Duervalden
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Player: BM
History
Before the Necromantic War: Humble Beginnings
The Underhold of Duervalden (meaning “Deep Bastion”) was build over a Fire-aspected Node, a blazing nexus of hundreds of thin veins of magma that rose up in a spiraling tower of smoke, to slowly billow from the mountains above through shards of Levistone. The Dwarves build their massive city around this site, in the gargantuan stone pillars that ringed its awesome flame, like a stone halo to its brilliance. They terraced the hills surrounding their territory to provide food for their number, with stone gates opening in the hill walls into underground dwellings and granaries.
King Yulthen the Constructer, the first king of Duervalden, produced much of early infrastructure several centuries before the Necromantic war. He formed the first of only two dynasties to rule in Duervalden, which lasted until 70 years before the Necromantic War. After the last king’s death, the nation’s Parliament opted not to select another noble, and assumed power after a brief and relatively bloodless civil war.
The Duervalden dwarves, like many of their kind, were insular and introspective, preferring to explore depths rather than expanses. Their society put great emphasis on intelligence and invention, as well as the study and revision of Magical Assemblers, holding sequencing experiments and RUNTRAN seminars as well as showcasing new combinations. They formed the University to further these pursuits, and developed quite a library of runic sequences.
The Necromantic War: Zyph’s Coming, Dreams Bound Below
When the Necromantic War came, they responded to the invading hoards by sealing themselves into their underground city, contenting themselves with the riches of the earth. Sadly, the necromancers did not merely pass over them. One in particular, known only as Zyph, concluded that the dwarves’ self-interment was to protect untold riches, and he doubled his efforts to locate and breach their underground cities. Other minor generals flocked to him, lured by tales of untold riches and magical secrets held by the studious Duervalden.
An extended siege became punctuated by deadly breaches and frenzied tunnel skirmishes. The undead took heavy losses to the dwarves’ high-tech defenses and devastating bottlenecks, but not without grinding upon Duervalden’s fighting forces. The Dwarves soldiers suffered, and what were only momentary incursions became more and more frequent. Slowly, they began to lose territory, sealing off upper sections, and even abandoning entire cities to escape into the Underdark’s subterranean gorges.
With the surface world denied to them, the Duervalden directed their attentions downward for refuge. A team of scouts, let by Assembler Destheri, came upon a series of jagged, claustrophobic tunnels, coiling downward into strange patterns. Hoping to find a new refuge for their brothers and sisters, they pressed downward.
It wasn’t until the stony walls gave way to metal that they became concerned. They came across obvious doors of stone, broken by neglect and tectonic activity. Desperation overcame restraint, and they pushed down, until the narrow passages opening into a sprawling cavern. Destheri looked out with awe over the sea of spires – and the colossal, vertical chains leading down into the jagged sea. It wasn’t hard for him to find a path down to the bottom, and when the stone began to pulse and breathe about them, they almost turned back.
What they found down there was nothing short of a wonder; Living stone, stretching through the abnormal spires, shivering at contact and giving off a soft, pinkish glow. More miraculous to Destheri was the strange whispers, like muttering in one’s sleep, that were undeniably syllables of some unknown language, whispering forth from distinct patterns in the living stones. The chains yielded further secrets, forged of adamantium and inscribed with what Destheri recognized as an ancient form of Magic Assembler language, that bore an obvious similiarity to the markings on the breathing stone walls.
Amidst the strange languages, Destheri had a sudden burst of inspiration. With the help of the explorers, he copied a few of the strange syllables, and began to incorporate them into standard RUNTRAN shaping sequences as Concept. He was quickly rewarded, as he living walls responded, opening themselves into a clear, wide passage back to their starting point! Nearly overwhelmed, he began a few other quick experiments, primarily with summoning and augery protocols. His assistants cautioned him against calling forth an unknown; this did not dissuade him, though he consented to a minor summoning with plenty of defenses and painstaking failsafes.
When he finally completed the runic circle, the pattern thrummed loudly, causing the walls around them to shake. The floor became slippery, and Destheri looked down to see that the circle was bleeding. Sweet-smelling smoke billowed from the circle, a vague shape taking form before the dwarves eyes. Destheri didn’t know how to respond, as the misshapen entity before him made a gesture which could somewhat be called a bow.
Zyph’ forces, meanwhile, had begun to fall into disarray, worn down by the long siege. Feuds flared as individual leaders pulled clandestine tricks on their allies, wanting to be the first to successfully breach Duervalden. Falsified reports and sudden betrayals led to more and more Necromancer failures, and tensions rose, even as Destheri brought back his findings to his people.
