Difference between revisions of "The Scab"

Revision as of 14:37, 12 August 2010

The Scab is a mountain range full of natural wonders. Volcanoes launch lava into the air. Geysers, mud pots, and hot springs abound. Yet within these powerful forces of nature are The Old Ones, ancient immortal creatures who are one with the feature they inhabit. Ruled over by Fhorge, The Old Ones were imprisoned as guardians of the passes until recently.

The Scab is also home to the Dwarven Clans. Struggling against nature, themselves, and their shame, they try to forge ahead in these difficult times. Partnered somewhat with The Dwarves are many gnomish farmer and trader clans that use illusion and bravery to work the stubborn but rich soil of the region. Giants also abound lead by the Fire Giants, bound to Fhorge. Add Dragons and a valley full of insects and you have a very volatile mix of life, power, and struggle for survival.

Welcome to The Scab!

Legends of The Scab

Origin of The Scab's Name

After the 3rd age, when the interior of the continent of Yrth was forbidden by the gods to all of the Noble Races, the mountains of Dordak [which means Red Mine] were lifted by the gods as a barrier. Volcanoes raged as the Gods appointed The Old Ones [which the Dwarves call Demons] to guard the passes. As these forces rages, layer upon layer of igneous rock, rained upon the mountains. In effect, the mountains looked patched by new igneous rock. Humans in the area started calling the abondoned mountains The Scab for its appearance at the time. The name stuck as it pained to dwarves to use the old name for their beloved mountains, which were beloved no more.

Dwarven History

1st Age:

During the First Age of the wold, the Dwarves did not get involved with the Godwar and shunned the Fae. They delved, built, and developed the dwarven society under the Elennian Plateaus thousands of miles from the elves or humans.

They discovered great riches then in a mountain chain to the north, which they named Dordak. These mountains were very active with volcanoes, bubbling pools, hot springs and boiling mud pits. The effect was that once something was mined out, the mountains tended to rejuvenate themselves and within a few centures, new minerals would form in the area ready to mine. Great mines would be stripped only to be opened again a generation later.

So the Dwarves lived isolated, prospering during the 1st age. They had very little contact with the Gods of Yore. They were not dependant on worship for their power, nor were the first gods tasked with any responsibilities towards the Mortal Races of The Wold, for the Gods of Yore were tasked with protecting the Wold from without..

2nd Age:

During the second age, trade found the dwarves and they found it. The elves wanted mithril. The humans wanted gold, steel, and magical weapons. Both elves and man started civilizations on the Elennian Peninsula crowding things somewhat. The Sacred Mountains of Dordak had to be shared. The Teucri, an alien race, arrived and claimed the surface of the plateaus, living above the Dwarves, and claiming it as their own.

The Dwarves didn’t play well with others. Our mountain. Our land. They were lessened because their borders became limited. They continued to live under the plateaus, but mined the nearby Dordak mountains.

Issues become complicated and the Dwarven Clans disagreed and split into Duergar, Black, and the Fist Clans (formerly known as the red dwarves from a tendency for their Kings to have red hair.)

The City of Durendal was founded so that the Fist Clan could be closer to the mines to guard them from the other two clans.

3rd Age:

The dwarves further dishonor themselves causing Domi to remove his blessing from them. He also removes his gifts: The Icons of Courage: hammer, anvil, and forge. Dwarves scatter to the niches and corners of the Wold trying to achieve separately what they could not do together.

The City of Durendal falls as the Fist Clan divided into Durendal's Clan and Turok's Clan. A few of Durendal's clan survive but do not rebuild the city. A remnant of Turok's Clan are banished to the edge of the Wold by Domi and survive to rebuild their honor and build the great Dwarven City of Turok Nor. But this is another tale.

4th Age:

The dwarves, left in the Continent of Yrth, continue their fall and find lose much of what is left of their culture to further division. Many dwarves begin to live among humans in the melting pot of what has become "The Noble Races." They are forgetting who they are and what they are about.

All except for a group that is berated by all, The Harbor Dwarves. They live and delve on a small island south of New Elenna. There, with the help of an adventuring group, they learn loyalty to clan again. As a reward, Domi gives them a clue to finding The Anvil. The Harbor Dwarves begin to discover and relearn their past and institute the "Old Ways." The Coming of Age Test is used and every dwarf of every age takes the test and passes it or dies. A vision is given to them to begin uniting the Fist Clans. This they do and a renewal begins. Four of the clans reunite in The Scab and begin working together. Domi gives them The Hammer with a direct appearance.

