Deep beneath the crust of out world, beyond the great blue seal and the fiery tomb, lies a place of destruction and horror. Dwarves fear this place, for they know the evil that lurks beneath the world, even while the humans and elves remain oblivious to the danger. Beneath the earth is a realm of unspeakable horrors, where terror and death rule supreme over all else. To the dwarves, this is the final hell.
Legend tells that the greatest warriors of Steelhold were struck down in a valiant attempt to purge hell. Few believe the old stories any more, but those who do view it as a cautionary tale: even the greatest of heroes can succumb to the darkness. Even the noblest of warriors can falter.
What the legends forget is that hell does not simply exist beneath the earth. The powers behind hell, far more powerful than any mere demon, plot the downfall of the gods and the destruction of dwarven civilization. For the dwarves, created of the blood of Armok himself, represent the greatest challenge to they and their progeny, and it is for this that they wish them dead. These powers can extend their reach past the great blue seal, twisting the minds of the angry, the confused, the grieving. And yet Armok does not come to aid us, does not fight these powers in their own game. For Armok cares little for his progeny, for he considers them weak and expendable.
This is why, my brothers and sisters, we must submit to the darkness below, for in them we can find true power. In them, we can strike back against our traitorous creator who leaves us here to die. In them, we shall know peace once more.
Excerpt from the Codex Arcana