The Crucible

The Crucible is a region of northern Aureon, between the Pyre Spires and the Frostcap Mountains. It is a contested region, with various regional powers vying for control of its resources and peoples.

Etymology
The Crucible's name is an Andari/Brician corruption of the original Dwarven name for the region: Karus-Abhel. Karus-Abhel means "the Kingdom of the Mountain Folk", synonymous with a Dwarven kingdom that once spanned the entire area. Karus refers specifically to the ruling family of Mountain Dwarves that once controlled the area. There are many Dwarf clans that still call this region home, but are just as often using the Andari derived version of the name in their writings as a means of showing their hardships.

Geography and Climate
The Crucible is at the northern edge of Aureon, along the coast of the Brician Sea. The Crucible is at it's lowest point at the mouth of the Ashflow River, which runs for most of the length of the Crucible and empties into the Brician Sea. The land rises sharply to the east, forming the Frostcap Mountains. To the south, the Pyre Spires (a volcanic chain) intercepts the Frost Caps and forms the southern end of the Crucible (though some consider Arbogast Vale to be a part of the Crucible, most often it is considered part of the Central Plateau. To the West are the Greyrock Hills, not as high as the Frostcaps but a significant region of forested hills.  The Weald, a largely coniferous forest, dominates the ecology of most of the Crucible.  This forest rings the land, but gives way to scrubby plains closer to the Ashflow River.

History
Not much is known about the history of the Crucible before the formation of Karus-Abhel. Legends tell of it being the battleground of elemental gods, whose deceased physical forms became the mountain chains that surround the area.

Elven Empire
The Elves seem to have explored the region, though they chose not to settle it, during the time of their empire.

Karus-Abhel
The region was already a site of colonization by Hill Dwarves long before the Karus family of Mountain Dwarves arrived in the region from far to the east, even during the era of the Elven Empire. Legends of that time are all that is left, as Dwarven script was in its infancy then and the Dwarves were still using a form of hieroglyphics for many of their records. This system was in the process of being abandoned and writing adopted, and thus there are few contemporaneous accounts left of the founding of the kingdom.

What is known is that the Karus clan managed to gain control over a number of other clanholds through marriage and warfare. They become the hegemon of all the Dwarves in the region, and thus were able to claim the title of King within the span of a generation of their arrival.

They chose to build their capital at Ashflow, a minor Dwarven settlement at the base of Cauldron Mountain. They used the heat of the lava to power incredible forges, producing some of the finest metal goods ever seen. The Karus were considered mastercrafters even by Dwarven standards. Their weapons and armor were peerless, defending their warriors even from incursions by the biggest Hobgoblin armies, and even by probing attacks by the Aurean Empire in its fledgling days.

Brician Colonization
Bricians have a long history of living on the coast of the Crucible, but in the century leading up to Ranbold's ascension to the throne their numbers would explode. They settled along the mouth of the Ashflow river originally, but quickly spread up the river. They established farms and logging camps, clearing portions of the land of trees to build their growing settlement called Ashport.

The Dwarves would ignore this growth early on, seeing it as something fleeting. In time, they would realize that the humans were there to stay. This started to become a crisis for many clans, which saw the low-lands as theirs as well. These humans were upstarts, and worse, disruptive. The humans were hard to control, and their numbers were quickly replenished no matter how many times the Dwarves culled their numbers in battle. The worst, however, was the staggering loss of Dwarven lives that were harder to replace. Humans didn't follow the highly ritualistic warfare of the Dwarves, and so the Dwarves often found themselves not as prisoners to be ransomed but as enemies to be slain.

The Karus would launch many attempts to dislodge the Bricians at Ashflow, but every attempt would fail when the winter came and the Dwarves would need to return to their clan holds. The Humans would continue to resupply their settlement by sea, as the Dwarves had no real way to deal with the ships that would sail into the harbor both day and night.

Eventually, this saw the Dwarves take a more cautious and measured approach. They would resist human migration into other parts of Karus-Abhel but wouldn't try to drive them from the parts they'd already taken. This would eventually lead to a de facto ceasefire, and eventually outright trade with the people of Ashport. The Dwarves would even learn that the name of the human city, Ashport, was in reverence to the mineral trade that came down the river from Ashflow, the Dwarven Capital.

It would be during this time that Copperton would be founded as a joint venture between the Dwarves and Humans.