During the Year of Ascension, the dwarves fought bravely and many died. Then the discovery was made that vast numbers of Drow were massing below The Scab for an attack upon the surface. Again, with the help of adventurers, the passages under The Scab were collaped and the Drow massacred.

The Dwarves of The Scab showed themselves loyal and brave throughout the time called The Year of Ascension and were present at the end, when the final battle was fought between Domi and Marteaus at the Yoshirr House when the Wold perished.

5th Age (current day):

After the recreation of the Wold by the Creater, which the dwarves call The Forger or The Great Blacksmith, the dwarves found that The Forge had been restored to them by Domi. It is a golden age for the dwarves again. Cooperating with everyone in the "mixing pot" of the Noble Races, they remaining distinct and faithful to their own culture and thrive with the blessings of Domi.

Yet, the freed Demons now entertain worship as well and some dwarves are turning from Domi to something more substantially seen: The Fhorge.

Fhorge

The greatest of the Old Ones is a Power known as Fhorge. He is worshipped, loved, and feared by all inhabitants of The Scab. He is positioned in the deepest part of the mountains and in the old days served as a final defense point between Elenna and the Forbidden Lands. Unlike the fey spirits, however, Fhorge IS awakened mind of the volcano. He is still called one of the Old Ones, because he rules over them, but by type he is not.

Fhorge is the largest volcano in the mountain range and is always active. He is now tasked by the gods to act as a spiritual jailor for the creatures that were of such power that their destruction was not possible. Recently the Old Ones, called The Demons by some, have been able to reach through the barriers he had constructed due to the scabs contact with Culverwood. They seem to be learning how to break their bonds not through escape, but by becoming one with the prison, just as Fhorge is. It limits them to the region, but it is better than no power at all in their minds.

Fhorge seems to be benevolent, yet harsh on those who cross him. The Dwarves of the Scab appease him with worship and sacrifice and in return The Forge reveals veins of metals to the dwarves. The giants offer live sacrifices from their yearly raids of the Noble Races to Fhorge as well.

The Order of Fire

After Forge imprisoned the old ones beneath rock and fire, he was rewarded with several gifts from the gods, including an army of his own design. He forged a race as brutal, ruthless, and ferocious as he. Standing 12 feet tall with skin the color of molten lava, these creatures have been dubbed fire giants by the noble races and they serve as guardians of the ancient prisons. They view all those who "folly" through their land as trespassers looking to free those whose cages they tend.

The other giants(Hill, Stone, Mountain) are seen as lesser by the fire giants and are treated as subordinates.

Artisen Mor's Legend of The Old Ones

All craftsmen must practice and hone their craft before they have the skills to make great works of art, this rule too applies to the gods. It has been told that the noble races were created with, but a whim, but as a craftsman I have found this idea farfetched even for the gods. A creation as masterful as a dwarf would not be the result of a novice, but an experienced and keen artisan. It is this belief that has brought me here to the deep recesses of the Scab, called by an ancient voice. I have traversed dark and forgotten caves to this lake of fire where one of the old ones, as that is what I have come to call them, has told me the story of his creation and imprisonment within the stone and fire of this place.

He has no name, as he was never given one, but I have come to call him Morek after my Grandfather as that is how he first appeared to me. Morek explained to me that when The Wold was young, The Forger began to create things big and small. He wasn't exactly sure what he was attempting to create, as he had never created before. Thus he hammered the essence of existence and forged it into shapes of all sizes and designs. Those he found lacking, he reforged to create the next work. But some works could not be undone. One of those creations were the Old Ones.

As the Forger focused on his masterpieces, many of the Old Ones grew jealous and sought to destroy, or taint these works of art. The creator, unhappy with this interference, offered a reward to any who could take care of their problem, It was surprisingly one of the Old Ones who answered the call. Climbing to the tallest point of creation (as of that point in time) the traitor and his cohorts called forth the powers of the elements and sealed the old ones, good and evil, in prisons of stone and fire. This is how the area now known as the Scab was forged.

The gods rewarded the traitor with dominion over his prison, created the giants to serve his will, and granted him a name, Fhorge. When the 4th Age was born, these prisoners were given the task to guard the passes for a time. They were given some freedom to leave their prisons, but only to perform this task. They were promised that when their task was done, they would be rewarded.

Told by Dwarven Master Artisen Mor

Master Swordsmith Jarnor's Legend of The Old Ones

Long ago was the time of destruction. The Gods of Wold destroyed the Races of Nobility because they did not worship the gods nor respect them. Instead, the Noble Races, of the interior of the continent of Yrth, were exterminated. Thus the Forbidden Lands were named. The Gods pronounced that it would be death to enter the Forbidden Lands. Yet they know that the Noble Races would try, due to all the knowledge, ruins, and treasure that was hidden there.

