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First Level
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MinersTough and hardened by working at the absolute limit of their capabilities, miners are able to put up fierce resistance against any enemy. Although a lack of access to good combat weapons and equipment forces them to modernize their work tools in every possible way, they still fall seriously short of the regular dwarf army in terms of armament quality.
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ConvictsEven in the underground realms of dwarves, crime exists. While these are primarily various swindlers and thieves, the harsh living conditions in the Dark Empire forced both major and minor criminals to be treated alike. One way or another, any dwarf who breaks the law is sent to hard labor.
After many years of heavy, grueling toil or during wars with other states, convicts get a chance at amnesty—joining special penal battalions that are thrown into the bloodiest battles as cannon fodder. And, strangely enough, many convicts agree to this gamble with a slim chance of surviving until the end of the war. Insanely brave and ruthless, convicts strike terror and confusion even into the most organized armies.
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WarriorsWhen the dark dwarves united their clans, their combined army was more of a motley rabble than an adequate force on the battlefield. Therefore, competitions were urgently held among hundreds of warriors, where a dwarf from the Dark Anvil clan armed with a heavy hammer performed best. Well-protected and equipped according to the standards of the winning clan, Warriors are dangerous even for opponents in heavy armor—the crushing blow of the hammer can stun a steadfast knight or an orc warrior.
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Second Level
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Wolf-HuntersPreviously, all dwarves used crossbows, but gradually transitioned to other types of weapons. Only the Dark Dwarves did not change their favorite armament, turning it into a weapon of terrifying power. However, only soldiers have access to combat multi-shot crossbows; hunters of the snow wolves that terrorize dwarf villages on the surface are armed with simple single-shot models, which does not prevent them from being effective fighters on the battlefield.
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Mountain ArchersAlong with any other weapon, dwarves diligently developed crossbows. Thus, the three-shot crossbow was created. Although it suffers from "growing pains," such as the difficulty of fully loading the magazine—causing most to load the crossbow for only two shots—the lethality and convenience of this weapon turn even an inexperienced dwarf shooter into a killing machine.
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GrenadiersFor a long time, the Dark Empire was subject to attacks by entire broods of creatures from the deep caves. For many years, life in the border towns was unbearably hard and dangerous, until one day the dwarves came up with a simple and elegant solution to their problem—they began creating powerful hand mortars based on the blueprints of higher gremlin mechanics. Thus appeared the Grenadiers—lightning-fast and mobile shooters armed with powerful weapons. Accustomed to maneuvering in narrow caves, these dwarves surprised everyone when they first faced an enemy in the open with their ability to retreat from an attack to a safe distance and deliver a terrible flank strike from their lethal hand cannons, thereby earning recognition within the ranks of the dwarf legions.
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Third Level
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PikemenDark dwarves were armed with spears back when they were indistinguishable from their light brethren. They were forced into this by their small numbers—half the community could fall in a serious battle. Sharp pikes helped hold back enemies, preventing them from reaching the rear where the shooters were located. Over time, the dark dwarf community grew and strengthened, but Pikemen still serve as the backbone of the same dark dwarf army.
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Dark GuardsThe guards of the dark dwarves are a steel spiked wall in the path of any enemy. Vast battle experience, excellent spears, and incredible self-sacrifice—this is the primary weapon of the guard. Rumors say that in many battles, the dwarves did not lose a single fighter if these guys stood in the vanguard of the fight.
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BrutesWhen the dwarves emerged from the tunnels, they encountered orcs. And while Pikemen dealt perfectly with orc fighters, warmongers armed with heavy swords and sturdy shields broke through the forest of spears with ease. In response, the dwarves created special units that used attacking rather than defensive tactics. Many orcs perished after experiencing the power of dwarf Brutes, capable of crushing a head hidden under a steel helmet with a single blow.
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Fourth Level
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GladiatorsNot all dwarves are short—sometimes those are born who are destined by nature to be taller than humans and even elves. Such dwarves cannot live and work in ordinary dwarf settlements, where everything is made convenient for their shorter brethren; therefore, from birth, they are sent to arena-cities. Surrounded by a network of caves, these cities form a kind of coliseum where throughout their lives, gladiator-dwarves learn to fight terrible underground monsters.
Gladiators are the simplest oversized dwarves. They rarely venture into the caves and often, after completing their training, go to fight on arenas against other dwarves and humans.
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Rock-BreakersMany famous gladiators were Rock-Breakers. They underwent a multi-day initiation during which they broke rocks with their bare hands for weeks. Without food, water, or rest, these dwarves hardened themselves and turned into fighters impervious to pain, capable of crushing any opponent with their bare hands.
