Varn Daruhm
Ah yes, the Dwarven Ironworks, that was a fantastic find. We've only recently managed to really excavate and learn more about it, would have happened a lot sooner but when that....... unpleasantness happened to the royal court in Highsummit..... Well enough about that, some good did come the whole crisis because group of adventurers literally stumbled into one of the greatest finds of the century. So much lost knowledge was reclaimed.
-Head archivist of Grand Museum of Bralor, recounting the events of Kingdom on the Brink - Session 17
-Head archivist of Grand Museum of Bralor, recounting the events of Kingdom on the Brink - Session 17
History
This Dwarvish settlement was founded during the Duskstone dynasty, Dwarvish surveyors were charged by the reigning lord to secure more ore deposits. After crossing the torrential sea and into the Crestbalt Basin the Dwarves made landfall and journeyed inland, finding a natural opening into the underground they found a magnificent sight, wide open caverns filled with ore and multiple lava flows that rivaled anything that was back home. The Dwarves quickly set up a mining post and started to send barges back and on each return trip more equipment and workers returned, this caught the attention of Pregalon as the post was technically within their sphere of influence. After a tense year filled with skirmishes, deception, and espionage, the two factions came to an agreement. The Dwarves started build workshops and forges around the mine entrance and the site became known for some of the best artisans in the region.
While there is much to be recovered, two journals were recovered by an adventuring group that did much to shed light on the past. One journal was from before The Great Fire, one not too long after.
Doustrolir Runestone Journal
A delegation from Pregalon arrived, they wanted our help, they wanted to make a gift worthy of the gods. I was taken back by such a request, I asked what they had in mind, so they told me. I didn’t believe them, so they showed me their designs. I have to hand it to them, they were ambitious, to say the least. I gave the drawings to my master forger to look over. These people are fools! Can’t they see the folly they will bring if they continue with this plan!? I thought maybe they meant to make a detailed scale model when they first proposed such a thing but Braneg tells me they want to make a whole bloody moon and then raise it to Darress himself. I’m told by my advisors it’s technically possible, and on paper it looks feasible, the risk is too great to help with such an undertaking. I will warn them that they should abandon this endeavor, they risk offending the divine. Fire and brimstone descend from the skies will last for days, if not weeks. I told the Pregalons it was foolhardy, but they didn’t listen, now their pride will damn us all. To think mortals could craft something worthy of the divine. We’re being sent underground, it isn’t safe on the surface. (End entries)
Sometime between these two journals the great forges were made, we have yet to put an exact date on it.
The journal of Welmec Deepbane We are truly an unlucky lot, just as we start to pull ourselves out of the brimstone these outsiders appear. Us and the Elves seem to be the only ones organized enough to resist. We’ve been ordered to push the forge capacity as far as we can to repel this new threat. We’re experimenting with artificial labor, literal metal workers. We’ve spoken with the Elves and it seems they might have a more eloquent solution to our worker shortage. Apparently there’s a way to bind spirits into various forms, in our case “fire”, these spirits are known as elementals and they have no memory of their past lives when bound. It sounds crazy to me but maybe the mighty Darress imparted more on them then just their dragon eyes. We’ve done it! Between these constructs and the elemetals we’ve managed to flood our ranks with the finest equipment. The outsiders have been beaten back and their Nexus has been destroyed, we can turn our attention to other projects. I’ve been approached by group of some odd fellows, a ragtag lot of Humans, Tieflings, some elves (Didn’t think the humans were done cowering after The Great Fire). They want some ornaments made, little more then trinkets, but they are willing to pay well. They also show great interest in the forge, as well as the constructs and elementals. The crews have started to notice something odd with the elementals, not where they’re supposed to be or sluggish in work duties. Some of the constructs have also started to malfunction, a few workers have gotten injured because of it. (In shakier handwriting)
The constructs and elementals have broken away from our control, the forge is in ruins, I’ve sealed the vault so they can’t get to the artifacts. I’m afraid this will be the - (End entries)
While there is much to be recovered, two journals were recovered by an adventuring group that did much to shed light on the past. One journal was from before The Great Fire, one not too long after.
Doustrolir Runestone Journal
A delegation from Pregalon arrived, they wanted our help, they wanted to make a gift worthy of the gods. I was taken back by such a request, I asked what they had in mind, so they told me. I didn’t believe them, so they showed me their designs. I have to hand it to them, they were ambitious, to say the least. I gave the drawings to my master forger to look over. These people are fools! Can’t they see the folly they will bring if they continue with this plan!? I thought maybe they meant to make a detailed scale model when they first proposed such a thing but Braneg tells me they want to make a whole bloody moon and then raise it to Darress himself. I’m told by my advisors it’s technically possible, and on paper it looks feasible, the risk is too great to help with such an undertaking. I will warn them that they should abandon this endeavor, they risk offending the divine. Fire and brimstone descend from the skies will last for days, if not weeks. I told the Pregalons it was foolhardy, but they didn’t listen, now their pride will damn us all. To think mortals could craft something worthy of the divine. We’re being sent underground, it isn’t safe on the surface. (End entries)
Sometime between these two journals the great forges were made, we have yet to put an exact date on it.
The journal of Welmec Deepbane We are truly an unlucky lot, just as we start to pull ourselves out of the brimstone these outsiders appear. Us and the Elves seem to be the only ones organized enough to resist. We’ve been ordered to push the forge capacity as far as we can to repel this new threat. We’re experimenting with artificial labor, literal metal workers. We’ve spoken with the Elves and it seems they might have a more eloquent solution to our worker shortage. Apparently there’s a way to bind spirits into various forms, in our case “fire”, these spirits are known as elementals and they have no memory of their past lives when bound. It sounds crazy to me but maybe the mighty Darress imparted more on them then just their dragon eyes. We’ve done it! Between these constructs and the elemetals we’ve managed to flood our ranks with the finest equipment. The outsiders have been beaten back and their Nexus has been destroyed, we can turn our attention to other projects. I’ve been approached by group of some odd fellows, a ragtag lot of Humans, Tieflings, some elves (Didn’t think the humans were done cowering after The Great Fire). They want some ornaments made, little more then trinkets, but they are willing to pay well. They also show great interest in the forge, as well as the constructs and elementals. The crews have started to notice something odd with the elementals, not where they’re supposed to be or sluggish in work duties. Some of the constructs have also started to malfunction, a few workers have gotten injured because of it. (In shakier handwriting)
The constructs and elementals have broken away from our control, the forge is in ruins, I’ve sealed the vault so they can’t get to the artifacts. I’m afraid this will be the - (End entries)
RUINED SETTLEMENT
between 0-200 AGF
Founding Date
sometime before 0 AGF
Alternative Name(s)
The lost dwarven Ironworks
Type
Underground / Vault
Location under
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