This stronghold occupies a long volcanic ridge in the Abjurer Mountains known as the Dragon Back. Although the volcanoes are frequently active there has not been a violent eruption since the

This stronghold has long been abandoned

• Periods:

  • Founding Era: Age of the First Ones - Age of the Gods
  • The Forge Era: Age of the Gods
  • Soul Metal Era: Age of the Gods - Firstborn War
  • Civil War Era: Firstborn War
  • Abandonment Era: Firstborn War - Present Time

The True Elf had begun to gather in the dense jungles and thousands of rivers that flowed along the great continent. As a Sylvan Vale had begun to take root in the land the Ancient Dwarf settled into the mountains along the eastern coast. Like in dozens of other lands across the world, these elves and dwarves did not physically clash with each other, but instead simply opposed each other by their very existence.

The dwarves dug deep into the mountain, unearthing the treasures and ore buried by the Earthmother when this land was first formed. They built massive walls and towers along the mountain, rooted to the strength of ore and stone. From these vantage points the dwarves used their skill, strength, and power to opposed the elven unholy changes to the land.

The craftsmanship of these dwarves was soon hailed by their brethren as being superior to all other dwarves. Dwarves came from across the world to study foundry, smithing, and working of various ores and stones. The Earthmother blessed her children by creating Firock, the living forge of crafting.

In should come as no surprise that the greatest creation of the dwarves, that which doomed all dwarves to be shunned by their creator, arose near Firock. The masters of the forge were surprised, and some declared it a blasphemy, that it should come from a common dwarf from a forge of simple stone. Nathan Truestrike was from a very minor clan that own fealty to the Blackfist Clan. From his forge he created Soul Metal, which he called the Incar. This creation was neither artistic nor complicated - but it was alive, truly alive. The Soul Metal possessed a spirit - a spirit that was both one and yet many.

He was called before the grand masters of the forge who demanded that he show them his technique. Although he worked at Firock the inspiration of the Earthmother that allowed him to create the Incar never came again. Eventually the grand masters all but enslaved Nathan to their forge and would not free him until he could show them the truth of his creation.

In time the wonderment and holiness of the creation was called into questioning. Many began to think aloud that Nathan was not inspired by the Earthmother, but rather sought out the evil of the devils to create the incar. Why else could not grand masters not master his creation - their forge was blessed above all others in the arts of creation. If the holy forge of Firock could not create such a thing - then it must be the work of forces dark and sinister.

The Blackfist clan stood with the Truestrike Clan, but it mattered little in the end. An angry mob of dwarves descended upon the lands where Nathan worked and burned them - scattering salt across the land and leaving behind nothing but dwarven bodies. The grand masters were shocked and horrified at the massacre, for this was the first time that a dwarf ever slew another dwarf. Several of them, hearing the righteous anger of the Earthmother rising from the bowels of the world, freed Nathan and led him to safety.

The anger of the dwarves never was quenched, for the dwarves were not beings prone to self-reflection and resisted all change. Those who supported Nathan and the beauty of the blessing of the Earthmother upon him soon formed their own clans to survive against those who sought to destroy all knowledge of his blasphemy from dwarven history. The rigid clan that had served the dwarves so well since their creation crumbled as those for and opposed to the incar became the defining moment.

It was the opening battles fought in and around Firock Stronghold that sparked the massive civil war among the dwarves. This war would burn across the world, until the dwarves reached the point they possessed the power to utterly destroy the world. When the Earthmother rose up and cursed her children for their arrogance and murder - it was Firock that suffered first.

The living forge, the pulsing heart and soul of Firock, rose up and burned everything to ash. The volcanoes roared with fury, spitting rock and fire into the sky, blanketing the entire continent in feet of ash. The cloud was so thick across the land that the sun would not shine on it for thousands of years. Even the elves were not spared the fury of the mountain; although many of them safely fled.

The dwarves have changed much over the time since Firock was destroyed. No longer are they connected to ore and stone as they once were, instead they have bodies of flesh that age and wither. In all this time, with so much of their history destroyed and long forgotten - their remains knowledge that Firock Stronghold was cursed above all others. Dwarves have been known to become violently ill just looking upon the mountains where the ruins of the stronghold are found.

Holdings are Oathbound if they own fealty, or oaths, to the stronghold.

Before it was abandoned during the same catastrophe that doomed Firock Stronghold, Blackfist Hold was the largest clanhold owing fealty to Firock. Located in the Bahir Ridge, the hold was built above very rich veins of stone and ore. It was not destroyed in the same cataclysm that struck Firock, but rather shortly after by the sin of the besieging dwarven armies seeking its wealth.