The Forged(game)
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!
Contents
Legends of the Scab
After the 3rd age, when the interior of the continent of Yrth was forbidden by the gods to all of the Noble Races, the mountains of Dordak [which means Red Mine] were lifted by the gods as a barrier. Volcanoes raged as the Gods appointed The Old Ones [which the Dwarves call Demons] to guard the passes. As these forces rages, layer upon layer of igneous rock, rained upon the mountains. In effect, the mountains looked patched by new igneous rock. Humans in the area started calling the abondoned mountains The Scab for its appearance at the time. The name stuck as it pained to dwarves to use the old name for their beloved mountains, which were beloved no more.
Dwarven History
1st Age:
During the First Age of the wold, the Dwarves did not get involved with the Godwar and shunned the Fae. They delved, built, and developed the dwarven society under the Elennian Plateaus thousands of miles from the elves or humans.
They discovered great riches then in a mountain chain to the north, which they named Dordak. These mountains were very active with volcanoes, bubbling pools, hot springs and boiling mud pits. The effect was that once something was mined out, the mountains tended to rejuvenate themselves and within a few centures, new minerals would form in the area ready to mine. Great mines would be stripped only to be opened again a generation later.
So the Dwarves lived isolated, prospering during the 1st age. They had very little contact with the Gods of Yore. They were not dependant on worship for their power, nor were the first gods tasked with any responsibilities towards the Mortal Races of The Wold, for the Gods of Yore were tasked with protecting the Wold from without..
2nd Age:
During the second age, trade found the dwarves and they found it. The elves wanted mithril. The humans wanted gold, steel, and magical weapons. Both elves and man started civilizations on the Elennian Peninsula crowding things somewhat. The Sacred Mountains of Dordak had to be shared. The Teucri, an alien race, arrived and claimed the surface of the plateaus, living above the Dwarves, and claiming it as their own.
The Dwarves didn’t play well with others. Our mountain. Our land. They were lessened because their borders became limited. They continued to live under the plateaus, but mined the nearby Dordak mountains.
Issues become complicated and the Dwarven Clans disagreed and split into Duergar, Black, and the Fist Clans (formerly known as the red dwarves from a tendency for their Kings to have red hair.)
The City of Durendal was founded so that the Fist Clan could be closer to the mines to guard them from the other two clans.
3rd Age:
The dwarves further dishonor themselves causing Domi to remove his blessing from them. He also removes his gifts: The Icons of Courage: hammer, anvil, and forge. Dwarves scatter to the niches and corners of the Wold trying to achieve separately what they could not do together.
The City of Durendal falls as the Fist Clan divided into Durendal's Clan and Turok's Clan. A few of Durendal's clan survive but do not rebuild the city. A remnant of Turok's Clan are banished to the edge of the Wold by Domi and survive to rebuild their honor and build the great Dwarven City of Turok Nor. But this is another tale.
4th Age:
The dwarves, left in the Continent of Yrth, continue their fall and find lose much of what is left of their culture to further division. Many dwarves begin to live among humans in the melting pot of what has become "The Noble Races." They are forgetting who they are and what they are about.
All except for a group that is berated by all, The Harbor Dwarves. They live and delve on a small island south of New Elenna. There, with the help of an adventuring group, they learn loyalty to clan again. As a reward, Domi gives them a clue to finding The Anvil. The Harbor Dwarves begin to discover and relearn their past and institute the "Old Ways." The Coming of Age Test is used and every dwarf of every age takes the test and passes it or dies. A vision is given to them to begin uniting the Fist Clans. This they do and a renewal begins. Four of the clans reunite in The Scab and begin working together. Domi gives them The Hammer with a direct appearance.
During the Year of Ascension, the dwarves fought bravely and many died. Then the discovery was made that vast numbers of Drow were massing below The Scab for an attack upon the surface. Again, with the help of adventurers, the passages under The Scab were collaped and the Drow massacred.
The Dwarves of The Scab showed themselves loyal and brave throughout the time called The Year of Ascension and were present at the end, when the final battle was fought between Domi and Marteaus at the Yoshirr House when the Wold perished.
5th Age (current day):
After the recreation of the Wold by the Creater, which the dwarves call The Forger or The Great Blacksmith, the dwarves found that The Forge had been restored to them by Domi. It is a golden age for the dwarves again. Cooperating with everyone in the "mixing pot" of the Noble Races, they remaining distinct and faithful to their own culture and thrive with the blessings of Domi.
Yet, the freed Demons now entertain worship as well and some dwarves are turning from Domi to something more substantially seen: The Fhorge.