The final charge of the undead was marked by death from many sides. A Byzantine maneuver left several prominent commanders crippled or at each others throats as they pushed their way into one of the entry halls, past abandoned blockades. Only a pair of leaders, having conspired to hamstring their rivals so that the glory would be theirs, managed to reach the great stone doors that they believed would lead into the city proper.
They were surprised, however, as the doors opened for them, and the feeling only intensified at the torrents of arcane, translucent flames that flooded over them.
The dwarves’ counterattack caught the fueding generals by surprise, as Striders ran forth, movements fluid as they carved through sewn-together war machines. Dwarven Knights swiftly moved to occupy and defend the regained halls, supported by staggering magical support. The Necromancers rallied, and fresh forces attacked the hallway, but the Dwarves’ magical defenses made such maneuvers suicidal. What had been a lingering siege became a series of fierce battles.
The undead numbers and Dwarven firepower prophesied a bloody war of attrition. The Dwarves remained cautious, relying on their defense advantage and mystical artillery to wear down their attacker, and it seemed to work. That they were bolstered by a new, vitalizing power that permeated their domains no doubt stirred them to a spirited defense, as well.
The destruction of the Tower of Life broke Zyph’s already-dwindling numbers, and panic overcame his troops. The dwarves took the initiative, and scattered the necromancers even as they turned on each other to flee. It was less than three months before Zyph’s great army was nothing more than piles of twice-dead flesh and bloody memories.
Government and Social Organization
The Parliament
Duervalden operates, in theory, under a constitutional monarchy. However, the royal family effectively died out several centuries ago, a product of bad breeding and bad decisions. The last king, Andstung the Golden-Hand, committed suicide due to this growing mental illness, leaving no heirs or suitable relatives to assume the crown. The Parliament’s decision on the matter would be that no new royal family would be selected, and that its governing body would continue to administer to the kingdom.
The Parliament consists of representatives selected from either the nobility or (as of recent years) the University, tasked with managing Duervalden’s domestic life. Notable positions include the Prime Minister, tasked with leading the cabinet in dictating policy; the University Minister, a position that has greatly expanded in power since the discovery of the Sealed Dreamer; and the Lord Protector, the political head of the armed forces.
The University
The body of Assemblers, alchemists, inventors, and wizards dedicated to mystical and scientific study. This organization is responsible for the production of war machines and of magical weaponry, as well as magical training and instruction. With the discovery of the Sealed Dreamer by one of their own, they have gained greater temporal power and influence over Duervalden society. They alone are responsible for observing and studying the Sealed Dreamer and its chains, as well as cataloguing and experimenting with its bizarre language.
Magic
The Discovery of the Alpha-Eldritch RUNTRAN (Called Alpha-ER for the sake of brevity) language has revolutionized Duervalden’s magical study. The ‘letters’ gleaned from the Sealed Dreamer’s walls have produced spectacular results in closed tests, and have proven to be surprisingly stable given their enigmatic origin.
The language is by no means complete; only a fraction of those symbols are properly translated, and new ones are found with regularity. Luckily, the giant chains that pierce the living site appear to be inscribed with a roughly similar language, with discernible syntax. This has greatly assisted scholars in identification and testing.
The functional Alpha-ER is actually a combination of the sigils manifest on the walls, those carved on the chains and, RUNTRAN 4990, using traditional RUNTRAN sequences. Attempts to recreate portions the chains’ syntax produces minimal to no results, and some scholars aren’t sure that it’s an assembler in the traditional sense. Still, there is no denying its effects when adapted, particularly those from the living walls.
Magic produced using the new letters tends to have a wide variety of effects and applications for both known sequences and new innovations, though many early productions focused on animation, healing, and conjuration. One unique product of such experiments is the class of etheric entity that Destheri dubbed ‘djinn’, after an archaic word denoting spirits. While other, more traditional creatures may still be summoned, Alpha-ER lends itself well to the conjuration of these alien creatures. An entire department of the University – the Department of Djinnic Studies – is dedicated to analyzing this unheard of brand of creatures.
The new language has injected new life into Assembler study, bringing many wizards to resume study of earlier versions of RUNTRAN, as well as to investigate other Assembly languages both ancient and modern. The school also has colleges dedicated to Rote Spellcraft and Willworking, the latter having gained some prominence due to the proliferation of Djinn.
The Djinn
Like the protoplasmic servant first conjured by Destheri, Djinn are unheard of elsewhere in the world, and there’s no records of any being summoned who quite match the descriptions of Duervalden’s servants. Given their intimate connection to the Dreamer Below and the Alpha-ER language, this is not surprising.
