While Lineage 2 is best known for its PvP, sieges, and endless grinding, every starting village has its own story that explains the world's history and the player's role within it. The Dwarven starting area is no exception. Behind its peaceful mines and bustling workshops lies a tale of fallen kingdoms, legendary heroes, political intrigue, and ambitious guilds.
This article explores the history of the Dwarves, the events surrounding their homeland, and the quests that introduce new players to Dwarven society.
The Fall of the Ancient Dwarven Kingdom
Dwarves begin their journey in the Abandoned Mine, but centuries earlier these tunnels stretched westward into the prosperous Dwarven Kingdom of Mlan.
For generations, Mlan endured constant invasions from humans and orcs. Despite the courage of its defenders, the kingdom eventually fell beneath overwhelming Orcish armies. To preserve their people, the surviving Dwarves abandoned their homeland and retreated through the mountain tunnels.
The last Dwarven king, Yikhre, remained behind to hold off the enemy, sacrificing his life so that the survivors could escape. Once every refugee had crossed the mountains, the tunnels were sealed forever.
The Dwarves established a new settlement near the mines, where they remain at the beginning of the game.
The Council of Elders
Without a royal family, leadership passed to the Council of Elders, composed of the heads of the major guilds.
Although the council governs the kingdom, many Dwarves still believe the true royal bloodline survives somewhere. According to legend, a descendant of the last king will eventually return and restore the kingdom to a new golden age.
Wealth Beneath the Mountains
The lands east of the village proved incredibly rich in natural resources.
Dwarven miners uncovered enormous coal deposits and built an extensive network of mines connected by railways and heavy lifting machinery. Even greater fortune followed with the discovery of valuable Mithril veins deeper within the mountains.
However, the miners ignored an ancient warning.
Deep below the Mithril deposits slept Trasken, one of the monstrous creations of Shilen that had escaped the ancient sealing performed by Shunaiman.
Driven by greed, the Gray Pillar Guild continued expanding the mines until they unknowingly reached Trasken's resting place.
The Awakening of Trasken
The excavation awakened the ancient earthworm.
Trasken erupted from the depths, destroying the Dwarven village and slaughtering countless inhabitants. The kingdom stood on the brink of extinction.
Salvation arrived through the hero Lucien, blessed by Maphr. Together with his companions, he constructed five sealing altars within the mines. Using their power, Lucien defeated Trasken alone and imprisoned the monster beneath the earth once more.
After his victory, Lucien opened a dimensional gate and vanished from the mortal world, becoming one of the greatest heroes in Dwarven history.
Following the disaster, the elders permanently sealed the deepest tunnels. Mining eventually resumed only in the safer upper levels, while the exhausted coal mines were abandoned.
More Than Miners
Mining was never the only source of Dwarven prosperity.
The Dwarves became renowned merchants, bankers, engineers, craftsmen, and treasure hunters. Their wealth often attracted attacks from both Orcs and the Kingdom of Elmore.
By the beginning of Lineage 2, however, the Dwarves have signed a trade agreement with Elmore and pay tribute in exchange for protection. Although not ideal, the arrangement prevents Orcish invasions and allows the kingdom to enjoy an era of relative peace.
Rivalries Between the Guilds
Despite outward unity, the various Dwarven guilds compete constantly for wealth, influence, and business opportunities.
Many of the starting quests reveal these hidden political struggles.
The Search for Chrysolite
The Gray Pillar Guild discovers that the Ugu Orc tribe has found a valuable Chrysolite deposit, previously imported only from Gracia.
Guild Elder Filaur secretly asks the player to recover a map showing the deposit's location while keeping the discovery hidden from rival guilds.
Sabotage Between Merchants
The Golden Wheel Guild suffers repeated attacks on its trade wagons by Goblin bandits.
Its elder, Spiron, hires the player to eliminate the raiders. The goblins carry pendants indicating their rank, and rewards increase depending on the trophies collected.
During the hunt, players uncover a shocking secret: the attacks were orchestrated by Balanki, elder of the Silver Scale Guild, who hired the goblins to sabotage his competitor's business.
Secret Dealings with Hardin
Guild Elder Keef of the Bronze Key Guild assigns the player a confidential mission.
He requires bat fangs for Hardin, insisting that no one learns about the partnership. Keef believes maintaining relations with powerful figures like Hardin will provide valuable allies should the Dwarves ever face another major threat from the Orcs.
The King's Tailor
The grocer Mion, sister of Master Toma, receives an important commission from King Astair Van Halter of Elmore to create formal clothing for diplomats traveling to Aden.
Desperate because she lacks enough spider silk to finish the order, Mion even considers fleeing. The player ultimately gathers the required silk by hunting countless tarantulas, allowing the commission to be completed.
Maris and Her Endless Revenge
One of the darkest stories in the Dwarven starting area belongs to Maris.
As a child, she watched wolves slaughter her family before narrowly surviving herself. Although rescued by a passing collector, she resented being saved, believing she should have died alongside her loved ones.
Consumed by grief and hatred, Maris devoted her entire life to exterminating wolves. Her first victim was a newborn wolf cub, and over the years she claims to have killed thousands more.
By the time players meet her, Maris has become too old to continue. She asks the player to carry on her lifelong mission, speaking disturbingly cheerfully about killing wolves while conversing with the memory of her deceased grandmother. As a reward, she offers one of her grandmother's treasured belongings.
This quest remains one of the most unsettling pieces of storytelling in the Dwarven starting zone.
Dreams of Flying Ships
The Black Anvil Guild looks beyond mining toward forgotten technology.
Guild Elder Arin proudly describes the guild's successful construction of an airship inspired by ancient Giant technology. However, he believes the Giants once built vessels far greater than anything modern Dwarves can achieve—ships capable of flying faster than wyverns and soaring above the clouds.
Convinced that the secret lies within mysterious floating stones, Arin asks the player to collect them from magical flying creatures. He believes these monsters were originally created by the Giants using the same technology.
If his research succeeds, Arin promises the player a ride aboard one of these magnificent flying vessels.
The Beginning of the Dwarven Journey
The Dwarven starting area introduces players to far more than simple mining quests.
It presents a civilization rebuilding after the destruction of its ancient kingdom, balancing prosperity with political rivalry, preserving legendary history, and constantly pursuing technological innovation. Through the quests of the various guilds, players witness the ambition, ingenuity, and pragmatism that define Dwarven culture.
After proving themselves among the guilds and learning the values of Dwarven craftsmanship, commerce, and perseverance, new adventurers leave the village behind and begin their journey across the world of Lineage 2, carrying the legacy of one of the game's most industrious races.
