Valagbisar

The valley of Valagbisar - the common name coming from the ancient Dwarvish name - was an ancient holdout of Dwarves and Elves, hidden from the reach of many races by desolate wilderness, rushing rivers and high mountains for thousands and thousands of years. These times are still remembered in the legends of all races, but little physical records survive. Legends tell of a lush forest-filled valley hugged on three sides by mountains. Some stories tell of a great Dragon God who arrived in Valagbisar and quickly gained a following throughout the valley. Centuries after his arrival, a great sundering was felt throughout the valley, leading up to a great citadel being swallowed by the ground, a third of the once lush forests burnt into the great ashy desert spreading south of the chasm where the citadel once stood proud. The great Dragon God disappeared, the natural walls of Valagbisar fell and the Dwarves and Elves retreated.

Quickly Goblins and Humans arrived, followed by Gnomes, Halflings and many other races from all across the rest of the world. Valagbisar gained many new legends, many new cities were built and the valley became a frontier for the growing realms beyond the mountains. Generations upon generations later, the once lush forest has dwindled as the new arrivals have cut their way in and shaped the lands for farming and for building. With new trade routes, many Dwarven holds in the mountains were abandoned and new, twisted creatures took foothold in the abandoned halls.

Despite the many generations of humans and other races, no clear ruler has emerged. Many cities hold small areas of influence, but mainly the lands are wild and untamed. Remnants of once glorious Elven kingdoms remain in the woodlands, Dwarves hold kingdoms that on occasion have several great halls bowing the knee under one Dwarf. The politics of power in Valagbisar are always in flux and only someone held in extremely high regard among all the occupants of the valley could ever hope to unite them into a single entity. For now, the most notable of the city-states is the largely trade-oriented Fellport.