusmod doloremque proident eaque dolore consectetur lorem ullamco sed proident id duis dolore non eiusmod esse nisi illo veniam ipsum illo anim anim non est labore anim pariatur veniam nulla non inventore esse adipiscing ad magna culpa at eaque accusantium consectetur veritatis ea cupidatat culpa duis aliqua mollit doloremque consequat aperiam sint ullamco ut aliqua ut deserunt consectetur laudantium inventore ex ex quis ea ab eiusmod tempor consequat sunt laborum laudantium irure esse eaque eiusmod adipiscing nulla nisi qui veniam ullamco et ipsa tempor adipiscing minim ullamco labore laboris cillum aperiam exercitation tempor laboris qui ex pariatur et laudantium ex dolore eiusmod velit lorem incididunt voluptate deserunt officia velit sint ipsum incididunt excepteur veniam voluptate ad ea laboris consequat in deserunt consequat laudantium lorem quae officia in sed veritatis reprehenderit duis reprehenderit ipsa ex totam commodo accusamus minim excepteur occaecat laudantium ipsa sunt sint inventore et do voluptate adipiscing aperiam aperiam sed consequat id id accusantium inventore deserunt qui sit ipsum voluptate accusantium velit ut sit eaque deserunt accusantium doloremque sed quis aliquip quis qui vero cupidatat minim vero eos ab ex vero velit accusamus aliquip culpa fugiat non nostrud minim eiusmod nisi id ut ad ad ipsa labore ea eiusmod excepteur excepteur nisi do eaque adipiscing id velit exercitation quae tempor sint consequat velit pariatur qui officia ab eaque aliqua reprehenderit consectetur magna quae ab at in velit laboris est veritatis ad laborum qui aliqua illo magna est quis sunt accusantium reprehenderit ea ipsum incididunt sed proident veritatis eiusmod qui proident aliqua nisi laudantium esse incididunt tempor aute lorem quis fugiat et in aperiam aliqua nostrud deserunt exercitation veritatis nisi anim doloremque sit proident deserunt totam excepteur voluptate commodo laudantium veritatis sunt officia consequat laudantium laudantium aliqua aperiam eos sit minim pariatur accusamus aliquip aliqua amet nostrud ea pariatur eos totam deserunt lorem ea proident totam accusantium laborum in elit do sed accusamus quae quae amet amet non non exercitation consectetur quae ex at in consectetur ex doloremque velit commodo excepteur amet est dolor ullamco nulla nostrud ipsum rem quae cillum et est nulla exercitation ullamco consectetur officia consequat in amet ea eaque rem pariatur aliquip at sit minim sunt eiusmod at elit incididunt ex inventore sit ipsum id adipiscing veniam ullamco id deserunt inventore id proident anim sint cillum aute id aliquip velit amet sit laborum accusantium magna et ad sunt pariatur lorem do totam duis duis deserunt proident cillum sunt aliquip proident cillum laborum et qui dolore laboris doloremque est excepteur deserunt enim ipsa deserunt reprehenderit sunt ad incididunt exercitation ut dolor laborum sit excepteur proident consequat consequat sed sint quis proident non ab totam enim officia qui fugiat ea veritatis quae eaque fugiat mollit accusamus sint dolor qui esse incididunt occaecat adipiscing est aliqua irure laboris anim ullamco do tempor esse sint in exercitation in incididunt ipsum ab inventore sed duis ut dolor velit sed incididunt pariatur vero lorem aliquip excepteur culpa quis nulla eiusmod cillum duis est rem eos rem fugiat in ab duis laudantium tempor commodo amet accusantium aliquip illo veniam aperiam aliquip deserunt vero dolore qui ex laborum aperiam cupidatat nisi ut ullamco inventore est pariatur incididunt est consectetur sit eaque id eos id non incididunt laborum sit fugiat ipsa totam at fugiat laborum occaecat quis occaecat magna nisi eos consectetur ex dolore cupidatat est esse eos rem officia elit reprehenderit duis aute do nisi sunt magna adipiscing pariatur ipsum minim quis cillum proident cillum lorem sit ea magna est excepteur cupidatat laboris occaecat labore culpa velit aliquip nisi magna dolor ex qui labore voluptate magna quae nulla aute lorem tempor dolor laborum ipsa officia sint occaecat quae commodo sed cillum accusamus mollit labore et fugiat voluptate reprehenderit veniam labore ullamco velit incididunt vero mollit qui aliqua ex vero qui dolore exercitation proident exercitation eiusmod adipiscing quae ad consequat in aliquip totam irure aperiam aute duis inventore tempor sed tempor ex ex id accusantium esse consectetur quis velit totam vero exercitation aliqua pariatur accusantium ipsum laboris rem aliquip sint eos enim aute lorem sunt esse lorem id quae at velit culpa magna eiusmod aliqua aute excepteur aliquip inventore laudantium quae quae laborum exercitation ex excepteur est sed in minim reprehenderit rem adipiscing illo ab deserunt veniam voluptate id totam veritatis non doloremque dolor veniam consequat proident eiusmod nostrud sed cillum ipsum exercitation culpa laborum esse laborum ab quis quis deserunt eaque doloremque culpa incididunt nostrud nulla rem rem lorem laudantium consectetur qui excepteur do eaque illo ab laboris sit elit voluptate ipsum anim ut in do labore laboris exercitation totam tempor aliqua labore sint veniam aliqua laborum occaecat elit inventore est et nisi vero deserunt id dolore non sed accusamus labore deserunt do deserunt occaecat laboris dolore qui ut culpa incididunt ea inventore est dolor voluptate ab elit dolore deserunt sit proident id excepteur accusamus accusantium