Kraka Drak, which means "Dragon Hold" in Khazalid, was a Dwarf Hold and the former capital of the Norse Dwarfs of Norsca and their last Great King Silverbeard. Kraka Drak was completely destroyed during the War in the Mountains (2302-2390 IC) by the Chaos hordes commanded by Valmir Aesling, who spent ninety years slaughtering the Dwarfs in the hold that they were trapped in by an avalanche engineered by the Great King Silverbeard.[2a][3a] Kraka Drak was later resettled by Norse Dwarf refugees, who hope to clear the halls and rebuild the hold back to its former glory.[6a]
Before the Great War Against Chaos, Kraka Drak was the largest and wealthiest of the Norse Dwarf Holds. Kraka Drak sat on the largest iron, silver, and sapphire deposits in Norsca. The nearby coast is also blessed with an abundance of amber. The small harbour at Sjoktraken on Draksfjord gave easy access to the Sea of Claws via Ungruvalk.[1a]
Kraka Drak was raided by Ikit Claw, the chief Warlock-Engineer of the Skaven Clan Skryre, who sought Dwarf engineers to enslave.[5a]
Notable Kraka Drak Dwarfs[]
- Silverbeard - Silverbeard was the previous Great King of the Norse Dwarfs, killed in 2302 IC[3a] by an avalanche designed to seal off Kraka Drak from the invading army of Valmir Aesling at the end of the Battle of Icicle Pass. Unfortunately, the Warriors of Chaos were already inside the hold, and spent nine decades[3a] slaughtering the surviving Norse Dwarfs within.[2a]
- Thorgard Cromson - Cromson is the current Great King of the Norse Dwarfs and king of Kraka Drak. [1a] He exchanged rings of kinship with High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer after his crowning[4b] in 2304 IC.[4a]
- Sifna Throrindottir - Throrindottir is the current queen of Kraka Drak. [1a]
Canon Conflict[]
Both the Great War Against Chaos and the Battle of Icicle Pass took place in 2302 IC. It appears unlikely that Kraka Drak managed to send an army to help save Kislev and then go on to reestablish ties with the rest of the Karaz Ankor[4a][4b] while being under a decades-long underground siege by Valmir Aesling.[2a][3a]
Kraka Drak is listed as an active Dwarf Hold on the map of the Karaz Ankor in the Dwarfs' 8th Edition armybook despite its destruction being mentioned in the 8th Edition Warriors of Chaos armybook. This could potentially mean that it was retaken by the Norse Dwarfs at some point after the war with Valmir Aesling or it could have been a continuity mistake on the part of Games Workshop. This conflict was later resolved by the 4th Edition Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay supplement Sea of Claws, which stated that Kraka Drak had been resettled by Norse Dwarf refugees from elsewhere in Norsca.
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition: Stone and Steel (RPG)
- 1a: pg. 42
- 2: Warhammer Armies: Warriors of Chaos (7th Edition)
- 2a: pp. 32-33
- 3: Warhammer Armies: Warriors of Chaos (8th Edition)
- 3a: pg. 15
- 4: Warhammer Armies: Dwarfs (8th Edition)
- 5: Warhammer Chronicles: Thanquol and Boneripper (Anthology), Thanquol's Doom (Novel) by C.L. Werner
- 5a: Ch. 11, pg. 599
- 6: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Sea of Claws (RPG)
- 6a: pg. 40