Once the towers were completed, and the walls strong, Rain Thana turned her attention to them. It didn’t take long to demonstrate that her abilities as a ruler and a warrior were on par with her instincts as a designer and unifier. With her united forces, she struck out after each of the four main clans opposed to her, the Dalkans, the Kirik, Ches Nakla, and the Baranik. Each of these held out against her invitations, and actively sought to thwart the production of Akar and the gathering of all clans under Rain Thana’s banner.
The Dalkans were an ancient clan of dwarves tied to a particular mountain, with extensive tunnels and complexes beneath it. They spoke often as the grandfather clan, using their ancient lineage to exert influence on the other clans. Rain Thana brought her army to the feet of Mount Dalka first. She planted her banner before its gates, and called on the elders of the clan to come join her… they refused. She called on them again to treat with her to discuss their differences… they refused. She called on them to surrender themselves to her judgement and stop opposing the unification of the dwarven clans… they refused. She returned to her troops, hosted a magnificent feast on the battlefield before the gates of her enemy, and promised them all the luxury of Dalkan halls for a greater feast on the morrow. She spoke of the energy of the gods raining down on the mountain, and the surety of their success.
In the morning, as Rain Thana meditated in isolation, storm clouds gathered over the peak and lightning peppered the upper cliffs, causing land slides and avalanches. Two hours after dawn, Rain Thana emerged from her private tent, called on the assembled forces to charge, and as the lightning cleared they crashed against the gates and pulled them down. They poured into the tunnels and crushed the Dalkan forces, overrunning the entire complex in a matter of hours, and capturing many non-combatants, who yielded willingly to the victor. Only a few of the attacking forces noticed how small the defenses against them were, realizing the Dalkan heritage was little more than just a reputation, and that they had dwindled to a small presence still bearing a big name.
Following her success with the Dalkans, Rain Thana turned to march on the combined forces of the Kirik and Ches Nakla, two allied clans that shared a river valley rich in the production of mithril. These two clans held a narrow valley high in the White Ridge Mountains at the limits of civilization. Unlike their aged cousins the Dalkans, the Kirik and Ches Nakla were still young and strong with many warriors, and prime weapons. Rain Thana again tried to approach the gates of the two clans, again getting rebuffed. Before she could deliver an ultimatum, they unleashed a secret weapon on her and her forces.
Located at the edge of the highest peaks, these two tribes enticed a white dragon to aid them in driving Rain Thana and her forces down off the mountain. The white dragon swept down over the armies and caused terrible destruction. At the end of the day, the army was still on the battlefield, but they were badly shaken. Rain Thana was livid. The two clans mocked her openly from their walls, asking where her predictive powers had gone. She responded by completely losing her temper and revealing her true powers as a high ranking wizard, bringing large portions of the mountain down on their gates and crushing many of those who laughed in the avalanche. In the morning, she met them at the gates in much calmer frame of mind. Terrified of her magical powers, and fearful of the destruction she could cause, they listened to her. She promised them she would remember their mockery, and swore that they would bow before her contrite. But first, she would travel alone with two companions into the higher peaks, seek out the white dragon they had drawn into the conflict and defeat it. Confident of the power of the dragon, they assured her they would willingly concede defeat if she returned with the dragon’s heart.
For three days, she was gone. The upper mountains trembled with the wrath of the destructive forces called into the battle. On the fourth day, silence returned, and all eyes looked to the pass leading up into the high peaks wondering who would emerge. Soon, Rain Thana strode out of the mists, with her two escorts behind carrying a large chest between them. They strode directly to the gates of the Kirik, and after opening the chest, crossed to the Ches Nakla to repeat the silent actions, then removed themselves to a high ledge between the two gates and waited. Within the hour, both gates opened, and the collected forces of both clans poured out to kneel before Rain Thana and the dragon’s heart.
She set out soon after for the home of the clan of the Baranik. The combined smiths of clans Kirik and Ches Nakla went to their forges, and weaving all of their skill together with the magic of the heart of the white dragon, created the Frost Battle Axe of Rain Thana as a symbol of their servitude and her right to supreme clan elder. The axe was imbued with great magical abilities, and according to some, a dark curse, meant to ensnare Rain Thana in her moment of triumph and ensure her demise.
The axe was presented to Rain Thana as she arrived before the valley of the Baranik. She accepted it with great humility, and proceeded to the gates only to find them in utter ruin! The Baranik, learning of the defeat of the Dalkans and the subjugation of the Kirik and Ches Nakla, chose to seal themselves off completely from the outside world, and brought their access tunnels and gates down around them. It was rumored long afterward that they delved into pockets of the underdark and gave themselves over to life within that twisted world, although others said they opened new tunnels to the light in the years following, and continued their opposition and defiance of Rain Thana and the city of Akar even into modern times.
Rain Thana returned in triumph to Akar, and lived many more years as ruler over the united clans of the dwarves, never needing to wield the axe given to her in its defense. After many generations, the dwarven city fell into decline, and the fractious clan divisions arose again, driving them apart, and most of them back underground to their mines. The city of Akar fell off many maps, and disappeared into legend with the axe of the legendary Rain Thana.
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