In the Beginning

In the dawn of Cairngorm's history, the island continent was home to tribes and clans, living in harmony with nature, their cultures rich yet uncomplicated. Their lives were intertwined with the rhythms of the seasons, the flow of rivers, and the migrations of beasts. This was Cairngorm before the arrival of the "Ahbaís", before the land was forever changed.
Deep from the heart of the planet, the Ahbaís, otherwise known as the abyssal or deep dwarves, emerged, birthed by the very stone of Cairngorm itself. Legends say that Moradin, the Soul Forger, had breathed life into the rocks deep beneath the earth, and from this holy act, the Ahbaís were born. The Ahbaís were distinct from the other dwarves of Cairngorm, who originated on the surface and overtime dug and carved their cities downward into the earth. The Ahbaís instead built vast subterranean metropolises originating from the center of the planet. They harnessed the geothermal energy and generated immense wealth from their abundant precious minerals and ores found in abundance. For countless generations, they lived beneath the earth, unaware of the world above, perfecting their art of stone-craft, honing their magic, and mastering the secrets of the deep.
When they finally broke the surface, it was as though a new sun had risen on Cairngorm. With their rune-carved tools and intricate machineries, the Ahbaís took the surface-dwelling tribes by surprise. Their technologies were so advanced, they appeared as magic to the relatively primitive tribes. Their grand architecture, imbued with a sense of unshakeable permanence, rose from the ground, dominating the landscape and reshaping the face of Cairngorm forever.
Seeing the scattered tribes and disjointed clans of Cairngorm, the Ahbaís saw an opportunity. They introduced a feudal system, a structure familiar from their underground societies. Each clan was given specific roles and responsibilities, mirroring the intricate mechanisms of clockwork. The Ahbaís, enlightened and beneficent in their own view, became the rulers of Cairngorm. Their rule brought undeniable advancement and prosperity. They shared their knowledge of agriculture, metallurgy, and arcane arts, changing the lives of the surface dwellers in ways they couldn't have imagined.
Yet, not all was harmonious in this new order. Beneath the surface of the Ahbaís utopia, there were whispers of dissent. The Ahbaís, despite their wisdom and technological prowess, ruled with an iron fist. The clans and tribes of Cairngorm found themselves shackled by the very advancements that had promised freedom. As much as the Ahbaís were seen as liberators, they were also despots, their reign marked by an air of superiority and a subtle oppression.
And then, as abruptly as they had come, the Ahbaís disappeared. Their mighty stone cities fell silent, their grand halls empty, their machinery stilled. The heartbeat of Cairngorm, which had thrummed with the rhythm of Ahbaís forges, went silent. Their disappearance was as enigmatic as their emergence. Some suggested they had returned to the core of the planet, from whence they came. Others spoke of a great magical catastrophe, a result of their audacious experiments. Still, others whispered of divine retribution, punishment for their overreaching ambition and arrogance.
With their departure, the Gloaming fell upon Cairngorm. The void left by the Ahbaís' disappearance plunged the land into chaos, marking the start of a dark age of war and conflict.