King Ranbold the Magnificent
Ranbold is considered the greatest of the Karus Kings. He was never expected to ascend to the throne, but bravely stepped into the position during the Blinding Blight. This event, which had been precipitated by Drow trying to prevent the Dwarves from delving too deep, saw the reservoirs of the Karus poisoned with disease. Ranbold managed the crises effectively as he watched many of his contemporaries perish around him. He brought together the greatest clerics of Aphaesta in his kingdom, and helped lead them in a ritual that purified the water of their great cisterns.

He was considered especially magnanimous among his people, going so far as to pardon several slights against him, while at the same time managing to convey a sense of power and dignity. His people loved him.

While visiting the plane of fire in search of materials to create an improved forge within his fortress, Ranbold would meet the Azer princess Atatma. He fell head over heels in love with her, and begged the Azer king for her hand in marriage. The Azer king would not relent, telling Ranbold that he would not be allowed to marry Atatma because she was already promised to another prince.

Ranbold wouldn't have no for an answer. He abducted Atatma, though many tales say she was just as willing to go with him because she was also in love with him. They fled back to the material plane, where they waited for retribution.

It wouldn't come in the form they suspected. A little over a year later, Atatma gave birth to a son called Surran.

Surran, the Scorched Prince
Surran was technically a bastard, as Ranbold had not followed the proper traditions and had taken Atatma from her clan without the permission of it's leader. This bitterly divided the kingdom, as there were many who refused to allow Surran to take the throne while there were other members of the Karus line who could claim the title.

Ranbold, as beloved as he was, was weak-willed in dealing with the issue. He wished to not offend either side, but wouldn't disown his own son for being born out of love. Surran would take the issue to heart, seeing how he was being ostracized by the other clans. He would begin to take matters into his own hands, feuding with other nobles and marching into battle against them. He created his own arms and banners and marched to any clan hold that opposed his ascension and dealt with those who dwelt within harshly.

The Scorched Prince would become a matter of severe controversy when he headed to the clan hold of the Clanggor. The Elder there refused to recognize Surran even after they'd forced the gates and captured nearly the entirety of the hold. In a fit of anger, Surran had the Elder and every Clanggor who didn't swear fealty to him put to death by immolation. The Fires of the Clanggor would be remembered as only the beginning of the brutality that Surran would unleash.

When Ranbold found out about what had happened there, his hand was forced. He exiled Surran.

Ranbold's would spend the next century without his son, and a great distant grew between he and Atatma. She would even go so far as to return to the Plane of Fire, throwing herself at the mercy of her father for forgiveness. Ranbold would never see her again. Ranbold was a diminished Dwarf, his fire having gone out now that the palace was empty. He grew distant from his own people, who had begun to secure their own holds in fear of Ranbold's now ineffective leadership.

Surran's Return
After a century of exile, Surran had made ready to return to Karus-Abhel. He had spent that time gathering together all of the forces that he could to claim his kingdom, at the end of an axe if it came to that. He would return at the head of a column of foreign warriors; Drakes, Hobgoblins, Giants, Orcs, and Human and Dwarf mercenaries.

Ranbold tried to put together an effective response. He mustered as many warriors as he could, and even the help of a Silver Dragon named Argyraspidus. They would clash in battle just to the west of where Tallfellow is today, though the site of the battle is long since overgrown by the trees of the Weald.

The battle was not quick, lasting for nearly a week of maneuvers and counter attacks.

The course of the battle changed when a giant caught sight of Ranbold and lobbed a boulder at him. The king was unable to maneuver out of the way in time and was crushed along with several of his household bodyguard. Surran would later have that giant executed, as he'd been trying to capture his father alive to legitimize his return.

With his father out of the way, Surran declared himself the King of Karus-Abhel. Few would flock to acknowledge his ascension, as the other clans locked their gates tight and prepared for seige. This sort of slow warfare drained the economy of Karus-Abhel to only a trickle. Ashflow would be largely abandoned at this time, except for fire giants and fire drakes.

The realm would persist like this for centuries more, until the arrival of the Aureans.

The Golden Crusade
Surran's crimes, as well as the evils that escaped his borders, eventually led the Aurean Empire into noticing him. Their ire came quickly, and they began pouring across the Border Mountains in wave after wave of crusading knights and their accompanying legions. The Aureans smashed the forces of Surran, but rendered almost no help to the Dwarven clans. Many of the clans would disappear at this time. Of all the major clan holds, only Shield remained out of those of larger size.

Karus-Abhel would disappear after the Golden Crusade returned across the mountains.

Surran was never accounted for among those evils that the Golden Crusade had attempted to destroy. It is not known what happened to him, though legend says that he slumbers beneath Cauldron Mountain waiting to return and restore Karus-Abhel. The Dwarves fear this legend, knowing that Surran was an enemy who arose from within their own people and cost them dearly. For humans, this is merely a tale of how mighty the fallen Dwarven kingdom once was and how it is less than a shadow of its former glory.

