Brunhilde, The Iron Maiden, Champion of the Allhammer
Scales:
- Spread: Regionally Known.
- Importance: Moderate.
- Age: Old.
- Region: Ymirheim and Bergentrückung Peaks, also known in the west of the Pendragon Empire.
- Culture: Duir, Yotunn and some Alonian regions
Cultural Variations:
Most variations of the myth are consistent with the core story, but some tallman regions have adapted the tale to fit their own pantheon of gods and goddesses.
The myth below uses the Alonian pantheon, since it is the most popular, but the original myth uses the Duir pantheon.
The Myth:
In an age long forgotten, when the mages of the Aeloria grew bold and covetous, their power threatened the sanctity of the dwarven cities devoted to Moradin, the Allhammer. Seeing this peril, Moradin chose a champion to safeguard his faithful. Brunhilde Reinhardóttir, a young dwarf known for her unyielding spirit, strength and mastery of the forge, was selected as his champion. She became known as Brunhilde Reinhardóttir, the Iron Maiden, champion of the Allhammer.
Brunhilde was but fifty years old when Moradin appeared to her amidst the molten rivers of a volcanic forge. He entrusted her with a mission: to defend his followers from the encroaching mages. Fearless and resolute, she accepted Moradin’s challenge and the formidable power he bestowed upon her. Guided by the Allhammer’s divine hand, Brunhilde completed her crescent blade, “Dimhake,” imbued with the ability to sever even the strongest of magics. Her armor, forged from the hardest of blackened steels and named “Iron Maiden,” was said to rival the mountains in resilience.
For many years, Brunhilde, the Iron Maiden, waged war against the mages who dared threaten Moradin’s kin. She was legendary for her ability to cleave through enchantments with Dimhake and withstand the most potent spells with her impenetrable armor. A beacon of hope to the faithful, she struck fear into the hearts of mages and liches alike.
During a fateful battle against a powerful lich that menaced a dwarven city, Brunhilde emerged victorious but at a great cost. The lich’s vile magic drained her life force. Standing before the city she saved, she declared her path: “I shall go to the forge of the Allhammer, to be reforged as iron in fire. Like a beast in the field, I know no fears, because I became the beast in dwarvenkind, the forge’s daughter. Fear not, for I shall return when the wild winds blow and the dark skies fall, to protect you once more.” With those words, she turned and began her solitary march toward the Bergentrückung Peaks. She did not falter, nor did she speak another word, her resolve unyielding as the mountains themselves.
The followers of Moradin believe she resides still within the forge of the Allhammer within Bergentrückung Peaks, undergoing a transformation akin to metal in the crucible. They hold fast to the prophecy that when the world calls for her valor once more, Brunhilde Reinhardóttir, the Iron Maiden, will return to safeguard her people. Thus, the legend endures—a beacon of hope for the faithful and a chilling tale for any mage who dares threaten the sanctity of the dwarven realms.