Fhorge
The greatest of the Old Ones is a Power known as Fhorge. He is worshipped, loved, and feared by all inhabitants of The Scab. He is positioned in the deepest part of the mountains and in the old days served as a final defense point between Elenna and the Forbidden Lands. Unlike the fey spirits, however, Fhorge IS awakened mind of the volcano. He is still called one of the Old Ones, because he rules over them, but by type he is not.
Fhorge is the largest volcano in the mountain range and is always active. He is now tasked by the gods to act as a spiritual jailor for the creatures that were of such power that their destruction was not possible. Recently the Old Ones, called The Demons by some, have been able to reach through the barriers he had constructed due to the scabs contact with Culverwood. They seem to be learning how to break their bonds not through escape, but by becoming one with the prison, just as Fhorge is. It limits them to the region, but it is better than no power at all in their minds.
Fhorge seems to be benevolent, yet harsh on those who cross him. The Dwarves of the Scab appease him with worship and sacrifice and in return The Forge reveals veins of metals to the dwarves. The giants offer live sacrifices from their yearly raids of the Noble Races to Fhorge as well.
The Order of Fire
After Forge imprisoned the old ones beneath rock and fire, he was rewarded with several gifts from the gods, including an army of his own design. He forged a race as brutal, ruthless, and ferocious as he. Standing 12 feet tall with skin the color of molten lava, these creatures have been dubbed fire giants by the noble races and they serve as guardians of the ancient prisons. They view all those who "folly" through their land as trespassers looking to free those whose cages they tend.
The other giants(Hill, Stone, Mountain) are seen as lesser by the fire giants and are treated as subordinates.
Artisen Mor's Legend of The Old Ones
All craftsmen must practice and hone their craft before they have the skills to make great works of art, this rule too applies to the gods. It has been told that the noble races were created with, but a whim, but as a craftsman I have found this idea farfetched even for the gods. A creation as masterful as a dwarf would not be the result of a novice, but an experienced and keen artisan. It is this belief that has brought me here to the deep recesses of the Scab, called by an ancient voice. I have traversed dark and forgotten caves to this lake of fire where one of the old ones, as that is what I have come to call them, has told me the story of his creation and imprisonment within the stone and fire of this place.
He has no name, as he was never given one, but I have come to call him Morek after my Grandfather as that is how he first appeared to me. Morek explained to me that when The Wold was young, The Forger began to create things big and small. He wasn't exactly sure what he was attempting to create, as he had never created before. Thus he hammered the essence of existence and forged it into shapes of all sizes and designs. Those he found lacking, he reforged to create the next work. But some works could not be undone. One of those creations were the Old Ones.
As the Forger focused on his masterpieces, many of the Old Ones grew jealous and sought to destroy, or taint these works of art. The creator, unhappy with this interference, offered a reward to any who could take care of their problem, It was surprisingly one of the Old Ones who answered the call. Climbing to the tallest point of creation (as of that point in time) the traitor and his cohorts called forth the powers of the elements and sealed the old ones, good and evil, in prisons of stone and fire. This is how the area now known as the Scab was forged.
The gods rewarded the traitor with dominion over his prison, created the giants to serve his will, and granted him a name, Fhorge. When the 4th Age was born, these prisoners were given the task to guard the passes for a time. They were given some freedom to leave their prisons, but only to perform this task. They were promised that when their task was done, they would be rewarded.
Told by Dwarven Master Artisen Mor
Master Swordsmith Jarnor's Legend of The Old Ones
Long ago was the time of destruction. The Gods of Wold destroyed the Races of Nobility because they did not worship the gods nor respect them. Instead, the Noble Races, of the interior of the continent of Yrth, were exterminated. Thus the Forbidden Lands were named. The Gods pronounced that it would be death to enter the Forbidden Lands. Yet they know that the Noble Races would try, due to all the knowledge, ruins, and treasure that was hidden there.
The remnants, spared by the gods, lived in the unharmed areas at the edges of the continent. The largest of these areas was the Peninsula of Elenna. The Peninsula of Elenna was connected to the Forbidden Lands by a narrow strip of lands covered by mountains. These mountains are The Scab. They are also home to the Dwarves.
After the Third Cataclysm, the gods caused the mountains of The Scab to grow tall and to be geologically active with all manner of volcanoes, poison air vents, geysers, and earthquakes. This made the Dwarves tough as well as respectful of their homeland.