Djinn are notably alien, though the majority of them are humanoid. Dwarves have compared them to sculptures, shaped into a vague Dwarven semblance, but often lacking common features. Their flesh if often albino or vital pink, and many glow. Other variants that resemble animals or more unnatural creatures exist, though they often appear disturbingly fleshy, like meat and skin molded like clay.
Djinn can be sentient, with most powerful magical ones being self-aware and easily capable of communication. Attempts to question them on their origins provoke curious responses; Djinn often give dream-like and confusing accounts of their past lives, and some have no memory beyond when they are first summoned. Even with this, many seem naturally proficient in seemingly random fields of study, or seem to have knowledge in subjects that suggests lifetime of study. A popular theory is that Djinn are not conjured from the Dreamer, but rather created, fabricated using mana and the site’s alien magic. While this does not explain why all Djinn are not pure tabula rasa, it has gained many adherents in the magical crowd.
Djinn who wield magic usually employ direct Will-working, reshaping the world directly. They seem perfectly capable of learning other modes of spellcraft, and seem extremely intrigued by the sigils gleaned from the Dreamer site, and their application in Assembly languages. Only long-term summons have the time to delve deeply into other magics, though the Djinn pick up such things disturbingly fast…
Djinn are conjured creatures, and are usually bound to the sequences that maintain them. Many are summoned temporarily, though a few have been created in long-term environments and some have been given permanency for economy for innovative nature. Without their spells to sustain them, they fade like any summoned creature – a fate that all of them take with commendable stoicism, and even dismissal.
Finally, djinn may be summoned into objects inscribed with the proper sequence, incarnating themselves in its structure. Such items are often quite potent.
Domains and Sites of Note
Duervalden
The core of the Duervalden city-state and namesake of its inhabitants. It resembles a great, multi-layered stone ring, surrounding the billowing Fire Node at the center – further structures honeycomb the jutting rocks, hang from the main ring like fungal growths, or extend down to the Underdark floor in octagonal stone towers connected together by great stone bridges. One of these towers is the home of the University, a thick column ringed with dozens of plazas and observation decks. The structure actually peeks out of the mountains above as the Great Observatory (though reaching the Observatory must be done through the garrison halls, as it and the university proper are not directly connected by passages).
Deeper into the Underdark lies the Dreamer Below, an ancient site where rock lives and strange letters form in the walls, and giant black chains stretch from the ceiling into the breathing floor. The place exudes an aura of vitality and mana, perhaps partially fueled by the Node nearby, and its syllables have spread this energy throughout the region, producing vast gardens in the city and in the caverns.
Pillar of Red Smoke
This Fire Node sits at the center of Duervalden, where dozens of magma veins converge in a conflagration of liquid flame, spiraling upwards in a tornado of glowing, fiery smoke. Windows on the city’s inner ring overlook this phenomenon, and it serves as light for the numerous homes and gardens there.
Averison
This dense region, filled with wild crevasses teeming with monstrous beasts, was revisited after the Zyph’s siege had been broken. The University has established a compound here, interested in applying Alpha-ER upon the wildlife. The results have been a redirection of ley lines in the area and a serious of mutated or enhanced creatures.
Vital Hills
These series of hills have been converted to terrace-farms in order to supply the Duervalden with necessary food. The Cuergold River flows through here, and several trading posts exist along it. The nearby Stony hills are quite similar in setup.
Race Info
Race: Dwarves (Devgar)
Short guys that like beer and live in underground halls.
Cost: 20
Underdark Race
Racial Alignment: Force
Infantry units are tougher
+25% to all Mine output
-1 Common draft
Alignment Unit: Dwarven Hearthguard
Specialty: Djinnic Striders
Cost: 5
Duervalden Assemblers can apply the Alpha-ER language to a Strider, summoning one of the alien Djinn – and trapping it in the war machine’s metal heart. The creature’s presence warps the Strider, adding fleshy muscles to the creature's limbs and tissue that bonds with metal plates and mechanisms. Such machines straddle the line between artificial and alive, often featuring claws, fanged maws, and other stranger extrusions, twisted flesh and metal alike into disturbing forms. The plating is adorned with abstract runes of Alpha-ER sequences - some of which were not actually inscribed by the thaumaturges. Pilots are specially trained to become comfortable with the pumping veins and constant, heavy breathing that their suits exude.
Effect: May take one of the following Creature Abilities: Burrowing, Celerity, Nightmare Fuel, Regeneration, Vitriolic Breath
Price Change: Adamantium price is halved, with the mana cost increased commensurately. All gold upkeep becomes mana. Summoning spell costs 5 Books for Scout Striders, 10 Books for Knightstriders and 15 Books for Siege Striders.
Domains
Total Points: 310
Duervalden Domains
Military
Total Points: 65
Duervalden Armed Forces
Duervalden Production Page