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[Glass]

EDIT: By the way, shouldn't the dragon and their holdings be a shade of blue?

Is it not symbolic that all groups under his control lose their color?

The dragon's lawful. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Murphy]

In the spring of 66, Queen Adela of the Theliiri led a surprise attack to dislodge the humans from her ancestral land. The border guard was overwhelmed and so was the town, the surviving townspeople fleeing away to Bok-Anlar. The elves had a grand feast that day.

But some hardy souls among the miners did not flee. They decided to barricade the mines and stake out a place for an underground settlement, given that there was food in the tunnels. Finding a water source took a while, but eventually they were able to establish the Galkagaval, "Deepchapel", around an untainted spring above the goblin ruins.

They also broke into the old flooded mine, losing a few miners and putting themselves in direct contact with the dragon's realm, though Vîrfesh ignored their intrusion for now as he was away in the ruins to acquire more Triton followers, and then subjugating the Goblins. Azstrog, known for defeating great beasts, was quick to challenge the dragon and just as quick to be devoured.

The Goblins and Antlings both brought tribute to the newly-expanded treasury that Vîrfesh had established above his lair.

Spoiler: Map (click to show/hide)

In the summer, Adela brought her campaigning underground, attacking Asteshdatan, but the dwarves made a desperate stand for their territory. Much fighting happened in the cluttered tunnels before culminating in the very settlement itself, just like in fabled Battle of the Hall, 37. And by the end of the day, the enemy was broken, just like back then.

Meanwhile, Vîrfesh laid waste to the human territory, demanding that they submit to his reign. Thorough in his conquest, he established watchposts all across his growing realm, so that no intruder would escape his attention anymore.

In the fall, the subjugated Goblins were put to work in the old dwarven mines, gold flowing once again into treasuries, while Vîrfesh's army swelled with mercenaries hired with the money taken from Antlings and Humans. The remaining Dwarves were forced into servitude as well, too few to resist the dragon. Unsatisfied with the old torture chambers in Tursong, the dragon built a new, more secure prison where he held the dwarven elders captive, to ensure cooperation from the others.

In the winter, once again he spent the season consolidating realm defenses. Traps were built under the tunnel to Theliiri lands. A single squad had been lost to the plague cave shortly after the goblin campaign, but otherwise the dragon's army was only growing. It counted six squads now, trained by the best the dragon's money could buy.

Spoiler: Map (click to show/hide)

In the month of Obsidian, the last of the winter, a storm hit the valley, forcing everyone to hunker down. A group of eight adventurers made camp in the mountains, waiting for the storm to pass.

[Murphy]

There were eight of them:
Pobe "Divine Prophet" Nirnopibang, a priest of the sun god,
Mobmu "The Roarer" Sasirbudo, his barbarian bodyguard,
Tal "The Quarreler" Sestaabo, a ranger skilled in caving,
Spuxi, a mysterious cowled monk,
Kerleb the Clobberer, a scar-faced warrior from the north,
Pundik "Goldgarnish" Abliabuth, a swashbuckling bard,
Likot, a dwarven former militia captain,
and his twin brother Minkot, a mining expert of some repute.

They chose the dwarven entrance as they would be unwelcome in Theliiri lands, and were uninterested in the gold mines. They had come to slay the dragon.

Stealthily as best they could, they approached Asteshdatan, finding it in ruins again; a quick inspection gave up nothing but Likot insisted on searching for his and Minkot's kinsmen. Eventually, a dwarven figure beckoned them into the side tunnel where it revealed itself to be the old healer, Letmos Melbilnish.
"By Gods, you have come to save us all, have you? The dragon employs goblins to mine gold and expand his army... you could strike a blow against it if you destroyed the mining operation."

***

The adventurers' path lay east through recent battlefields still littered with bones of dwarves and Theliiri. The ranger Tal was leading the way, his expertise proving enough to spot the trap: two large, serrated discs primed to strike the tunnel right ahead. Disarming it took long enough, but it turned out to be only a distraction. The real trap was a hidden contraption that caused a ceiling grate to collapse upon their heads. Kerleb heroically held it up long enough for everyone to escape but had himself perished.

The dice are rolled!
Adventurers roll: 11
Goblins roll: 8

Down in the mines, it was a massacre. The two dwarves especially held no punches against their hated enemy, and by the end of the day all of the goblins were slain or scattered. Upon their return to Asteshdatan, old Letmos healed the heroes' wounds and told them about a piece of artifact armor the dwarves hid from the dragon in the long-desecrated tomb below. Descending into the lower dungeons, they found the tomb and recovered the eldritch shield Rërithduthnur, "Chaosguard".

The prison was nearby, guarded by Triton minions, all of whom fell before the adventurers' weapons. Rith and Momuz were freed; while Momuz was too weak from incarceration, Rith took up arms to join the group for the showdown.

***

Below, the dragon's army was mustering for battle.

