The Tomb of Stone: A Concise Summary of the History of Dunwarren, followed by Speculation

Founding The first residents of Dunwarren were most likely svirfneblin gem-hunters, exploring the caves of the Dark Lake region in search for the precious rubies they adore. The rubies, desired not only for their beauty but also as ingredients in the potent hallucinogenic elixir known as Gogondy, were doubtless found in great abundance in what was later to be known as Dunwarren. It is probable that the mined gems were of unsurpassed quality in their color, as it is well known that exposure to the energies of the negative plane tend to produce a dark reddish tint. And as this document will demonstrate, the energies of the negative plane can be found within these caves in great abundance.

Over time, the gem-miners began to form a settlement of their own, made families, built up their town and established what we know now as Dunwarren. And as their town flourished, the gnomes of Dunwarren buried their dead.

Early History

Dunwarren likely began as a fairly typical svirfneblin settlement, with gnomish miners and artisans living in close harmony with the stone that surrounded them. But over the course of generations, residing within the grim and perplexingly unique caves of Dunwarren began to produce a most unusual effect upon the race. Although always tinkerers, in Dunwarren the mechanistic urges of gnome-kind were elevated to the point that the entire settlement became fanatic about the devising of ever more complicated machines and technological marvels.

Where once the gnomes relied upon earth elementals in their natural form to aid them with protecting their homes, they soon began to forcefully imprison the spirits of said elementals and use them to power complex and terrible machines, known as animatrons. These animatrons in turn were used to assist in the construction of an enormous Machine, that rapidly grew to overtake the simple mines and homes of the gnomes and become the city of Dunwarren itself. For a time the entire society was likely united beyond the mysterious plans for great Machine, but with the passage of generations the gnomes grew disunited. And with the fracturing of the society, conflict grew, and many gnomes died, and were entombed.

The Conflict of Dunwarren

Some mysteries of the past must remain inscrutable to any scholar, but what is known is that the society of Dunwarren split into rival factions: one faction dedicated to the building and maintenance of the Machine, and another dedicated to its destruction. The contemporary mind can only begin to image the terrible battles that must have unfolded: giant animatrons crashing against swarms of infected gnomes and mole-maddened followers. For the rebels against the Machine must surely have turned in desperation to lycanthropy and Urdlen worship as a way to compete against the metal monstrosities that served the Machine. Much of the mysteries of this ancient battles are shrouded in the mists of time, but we do know that the rebels managed to mostly topple the machine-builders, and the society of Dunwarren fell into ruin, with only a few isolated survivors living in pockets of ruins, hunted by Chosen.

The End of Old Dunwarren

Any contemporary adventurer has heard the shrill call of, "Appetite! Appetite" screamed by the dangerous "Chosen" gnome-lycanthropes. Speculation is rife as to what this appetite may actually be, whether an avatar of Urdlen or something even more sinister. Yet whatever it is, it can not grant spells. It seems indifferent to all that transpires in the tomb of stone that is Dunwarren. It is most likely that this "appetite" is a symbol, a way for the gnomes of old Dunwarren to conceptualize the primal fear that had struck their society. More than likely, no sentient monster is within the pit, it is a pit, given life by the shrieking terror of a thousand gnomish voices.

Sanctuary

Drawn by some force, escaped surfacer slaves have been miraculously making their way to the ruins of Dunwarren for one hundred fifty years. In all this time, the so-called Sanctuary has not suffered obliteration nor discovered a way to return to the surface. As moths are drawn to a flame, living lives have been drawn to this tomb that is Dunwarren. How so many have been able to find this secret city is a mystery rarely contemplated by the mortals who reside within the confines of this broken ruin.

The Tomb of Stone - A Theory

Dunwarren is a tomb like none other. An entire civilization and society of gnomes have expired within our walls. The gigantic lizards of the wild caves have, for time immemorial, been drawn to make their way to very near outside our gates in order to die. Surfacer-mortals have been drawn here unerringly for generations, and the dead rarely rest easily. Life is drawn to the tomb of Dunwarren, and once drawn it rarely leaves.

There is no monstrous appetite, no monster, no great foe. What there is a peculiar geographical and magical feature that makes this place so very unique. It is said that the boundaries between the planes are worn thin, here and there. It is likely that here in Dunwarren, perhaps at the very bottom of the appetite-pit, the negative plane (the plane of death) and the material plane (our own plane) find themselves far closer than other places. Whether this unique gateway has always existed within Dunwarren, or is instead a symptom of the catastrophic history of this place, has yet to be discovered. But just as water will flow to fill an empty hole, so will life be drawn to a place of utter death. For generations at the least, life has flowed to Dunwarren to confront death. Just as there is no escape to the surface-lands above, most who perish (even animals and goblin-kin) rarely pass on to whatever after-life awaits but instead become a creature of undeath.

It is here in Dunwarren, the Tomb of Stone, that we confront the final reality of all mortal life.

Aleczumberzeil te Esoterotept