The remnants, spared by the gods, lived in the unharmed areas at the edges of the continent. The largest of these areas was the Peninsula of Elenna. The Peninsula of Elenna was connected to the Forbidden Lands by a narrow strip of lands covered by mountains. These mountains are The Scab. They are also home to the Dwarves.

After the Third Cataclysm, the gods caused the mountains of The Scab to grow tall and to be geologically active with all manner of volcanoes, poison air vents, geysers, and earthquakes. This made the Dwarves tough as well as respectful of their homeland.

Then the Gods placed ancient Fey Guardians, known then as The Old Ones, within each major geographic feature and trapped them there. The Old Ones had opposed the Gods of Yore in the first age and had been placed into eternal sleep. The Old Ones were instructed to guard The Scab and destroy anyone that attempted to cross over into the Forbidden Lands to the east. When the Time of Suffering was at an end, they would finally earn their freedom and their time of incarceration for their misdeeds would end.

So they were placed inside their prisons: volcanoes, waterfalls, poison air vents, ancient trees, boiling mud pools and the Old Ones used the power of their prisons to prevent passage through the Scab.

They served their sentence during the 4th age and very few mortals found their way to the Forbidden Lands beyond. With the Year of Ascension and the recreation of The Wold, the Old Ones were released from their prisons, yet many decided to remain.

Many bear the name of the land feature they inhabit. They draw their strength from this feature and their power grows and wanes with the power of their habitation.

Notable Old Ones in The Scab include Mother Veolos, the master of Carrion Valley; Scald, who lives within a huge Hot Spring lake full of fountains; and The Forge, who resides within a massive volcano.

The dwarves call them Demons. And demons they may be. It is a hot topic of debate whenever dwarves and elves gather in friendship. The elves insist on their ancient title: The Fae.

Many dwarves love debating the origins and natures of The Old ones. Some say that these immortals ARE the features rather than INHABIT the features. There is also the issue of The Dark Fay Rising when Eberyon, the first creater, woke and threatened the newer creation of The Jericho. What indeed is the relationship of the Old Ones to Eberyon? Are they his servants? Are they now servants of The Gods of Wold?

Elven Legend of The Old Ones

The elves argue that Culverwood IS the Culverwood. The same is true of the traitor and leader of The Old Ones named Fhorge. He IS The Fhorge, at least according to Elven druids and historians. There are indeed many Fey Spirits, described in a similar manner as with The Old Ones, that simply woke up when Eberyon did and now serve various powers, Fey, or act as free spirits. The dwarves believe that there is a close relationship between Fhorge and Maab, who is called Queen of the Fey, Ruler of the Vales of Twilight in the center of the Lands of Rest. The gnomish farmers of The Scab believe there is an alliance between M and E of Ice Vein who are similar powers in the Southern Continent. They are the mountains they inhabit, just as Fhorge is indeed the volcano he inhabits.

Nermalkin's Legend of The Old Ones

The Gnomish Scholar Nermalkin believes that there is historical precedent that the Gods can and have imposed punishment upon M and E, similar as to how The Old Ones were imprisoned. He believes that these imprisonments led to the ONENESS that has occurred with both Fhorge, M, and E--that in fact the Old Ones as well as others of similar type slowly became like their prisons, and eventually actually became their prison, just as the land around the prisons have become one with the landform. He also argues that all three are clearly lesser beings when compared to the Gods, which raised interesting religious questions since all are now worshiped. He goes on to argue that many of the afflictions of the Southern Continent were supported by M and E raising the question as to why the Gods have not yet punished them in a similar fashion to The Old Ones. He further believes that these powers, which he believes are Elemental instead of Fae were not created by Eberyon, but existed before that time. Both the Elves and the Dwarves, think this is a load of donkey poop.

Scald

Scald is one of the most powerful Old Ones and lives within a large Hot Spring lake full of fountains that goes by the same name. Brutal to the extreme, his territory is growing as more and more of the water features of the area come under his control. He opposes Fhorge as often as he can causing a great tension between fire and water in The Scab.

Cultures and People of The Scab

The Stone Festival

Both dwarves and elves attend this festival near the place where the Scab and Culverwood meet. There they celebrate the Demon/Fae that for centuries protected the surface from the main Underdark entrance, before the fall of the Drow. This festival lasts a week and has been responsible more than once for extending the peace between dwarf and elf.