The dice are rolled!
Adventurers roll: 14
Vîrfesh's army rolls: 7

Adventurers roll: 11
Vîrfesh rolls: 9

They fought through the mining tunnels and into Galkagaval, inciting a rebellion among human miners and beating back Vîrfesh's army cavern-to-cavern. They then helped themselves to the treasure in the old Goblin tomb, and set up the area for battle against the dragon. No way would it ignore their challenge. Only now it was not faced by a lone defiant goblin; the adventurers and their new allies took no chances and greeted him with massed crossbow fire. The first volley merely scratched his hide, as the dragon rushed forward onto the fortifications the dwarves had built just prior. The second volley descended onto him as he puffed up to melt everything in dragonfire.

Everyone took cover behind their shields, but the fiery onslaught never came. A bolt had caught him in the eye; Vîrfesh was dead.

"Minkot, did I tell you how much I love crossbows?"
"Yes, brother, sixteen times this morning."

Spoiler: Map (click to show/hide)

With the death of the only great power, the world passes into the Age of Decay.

[Glass]

I go to sleep at three-something in the morning and wake up to this.
Well then.


Theliiri why would you do that

[mightymushroom]

This dungeon could use a bit of lasting stability. Lawful

There are no status quos in Oldlands. But if it's a less crazy turnover rate you want, perhaps the dragon can grant that wish.

Or not. Welp. I wonder if Gloomf will now return to try restoring the Tritons?

I imagine Oldlands is getting a bit of a reputation as a place where every moment you're fighting for your life. On the surface, Theliiri elves attack and eat anyone they don't like, which is everyone – and underneath, it's worse. Even a dragon can barely survive for two or three years.

[Murphy]

Spoiler: Conjectures on why the dragon's reign failed (click to show/hide)

1) Almost everyone on the map was lawful, which means easier cooperation. Notably, the subjugated groups were friendly to adventurers, essentially plotting with them against the dragon. And when there is an active arch-villain, all adventurers count as lawful even if they are crooks like Tolir, Ebi and Stathra.
2) Gloomf influencing the adventurers means that some decisions on their part were made in their favor instead of randomly.
3) If Gloomf chose to oppose the dragon directly as a Lich Queen, it might've worked against her because adventurers would have to divide their effort between two villains, and he'd be the stronger of the two (because he had a full year headstart).
Anyway, many Ages are a race against the clock in some way. In this case the villain gains power with time but must face increasingly deadly groups of adventurers every year. Sometimes it resolves quickly, sometimes it can hang in balance for a while.

In the subsequent years, Theliiri expanded uncontested.

By 70, the surviving dwarves moved their enclave from Asteshdatan into an isolated cave where the workshops used to be. Unable to withstand constant minor skirmishes with the beast-elves, they decided to seal themselves off from the world. They named their new home Idodur, "Rockroot".

The humans of Galkagaval chose to cling to their new home, but after all the horrors of the recent Age their community had regressed into an outlaw town run by the baddest, meanest survivors this side of the surface line.

The Antlings, in a rare foresight, chose to migrate their hive away from the valley, leaving only a scout post behind. One day, perhaps, they would return with a greater force to take back what is theirs, but that day was not today.

Elsewhere, tunnels became infested with slime and overgrown with carnivorous plants, last echoes of the cataclysm long past. Then a new Cataclysm struck.

Spoiler: Map (click to show/hide)

Yet again, primordial forces are brought upon the face of the world. Choose the nature of the disaster:

• Tectonic. Earthquakes rumble through the underground, collapsing several areas. A new chasm runs through the earth, and a volcanic eruption obliterates parts of the landscape. New ore deposits possible, as well as vengeful elemental spirits.
• Glacial. A fallen star signifies the start of a minor ice age. For a prolonged period, the local climate will be arctic. Most water becomes frozen. The Theliiri, unprepared to the cold, are hit the hardest and immediately lose 2 population.
• Extraplanar. Multiple portals open deep below, from which outworld invaders swarm the tunnels in search of living beings to devour. This Cataclysm plays out like its own Age, taking an extended time to resolve.

[Naturegirl1999]

Extraplanar

[Thanik]

Glacial. I want those smug bastards to suffer.

[helmacon]

Extraplanar

The elves have 6 treasures now. Wasn't that supposed to trigger something at one point?

[TankKit]

Glacial
They have been steadily growing in power since they came into being. It's about time that growth stopped.

[mightymushroom]

Glacial
The elves are too strong right now to keep the top levels meaningful/interesting as territory.

[Glass]

Glacial.
Maybe having to deal with some shit themselves will cause the Theliiri to stop being dicks. “It’s a sign from the gods, punishing us for our hubris! Repent! Repent!”

[helmacon]

Glacial.
Maybe having to deal with some shit themselves will cause the Theliiri to stop being dicks. “It’s a sign from the gods, punishing us for our hubris! Repent! Repent!”

Deal with some shit themselves? You mean like how they got invaded by an army of humans just a little while ago? They aren't even real elves, they are just cool beast people. Leave them alone!

[Shadowclaw777]

Glacial

[Detoxicated]

Extraplanar