Dourkarst

Location
East of the Razor Mountains, between the Dead Pools and Mellimouth. Divided between several Dwarf clans and patrolled by Sentinels of the Spark.

Terrain & Climate
A maze of stark karstland. The deadly, clear waters of the Dead Pools flow slowly into the karstland, snaking around and underneath the rock. At some point on the waters’ journey it is purified and mixes with fresh springwater to form the Mellimouth.

Flora & Fauna
Life here tends to be small, tough and cunning. There isn’t much for plants or fungi to grow on except rotting Dwarf corpses, and the wildlife has learned to survive, not only the harsh landscape, but the deadly traps of the Dwarf civil war as well.

History
This is where the Forge Dwarves first emerged into the world. Cunning, capable and industrious, they soon built strongholds throughout these lands. Eventually they established a meeting place, The Forge, deep underground, tapping into the volcanic heat that created the area. Here the Dwarven crafts blossomed, and they created items that would cause wonderment throughout Venturia.

In time, however, competition between Dwarven clans soured. They became secretive and suspicious, ever afraid of their competitors stealing their precious secrets. It was not long before distrust turned into discord, and suspicion took on a more deadly form.

The instigating incident of the Dwarf civil war is lost to history, but clans have traditionally blamed their rivals. Wars fought with traps and other inventive weapons turned the whole of Dourkarst into a battleground.

With the rise of the Firegazers the war has now ended, but the death traps littered across the area remain, protecting extinct strongholds and forgotten secrets.

Settlements
The Forge