The Vent

Everything happened all at once. There was a cacophony of sound, of the very bones of the earth grinding and twisting into new and ever more unpleasant forms, and then a terrible silence ... in the darkness you could hear the desperate pleas for help, the panicked attempts to organize, and, worst of all, the resigned sobbing of those who had given up. Then came the monsters.

Athaldor Joycie, Historian

Despite having happened only two and a half centuries ago - recent enough for many of the longer lived races within the city to remember it - the disaster known as the Vent has been firmly entrenched into a sort of traumatic legend. People speak of it in hushed tones and caution, as if afraid that uttering the words is inviting it to happen again. Many came to refer to it simply as "The Event", which shortened over time to the word we know today.

Until the thirteenth century DR, the kingdom of Tiriande had experienced a half-millennium long Golden Age. Hatcheteers and Spirewardens roamed all layers of the Dungeonscape, eliminating threats to allow for settlers to move in after and bringing home magical artefacts and precious materials. Caravans left the city near-constantly, exporting goods and writings, and the kingdom enjoyed strong relationships with several nations on the Material Plane.

The Vent Itself

This all changed on the 19th of Ches, 1242 DR. A low, keening sound, like a cosmic ringing ear spread throughout the Dungeonplane. Moments later, the world changed, in waves spreading from the depths of the dungeons. City blocks rose up, columns and balustrades combining to form the tentacles of great monstrosities; farmland sank into the depths of bogs that seeped out of the earth, the crops grasping at ankles and dragging people under; the streets swarmed with monsters. 

Over the course of two tendays, the vast majority of the formerly expansive kingdom of Tiriande was lost, its territories reverting to the untamed wildernesses and catacombs they were before settlement. A series of retreats were organized by the scrambling forces of the city, each more panicked and disorganized than the last as each successive line of defense was overrun.

Finally, on the 29th of Ches, the process slowed, allowing the survivors time to gather and start rescue efforts - though, for most, it was far too late.

Minor Vents and Enduring Legacy

Though it has slowed, the phenomenon now known as Dungeonization has become a permanent fixture of life in the Dungeonscape since the Vent. The outer districts of the city have to be constantly monitored for changes, and it isn't uncommon for farms, houses or city blocks to need to be evacuated until they can be reclaimed.

Sometimes, the process seems to temporarily speed up again, causing minor Vents with similarly disastrous results, albeit on a smaller scale.

Cultural Impact

The Vent is the source of a great deal of enduring cultural trauma in Tiriande. It is rarely discussed, many instead preferring to talk around it or simply not mention it at all. In recent decades, with the rise of newer generations of humans and other short-living races who don't remember a time before it, it has started to be discussed again, but the process is slow, and many are still reluctant.

Date of Setting

1242

Related Locations

• The Dungeonscape
• The Twin Dragon Theatre

Related People

• Erouad
• King Loravyre Tiriande

Related Organizations

• Adventurer's Guild
• Hatcheteers
• Royal Family of Tiriande
• Spirewardens of Ethrenna
• Thieves' Court