Rockholm/Rockholme, Ducateon Kingdom

Steel Realms
Located on Ustermaya .

Located along the Tolkisson Mountain Range. The physical location in the heart of the mountain range is now referred to as The Barren Halls – the Ducateon abandoned all old settlements. The kingdom of Rockholm grew in the mountains, overlooking the Greyfoam Sea – The first King Dalmagen (The Unbroken Claw) swore that as long as the river flows, so too will their clan descendants sow their seed. For thousands of years or more, the Ducateon reaped great benefits and ignored the power confounding their seeking of the source. The Great Hall of the Collective was near the point at which Anumha Falls poured into the Greyfoam Sea from an underground source within the Tolkisson mountain range. After the cataclysmic Befoulment of the Gloaming in CY 5656, the settlements carved into the cliffs around the drained inland sea were christened Rockholme. Almost all trade with the southern heartlands flow through the merchant city of Pomata.

When the east fell, the headwaters of the falls – the heart of Rockholm – became the scene of centuries of constant bloody battles between the Orrish and Ducateon, with a small contingent of Dwarven allies.

About/Chronicle

Knowledge is broken down by ease of discovery/availability. If nothing is indicated, assume Common Knowledge.

Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty

Most Recent History

Commonly Understood Origins

The original settlements of the Ducateon

Commonly Understood Development

The presence of the Ducateons is now known to pre-date the arrival of The Blood of Saemon, though how it became settled and grew is still a mystery to those outside The Collective.

General knowledge…

  • Key Places: Tolkisson Range (known to the Ducateon has Copper-Dwelt), Anumha Falls, Dalmagens Spire, Copragon Holt, Boulder Bane Holt, Shadowroad Holt, Cold Thunder Holt
  • Key Entities: Dalmagen “The Unbroken Claw”
  • Key Concepts: Original Ducateon home in the Steel Realms.

CY 8477 The Battle of Three Deep: The Ducateon and their allies fought off wave after wave of Nurth who were attempting to gain entrance to their dragon ally’s lair of Deep Nest under the Tolkisson range.

CY 5656 Befoulment of the Gloaming: The old kingdom of the Ducateon was sundered and the ancient inland sea drained. The Ducateon made new settlements and christened the new kingdom as Rockholme in the walls of the basin and its floor, mining incredibly rich deposits of minerals.

CY 2361 Founding of Gladnor: The Ducateon agree to the pact of The High Kings’s Sanctuary and mutual defense. The Ducateon agree to supply quality weapons and armor for elite forces, and a levy to defend where needed.

CY CY 2332-2357 Battles of the Forge: For years the Orrish try and push through Bloodhook Pass and over the Tolkisson range – men and Ducateon stop them time and again with aid from the Grollen – the faerie races are in decline and have little representation on the lines of battle.

CY 2317 The Warriors Wall: – A string of forts of men and out-holts of Ducateon are built in the Tolkisson Mountains. In the passes east of the Fhayln Marches.

CY 591-1421 Leading the Second Fellowship: The Ducateon lead the Second Fellowship. Some Fallen lands in the east are re-captured. War rages in the north and between the lands of Al Drunar and Orishai. There is a concerted drive to wipe the Orrish and their allies out. The Orrish breed as fast as they can be eliminated. In CY 1418 The Sun-Bane is enacted is enacted. The Ducateon transfer power as the Second Fellowship ends a couple years later.

CY 344-591 The Interloper casts its Shadow: The Orrish begin to cross the Belnok Mountains in the north and reclaim their lost lands, sacking the every Ducateon Holts on their way.

CY 8; The Ducateon claim to try and find homes in the Tolkisson Range (as humans call it). In fact, they return to their own Holts warily, not trusting any of the other races but afraid of the endless host the Unholy Trio can field and the Collective concedes it is better to maintain friendly and helpful relations.

CY 6 Battle of Helca’s Children: The gods of darkness walked the land in physical form, casting down the sun and turning all to ash in their crusade. Their followers continued to pour through the gateway, killing everything in their path. When all seemed lost, the Green Host finally arrived to aid the Blood of Saemon. Faerie, Ducateon, and Human races united under the banner of their new adopted home to save it from destruction. It is at this time the Ducateon make themselves known to the Blood of Saemon. They claim to have been swept up in some planar disturbance, and ended up on Helca.

Uncommon Knowledge / Average Difficulty

CY 2528; The Ducateon make peace with the dragon house Maphazel; the dragons prowl the Gurtan Tunnel-Ways and the Ducateon attack the Orrish host from behind in a coordinated attack with men, giant, elf, and grollen – driving them back across the mountains.

CY 3516 – 3947 Troll Wars: The Orrish allies organize a concerted attack upon only Ducateon defenses. Trolls devastate Ducateon forces in the darkness of deep earth no other species can help. The Giants of the west band together – for they can see heat in the darkness and have the strength and size to follow the trolls into their tunnels and into the under-dark. Many a clan of giants is driven to extinction through the constant ultra violent and aggressive warfare.

Rare Knowledge / Very Hard Difficulty

CY 3949 Giants retreat: All giants retreat to the far north, north of Dundaria, They swear eternal hatred to the Ducateon – whom they blame for their near-extinction. They withdraw from the bonds of the High King’s Sanctuary and declare the wintery far north to be theirs – enter on pain of death.

CY 3947; The Ducateon bargain with a sibling of the dragon house and end the war – the dragon cleansing their homes and rooting out the trolls – the blood line of trolls is nearly wiped out.

CY 2931 The One Kingdom Reign: The insanity of the usurper king of Dundaria reigned for 60 years over 5 kings. Umbak held out against him, allying herself with the exiled forces of Gladnor, the faeries of the north and even the Ducateon, for his Shadow Spawn had infiltrated several holts, poisoning the colonies and warping their dead spirits.

Obscure Knowledge / Near-Impossible Difficulty

Note: Secret Knowledge is information not available in any known references; It is not necessarily Forbidden Knowledge.

CY 7900 The Dead Storm: The Chaos Storm hits Umbakian Peninsula and all the way up the river. New Rockholme floods and tens of thousands of Ducateon are killed.

CY 1277: Low Gurtan tunnel cut by the Ducateon in the south Tolkisson Mountains. The initial vein of copper is uncovered while mining, leading to Deep Nest and eventually an alliance with House Maphazel in CY 2528.

CY 935: Mid Gurtan tunnel cut by the Ducateon in the heartland Tolkisson Mountains.

CY 645: High Gurtan tunnel cut by the Ducateon in the north Tolkisson Mountains. This will be used by Ducateon and other races later to launch attacks to the east. It is the only tunnel which will be known by the other races.

More Materials

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