Like Father, Like Son.
There are stories with mentions of Chaos Dwarfs and then there Chaos Dwarf stories, praise be to Hashut that this entry belongs to the latter. What we've got here is a genuine tale of the mighty Dawi-Zharr that is dripping with clever nods to the lore while carefully expanding it in new directions. Drazhoath is an intriguing character whose devotion to his craft is only outstripped by his devotion to the Father of Darkness, Hashut. It is this devotion that justifies the betrayal of his father. This is no small feat for a Chaos Dwarf, who by nature and creed belong to the
lawful evil category. A slave's life is meaningless beyond what work it can accomplish (as evidenced by the cruel but hilarious misfortune of the Hobgoblin servant at the hands of Ghazgorr), but to spill the life of a fellow Chaos Dwarf is not to be taken likely. The way I read the story, Drazhoath genuinely believes his father has betrayed the path of Hashut, so he is within his right to
correct that deviation. The author does a great job of ensuring that it never feels like a Skaven(or Dark Elf)-esque grab at power for self-serving gain. Drazhoath while cruel, remains true to the dictates of his people and of his god. If I had to describe Drazhoath with a single word, it would be
devotion. He is devoted to the true path, and his father is not. He is willing to make the sacrifices that his father cowers from. I love the way that this is demonstrated through the petrification that Chaos Dwarfs suffer as consequence of using their magic. At first I thought the description of Ghazgorr was a clever tie-in to the existing lore, but nothing more. However, in the end, the unwavering willingness of Drazoath to take on the very same curse in order to serve his true master puts an exclamation point on his story arc. In one stroke we are shown his resolute inner strength; a strength that is lacking in his father. It was a very impactful way of making the point while working within the limited wordage of a short story.
I must say I really liked the line "
Being my firstborn won’t save you from the punishment for negligence, and it certainly doesn’t give you the luxury of insolence". It sounds good, and draws a sharp picture of the harsh boundaries that Ghazgorr has for his son. The dealing with the Skaven was equally good. Drazhoath understands the manipulative creatures and is having none of it (as is proper for a Chaos Dwarf!). Lastly, of course the Dread K'daai is a beautiful touch to cap off the story; chef's kiss. A very memorable and genuinely meaningful way to satisfy the short story Lizardmen inclusion requirement. That's how you do it with style!
Overall, its a wonderful story and more than worthy of my promised vote. The author provides a finely detailed view of Chaos Dwarf society and even more importantly, a brilliant characterization of Drazoath. There isn't much I can critique about it. The only thing that comes to mind (and I hope it is okay to provide constructive feedback too) is that the correct spelling is "K'daai" instead of "K'daii".
Anyways, that is my
personal reading of the story and
some of the things I liked about the tale. Kudos to the author. May Hashut's blessings guide you to victory!
