*Introduction*
Dagrun is settled within the southernmost mountain border of Vendigad. Mount Lorscha is a large, proud mountain and through hard work the gnomes of Dagrun have carved a path to reach their city. The entrance’s gilded halls of copper and brass gleam upon entering the cavern. The large doors are open to anyone, though sentries do stand guard on top of high pillars. To get to the city and its suburbs one must ride the tram which goes slowly, descending the halls lit by mechanical torches. Once inside the city you find yourself in a huge ante-chamber deep, deep underground buried within the mountain of Mount Lorscha. This ante chamber is brightly lit and large enough for airships to sometimes be seen coming in with goods. All of Dagrun is lit by a combination of bright, white fungus on the ceiling and more artificial light.
The Dyn, as slang would have the main downtown of Dagrun called, has towering skyscrapers made of stone and metal. Everything inside the city is covered in metal art of gnomish history, fables, and myths. There is much technology in the city to be seen as many of the people are artificers, those not accustomed to the city comment on the electric “hum” that is ever present. Courier golems made from metal and stone, rolling around on a single wheel with a basket in the grip of four hands for packages. Some use vehicles like airships to get around to the higher portions. Those in the city use rails with small buses which shoot out sparks from the wheels as they zip down the streets. Steam rises from vents on the roads, exhaust from the inner workings of an underground city. And so much more can be seen in this amazingly technologically advanced city.
Around the city there are suburbs and other business neighborhoods that are built into the inside of the caverns on tiers and have to be accessed through the use of airships or elevators. The residences and businesses are carved out buildings built in the well lit passages for gnomes and other people alike to live in. While one would think of the gnomes as being small in stature they are more than dwarfed by the sheer size of their doorways and other portals.
*The History*
The First, Second, and Third Ages (The Age of Lost time, The Age of Elves, and The Age of Tyranny respectively) are surrounded by much mystery. What the gnomes know is from the damaged memory of CORE, who learned second hand as he was created in the Fourth Age. What is known is that those gnomes possessed mechanical marvels that even their best in the current Age cannot match. Called Dunecrags, or Dunes, some people in the current Age take to excavating or spelunking these ancient hollows looking for artifacts. It’s known that these Dunes were created by the wealthy with the intentions of scientific development and innovation. Some Dunecrags are entire cities waiting to be unearthed, but that is an ultra-rare discovery. What is also known is that in the Age of Man the gnomes bolstered the world with their technology created by the nobility of the time who traded their artifacts in return for peace.
Unfortunately, during the Bleeding most of what made the gnomes a large society was lost. Dagrun was protected by Mount Lorscha and the marvels of the ancient technology of a by-gone age, but in the end they were cut off from the world for hundreds of years from collapses in the tunnels surrounding the main city of Dagrun. It was the corruption bleeding into the city through its main portal and the remaining other entryways that finally caused them to hide from the outside. The loss was greater than many of them could take and the amount of refugees was hard on the city. Food and other resources were scarce, as well as the huge emotional toil causing outbreaks and riots. During this time not only did they lose many of their homes, but they almost lost CORE to an impact from the Sundering. After sealing their doors to the outside world, it would take hundreds of years to repair the damage to their psyche and Dagrun itself.
Like a broken arc the resilient gnomes repaired their city and created a sense of normalcy for their people. Hundreds of years went by with the gnomes living in their new society. Dagrun was a dark place with the fear that was bred of the outside world. During this time CORE was unable to be reached due to the damage, so they were left to govern themselves. Progress for the sake of progress was the name of the game, bathed in fear of what would happen should they reopen their doors. While the caste system and nobility were gone, pushing and shoving in the new society was common as the gnomes found their places in a subterranean world based on hard work. Between the period of the Age of Ashes and until sixty years ago, they were sequestered from the rest of the world. In the year 4621 they broke free and thousands pooled out telling their stories to the outside.
Every individual was expected to invent, create, or fix something. Dagrun became like a hive, fully automated with workers of both flesh and artificing. Eventually after hundreds of years CORE was repaired. With their god returned to them, they found some sense of peace and CORE demanded not that everything come to a full halt, but that they ease their minds in their spare time by listening to stories he had to tell of by-gone ages. This was their new day-to-day life, working until their tasks were done and then tuning in to listen to CORE’s Speakers preach their history in what was once a forum. The gnomes that piled in and were dazzled, frightened, but also intrigued by what they heard of their histories and myths.
After a long age of exposure to their history, as well as theoretically the outside world through stories, CORE thought it was time for the gnomes to return to the greater world. As well, their want to find any of their lost brethren made them eager to explore the vaster lands. Sixty short years ago, in the current Age of Industry, Dagrun reopened their doors. Like a time capsule Dagrun was exposed again to the world and welcomed outsiders with wary but open arms, willing to share again their knowledge and technology in exchange for the same from the world around them. While often outsiders are regarded with some fear, most would find the gnomes a spritely bunch of hard working people who appreciate a person who can work and find their place in Dagrun’s society. It is expected of newcomers or visitors to find a place in the workforce and add to Dagrun as a functional member of society.
When those first few pilgrims ventured into the world and met as emissaries with nobles and high ranking people it was a shockwave sent through all of Atharen. Myths come to life, once the word had reached far and wide that the gnomes were opening their doors, curious scholars, noblemen and women, and eager artificers swarmed into the subterranean city. Many found the gnomes, once the initial culture shock had worn off on both parties, lovely, quirky people and indeed stayed for the rest of their lives working alongside them. Through this synthesis of the outside world with the time-tested and true gnomish ideologies a new society is being formed. Many of the gnomes remain xenophobic to outsiders, maintaining a safe dfistance. Called “gnomish hospitality” by the outsiders, the natives to Dagrun are known for saying backhanded compliments as well as smiling in the face of non-gnomes while pulling one over on them. For example tricking someone into thinking they are getting a bargain when in actuality they are paying full price. This isn’t done necessarily out of spite but more a quirk of the gnomes where they cannot be outright rude to others.
Dagrun has become in recent history a cosmopolitan mecca for scholars, artificers, and treasure hunters alike. While the huge majority of the population are gnomes, you can see people from all parts of the world and walks of life in the city streets. Quite the sight to behold, the world over Dagrun is hailed as a cultural melting pot-- bringing in even more curious people and making it a veritable Wonder of the World. Some streets and areas of the city have been populated specifically by other cultures of people, the gilded walls and halls taking on that race or culture’s flavor in some regard. Like a beautiful mosaic Dagrun is quickly becoming an international hub and THE place to be for spelunking for treasure, learning, and artificing alike. With a college, treasure hunting guild based on cataloguing artifacts and replication, as well as a few other factions based on exploration and learning, those with an intellectual itch will find this city to be a new home.
