The Mountain Clans

The Mountain Clans or the Dwarves are a playable faction in Disciples, Disciples 2 and later in Disciples 3.

The Mountain Clans are dwarves who live in mountain caves and possess runic powers, given to them by their god Wotan and rudimentary technology like steam engines and explosives. The Clans were allied to the Empire during the First Great War and still maintain a friendly relationship with the humans. The giants consider the dwarves to be their cousins and are willing to aid them in defending the mountains. The dwarven capital is guarded by Vithar, who sits at Wotan's right hand.

Short History

Living quietly atop the highest peaks of Nevendaar, the Mountain Clans had always kept to themselves. Not out of malice or ill-will. It was simply their nature not to meddle in the affairs of men. But with the discovery of new iron mines south of Timoric, the production of Dwarven crafts drastically increased. Supply must meet demand, and the lowland people demanded the quality of iron goods that only the Dwarves could produce. And the pride of the Dwarves would not allow the world to be deprived of their magnificent craftsmanship.

And then Memnor, that oldest and wisest of Dwarves, had a dream that boded ill for all of the Mountain Clans. The word went out, carried along the cold thin air of the Dwarven heights, that Memnor himself would announce his prophecy from the summit of the Griffin Heights. The mines stopped production, and the loud clanging of hammer and anvil was replaced by the weak but commanding voice of Memnor. Pale and trembling, his voice traveled easily over the cold thin mountain air. He spoke of the Ragnarok: the great destruction. The end of the world was coming, said Memnor. These words, so calmly spoken, would have created a frenzy of laughter among the skeptical Dwarves had any but Memnor uttered them. But there was only dreadful hush. Even the icy winds – those gusts that strike pride in the hearts of Dwarves – fell silent.

The salvation of the Mountain Clans resided in the knowledge of the runes, said Memnor. But all knew that the knowledge of the runes had been long-forgotten, and the scholars who might interpret them lay buried in their icy tombs…

From the abode of the dead they came forth – nameless, faceless, merciless horrors. Hastily assembled bands of heroes ventured into Hela’s forsaken realm in search of the Runes of Wisdom. What they encountered there no mortal can say; but what they discovered upon their return has already been carved in stone that future generations will never forget. The shambling corpse-men of the fleshless goddess Mortis had marched upon the Dwarven heights. Their once proud kingdom now lay barren and scorched before their sullen eyes. Valkyries saddled on their winged steeds descended from Wotan’s domain in search of the fallen. This was the Wolf-Age, for in these dire times gods were created and heroes were made; and the carrion wolves fed upon the weak. The King himself was slain, and with him many of his most courageous warriors.

Despairing but not defeated, the Mountain Clans moved deep into the underground city of Svatalfaheim. Here, it is said, they patiently wait for their fallen warriors to return.

Ten years have passed since the death of the Dwarven Highking Sturmir Thunderhammer; ten years of relative peace for the Dwarves. Since the end of the war against Mortis' Undead legions the Dwarves have become more determined than ever to recover their lost Runic knowledge. Little do they know that they will soon face an enemy more dangerous than any Undead abomination...

Dwarves are one of the eldest races in Nevendaar. The powerful god Wotan created them shortly after the world itself was born. Inaccessibly high mountain peaks are their home, where they can feel safe. These harsh conditions made them even more hardened; dwarves are as sturdy as the mountains themselves, among which they dwell. Dwarves are the best smiths around; there are none who can rival them in the art of making armor and weapons.

The dwarves were always a peaceful folk, much more inclined to solving the mysteries of the deep Earth than to fighting. But those who try their patience should know better – when the dwarven warriors reach for their axes, they become unstoppable, much like a furious avalanche sweeping away everything in its path. Few in this world have more strength, skill and battle fury than the children of Wotan. The dwarven community is divided into clans, and the Dwarven King, elected by the council of all clans, rules them all. This is a great honor, and only the most esteemed and noble dwarves, whose services to the dwarven folk are great, can become kings.

Gameplay

The Warriors of the Mountain Clans posses low initiative and move scores, but to counteract this they have the highest HP pools in the game, in combat they can deal large amounts of damage, their casters are even dedicated to boost the raw damage of their units. They also have plenty options for none weapon elemental damages Air, Water, Earth and Fire. They are excellent army for playing defensively. The units of the Mountain Clans require a lot of XP to level up. Although this causes them to be slow to level up, the results are well worth it.

Their magic is mostly centered around enhancing their units further and can also do moderate amount of damage but they possess no spells that weaken enemy troops. Their armour spells are second to none. Ice shield on Level 1 gives 10% armour, while the Level 4 Chant of Fortitude boosts your armour by 33%. On Level 5 Ancestors' Call provides an additional 33%. Going against Guardians was never so easy.

The travel spells can greatly enhance the Clans' units movement. Forestwalk and Seafaring are dirt-cheap spells, and can get you surprisingly far in a single turn. If you cast both, it means that you can cross any tile as if it was clear terrain. Add in Chant of Hasting (recovers 100% of your movement), plus Winds of Travel (a global version of CoH), and you'll see that an average, 60 MP hero can cross almost any map in less than 2 turns. Note, that Mage heroes can cast both travel spells twice, giving you an overall MP of 300 (60 by default, and 2*2*60 due to the spells). Though it costs an enormous amount of mana, sometimes it worths the price.

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