That doesn't mean that all is peace and love at the festival. In fact, they can't ever agree on the name of the festival. The elves call it "The Wood Festival." The gnomes and halflings who are not even invited call it "The Festival of Stone and Wood" (gnomes) and "The Festival of Wood and Stone" (halflings).] Of course the gnomes and halflings come to the festival anyway. The halflings always say, "I'm with the elves," while the gnomes say, "I'm with the dwarves."

Needless to say, a great time is held by all, if by a great time you mean arguing and bickering until you are literally blue in the face, which has happened.

Gnomish Farmers

Dwarves have always had a certain disdain for farming and gathering, so naturally a small percent of the population of dwarf communities is made of gnomes, who do the handle such things. They also are responsible users of the rare stands of trees in the Scab, and harvest and work in wood. They have secret orchards too which they refuse to tell the dwarves about. This bothers the dwarves immensely to the point that they refer to the situation as "The Fretful Secret."

The gnomish presence in The scab also serves to supply a source of arcane power to the dwarves as they tend to shun such practices.

One would think that the gnomes of The Scab would specialize in inventions and such with such immense nature based power sources nearby, however, the giants of the area have influenced the gnomes of The Scab towards illusionary magic. Similarly, the gnomes of Zaran in Ice Vein specialize in a new form of icemagic to survive the cold and to create their amazing city of ice.

The gnomes of The Scab have perfected ways to hide entire farms and towns from view for short periods of time when the Giants come calling with their rumbling bellies.

Gnomish Shadow Caravans

Commerce and trade through the Scab is dangerous work, which is one of the reasons the Dwarf Clan Citadels function as City-States. The long winding caverns of the Dwarves may take weeks to traverse where an above ground path would take mere days. This is where the Gnomish Shadow Caravans come into play. Masters of Illusion the Gnomes have devised specialized methods and equipment to transport goods overland and avoid many of the dangers that reside in the Scab.

This is incredibly helpful as well since teleporting has been extremely problematic in the Scab since the time of the prohibition days of the 4th age.

The Giants

The Scab is brimming with giants of all types, yet they are a culture, not just monsters. They are ruled by the Fire Giants who serve Fhorge. Yearly, they raid the halflings of Crescent Valley, but to no avail as the Halflings have erected magical towers along ley lines in the area which repulses them. Yet the giants come every year, brimming with confidence and then cast down.

This leaves them to fight among themselves, attack the dwarven steadings, raid the gnomish farms, and generally be a nuisance to all. Luckily, they are not very organized nor intelligent. They are powerful, however, and not to be taken lightly.

The Lava Tubes of Thekk

The Lava Tubes of Thekk are a natural formation of old lava tubes that run from west to east underneath the Scab. During the 4th Age, the Scab was used to keep the Noble Races from going to the forbidden center of the continent. The Lava Tubes was the only land-bound method ever found that could circumvent The Scab's natural barrier and deposit the traveler at the far side near the edge of the Forbidden Lands.

An elf named Ellisar added to the usability of the tunnels. He was a student of the Teucri and had learned some of their lore, including the ability to make any corridor switch to "Reverse-Teucri" gravity. Teucri corridors ignore normal gravity. One can walk on any wall, ceiling, or floor of a Teucri corridor. Knowing this knowledge, it was a simple matter for him to learn to reverse the effect. He inscribed a set of permanent glyphs on each end of the Lava Tubes. Touching the glyphs in order, as the elvish instructions explain, changes the Lava Tubes gravity. All living beings in the Lava Tubes instantly begin floating in the center of the tube and then slowly begin to move towards the other end. Faster and faster, the travellers race through the tubes until they reach the far end. There, they are spit out the far end to crash harmlessly into a web permanently installed in the correct place to catch the traveller.

During the Year of Ascension, the Lava Tubes were used for a more sinister purpose. The Drow from the Underwold used it as a staging ground for an attack upon the surface. Several adventuring groups including the Storm Dragons, Red Tigers, and others collapsed the tunnels just before the attack, slaying over 100,000 drow and for the most part destroying that culture within The Wold.

After the recreation of the Wold, portions of the Lava Tubes were recreated, or perhaps the tunnels were not totally destroyed as was previously thought. From this has come the new generation of rumors, legends, and tales of the places the Tubes of Thekk lead, the treasures that can be found there, and the mysteries of the Drow that the tube may lead to.

