Underpriest Brogni

As the Dwarven holdouts of Gloomdeep Hold and the Skyiron Dominion recovered following the under-empire's destruction, they began a race to the bottom. Both settlements dug deep into the earth to discover new materials, which they traded. Most prospectors chose to reopen the tunnels that were closed to slow the Demonspawn invasion of their realm many years before, hoping that these ancient passageways contained untapped veins of wealth. In their grand search, they discovered long lost archives of Dwarven lore – grand rune libraries that had been either abandoned or overrun by Siroth's legions. When word of these discoveries reached the Runekeepers of Gloomdeep Hold, several search parties were dispatched to bring back the troves of ancient knowledge. Few Runekeepers were as wise and revered as Brogni – although his journey to recover the lost artifacts would change him forever. In his expedition, Brogni led a number of Runekeepers carefully through the passages that once swarmed with the life of his ancestors. Eventually, they reached a perfectly preserved archive – one that the Runekeepers of the time had barricaded, to protect it from Siroth’s forces. Brogni left his subordinates to begin the laborious cataloging, while he ventured deeper into the catacomb. As he wandered, he noticed an inviting green light emanating from deeper within, accompanied by a soft and sorrowful trill. Mesmerized, he delved deeper, abandoning his team. Finally, Brogni arrived in a primeval cavern, its walls aglow with glittering emerald, a gargantuan crystal at its heart. Its body thrummed with light, and the keening that had ensnared Brogni's mind seemed to originate from this vast mineral. Sitting before this weeping gem and listening to its lament, he stretched out a hand to calm it. When Brogni withdrew his hand, centuries had passed around him. His skin had turned a pallid gray, while his mind raced with the wailing song of the earth. He witnessed a doom that waited for the Dwarves, should they continue their path. He had to tell his people what he had heard. Taking some fragments of the grand crystal of proof of his quest, Brogni ventured back up to the surface. Obsessed with what he had learned from the crystal’s song, he would become known as the Underpriest – an ancient cleric who preached of the scourge of the crystals, and Teleria’s lament. While he is bizarre to some Dwarves, many have sought the wisdom of this ancient, sallow-faced man who decries the Dwarves’ renewed expansion – for they would bring upon themselves a greater fall than their collapse at the hands of Siroth’s invasion.