Dhun Khenil

'Even with shattered forges desolated halls, the city is a prize unmatched and Larios can be restored under our rule.' - Kaliros Underpath

Written by Yerran

The huge city built into The Flametip Mountains spreads along ravines, outcrops and over valleys, covering a large swathe of the lower mountains. Though the size of these forts and settlements are but a small part of Dhun Khenil and only scratch the surface of what rests below. The mighty gates of 'Ker Haetig' lead to the ancient city of Dhun Khenil where war burns and boils, as four factions battle for dominance of broken and shattered city, seeking to claim the almighty prize that would bring dominance to a large swathe of Lenwir and the Everdark below.

History

Named Larios long before The Cataclysm, once known for its melding of art, technology and magic, it no longer resembles its former self. Its legacy is all but extinguished in the destruction wrought upon the city and the contamination of darkness that now lurks just below the surface.

Known to all those of Lenwir as Dhun Khenil. The dark dwarf city is a forsaken place. Once it mined wealth and riches for all to share, but now it is a shell of its former self. The massive undercity has fallen into disrepair and the dark dwarves now own but one part of the great city. Other factions have taken up the others: The Shadow Conclave, Iron gnomes and Elemental Lords, all of which now fight for supremacy amongst themselves. Each experimenting dangerously with the closely linked plane of fire to fuel their machines and weapons of war, all the better to purge their enemies from the mountain.

Timeline

AC	Event
2268	Emergence of the Dark Dwarves
2320	The Dark Dwarves reconstruct much of the old city and spread onto the surface forts, though they like it little.
2377	Tunnels burrow into elemental confluence points and unleash an infestation of minor elementals.
2412	Arrival of the Elemental Lords and coordinated attacks begin. War breaks out.
2420	The Dark Dwarves pull back from the surface forts to combat the growing elemental aggression.
2431	The Shadow Conclave siezes the surface forts and pushes into the city.
2439	The Dark Dwarves retreat to sectors of the city to avoid fighting on two fronts as much as possible.
2463	The Iron Gnomes and their allies attack. The Shadow Conclave is crushed between them and their dominion of the upper halls is lost.
2474	Iron Gnomes secure the northern halls and the main gate. Progress below is slow as the city churns with the constant thrum of battle.

Factions

Within the broken city of Dhun Khenil, its massive halls, forges, mines and armories play host to the wars of the factions. A struggle of schemes, subterfuge and battles, where alliances, enemies and deals are formed and discarded based on whatever is best for them at the time, with the ultimate goal of claiming the vast city the prize.

The Iron Gnomes

When word of fighting within Dhun Khenil reached the ears of Kaliros Underpath, leader of the Iron Gnomes in Khan Zorak he saw an opportunity. One for his own city that could one day rival that of the dwarven capital, but be a place for his people. He gathered his armies and soldiers and they set out in secret, moving ships and equipment into Sab'Narath and up to the Embersight Outpost as caravans, while smuggling more onto the coast around Demonfall and slipping upwards into the mountains. Of all called upon by Kaliros it was only Ignin Greathammer and the Flamehammer dwarves, knowing the pain of not having a place to call home, that answered.

While the battle within raged they attacked, claiming Ker Haetig and large swathes fo the upper city, though their assault ground to a halt as they sought to descend into the forges below with stiff resistance from the warring Dark Dwarves, Elemental Lords and Shadow Conclave. The horrors they fought below would have turned many others and sent them in flight, but the will of the Iron Ghomes and their dwarven allies is strong and they would do all they can to claim victory.

The Dark Dwarves

The Lifestone clan of dwarves became trapped beneath the earth after The Cataclysm, their quarter completely cut off from the world, while the rest of the city's denizens were killed or fled. These survivors of the collapsed city Larios, were given up as dead, separated from the light and life of the world. Many within the clan deemed their survival a curse in itself, and the turbulance caused by the cataclysm prevented all magical communication in and out of their tomb. They were completely alone.

Though one day, communications resumed, and they found an entity still lived beyond the confines of the broken tunnels and pathways. It promised them freedom and life beyond, but its words were poison. For the being was a twisted outsider, imprisoned during the war and hid away. It's containment Bloodstone crystal had cracked and its essence leaked out. Its orders and actions twisted the dwarves until they became unrecognisable to their former selfs, practising sacrifices, cannibalism and other acts of horror.

They used their rune magic to bind the souls of their people into golems and constructs of stone and steel, continuously burrowing through the earth, until they emerged within the broken halls of Larios. They took dominion over the city, though now shunned the light beyond Ker Haetig and began to spread their darkness through the one great halls. They renamed the city Dun Khenil and ruled their for 300 years, until they unearthed the great lavapools beneath the earth and inadvertantly summoned the elemental lords.

The Shadow Conclave

Followers of the dark sorcerer Heihuin who perished to The Emperor's blade during the last chapter of the unification wars and the founding of Sabal. The followers were scattered, though pockets hid amongst the populace of Sabal, forever drawn to Demonfall and their former master's fortress upon its slopes. These pockets and cultists eventually became known as 'The Shadow Conclave' spreading subtely across Lenwir and collecting members, until they once more had the numbers to claim a land for themselves.

