Post by Grumbaki on Feb 17, 2006 14:33:20 GMT -5
Kadr Helding was once part of the flourishing dwarven empire. It was a shrine-hold, dedicated to the worship of the dwarven pantheon. It was secluded and well hidden. It was dug into a three peaked mountain, and housed nothing but priests and those who came to worship. But that was not it's only function. It was built as both a shrine, and also a hiding place. Deep within it was one of the doomstones, the crystal of earth. The priests of Kadr Helding were tasked with protecting it, and keeping it hidden from the outside world.
They failed in their task. The Bloodaxe Alliance, led by the orc shaman Torgoch, conquered the Yetzin Valley and everything surrounding it. Torgoch had already taken the crystal of fire. When his horde got close enough to the hidden shrine, the crystal glowed brightly and acted as a beacon to it's brother doomstone. Through this the horde found the shrine. The priests knew that they could not defeat the horde, and that they were all as good as dead. In an attempt to keep the doomstone out of Torgoch's hands, they used it to summon a guardian, a creature made out of the earth to defend the doomstone. They only succeeded partially. They summoned a guardian, but because the doomstones were flawed by nature, they could not control it. Caught between their own guardian and the horde, every priest died. The orcs, seeing what was below, fled in terror. They learned that the guardian could not leave the hold, so rather than face it, they simply left and continued their conquest elswhere. If Torgoch actually knew that there was another doomstone beneath the shrine, rather than the fact that his was acting oddly, then history may have ended differently.
Since then the shrine has had many different owners. It has had dwarfs, goblins and skaven all living within it for a time, and in each case the residents fled from the creature within the depths of the shrine. The shrine has become thoroughly defiled and is beyond saving. Most dwarfs know nothing of it's existance, and those who do see it as a conquest that will have to wait until later, as there are far more pressing matters to take care of first; such as taking back the fallen holds. Recently, the abandoned shrine has become the home to a tribe of ogres, who had just moved in from the east. It is unknown how much damage they will do, or how long they will stay. Only time will tell.
They failed in their task. The Bloodaxe Alliance, led by the orc shaman Torgoch, conquered the Yetzin Valley and everything surrounding it. Torgoch had already taken the crystal of fire. When his horde got close enough to the hidden shrine, the crystal glowed brightly and acted as a beacon to it's brother doomstone. Through this the horde found the shrine. The priests knew that they could not defeat the horde, and that they were all as good as dead. In an attempt to keep the doomstone out of Torgoch's hands, they used it to summon a guardian, a creature made out of the earth to defend the doomstone. They only succeeded partially. They summoned a guardian, but because the doomstones were flawed by nature, they could not control it. Caught between their own guardian and the horde, every priest died. The orcs, seeing what was below, fled in terror. They learned that the guardian could not leave the hold, so rather than face it, they simply left and continued their conquest elswhere. If Torgoch actually knew that there was another doomstone beneath the shrine, rather than the fact that his was acting oddly, then history may have ended differently.
Since then the shrine has had many different owners. It has had dwarfs, goblins and skaven all living within it for a time, and in each case the residents fled from the creature within the depths of the shrine. The shrine has become thoroughly defiled and is beyond saving. Most dwarfs know nothing of it's existance, and those who do see it as a conquest that will have to wait until later, as there are far more pressing matters to take care of first; such as taking back the fallen holds. Recently, the abandoned shrine has become the home to a tribe of ogres, who had just moved in from the east. It is unknown how much damage they will do, or how long they will stay. Only time will tell.