Dwarfs don’t forget. They don't forgive, either. If you’ve spent any time playing Total War: Warhammer or painting tiny lead figures from the 80s, you know the Great Book of Grudges isn't just a prop. It’s the literal soul of the Karaz Ankor. Known in the Khazalid tongue as the Dammaz Kron, this massive, iron-bound tome sits in the capital of Karaz-a-Karak, and honestly, it’s a terrifying document of every slight, insult, and act of genocide ever committed against the Dwarf race.
It’s huge. It’s heavy. It’s written in the blood of High Kings.
Most fantasy tropes give you "grumpy blacksmith" Dwarfs who like ale. Games Workshop took that and dialed it to eleven. They created a culture where holding a grudge isn't a personality flaw—it’s a legal requirement. You haven't really experienced Warhammer until you’ve seen a Dwarf Lord refuse to leave the battlefield because some goblin stole a goat three hundred years ago and the debt hasn't been paid in blood yet.
What Actually Is the Dammaz Kron?
The Great Book of Grudges is the ultimate ledger. Think of it as a cosmic balance sheet, but instead of gold, the currency is vengeance. Every time an enemy breaks a treaty, steals a territory, or even just makes a rude comment about a Dwarf’s beard length, it gets recorded. The current High King, Thorgrim Grudgebearer, carries this thing around like a heavy burden. Literally. He has four burly Dwarfs carry him on a throne just so he can read the book during a fight.
It’s not the only one. Every clan has its own book. Every hold has one. But the Dammaz Kron is the big one. It’s the master list.
Writing in it is a ritual. When a grudge is settled, the King doesn't erase it. That would be too easy. Instead, they write over the entry using purple ink to signify the debt is paid. But the original text stays there. You can still read about the time the Elves chopped off the hair of Dwarf ambassadors—an event that started the "War of the Beard" (or the War of Vengeance, depending on who you ask). That scar stays on the page forever. It’s a permanent record of what was lost.
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Why the Great Book of Grudges Rules the Meta
If you’re playing the Dwarf factions in Total War: Warhammer III, the Great Book of Grudges is a core mechanic that can either make you a powerhouse or ruin your campaign. It isn't just flavor text. It’s a ticking clock.
As you play, the AI will inevitably do things that annoy you. They’ll raid your province. They’ll sack a minor settlement while your main army is away. In most strategy games, you just get annoyed. In this one, those actions generate entries in the book. If you let those grudges sit there for too long, your public order starts to tank. Your own people start looking at you like you’re weak. "Why hasn't the King killed those Orcs yet?" they ask in the taverns.
High severity grudges offer massive rewards if you settle them, like summoning the "Slayer Pirates" or getting legendary heroes. But if the book gets too full? Your "Grudge Severity" meter hits the red. Suddenly, your units cost more, and your diplomatic standing with other Dwarf factions drops. It forces you to play aggressively. You can’t just sit in your mountain fortress and bake bread. You have to go out and settle the score.
The Famous Grudges That Changed Everything
You’ve gotta understand the scale of these beefs. We aren't talking about "he took my parking spot." We’re talking about world-altering events.
Take the War of Vengeance. This is the big one. Long ago, the Dwarfs and High Elves were actually buddies. They traded. they fought together. Then, the Dark Elves (the edgy cousins) dressed up as High Elves and attacked a Dwarf caravan. High King Gotrek Starbreaker sent ambassadors to Ulthuan to ask for an explanation. The High Elf King, Phoenix King Caledor II, was an arrogant jerk. He had the Dwarf ambassadors’ beards shaved off and sent them home.
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Bad move.
That single act of beard-shaving led to a war that lasted centuries. It broke both empires. The Dwarfs eventually won—they killed Caledor and took his crown—but they were so weakened that their mountain homes fell to Orcs and Skaven shortly after. All because of one entry in the Great Book of Grudges. Was it worth it? To a Dwarf, the answer is always "Yes."
How the Mechanics Actually Work in 2026
The game has evolved. Originally, the grudge system was a bit of a nuisance. Now, it’s a dynamic "Grudge Reckoning" system. Every 10 turns, the book "tallies" your progress. If you’ve been a busy little avenger, you get buffs to your research speed and unit experience. You can even unlock "Grudge Settler" units—these are elite versions of standard troops that represent clans coming out of retirement to help you cross names off the list.
It creates this weird, beautiful gameplay loop:
- An enemy breathes in your direction.
- The UI pops up with a satisfying thud sound.
- You realize you have to march across the map to kill a specific goblin.
- You do it.
- The satisfaction of seeing that purple text "Settle Grudge" is better than any loot.
Beyond the Screen: The Lore Nuance
People often think Dwarfs are just stubborn. That’s a simplification. The Great Book of Grudges represents their grief. Dwarfs live a long time, and their civilization is slowly dying. They remember the "Golden Age" when they owned every mountain in the Old World. Now, they are surrounded. The book is their way of holding onto their history. If they stop recording the grudges, they’re admitting that the things they lost don't matter anymore.
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And they will never admit that.
There’s a story about a Dwarf who spent his whole life hunting a dragon because it stepped on his father’s smithy. The smithy was empty at the time. No one died. But the craftsmanship was insulted. That’s the level of petty we’re dealing with here. It’s magnificent.
Dealing With the Grudges: A Strategy
If you're jumping into a campaign, don't ignore the book. Seriously.
- Prioritize Proximity: Don't chase a grudge across the world if there's a fresh one in your backyard.
- Use the Rewards: The units you get from the Grudge Settler pool are often your only way to get high-tier units early in the game.
- Watch the Meter: If you’re at 100% severity, your economy will start to bleed. Settle one big grudge to bring the "heat" down.
- Legendary Lords: Characters like Malakai Makaisson have even more specific grudge mechanics involving "Adventures." Use these to stack bonuses.
Basically, treat the book like your grocery list, but the groceries are the heads of your enemies.
Actionable Insights for the Grudge-Bound
If you’re a lore nerd or a gamer looking to master the Dwarf experience, here is how you handle the legacy of the Dammaz Kron:
- Read the Flavor Text: In Total War, every grudge has a little story. Reading them makes the campaign feel less like a math problem and more like a revenge epic.
- Target the Leaders: Often, a grudge is tied to a specific character. Killing that Lord usually settles multiple entries at once.
- Know Your History: If you want to dive deeper, look for the Grudgelore book published by Black Library. It’s out of print but you can find PDFs or used copies. It’s written as an in-universe document and it’s some of the best world-building Games Workshop has ever done.
- Don't Overextend: The book wants you to kill everyone. Your gold reserves say otherwise. Balance your vengeance with a bit of "Dwarf pragmatism."
The Great Book of Grudges is more than just a list of complaints. It’s the driving force of an entire race. It’s a reminder that in a world of Chaos gods and literal demons, sometimes the most dangerous thing is a short guy with a long memory and a very sharp axe. Next time you see a Dwarf in Warhammer, just remember: they probably have a page reserved for you. Don't give them a reason to pick up the pen.