Resplendent Razhkuldarn This is a work of historical fiction, based on real events but entirely fiction.
The sun had fallen, yet the halls of Brogendenstein stood lit with splendor. The few torches which shed their light reflected about the Golden Halls. It was time. It was time to swear in a new Razhkuld. An ancient tradition which brought a new warrior into the ranks of the mighty Kuldarn.
In the center of the Golden Halls lay the stage. The memorial of Fallen Heroes; a great dwarf with axe ready to fight, kneeling after a hundredth battle. To the right of this giant of a warrior was the Thane's Warden, a masterful statue carved from a single slab of granite - proud and vigilant. To his left is the Thane himself, shaped from layers of marble to show his resplendent dragon scale platemail and covered in runes of power.
In the midst of all this stood the dwarf, shoulders firm, chin held high. Proud.
This was his day. The greatest of honours.
Surrounding the dwarf and memorial were his kin and comrades, and the witnesses from afar. The Thane himself stood to witness the ceremony as the Thane's Warden administered it, proving that a statue is a pale comparison to life.
The Thane's Warden's voice boomed through the halls: "A blessed day indeed, within these Halls. Repeat after me, my kin, and be witnessed.". He continued by naming each and every witnesses before beginning the oath of the Kuldarn. Witnessing was nearly as important as the oath itself; for the Razhkuldarn-to-be was speaking to the Halls at large, swearing to all their kin.
The first boomed from the Thane's Warden: "I swear to stand by the Thane's Kuldarn in service." It was repeated with sincerity, the pledge to stand with their kin in service and duty.
The second met a chorus of raised weapons in agreement: "I pledge my weapon to the order as Razhkuld.", For the Kuldarn were an axe to strike down their foes, be they near or far. The greatest of threats would fear that axe in time.
The third met a clamor of axes against shields: "To protect the samman and the Thane of my hold.", for very few dwarves lived without an axe attached to them. It was this shield which formed the fabled shieldwalls, which pushed back the tides of evil and kept the corrupt from the halls.
As the last words fell, there was a moment of silence. It stretched for what felt like eons as the nearly magical effect of the oath reverberated through the halls.
The Thane's Warden broke the effect with a loud roar of a cheer, "Hail to the new Razhkuld, Hail! Hail to the Thane of Brogendenstein, Hail! Hail to the Golden Halls, Hail!"; with each "hail" echoed by the merry dwarves around as they stamped their feet and weapons in a cacophony of what could only be dwarven delight.
The Thane's Warden finished with a praise to their gods: "May Silverbeard grant us honour and valor in battle, may Truesilver grant us the hearth of home and may Moradin grant us the axes to defend it!"
As the noise died down it was the Thane that spoke last. "Kinsmen, allies..." he began. He need not speak loud for the entire hall stood silent, rapt with attention at every word. "We have stood witness this day to the initiation of a Razhkuldarn. Of a young kin that now takes his first step as a defender of the Golden Halls. Of our proud Dominion. We stand firm against the darkness, the same darkness that would crash against our shields, be cut down by our axes and be rolled over by the strength of the Kuldarn. We stand together, and together we stand vigilant."
With the Thane's words echoing softly in the golden halls once again the assembled were spellbound. But finally it was the Thane's Warden which broke the silence with words to conclude the ceremony: "They just took the first step in a path full of joy and full of duty."
He finished it with words all dwarves love to hear: "For now, it is time to drink. To Rhek's!"
A ring of hoorays meet this sentiment as the dwarves march off to celebrate their new brother in arms.
Written by Minto T Fuzzypaw, Librarian/Scholar/Magnus/Alderkin of Faith.