The Dark Age
After the dissolution of Karus-Abhel, the region was left in disarray. The human mercenaries who'd accompanied Surran had settled in the southern reaches of the kingdom. These were mostly Geir humans from the north central region of the continent. They weren't like the Bricians, being far more insular and bellicose. They were fearful of their neighbors, and their numbers grew very little.

They would found small towns and villages, each ruled by petty chieftains. Some would be so vain as to call themselves a king if they could garner control of more than one settlement. This arrangement would never last, and no real dynasties would ever be formed as strongmen would oust weaker men constantly.

The Bricians fared little better. Without the trade from the Dwarves, Ashport would diminish in size until it was little more than a fishing town. Ships from the Brician Isles would sometimes arrive to trade for what materials could be salvaged by desperate adventurers, but over all the region would remain poor and undeveloped during this time. Ashport would become desperate.

When ships carrying ill-gotten cargo pilfered from Arthandor and Bricia arrived in Ashport, they looked the other way. When it began to happen more often, piracy was becoming a way of life for the people of Ashport. For the next few centuries, Ashport would be known as a minor threat to sailors on the Brician sea.

It would be during this time that the region would begin to be called Crucible.

Arbogast the Terrible
No one is quite sure of Arbogast' origin. Some say he's dwelled in the Vale for eons. Others say that he didn't arrive until around the time of the Karus. Either way, he's lived in the Vale for an incredibly long time.

Arbogast is a Lich of tremendous power. He is distant to the affairs of mortals, so long as they don't make too much of a disturbance in his lands. Many a Hobgoblin warband has tried to cross his territory to raid the Crucible only to find themselves being vaporized by waves of fireballs.

The Vale itself is home to many druids, whom Arbogast allows sanctuary because they protect his lands from outsiders. He does not allow Blighters in his lands, however, as they cause too much death. Arbogast, while a Lich, has little interest in death.

His motives remain mysterious, as does the origin of his magnificent tower.

Drokk the Indomitable
Around 1420 AR, a pirate band led by Drokk the Indomitable sailed into the harbor of Ashport. The people were excited to see so many ships arrive before they realized that Drokk had not arrived with treasures from far away. Instead, he'd arrived at the head of an invasion force. In a matter of days, Drokk's men had complete control of the harbor and city.

Drokk was a half-orc who'd been abandoned in Escadira as a child. He grew up on the streets, but eventually would become a sailor of great skill. He would lead a mutiny against a weak captain, seizing control of a powerful merchant marine ship called the Warmaiden of Valoum. With the Warmaiden, Drokk would eventually take control of other pirate gangs, until he had his own armada.

He needed a place to house his armada far from Escadira, who was desperately seeking to be rid of him. He sailed far to the north, eventually finding Ashport to be the perfect place. With control of the city, Drokk was able to feed all of his men, make sure they were taken care of, and he could replenish his lost crew from the locals. Some of them would even make great slaves in the markets of Hatarine.

Uthair the Navigator
Drokk's incessant raids on Andari shipping would bring him into conflict with Uthair II of Arthandor, arguably the greatest sailor of his age. Uthair would meet Drokk in battle at sea on a few occasions, but when Uthair became king, he had a drive to be rid of the half-orc.

Uthair II launched an invasion by land and sea of Ashport. The Andari army would eventually capture the city, and the pirate fleet was towed out to sea and put to the torch.

Drokk would die during this conflict, though how he died is a matter of debate. Some say he disemboweled and thrown from the walls by the locals, while other say he was handed over to the Andari and subsequently executed. Either way, his head was taken and placed on a pike just outside of Hardstone.

Andari Annexation
The northern part of the Crucible were now under Andari control. Uthair decided that, rather than letting Ashport fall back into pirate hands or worse, he would have that part of the Crucible be annexed into the Kingdom of Arthandor. In the subsequent decades since the arrival of the Andari, the city has of Ashport has grown by almost half again.

An entire new district of the city is being built, called the "King's Ward". Here is where many Andari colonists hoping to comprise the core of a new nobility have settled, working alongside the local Brician merchant leadership and tribe elders.

Hardstone, which had always sat at the edge of Arthandor's territory, is now the seat of legate and his legion. From here, Andari soldiers go on patrol through out the towns and villages claimed by Arthandor.

Copperton is a major source of copper and bronze, prized around Aureon for its use in art and in the production of copper pieces. It has also been annexed, though it has yet to receive any occupational forces and its cooperation is conditional on that remaining true.

