SINZA

The “forbidden island of the dwarves.” Birthplace of Overkill and his family.

Overkill’s cousin Minischmee informs him that there is a Pyramid of Osiris being raised here in his letter Captured! It, in typical Palladium fashion, is called the Pyramid at Sinza.

Sinza, home of the Redbeard Clan of the Dwarves was not always the home of the clan. One time, long ago the isle was exactly described as it is in maps and tales and the dwarves were among their fellow Bizantium citizens.

When Bizantium was first built it was a colony of Western Empire; an island city. The lords of Bizantium had some of the finest craftsman (dwarves of course) at their disposal. The two people thrived and built a naval city that The Western Empire would be proud of. With this new city the Empire would have access to trade routes of the Northern Hinterlands and sell products and services. Life was good for the people and they were happy. It was at this time that a stranger came called “The Shadow”. A questionable man (or was she a woman?) who stirred contention. Whether by magic or by being something else the Shadow weaved distrust. Some say that it was for the Chaos gods or it was the work of the Wolfen. Time will never tell.
In the course of a small time the Shadow had stirred such enmity that a civil war broke out and within five months the city threatened to tear itself apart. The dwarves had an underground city. Catacombs that spidered under the city in a labyrinth common to the dwarves. The dwarves became famous for the strike teams that used their dwarven craftsmanship to strike a strong blow to the humans. Bloodshed was almost daily.

The city was going to tear itself apart and several months passed with the reign of kings needed to keep leadership. Non-humans were banished from the city and the Shadow was being hunted. Dwarves had left the island as there was now was in some of the other islands and other non-humans had left. The Western Empire was upset that Bizantium had a king now who had seceeded from the mother country and was taking no embassies from the Empire. Xenophobia and the fear of Changelings was running rampant. A witch hunt for the like whittled the dwarven and human numbers to a quarter their size. Dwarven craftsmanship was impressive and one of the greatest sea battles ensued between the the two. Alas the humans with their stone ships were the victor and to the victor goes the spoils. The dwarves surrendered and were banished to the most inhospitable island of Bizantium. Their ships confiscated, they turned to what they did best a catacomb of their new home.

Mining was natural and time healed the wounds that almost claimed the island nation. The banished watched as the humans took their creation and made it their own. Diplomacy was rough as Bizantium now considered dwarves second class citizens but with time and outer threats the two races slowly began to trust each other. About a hundred years ago Bizantium started allowing the dwarves to sail the islands and join their navy. Most dwarves stuck to fishing and defending their country against such people as Jason the pirate and marauders that plundered the islands. It wasn’t until Overkill’s uncle that the dwarves of the Redbeard tribe celebrity really took off.

Sinza still looks like a barren land with wild life but the city under the crust of the island is a thriving one that the humans seldom visit. With the temple now in production, visitors have attempted to visit to see the dwarves at work and the new marvel of craftsmanship that will finish in a few months. Bizantium is secretly proud of the work and is making the protection of the island a secret but the pilgrims are making that a bit tough. Who knows how long the underground temple will remain a secret?

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