| Keggekhar: A Brief History |
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| Written by The Wizard | ||||||
| Monday, 29 January 2007 | ||||||
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The city of Keggekhar has survived untold ages of war, famine, pestilence, and hardship. The dwarves there, over time, created a bond of strength that holds the clans together despite any obstacle. They presently face perhaps the most insidious threat to their city ever: the recent influx of many humans. Now having lost majority control of their own city, these dwarves are at a loss for how to deal with the situation. So proud are they of their history of unity, though, that they do not keep in mind that the city was not always theirs alone.
Founded long before any surviving record of its existence, Keggekhar was initially settled by a roughly equal mixture of humans, dwarves, and gnomes. It was situated in a convenient passage through the mountains, serving little purpose other than as a way station for travelers. Over time, as the city grew and the dwarves and gnomes delved deeper and deeper to make their homes, the inhabitants discovered rich veins of a number of ores. Thus, even some thousands of years ago, Keggekhar was a mining town. However, it did not continue to be so forever. After some hundreds of years, Keggekhar faced its first serious threat. Legions of raging orcs and vicious goblins from beyond the western sea invaded, having ravaged and conquered fully their own continent. This was to be the first conflict between these foes and the integrated humans, dwarves, and gnomes, and also one of the greatest. For months, each side fought bitterly for position and advantage in the vast plains of Reldoa, west of Keggekhar; the city itself transformed into a military stronghold. Half a dozen times, the savage western armies crashed upon its walls, but never did they gain entry. Emboldened by their ability to hold the city, the warriors of Reldoa staged a final assault against their vile antagonists. The battle is said to have lasted days, with neither side quitting the fight at any time. In the end, though, little was gained by either side but great death tolls. What remained of the eastern alliance dragged itself back to Keggekhar; the weakened invading force limped back across the sea. In the dale where the terrible battle took place, none settled for decades. Some, especially descendants of those who fought, still will not venture there. Both sides were wary to ever face the other again, though, and history will never forget the conflict. Once its strategic importance as a fortress waned, so too did the city of Keggekhar itself. It wasted away until it was little more than a small collection of inns for weary travelers. During these times, most of the inhabiting gnomes left for more exciting places, the gleam of the city long lost. Somehow, the place was never completely abandoned, even through long times when it served as the edge of settled land. After nearly two thousand years, though, a great king, Thessar, rose to power. The Kingdom of Reldoa, for which the region is now named, brought about his vision of a renewed land, seeing the revival of Keggekhar, as well. The plains to the west of the city filled anew with farms and small towns which grew over time, some to incredible size. By this time, the lands to the west of the sea had been retaken by humans. King Thessar established trade links with the western kingdoms, and also stretched his hand to the lands beyond the eastern deserts, drawing great wealth into his realm. During this period, Keggekhar swelled to great size, serving as home to a few tens of thousands of souls. All kinds were to be found there, even elves, who are rarely known for their attraction to the mountains. The dwarves built great underground halls to rival the towers and manors constructed by the humans above, as grand as any seen in that region. Such was King Thessar's greatness and foresight that his kingdom's prosperity lasted fifty human generations, despite countless threats both large and small to its stability. The Kingdom of Reldoa's doom came at the hands of the awakening of the dragons, who ravaged all known lands. Many heroes answered the call of challenge, but ultimately none could best the ferocious skylords. Keggekhar shared in the devastation and sank into another long period of quiet existence; but it continued to survive. Many kings, queens, emperors, and councils came and went over the millennia, and Keggekhar lived on through them all. Never did it ascend to so grand a scale as it had under Thessar, nor was it ever better defended than during the First Allied War. Nations passed, heroes and villains alike passed, and the centuries wound on. By the time of the return of magic, Keggekhar had been a mining city again for only a small handful of dwarven generations. They had rebuilt the town from almost nothing, and were the only race to inhabit it for some time. With new veins of ore, the city regrew to small size and found itself situated on maps again. Eventually, it also became a small trading post between the dwarven kingdom of the mountains and the two human kingdoms of the western plains due to its central position in Reldoa. The last fifty years have seen Keggekhar ascend to its greatest position of importance in a few thousand years. The discovery of a source of the gate-mineral in the rock beneath the city brought in mages keen to learn more about their craft, and has also attracted the attention of many who would gain its secrets for power. The three kingdoms also grew to each others' borders, with Keggekhar directly between them all. By mutual agreement, it became an independent city. Now more heavily inhabited by humans than by the dwarves who resurrected it, Keggekhar is tense with the silent conflict between the races. Times of great change, mighty heroes, and horrible villains are at hand again. Whether the city will last through them to see another age, though? Who can know?
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