Other smaller settlements like Harlows Post, Sallowsport, and Goldmead are also under the control of Arthandor.

The Free Settlements
There are many Geir settlements in the southern part of the Crucible that are not part of the Andari occupation. Settlements like Pinehill, Tallfellow, and Oakbridge are all effectively free states in their own regard. There are also a number of smaller thorpes and hamlets that are not aligned with northern powers.

Likewise, the settlements of the Weald Elves, the Snow Elves, and the Dwarven Clan Holds (including Shield) are also not aligned with the Andari forces. Shield is allied with Ashport, and the two share a steady trade with one another, but Shield is independent of Andari law.

Government
To be filled out later

Economics
To be filled out later

Ecology
Crucible is divided into a number of zones. In general shape, the area is a bowl ringed by mountains with the sea at the north. In the east it is dominated by the Frostcrags, very tall and cold mountains that are always capped with ice. These mountains have little in the way of vegetation in the upper vales, though there are woodlands that cling to the lowest portions of these mountains. Glaciers are common here, storing up large volumes of fresh water. Small lakes form here, where life from lower altitudes clings and forms little oasis.

The south the land rises to the Vale mountains, which are actually just a branch of the Border mountains that meet the Frostcrags. This area squeezes against the mountains of Razzan (also a branch of the Border mountains) and forces the land to a much higher altitude in the region known as Arbogast Vale.

The west is where the Border mountains run from north to south, dividing the Crucible from Arthandor. These mountains are middle sized, with only the highest peaks retaining snow during the summer months. They are relatively temperate, with woodlands dividing the peaks.

The central region is home to the Weald. This used to be a single massive forest that dominated the entire lowland region, only divided by the rivers that flowed through it. It has since cleared in many areas, breaking the forest into four large areas that are still related but separated.

The West Weald is the largest portion, encompassing about 1/3 of the total mass of woodland. It is where most of the major rivers begin, including the Westwater river, the Alfen river, and the Ashflow river. The trees here tend to be much older, with many druids and elves calling the area home.

The South Weald is the most unsettled and unexplored of the forests. There are few trails that head through this area, and much of the underbrush is impenetrable to horses. The land here is also rocky, and there are many hazards like pitfalls and sudden canyons with rushing waters at their bottoms.

The East Weald is much like the South Weald, except that it is also the target of logging operations and of explorers in general. For a brief time it was thought that the area would be rich in gold, and so many intrepid dwarves and pioneering humans set off for the area only to come up empty handed. They established a number of trails, and have caused some disturbances to the local wild life populations. Wolves and Bears are starting to recover in this area.

The Central Weald, which is ostensibly part of the East Weald on most maps, is the tamest region of all. It sits between some of the most populated human areas and thus it is the most well known. The deepest portions of the forest here are still inhospitable, and are prone to encampments of violent humanoid bandits.

The Crucible is home to a wide variety of mammalian megafauna, including Aurochs, Bison, and the occasional mastodon in the forests of the central regions. The Frostcrags are still home to wandering herds of mammoths that journey between the easy pastures of the Crucible in winter and spring and the cooler grasslands of Scyra in the summer and fall. Deer, elk, rabbits, and many other medium sized game animals are also very common.

Large, saber-toothed cats and cave lions haunt the fringes of the mountains and woodlands, while Dire Wolves dominate the grasslands in between. Bears are somewhat common, though dire bears are rarer and typically limited in the ranges they cover. The West Weald is home to widest variety of predatory animals, who are protected by the Wood Elves. The South Weald, relatively unexploited, is also home to a number of large fauna.

In terms of more mystical creatures, Chimera and Fire Drakes are a common threat in the Border Mountains, especially near Cauldron Mountain and near the border with Razzan. Wyverns are more common in the Vale Mountains, rarely coming north if they can avoid doing so. Frost Drakes dominate the ecology of the Frostcrags, though deferential to the White Dragons that live there.

Dragons are not uncommon in this part of the world. Red Dragons fight for territory along all the mountain ranges, coming up against Silver and White Dragons in the Frostcrags. Green Dragons and Black Dragons are the most common types in the central regions, with the Greens lording over the forests and the Blacks mostly sticking along the waterways and in the boggy swamps near Ashport. Blue Dragons aren't very common, though they occasionally come up from drier plains of Razzan in search of food, mates, or to cause trouble. Gold Dragons are infrequent at best, though Silvers enjoy the high peaks of the Frostcrags. Bronze Dragons live along the coast and are considered a good luck sign by passing ships.