Phiott Whitehammer

Biological

Birthday: Unknown

Age: Unknown

Race: Crystalese Dwarf

Birthplace: Bazzakrak, Underground Kingdom, Crystal Dimension

Sex: Male

Eyes: Glowing Yellow

Hair: Red

Height: 5'0"

Weight: 270 lbs

Personal

Occupation: Lord of Clan Whitehammer, Dverkonnig ("King of Dwarves")

Religion: Dwarven Pantheon

Martial Status: Single (but see below)

Weapons: Amnralthul ("King's Grace", a massive rune-inscribed warhammer, the heirloom of Dwarven kings)

Inspirations: Luka Whitehammer

History

Phiott Whitehammer is the grandson of the mythical King Giott Whitehammer, and the third Dwarven ruler in the Whitehammer dynasty. His mother, Luka Whitehammer, was a priestess of Barda Life-Anvil, and was likely the strongest warrior that the Underground Dwarves have ever or will ever know.

Luka ascended the throne when King Giott passed into Ilmarinen's forge. It was by King Giott's will alone that his beloved dauughter was allowed to take the throne, as there had never, in all the millenia of Dwarven history, been a female ruler of the Kingdom. When she sat upon the Hearthstone for the first time, High Priest Yeslick officially crowned her Dverkonnig -- even as a female ruler, she was obliged to retain the title "Dwarf King."

King Luka ascended her son Phiott to the post of Supreme Commander of the Hearthguard, and it was in this capacity that Phiott first came to know a hatred of the Drow. When word reached the Upper Underground (likely by way of Duergar spies) that King Giott had died, a confederation of the Drow houses DeVir, Despana and Tanyr-Thal rallied together a massive army of Drow warriors and their slaves and surged through the Spider's Gate. It was their hope that achieving a great victory over the Dwarves would win all their houses enough favor from Sindrai'el to topple the rule of Dread Lady Ambika and House Everhate.

The invasion hit the Sylphs hardest. The Sylphs attempted to repel the Drow army themselves, but were slaughtered in droves and forced to flee East.

Crossing the Sea of Magma on Deep Dragon mounts, the Drow landed on the Igneus Continent and met the Hearthguard in battle on the Obsidian Highlands. Thousands on both sides died within the first week of furious fighting, as the Dwarves forged an impressive defensive line to protect their capital. But the Drow army seemed limitless, and their dark magics powerful, and slowly they drove the Hearthguard back to the very walls of Bazzakrak itself.

This was when Luka herself entered the battle, wielding the rune hammer Amnralthul. With it she (singlehandedly!) drove the Drow back to the shoreline, away from the Castle. The Hearthguard rallied at her appearance and followed her swath of destruction, culminating in a one-on-one battle between the Dwarven King and the leader of the Drow armies, Matron Phaere of Despana. Phaere was destroyed, but Luka found herself mortally wounded. Even so, her charge had envigorated the Dwarven defenders, and without Phaere the Dark Elven forces were leaderless and disunited. Their lines broke and the survivors fled back through the Spider's Gate.

When the last of the Drow were driven away, Luka collapsed into her son's arms and with her dying breath passed Amnralthul onto him.

Since his mother's demise, Phiott has held the titles of Clan Lord over Clan Whitehammer, and King of the Dwarven Nation. As King, he has focused a great deal more than on defense than either his grandfather (who once dismantled the Hearthguard's tank forces to repair damage sustained in the fight against Golbez) or his mother. One of his first acts as King was the re-implementation of the Hearthguard Tank Corps, as well as an expansion of a military magmaship fleet and an airship fleet.

This process of re-armament lasted for the first fifty years of Phiott's reign, during which time he endured accusations of paranoia from other clan lords for his vigilance in maintaining a ready defense. When the Great War began, however, the King's critics were silenced. There was fear through the early days of the conflict, as war gradually intensified in Crystal, that the Drow would join forces with the other armies of the Dark Gods and storm through the Spider's Gate once more. Reports would come in from contacts in Agart about the progress of the war, and when news of the disastrous defeat at the Battle of North Viper reached Bazzakrak, King Phiott ordered the Sylph Realm evacuated and increased the production of tanks, magmaships and airships to ensure his Kingdom's defense. Some clan lords called this reaction hasty and somewhat premature... but then the word arrived that Baron had also fallen. It seemed clear to most that eventually the Dark Gods would come to claim the Underground, with or without the Drow. None argued when Phiott mandated the conscription of all "fighting age" men and women in the Kingdom.

In 21 WR, the Tasnicans and Eblanese came to Bazzakrak seeking alliance with the Dwarves. King Phiott welcomed them warmly, and joined with the growing ranks of the allies who were fighting against the Dark Gods. In 24 WR, King Phiott signed the Grand Army Charter as one of its founding signatories. It is somewhat significant to note that Phiott is the only founding signatory who is still in power today. Emboldened by his newfound allies, King Phiott would contribute a portion of the Hearthguard's Tank Corps to the Grand Army. From these, the King Leo Tank would be built, and would form the backbone of Grand Army armored offense for the rest of the war.

When the Great War was won, Phiott closed the borders to his realm and the Dwarves withdrew once again. Phiott rarely attended House of Lords meetings, and has only once bothered to send a delegation to the Alliance Congress. He is currently in talks with the Eblanese to re-establish their alliance -- which has immediately put some residents of the Kingdom on edge, since the King seems willing to deal with outsiders only when he expects the Kingdom will be in danger soon.

Unusual for Dwarves is the public speculation in the Underground regarding the King's personal life. When the Sylph Realm was last evacuated during the Great War, the Sylvan Princess Juno relocated the offices of her government to Bazzakrak. The gossip has it that the King and the Princess shared a little more than just office space during the war -- an unheard of proposition among the staunchly conservative elements of Dwarven society -- and that his continued (and forbidden!) affection for the Sylph is the reason why he has still not taken a wife and produced an heir.