This opportunity arose as members in Sabal discovered the ongoing war within Dhun Khenil. Its dark history, defensive nature and proximity to Demonfall were all factors that pushed the leaders of The Shadow Conclave into attacking. If they could claim this prize, they would once again possess the ability to exert their will over South-Eastern Sabal. The combined arms, shadow magic and summoned abominations helped them gain a foothold within the city initially, though they suffered great losses upon the arrival of the Iron Gnomes and their allies. On the back foot the Shadow Conclave have solidified their position through the arrival of more cultists and summoned beings, and are looking to sweep the other factions from their strongholds.

Primal Lords

The collapsed tunnels and broken forges awash with magma and lava were a lodestone to the creatures of the elemental planes of fire and earth, and with the thin barriers between worlds it was only a matter of time before it attracted the primal beings to the mortal world. It wasn't long before two primal lords arrived, Baron Gor from the earthen realm and Emberlord Firijax from the flame realm. Their normal rivalry in their planes were put aside as they saw the prize they could win for their kings and queens, for a foothold in the rich mortal realm would be an incredible boon for them.

The combined forces of the lords and their fabricated and summoned elemental soldiers and warriors could not be more different. Those of Firijax are aggressive and confrontational, raiding and attacking those of the other factions indiscrimately, even charging into battles in progress between other factions. While those of Gor, are defensive and slow in nature, advancing metres at a time and consolidating their holdings. The pair work incredibly well together, due to these differences, though they like it not, and were it not for a royal decree from their realm, would be at each others throats. This alliance will hold without fail until the city of Dhun Khenil has been cleared of all others, and then it is anyones guess what will happen, but whatever that is, it won't be pretty.

Settlement Type

Huge City

Status

At war

Factions at War

Iron Gnomes, Dark Dwarves, Shadow Conclave, Elemental Lords

Place in the World

Few approach the hostile lands and broken buildings of the lower mountains, for dangers lurk across the barren and broken landscape. Those of Light's Talon, that hold dominion over The Flametip Mountains pay little heed for those that stay away from their mountain-tops, but will deal harshly with any that seek to enter the high mountains.

The Embersight Outpost within south-eastern [Sabal is responsible for scouting along the Flametip Mountains for the Kingdom of Sabal and contains a base for lucrative trade contracts with Dhun Khenil. The constant fighting means caravans have to wait for the faction they made the deal with to once more control the Ker Heatig before they can commence, or to foresake their contract and try and peddle their wares to the new masters of the gate.

Factions usually seek artefacts or weapons that will give them the upper hand in the battle for the city for the price of gems, metal, trinkets and machines from the mountain. Though, some of The Emperor's children control the flow of trade contracts to manipulate who might win the war for the city, seeking to extend their influence and gain allies that can join their causes. For far below the city, thousands of tunnels stretch out in all directions and tales tell that from these you can reach every point in Lenwir, for any that know the way. Something the kingdom of Sabal would wish a great deal to have.

RUINED SETTLEMENT
0 A.C

Location under

The Flametip Mountains

Kaliros Underpath

Adventure Hook
Leader of the Iron Gnomes, Kaliros is a feared combatant and respected leader. He has done much for iron gnomes and wishes to unify his kin beneath his rule, something he claims, he needs a city for. He would seek to bring the forest gnomes of The Elyswer to his side along with the sea gnomes of distant lands and create a place for them. A aspirational goal, but one that he has struggled to gain.

His soldiers and fighters use great machinations and magic infused items to battle their way through the tunnels alongside their Flamehammer Dwarven allies. Though he continues to seek support from anywhere he can, without giving too much away in itself. Kaliros lost half of his body in an early accident and has replaced his broken flesh with metal and gears. It is through this that he can control his machine golem called 'Worldcarver'.

Larios

Larios spread across the Kaihen Mountains, and out onto the plains below. It was an fortress, from the turbulant times before The Cataclysm, but during the years of Falmir it was a place of learning and art. Some small parts of the great caverns, temples and forges resemble what it once was, though much was obliterated. Larios housed the school of forgecraft, earthen magic, shamancraft and sculpting allowing the mixture of magic and technology in the most expressive and unique ways. Each new area, tunnel and chamber was carved with the utmost care and eye for detail, and if it still existed, runes of knowledge would glitter across mosaics of emerald sea and yellow stars.

The information held within the rune of these artistic endevours told of blueprints for all manner of machine, crafting or spell, and the scholars and crafters of Larios were requested across the world, to create art and runes that held unfathomable knowledge. These runes could trigger visions, memories, sound, touch and all manner of other things, allowing people to experience and see things long since past. The belief was that by carving such knowledge into runes in art and stone, it would never be lost, and mortals would never return to more primitive state. Though it seems that those of Larios were wrong. The Cataclysm saw the death of such records and communication and now only odd glyphs and runes remain in temples hidden beneath The Sabal'Har Desert. Ones that grant visions and scare away others that deem the places cursed or haunted. A bitter legacy for such a glorious place.