Carrion Valley

Carrion Valley is the highest valley in The Scab. Warmed by all sorts of geothermal activity, it is the home of Mother Veolos, the Swarm Queen. Many in the scab know Fhorge's might, but even with all his power he wouldn't have been able to capture the old ones without allies. Veolos was one of these allies. It was her job to hunt down and subdue the old ones who attempted to escape Fhorges imprisonment, and for this aid her children were allowed to remain in the scab, although she herself would be imprisoned as the rest. Veolos is said to be the mother off all ettercaps who still roam the scab, if the Fire Giants are the guards the Ettercaps are part maintinence crew, and part bounty hunter. They believe it is their duty to ensnare all who venture through the scab so that the great forge can imprison them with his stone and lava.

No dwarf ventures here uninvited, and one should beware such invitations!

Dragon Coast

The southern coast of the Scab borders upon Dragon Bay. This now is the home of many dragons who survived the Dragonplague. Until the plague, Dragon Bay was the home of the Dragon Nation, probably the most powerful culture in the Wold. Now, however, dragons are loners, hiding from each other and mutations of the plague. These dragons, whom some call "The Remnant," do not usually hassle the dwarves of the area. A tenuous unspoken "leave each other alone" agreement seems to be in effect.

Near the shore, is There is also a Dragon Graveyard where the diseased dragons went to die which the dwarves call Kulaz Kurzr, which means "dark curse" in the old tongue.

Traveling in The Scab

Today, there are trails that traverse The Scab so that one can go through to the lands both east and west. However, Dragon Bay is still the traveler’s choice, most of the time, because the mountains are still difficult and treacherous.

It is not forbidden to travel the Scab, though, as it was in the 4th Age.

However, the dwarves warn such folk advising with these words:

“Beware traveler, and show respect. For the waterfall you bathe in is a sacred place and home to a sacred demon. So state your respect. Say your racial or religious litanies. Leave offerings of respect. For these sites are sacred earth, water, fire, and air"

OH SACRED ONE, I HONOR YOU. BESTOW A BLESSING UPON ME FOR I AM FILLED WITH RESPECT.

[a litany translated from the old dwarven.]

There are also dwarves who say,

"You're gonna take a stroll through the Scab? What are you, dadblum fools! If you manage to beat off the trolls and ogres, and you survive the landslides and lava, and you manage to hide from the demons and dragons, then the giants will catch you and sacrifice you to the volcanoes. Idiots. Unless you're some kind of -- what do the humans call 'em? -- Dragon Hero Groups, yeah -- you're toast! Do yourselves a favor and just jump off a cliff. It'll hurt less."

Caverns of Glimstone

The Caverns of Glimstone is the one of the newest dwarven delvings. Containing Gold and Silver as well as gems further in where the lava tubes are, it is very prosperous. Licenses to mine within are available in the main cave. It is considered a "shared delving" and is managed by Glimstone Properties, a gnomish outfit. Considered "tame" by older dwarves, it is relatively safe, if you con't consider the vampire bats, the purple worms, and the cave-ins caused by the nearby geothermal effects.

Mines of Durendal

The mines of Durendal is infamous as the mine that brought the original downfall of the Dwarves of the 2nd Age. Legend has it that this mine, filled with mithril and silver, created such greed and separatism, that wars between the clans were fought and lost. As Durendal himself said,

"When two clans battle, all dwarves lose badly."

And it did. Clan Turak fought with Clan Durendal for nearly a century. At the end, Clan Turak had the last of Clan Durendal trapped in an old copper shaft. Durendal's grandson, Torgrim [which means soul eternal] rather than die and let Clan Turak claim his grandfather's mine, uttered a magical curse obtained from a drow. The dwarves believe that this was the act that ended the 2nd age for the entire Wold. The words collapsed the mine, the city of Durendal, and caused major upheaval all over the Scab for many years.

Old man Turak, who had survived The Horrible War, was finally slain. Yet Clan Turak was to survive.

In the Cathedral of Stone, a lone priest commanded 5000 dwarves to lay prostrate before Domi and beg for survival. The ceiling fell, yet the dwarves remained. The screams of the dying were heard throughout the cathedral, yet the dwarves remained prostrate petitioning for their lives.

Domi heard their cry. A portion of the city was instantly moved to the Ends of the Wold, forever to be separate from all other dwarves. This remnant, named Turok Nor, means

"We who were heard."

To this day, Turok Nor has kept their honor and their city, in the Southern Continent, has surpassed the original City of Durendal.

Recently, a main shaft of the Mines of Durendal have been discovered, yet no dwarf has ventured to delve there. The fear and the shame remain.