Today, we journey beneath the mountains of Krynn, into the ancient halls of Thorbardin, to tell the story of the dwarf who reunited a broken people—Glade Hornfel Kytil, Thane of the Hylar, and the first King of Thorbardin since the Cataclysm. Buy Dwarven Kingdoms of Krynn: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/16962/dwarven-kingdoms-of-krynn-2e?affiliate_id=50797 https://youtu.be/oQQ6o7em540 Transcript Cold Open He was not born a king. He ruled a kingdom that did not yet believe in kings. And when the world above called for aid, he answered—even if it meant marching into legend, and never returning. Intro Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam, and today I’m going to talk about the life of Thorbardins King, Glade Hornfel Kytil. I’d like to take a moment and thank the DLSaga members and Patreon patrons, and invite you to consider becoming a member or patron–you can even pick up Dragonlance media or get $10 by signing up to StartPlaying.Games using my affiliate links. I’m referencing DL4 Dragons of Desolation, War of the Lance Sourcebook, Chronicles, Lost Chronicles, Stormblade and The Last Thane for this information. If I leave anything out or misspeak, please leave a comment below. Discussion Very little is known about the early life of Glade Hornfel Kytil. His parentage is unrecorded in the histories of Thorbardin, an unusual omission in a culture that prizes ancestry and clan lineage above almost all else. What is known is that he was Hylar, and that he rose not through blood alone, but through merit, resolve, and an unyielding sense of duty. One of the few recorded family connections is his cousin, Baker Whitegranite, a dwarf he trusted deeply—so deeply, in fact, that Baker would one day be left in charge of Thorbardin itself. Even in his early years, Hornfel distinguished himself as a warrior and leader, personally leading Hylar troops against riots instigated by the Theiwar and Daergar clans. These were not symbolic actions—he fought in the tunnels, weapon in hand, earning the scars that would later mark his arms as a badge of hard-won authority. Unlike many of his fellow thanes, Glade Hornfel believed that dwarven isolation was a slow death sentence. Since the Cataclysm, Thorbardin had turned inward, sealing itself away from the world above. To Hornfel, this was not preservation—it was stagnation. Time and again, he argued before the Council of Thanes that the dwarves must rejoin the world, reopening trade and forging alliances beyond their mountain halls. These efforts met fierce resistance. Only through cooperation with Gneiss Truesilver, Thane of the Daewar, did any trade at all manage to resume. Hornfel knew the danger. He feared that pushing too hard, too fast, would ignite a civil war that Thorbardin could not survive. And so he walked a careful path—pressing forward, but never recklessly. One of the clearest signs of Hornfel’s open-mindedness came with the arrival of a human named Jordy, known among the dwarves simply as Piper. In a kingdom deeply suspicious of outsiders, Hornfel gave his word for the man’s safety. Among dwarves, a sworn word carries immense weight. By staking his honor on a human, Hornfel demonstrated not only his belief in cooperation, but his confidence in his own judgment of character—a trait for which he was widely respected. When the War of the Lance reached Thorbardin, Glade Hornfel ruled as Thane of the Hylar and presided over the Council of Thanes. During this time, a kingsword named Stormblade was forged for him by Isarn Hammerfell and his apprentice, Stanach Hammerfell—a weapon meant to symbolize unity and rightful rule. But Stormblade’s story became a tragedy. The sword was stolen, lost in the wilderness beyond Thorbardin, recovered, returned… and then stolen again—this time by Realgar, a derro agent secretly serving Verminaard. When Hornfel confronted Realgar, the dispute ended not with words, but with violence. The two fought, and Realgar fell to his death—plummeting into the depths, taking his ambitions with him. Despite his authority, Hornfel understood that Thorbardin would never truly unite until a symbol greater than any sword was restored: the Hammer of Kharas. When the Heroes of the Lance arrived seeking shelter, Hornfel struck a bargain. In exchange for sanctuary, they would recover the Hammer. They succeeded. Before a massive assembly of dwarves—Hylar, Daewar, Theiwar, and Daergar alike—the Hammer of Kharas was presented to Glade Hornfel Kytil. In that moment, centuries of division ended. He was crowned King of Thorbardin, the first since the Cataclysm. Not by conquest. Not by bloodline. But by unity. When Chaos invaded Krynn, Glade Hornfel did not remain behind his walls. True to his belief that dwarves were part of the world—not apart from it—he led an army of Hylar warriors to fight in the Chaos War. He left Thorbardin in the capable hands of Baker Whitegranite and marched to war ...
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Jan 20 20267 m