Difference between revisions of "The Scab"

Revision as of 15:17, 12 August 2010

The Scab

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!

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.

Travelling 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.