Then the Gods placed ancient Fey Guardians, known then as The Old Ones, within each major geographic feature and trapped them there. The Old Ones had opposed the Gods of Yore in the first age and had been placed into eternal sleep. The Old Ones were instructed to guard The Scab and destroy anyone that attempted to cross over into the Forbidden Lands to the east. When the Time of Suffering was at an end, they would finally earn their freedom and their time of incarceration for their misdeeds would end.
So they were placed inside their prisons: volcanoes, waterfalls, poison air vents, ancient trees, boiling mud pools and the Old Ones used the power of their prisons to prevent passage through the Scab.
They served their sentence during the 4th age and very few mortals found their way to the Forbidden Lands beyond. With the Year of Ascension and the recreation of The Wold, the Old Ones were released from their prisons, yet many decided to remain.
Many bear the name of the land feature they inhabit. They draw their strength from this feature and their power grows and wanes with the power of their habitation.
Notable Old Ones in The Scab include Mother Veolos, the master of Carrion Valley; Scald, who lives within a huge Hot Spring lake full of fountains; and The Forge, who resides within a massive volcano.
The dwarves call them Demons. And demons they may be. It is a hot topic of debate whenever dwarves and elves gather in friendship. The elves insist on their ancient title: The Fae.
Many dwarves love debating the origins and natures of The Old ones. Some say that these immortals ARE the features rather than INHABIT the features. There is also the issue of The Dark Fay Rising when Eberyon, the first creater, woke and threatened the newer creation of The Jericho. What indeed is the relationship of the Old Ones to Eberyon? Are they his servants? Are they now servants of The Gods of Wold?
Elven Legend of The Old Ones
The elves argue that Culverwood IS the Culverwood. The same is true of the traitor and leader of The Old Ones named Fhorge. He IS The Fhorge, at least according to Elven druids and historians. There are indeed many Fey Spirits, described in a similar manner as with The Old Ones, that simply woke up when Eberyon did and now serve various powers, Fey, or act as free spirits. The dwarves believe that there is a close relationship between Fhorge and Maab, who is called Queen of the Fey, Ruler of the Vales of Twilight in the center of the Lands of Rest. The gnomish farmers of The Scab believe there is an alliance between M and E of Ice Vein who are similar powers in the Southern Continent. They are the mountains they inhabit, just as Fhorge is indeed the volcano he inhabits.
Nermalkin's Legend of The Old Ones
The Gnomish Scholar Nermalkin believes that there is historical precedent that the Gods can and have imposed punishment upon M and E, similar as to how The Old Ones were imprisoned. He believes that these imprisonments led to the ONENESS that has occurred with both Fhorge, M, and E--that in fact the Old Ones as well as others of similar type slowly became like their prisons, and eventually actually became their prison, just as the land around the prisons have become one with the landform. He also argues that all three are clearly lesser beings when compared to the Gods, which raised interesting religious questions since all are now worshiped. He goes on to argue that many of the afflictions of the Southern Continent were supported by M and E raising the question as to why the Gods have not yet punished them in a similar fashion to The Old Ones. He further believes that these powers, which he believes are Elemental instead of Fae were not created by Eberyon, but existed before that time. Both the Elves and the Dwarves, think this is a load of donkey poop.
Scald
Scald is one of the most powerful Old Ones and lives within a large Hot Spring lake full of fountains that goes by the same name. Brutal to the extreme, his territory is growing as more and more of the water features of the area come under his control. He opposes Fhorge as often as he can causing a great tension between fire and water in The Scab.
Characters
These are the characters, past and present, that have been featured in this game.
Current Roster
Past Characters
NPCs
Scald - One of the most powerful Old Ones and lives within a large Hot Spring lake full of fountains that goes by the same name. Brutal to the extreme, his territory is growing as more and more of the water features of the area come under his control. He opposes Fhorge as often as he can causing a great tension between fire and water in The Scab.
Nermalkin - A Gnomish Scholar; believes that there is historical precedent that the Gods can and have imposed punishment upon M and E, similar as to how The Old Ones were imprisoned. He believes that these imprisonments led to the ONENESS that has occurred with both Fhorge, M, and E--that in fact the Old Ones as well as others of similar type slowly became like their prisons, and eventually actually became their prison, just as the land around the prisons have become one with the landform. He also argues that all three are clearly lesser beings when compared to the Gods, which raised interesting religious questions since all are now worshiped. He goes on to argue that many of the afflictions of the Southern Continent were supported by M and E raising the question as to why the Gods have not yet punished them in a similar fashion to The Old Ones. He further believes that these powers, which he believes are Elemental instead of Fae were not created by Eberyon, but existed before that time. Both the Elves and the Dwarves, think this is a load of donkey poop.
Jarnor - Master Swordsmith
Geography
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The Forged Fiction
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