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SlayersNot all gladiator-dwarves leave to fight on city arenas. Some remain in the caves and do not emerge from the darkest corners for months, fighting hordes of underground monsters. Such gladiators are called Slayers—each of their swords has sent at least a hundred of the most terrible cave creatures' souls to hell. Trained to fight monsters, yet agile and fast, Slayers are capable of defeating even the most experienced warrior.
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Fifth Level
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In development:smile24:
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Sixth Level
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Cave ManticoresWhether it was endless hunts or a simple lack of food—few know what forced most manticores to leave the caves in time immemorial. Over time, surface manticores degenerated into own same terrible monsters, and only rare peoples are destined to see their primordial beauty and grace.
Cave Manticores differ from their brethren by their lion's head, agility, and swiftness. Living in caves, these manticores, however, fly excellently, and their venom is much stronger than that of their surface brethren.
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Dark ManticoresLong ago, the dark dwarves had to deal with powerful Warlock of the dark elves. Everyone suffered from their curses—but the manticores suffered most of all. Their innate ability to absorb energy played a cruel trick on them. Their appearance became distorted, their minds darkened, and their venom turned into pure same energy of darkness. Since then, dwarves began to forcibly turn some manticores to darkness by casting powerful curses upon them.
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Catacomb ManticoresIn the deepest dungeons, almost all life is poisonous. Thus, the manticores who settled in these unsightly places by fate's will changed beyond recognition. Real acid flows through their veins, and their venom can kill even the poison-resistant creatures of the catacombs.
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Seventh Level
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Earth GuardiansStone giants known as Earth Guardians roam the forests of the east and the mountains of Grimheim. Long ago, they resembled walking boulders, clumsy and shapeless, but dwarf masters worked to turn them into their own likeness. The giants liked their new form and the diligence of the dwarves, for which they took this dark people under their personal protection.
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Obsidian GiantsThe oldest Earth Guardians, the wisest and most powerful, lived in volcanic craters for a long time, appearing on the surface only during eruptions. However, when disaster came to the dwarves in the form of orc hordes, the giants emerged of their own free will. Being the very embodiment of natural fire magic, the giants sowed terrible death on the battlefield.
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Ice GuardiansMany Earth Guardians traveled to mountain peaks to obtain a new shell—an icy one—and learn the magic of water. Thus appeared Ice Guardians. On mountain peaks, they often fought dragons and, being skilled warriors and mages, turned fire against all who were near them.
you can download hereIf you want dwarves to appear on the map, you need to leave the mod darkdwarf_Group.pak in the data folder; if you have MegaPack, leave
darkdwarf_Group_MegaPack.pak
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HistoryAfter the war of the ancients, the dwarves decided to ban the cult of Malassa in their lands; persecutions began, and all servants of darkness fled to the islands in the ocean of shadows. Spirits of the void lived on the islands, dreaming of destroying everything created by Ashan and Urgas; they offered an alliance to the dark dwarves, which the latter accepted without question. They became servants of evil with gray skin, black beards, and red eyes, but after several hundred years, they split, and most of the dwarves went into the depths of the world. After the creation of own same Shio, the dark dwarves were few in number, but their tribes united into the Dark Empire; now it is a powerful state, its cities stretching under Grimheim, southwestern Ranaar, and in the south of Dragon's Pass.
ClansDark Anvil - a clan occupying large underground territories, famous for its guard—Warriors, spider riders and manticores, as well as giants—something like titans.
Flame of Vengeance - has small holdings in Dragon's Pass, famous for ballistae, crossbows, grenadier mortars and liquid fire; it is the most distant and independent clan.
Black Stone - occupies lands on the surface, famous for stone giants and master lapidaries.
Shadow of Malassa - a clan occupying the northeastern caves, in alliance with the Faceless, famous for its mages; their leaders are the rulers of the Dark Empire.
Wild Blade - a clan occupying large lands on the surface, famous for Slayers, goat riders and heavy infantry.
ArmyThe force of the dark dwarves is divided into three classes:
The standard dwarf army wears purple clothing and worships Malassa. The equipment of these warriors consists of original dwarf types of armament developed over years of wandering in dungeons; because they are few, they use defensive tactics, powerful crossbows and penal battalions.
After the formation of the Dark Empire, many types of armament became more common and armies also grew larger; offensive units appeared that deal great damage but quickly perish from enemy arrows—they wear red colors.
Brown colors are worn by units not considered part of the army—these are hunters, recruits, miners; they unite into hunting groups or detachments scouting for mineral deposits, but they are not considered soldiers and cannot be issued normal weapons.
Dwarf Cityif you want to place a city on the map, insert darkdwarf_add.pak into the data folder
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huge thanks to psatkha for advice and weapons that I took from his creatures, Xokke_SuG for descriptions of all creatures and Death Knight for support
