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Introduction "Hammer strikes metal. Metal strikes anvil. The Anvil rests on the stone. The stone is the mountain. The mountain is the Khadra. We live in the stone, we shape it. . . . We are the stone". As Barok Ironsides finished the ritual verse, he lifted the axe for his master's inspection.
As the echoes of metal on metal died away, the Hall of the Masters Forge was engulfed in silence. The whispers in the onlookers' gallery fell silent as well. Over one hundred and fifty High Clan nobles had attended this great ceremony; the induction of a warrior-craftsman into the ranks of the Kharlbhak [editor's note: the Kharlbhak are the elite Low Clan Tunnel Fighters. They live and work deep in the mines, and are the first to encounter and defend the tunnels when trouble arises]. Master Dharrl examined the weapon for several long minutes, turning it over; feeling its balance; testing its edge. After a long while he spoke, "What do you call this blade that you have created from the rock?" Barok almost smiled as he spoke, "I give it the name 'StoneReaver.'" The master smiled as he lifted StoneReaver to display it to the assembled crowd. "Barok Ironsides has crafted a Masters' Work. I hereby pledge him to service. May StoneReaver defend and protect his brothers, and bring doom to his enemies!" The rest of the speech that followed was lost in the cheers of the crowd. . . . History 
The Khadra believe that they were created when Kharl, the shaper God, took a patch of stone, and molded it in his own image. He pleaded with the Old Ones to imbue his creations with life, to aid him with his duties. The Old Ones smiled on Kharl's creations, and gave them life. As Kharl's people flourished, he taught them his craft. When the Gods were banished from Tarien, Kharl left his people with one final gift; he filled the mountains with metals and gems, and bade his children to unearth them and use them. The Khadra worked hard and long, and eventually started using the precious metals that they unearthed as a medium of trade [editor's note: the Khadra were the first to use Gold, Platinum and Silver as a medium of trade]. Just about this time, courageous Khadra began digging upward in the mountain, and finally one of the tunnels reached the surface. Upon seeing the sun for the first time, the great architect Khurn Stonewarden was struck with the idea for a great city built in the mountainside. A third of the Khadra followed him to the surface, and they assisted him in building his vision. In the year 1824 B.C, the city of Khadra was completed. Those who followed Khurn to the surface established their homes in the city. There they abandoned mining and focused all of their attention on crafts. During this, the Khadric Renaissance, some of the finest pieces of metal and stonework were created. The Khadra who remained below appreciated the ideals of their brethren and supplied them raw materials to perfect their crafts. While many craftsmen remained below, they never garnered as much public respect as their high mountain brothers. This was the beginning of the Clan System of the Khadric. In the years that followed some Khadra chose to travel the surface world that they had discovered and eventually met the other major races of Tarien. They brought the idea of currency to the outer world, and began trading their wares with them. About fifty years after their first meeting, the Khadra and the Soulmeliti engaged in an exclusive trade agreement for the upcoming holy war verses the Elynthi. By the start of the war, the agreement also included an exchange of troops. Nevertheless, as the war progressed the situation at home worsened. The Orcish Horde had established a foothold in the Khadric Mountains, and the aiding Khadra were forced to fall back to their homeland to defend the city, leaving the Soulmeliti vulnerable. The war with the Orcs continued for nine long years until the death of Grat the Undefeatable, which splintered the Orcish clans. The Khadra continued to lead their isolated lives until around 1700 BC when the Soulmeliti began to plot for their final battle with the Elynthi. The Soulmeliti allied with the Orcs in the north and laid siege to the city of Khadra. The Khadric defended the city for almost five years as the Low Clans tunneled east, far into the Rhuethengage Mountains. The Khadra fall back into the tunnels, with warriors from both the Low and High clans covering their retreat with weapons made from the newly discovered alloy mithril. As the Khadra retreat, they systematically destroyed all the tunnels leading east, cutting off any pursuit [editor's note: the warriors who defended the population in The Great Flight would later start the Warrior Clan "The Kharlbhak"]. The Khadra then began to build a new place to call home, New Khadra, which would be completed twenty years later. After the completion of New Khadra came the second Khadric Renaissance during which several discoveries were made, including adamantine, the printing press, philosophical pursuits, and several advances in the brewing and fermenting of alcohol. After the renaissance, the Khadra again began to trade with the outside world, if sparingly. Most of their trade went through Galencia, the only nearby people to stay neutral during the previous wars. Except for a few political forays into the outside world, the Khadra are still isolated in their mountain fortress to this day. Geography The Khadric Kingdom all lies within the Rhuethengage Mountains, just north of Mennith and East of Galencia. The mountain capital of New Khadra has tunnels beneath it reaching far out in all directions (including down) and the entire race lives beneath it. Little is known about the Khadric homeland, as very few non-Khadra have ever set foot within its walls or tunnels. Society Khadric society uses a Clan System. The Khadra divide clans by their placement within the mountain, with the lowest clans being the working class: the miners, smelters, craftsmen of tools, etc. The middle class is made up of both High and Low clans, these being the merchants, traders, and the brewers. The upper class consists of the High clans, the artisans, the weapon smiths, and the priests of Kharl. Naturally, the High clans hold the Low clans in disdain. To them, they are uncivilized, dirty, etc. . . but, as they are children of Kharl, they must receive a grudging respect. A council of ten clan leaders, five from the Low Clans and five from the High Clans rules the Khadra. This council makes all of the important decisions, from political relations, to the distribution of goods within the society. The council usually divides down the middle, with the Low and High clan chieftains at odds. Khadra, both High and Low are required to spend ten years in active military service. There they learn to fight, basic smithy work, and a variety of tunnel fighting tactics. The best of the recruits remain with the military, and some even go on to the Khadric elite, the Kharlbhak. The Kharlbhak consists of the finest Khadric warriors and craftsmen . . . they are a true example of what it is to be Khadric. Religion All Khadra revere Kharl as their creator and protector. Kharl is the mountain, and the mountain is the Khadric. Kharl is the patron of the smithies and the lord of the forge. The Khadra also recognize several of the human deities in their Khadric forms. They recognize Anderi as the Lord of Light; the giver of the rays that struck the first Khadric head as it left the earth to see the sun. They also know all of the Great Gods, all in Khadric forms. . . . Economics The Khadra are by far the wealthiest of all the races. They unearth gold, platinum, and gems constantly . . . but due to the nature of their lives, they see the 'wealth' very differently. They make everything that they need, and only trade for creature comforts and things that they cannot produce (like wool, some cloths, and grain). Due to the nature of their lives, most of the wealth that is unearthed is paid in tribute to the High Clans. International Relations
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Master Dharrl examined the weapon for several long minutes, turning it over; feeling its balance; testing its edge.