Durgeddin was the leader of a proud Dwarf clan in Mountain's Meet, a master smith renowned for his unmatched bladework. After their home was sacked by orcs, Durgeddin led the remnants of his clan, including his trusted mage Arundil Dhaldohr, across the Dotted Plains to the Stone Tooth. There, he established a small, secret stronghold somewhere in the trackless wilderness. This fortress became known as Khundrukar. From his hidden redoubt, he waged a decades-long vendetta against all orc-kind in the hills and mountains to the north.
For many years, he created battle plans and forged weapons of great quality at his forge. Adopting the name "Durgeddin the Black", he managed to beat back the hordes of raiders that hunted the lands. The ceaseless works continued until Durgeddin's enemies discovered his fortress and attacked it after a long siege. Known as the Smith's War, the orcs showed no mercy to their ancient foe. Durgeddin and his followers perished, and much wealth was carried away by the conquering hordes. Long after this, however, legends of the extraordinary blades that the dwarves forged in anger still surfaced from time to time in eastern Common League lands.
Alongside a litany of magic weapons, Durgeddin helped synthesize two prototype Synthborn to eternally defend their home at the behest of Arundil. Branded as Mk. I and Mk. II, they became known as the "Lazarus Project", intended to replicate a living version of the legendary Thrakûr-Gundak. Both of these automatons remained unfinished, however; the two continued to respectively live as Lazarus of Khundrukar and Lazarus of Khazalet.
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