Rockrun

[Cubicle]

History of Rockrun

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Tunnelrun

Far beneath the surface realm, on the outskirts of the Gauth Grottoes, there was a village named Tunnelrun, its identity known only to those living within its earthly barriers. Protected from all sides by dense rock and rubble, a hearty group of Svirfneblin flourished, without hinder. Renowned for their tunneling and steadfast determination, this particular group thrived on gems and untouched minerals.

On a cycle like any other, the North wall leading into Tunnelrun crumbled, without warning. For a moment, all operations stopped, the Svirfneblin could only watch in silence as an equally confused group of Duergar stepped through the debris. After realizing what they had unintentionally stumbled upon, the Duergar immediately made an attempt to ransack the village, dragging off or slaying any they came across.

In a desperate act to defend their village, the Tunnelrun Svirfneblin fought the Duergar for days, eventually leading combat to a standstill. Pushing the Duergar back, the Svirfneblin quickly devised a counterattack, though it was far too late. Setting wards and explosions prior to their retreat, the Duergar triggered a massive avalanche of rock, burying the once thriving village beneath the earth that had once defended it.

With their casualties too numerous to comprehend, Tunnelrun was utterly destroyed. The handful that did manage to escape the destruction were either enslaved or killed. And yet, the remaining few buried beneath the rock refused to give up. Brocc Coalsmith, a simple miner turned hero, was the first to tunnel his way to freedom. Single-handedly gathering survivors, his efforts, alongside those he'd saved, managed to rescue 153 Tunnelrun Svirfneblin from Tunnelrun's destruction.

Starving, unarmed and without anything to trade, the Tunnelrun Svirfneblin approached and pleaded with their neighboring, more militarized Svirfneblin cousins, the Blackrock Svirfneblin. Initially, King Daedry Blackrock refused to send aid, he believed Tunnelrun brought destruction unto themselves by allowing the Duergar to enter their village so easily. In the end, he was swayed by his younger brother, Leoril, to at least make an attempt. Venturing from Blackrock territory, the Tunnelrun Svirfneblin stood alongside their Blackrock brothers, scouting and shedding knowledge unto the Duergar Keep from afar.

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Lun Pitnburrow of Tunnelrun

After being rescued from the destruction of Tunnelrun and learning of her captured common folk, Lun Pitnburrow did the only thing she could. Summoning courage against impossible odds, she stood before the gates of the Duergar Compound, offering both her pride and the last of her villages sacred gems, begging for the lives of those enslaved by the Duergar. Struck down and robbed of all she had left, Lun Pitnburrow perished before the eyes of Blackrock and her rescued Tunnelrun brothers and sisters. Through her death, Blackrock and Tunnelrun truly became one, bound by the blood she spilt.

Lun Pitnburrow, the spark that lit the torch.

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The Blackrock War

Following the death of Lun Pitnburrow, Blackrock and Tunnelrun went to war with the Titanfist Duergar in an act to reclaim their enslaved common folk and to pass judgement onto their enemy for the pain they had caused. Several months would pass, the Joint efforts of both Blackrock and Tunnelrun merging into an undeniably formidable alliance. The Svirfneblin attacked the Duergar from all sides, hitting their mines and any Keep they could find, until there stood only 1.

Suffering many casualties while attempting to siege the Duergar stronghold, the Svirfneblin temporarily withdrew. After months of toiling behind the scenes, the Svirfneblin felt it necessary to create and use an unusual weapon against the Duergar, a magically enhanced mushroom named Scrine. Combining the alchemical knowhow of Tunnelrun's Graveltoes and the magic of Blackrock's Brelyn Lightouch, they gave birth to a truly devious weapon that consumed all other fungi, polluted the environment and replicated at a terrifying rate. Upon releasing this weapon unto the Duergar, it didn't take long for the mushroom to invade the Duergar Compound, wreaking havoc on both their food and water supply. The unlucky ones were infested with parasitic spores that transformed their bodies into a breeding ground for new mushrooms.

Prior to their final push, a small group of Tunnelrun captives were discovered upon digging their way out of the Duergar Keep, creating an undetected passage leading into the heart of the compound. Reclaiming their escaped brethren, Blackrock and Tunnelrun moved swiftly and without mercy, entering the tunnel and laying siege upon the weakened Duergar Keep from the inside. It didn't take long for the gates to fall, letting in a storm of Svirfneblin retribution.

Storming the Keep, King Daedry Blackrock eventually stood face to face with the Duergar King himself, Belroar Titanfist. Sadly, King Daedry Blackrock fell in battle, yet was replaced by his younger brother, Leoril Blackrock. Picking up his brothers sword and his will, Leoril ultimately overpowered and defeated Belroar in single combat. In the end, the Svirfneblin achieved victory, but at a great cost.

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Rockrun

Over 40 years would pass since the Blackrock war, time giving way to an indefinite Blackrock and Tunnelrun alliance. Merging into a single village, both Blackrock and Tunnelrun became one entity, using their varied skills to fortify the others. Shortly after seizing the Duergar Keep, the Svirfneblin made it their new home, naming it, Rockrun. Due to the infestation of the purple mushroom, Scrine, the Titanfist Keep became a very hostile environment, highly unsuitable to survive in. Using their magic, the Svirfneblin conjured protective wards and immunities to deal with the pollution, shielding their people from the Scrine's harmful effects, while also keeping their enemies at bay.

Combining Tunnelrun's superior tunneling skills, ingenuity and drive with the overwhelming militarized force of Blackrock, the newly formed Rockrun truly became a force to be respected. Though the entrance to their village remains hidden, it's rumored the walls of Rockrun have opened to outside commerce, welcoming unhostile adventurers for trade.