The Elven Reckoning

Having been created by Moradin without consent of Eru, and before the still sleeping elves were brought into Iant and awoken, the dwarves were laid to sleep under the mountains of Iant, until such time as they have a place.   Now that the Elves are spreading further along the world, the time has finally come for the dwarves to wake from their slumber. As far as they are concerned they are created by Moradin at this very moment, and being far underground and away from the surface life, they consider themselves the oldest and chosen people of Moradin the creator.

As the world of Iant has been developing, ever more conflicting events have taken place. The original pantheon has split into factions, mainly good versus evil, with neutral and indifferent factions in between. The world itself sees races intended in the original creation by Eru, and other races made by the warping and twisting of energies and intentions, being brought to life by selfish deities.   Mirroring fights between peoples and races in the Prime Material plane, the gods themselves are also suffering from much infighting and soon an all out war spanning all planes breaks out. The spark of this major conflict being the Netheril empire having attained a level of skill to challenge the very gods.

As the Dawn War rages, Asmodeus and his generals mix their blood with human allies to form the first Tieflings. The Tieflings consider themselves blessed for having the blood of gods running through their very veins, and all other races inferior for being merely created.

In one of the most epic battles of the Dawn War Asmodeus is beaten by an angelical army led by Bahamut, and banished to the Nine Hells. This was a huge blow to the evil armies, as Asmodeus was their general, and the one attempting to be the lord over all, as a new Eru.   By this banishment Asmodeus became just another deity among many, and many claim this terminated his claims to becoming the ruler of the universe. His children the Tieflings though, still claim that one day Asmodeus will return to the Prime Material and begin his final and lasting rule as the one and single god.

All over the continent of Keltasta kingdoms have consolidated control over large swaths of land, and subsequently grown into empires. With borders between the empires once established, the search for more land, power and wealth starts expeditions into other continents.   For the inhabitants of powerful empires this age means peace and prosperity. But to large amounts of inhabitants of yet unclaimed areas it means violence, exploitation and death, as colonization moves ever quickly to beat other empires to the prize.

During the final years of the Age of Chaos, as the erstwhile ruling empires of the world crumble and fall, a major shift in power takes place. Needing lots of resources to fuel armies and safe populations from extinction, all people, nations and factions try to secure access to the vast treasures under the earth, mainly in the areas mined by dwarves for as long as they exist.   Colonia, sensing the coming lull in geopolitical power, quickly sends troops all over the world to secure as many of these resources as possible. The Drow Kingdom, noticing this action, and realizing the necessity to react, mirror this strategy from their side, knowing that even the some of the resources they have had access to in the past, would otherwise come under control of the humans.   As both sides race each other to secure every last known resource not currently controlled by a force that can defend itself, they soon find themselves in conflict. Colonia responds with a worldwide propaganda campaign, calling on the evil nature of the Drow, and presenting themselves as the selfless saviors and protectors of the 'good' races. The Drow respond to this by presenting Colonia as a new form of the old empires that exploited the world and thereby caused all the misery of recent times.   Both sides now having secured support and basis for expansion, subsequently increase their mutual animosity and tension rises ever further. Both knowing however that all out war against each others heartland would be too destructive, they get into a war of skirmishes and battles fought in areas of other peoples, and often against the locals in stead of each other, lasting for many many years.

This day, right at the time of morning prayer, a resounding blast rocks the city as a large central section of the massive landmark known as the Cathedral of Hextor is blown out and over the nearby square and buildings. It marks a major change in the general atmosphere in the city, as well as the way dwarves and some other races are treated.