Einherjar

There are few Dwarven weapons as hallowed or awe-inspiring as the Einherjar: half sarcophagus, half siege engine. These war machines, constructed out of ancient and incredibly advanced technology, are piloted by Dwarves on the brink of death. No longer able to feel pain and decked out in heavy armor and armament, the Einherjar are sent to dispatch the Dwarves’ greatest threats… whenever they’re not hibernating, of course.

The method of making Einherjar was lost with the birth of the Great Maw, and the centuries since have only seen their numbers dwindle slowly. The greatest Dwarven smiths can maintain the outer armor and weaponry, but the neural harness that connects Dwarf and machine is irreplaceable and irreparable. This rarity is the reason that the Einherjar are treated with almost religious reverence as heirlooms, status symbols, and signifiers of military might. One Einherjar would indicate that a Dwarven stronghold is powerful and prosperous, two would make it fabulously wealthy and strong, and only the most mighty and affluent fortresses, akin to empires in their own right, have three at their disposal.

And it isn’t all for show either. An Einherjar in the right place and time can turn the tide of a battle or even a war. The armor, bedecked with magic runes and in some places several inches thick, can withstand firebolts, blows from minotaurs, and even cannonballs! Admittedly, the Einherjar’s original armaments no longer work; the lightning coils and blades of coherent light that they were found with are unpowered now, and too advanced to recharge. Still, the replacements that their attending Dwarves have whipped up is nothing to scoff at. Now they are armed with axes the size of small trees, dragon-headed flamethrowers, and volley guns that can scythe through a contingent of enemy knights like butter.

To be placed in an Einherjar is both a great honor and a terrible burden. The piloting Dwarves describe the experience as endless darkness and numbing cold, which is why many are adorned with enormous fur cloaks as a symbolic effort to alleviate their great pain. With the critical state that the pilots are in, prolonged use of the Einherjar leads to hallucination, cognitive decline, and even death. This is why they spend 99% of their time under a deep hibernation, lest the toll of half-life drive them into a violent, mindless rage.