The Fallen Kingdom

This now-vanished realm was a short- lived effort to stem the demi-human decline in the North by uniting elves and dwarves and humans in a commonly-held land. The kingdom was smashed by the repeated attacks of vast orc hordes, although the slaughter done to the orcs drove them back north for generations.
The Fallen Kingdom had many names; The real one has been lost with the passage of time, mixed up with the names of the Kingdom’s various districts (such as The Elder Grove, Delimbiyran, and Thaltekhth). The term ”Fallen Kingdom” today refers to the rolling wilderlands due west of Talgard, although this was only the northwestern end of the long-ago united realm.
When founded (at the famous Council of Axe and Arrow in The Laughing Hollow), the Kingdom had Three Kings at once: an elven King, Ruardh Lightshiver; a dwarven King, Torghatar blood of Bharaun; and a human King, Javilarhh “the Dark” Snowsword. It also had two Dukes, a gnome and a halfling: Ulbrent Handstone and Corcytar Huntinghorn, respectively.
All three of the original Kings perished in battle, as did two elven successors. Finally, at the collapse, the dwarven replacement, Oskilar son of Fauril died, as well. The two Dukes survived the collapse of the kingdom, and led their peoples in battle in the area for many more years.
The Fallen Kingdom collapsed when most of the elves gave up the endless warring (which sickened them), and took ship westwards to the realm established ages before by the most farsighted of the elves, Forgotten Lands. There were too few dwarves left to continue open warfare with the endless orcs; they retreated to more southerly holds, or to human cities.
The humans had grown ever more numerous over time. They had outgrown, in fact, any need for an alliance with other peoples. When their demi-human partners left, the humans continued to hold the land, inviting displaced halflings from the south lands to settle, and bolster the weakened strength of commerce and settled civilization in the area.
In this, the humans of Talgard were aided by a small group of moon elves, who lingered on for another age in The Elder Grove forest. These elves believed working with humans, particularly adventurers to respect and guard the land together. It is thought that the Key Holders began under their guidance.
The borders of the Fallen Kingdom, when it was first formed, are known to have been as follows: to north the kingdom reached the Whispering Steppes, to the west the Far Sea, to the east the Elder Spring and to the south the Veiled Sea.
There it turned westwards to the sea, to the Seatower of Ilinyth. Before this fortress was blasted to rubble by fell magic, it served as a watch tower seawards, and as a base for mounted patrols defending the Kingdom against troll and bugbear attacks in the area. It also allowed elves to quietly take ship there by night, flying by magical means down the rugged cliff to board vessels that then slipped away towards, Forgotten Lands. It is thought that over 7,000 elves slipped away from the faltering Kingdom before its fall in this way, leaving the bloodshed and tumult of Gendos behind.
Legend says the reason why they three races choose this area for their kingdom was because of a small island in the Titan Sea. It is said that on this island all the gods of good and evil gathered and made the laws that would govern the world. Each one touched the ground, blessing it with their power. The ruins of a temple still can be found on the island and most sailors will avoid the island at all cost. Saying that strange lights can be seen floating over the island.
There is another old legend attached to the Kingdom that still seems active today: the tale of the Ghost Dwarves. The ghosts of its first dwarven king and his bodyguard are said to still roam the lands. They were ambushed and slain by hired duergar in the heart of the kingdom while on their way to answer a (false) call for aid. The dwarves are said to still ride to aid those in need near the Streams of Aria, from its mouth as far north as Irraz.
The Ghost Dwarves appear as shining white translucent figures in plate armor, on horseback and armed with great two-handed war axes as long as spears. They strike silently but viciously at orc-kin and other evil creatures only, and the bite of their phantom weapons visits the effects of magical fear and repulsion on their targets. Many travelers swear that the Ghost Dwarves have come to their aid, when they were attacked by ghouls, brigands, or goblin- kin raiders near the Streams of Aria.
The Sign of the Realm was a circle, usually inlaid with white quartz or marble chips, around three side-on spired crowns. It can still be found on toppled, overgrown way-markers around the edges of the Free Marches, but only by those who seek them out; bugbears and goblinkin raiders seem to hate the Sign, and always tear down markers that bear it.
The House of Stone: North of the marches bordering the Krownvale Wildlands, rises a huge square tower. It has come to be known as .The House of Stone after an old (human) children’s rhyme: An elf calls the deepest wood his own A human everywhere may roam But a dwarf just wants a house of stone.
The fortress was built a thousand years ago by dwarves under Turgo Ironfist, a huge citadel to help defend the shared human, dwarven, and elven kingdom against attacking tribes of orcs, hobgoblins, bugbears, and trolls. The dwarves excavated huge, many-levelled storage granaries out of the rock, and over them built a fortress cunningly crafted of fitted stone.
In old tales, the House of Stone is said to have many hidden doors, sliding rooms, and chambers that rise or fall in shafts like buckets in a well. It also is said to have dangerous traps designed to capture intruders. Rumors persist of rich treasures, such as entire rooms full of gleaming gold coins, and closets crammed with gems mined by dwarves who were dust long ago, all over the north when the mountains were still young. Most importantly, an armory for the defense of the kingdom is said to have been collected here, including weapons of powerful magic crafted by the elves and by the mighty smiths of the dwarves of long ago.
Until they vanished recently (presumably gone to the Forgotten Lands), the moon elves of the Elder Grove guarded the House of Stone closely, letting no one near it. Several adventuring groups have set out from Talgard to explore it in the last three summers, but none have yet returned.
The famous bard Mintiper Moonsilver was allowed to see the House of Stone some years ago by Eroan, archmage of the elves of the Elder Grove. He reported to the Lords of Wesmore that its gates were open.
A hill giant had forced them apart some months before my visit, he said, for its huge corpse hung just beyond, impaled on a massive, ram-like stone claw the length of a warship that had sprung out into the space beyond the doors. The elves just smiled when I asked if the place was full of such traps, and said it was best to assume so from safely without its walls.
It seems unlikely that later visitors will bear Mintipers report in mind; even now, talk in the Kingdom of Wesmore holds that several bands of adventurers are equipping themselves in the city for assaults on the Citadel’s fabled defenses, despite others recent failures.