The Valley

There weren't always dragons in the Valley. But now, it seems, they will not leave.

It is not known what drew them to the Valley, nor what continues to keep them; but they are here now, and none have been able to contest them. Quickly following their arrival also came their evil subjects: the goblins, the wyverns, and the zombie dwarves, filling the void of the original residents who either fled or were eaten. The Valley, a kingdom of flame and death, now gave up a never-ending billow of smoke to the sky, but it was not always like this.

Before the dragons, the Valley was a wonderful place to live. Resting between two impressive mountains, the Valley had a perfect balance of rain and sunshine, giving a lush living for the farmers and traders below. The ancient name given to the Valley was "Abba Daum", meaning "First Home" where it is said that the elves were the first to set up camp. Soon, many others moved in as well, including humans, fairies, and dwarves, and eventually, "Abba Daum" was simplified to being called "The Valley," where all lived harmoniously with no king, no government, and no rule of law; ruled simply by a kind understanding of brotherly love. At least, that was what was understood for generations from within the Valley and from those looking on from afar. However, ever since the dragons overtook the Valley and began an odd obsessive digging of the Valley's grounds, new questions have arisen that put doubt on what was thought to be known about the Valley. Questions that quickly lead to disturbing answers.

From those who have dared venture close enough, reports have been made that the dragons have been revealing a seemingly endless city that has been hidden below the Valley grounds from since the beginning. It was said that the dragons upon first arrival were too aggressive in their explorational digging and began to collapse and cause cave-ins due to their great strength and lack of finesse. With this seeming to be working against their main purposes, eventually the dragon's allies, the zombie dwarves, were called in to be unleashed upon the hidden tunnels and skillfully grant access to the underground world.

It should be mentioned here that not much is known about the zombie dwarves, even now. Two reasons are given for the describer "zombie" that help us differentiate between these horrific dwarves and the typical goodly dwarves of our own. The first is that the appearance of these dwarves does not match those we call friends in any way other than stature. Rather, these ones carry a hideous and undead appearance in their expressions, their gait, and even their skin. We have not found a better way to explain it quite frankly. The second reason is that none have been successful in besting them in battle and not a one of these dwarves has been reported to suffer from fatal wounds. Reports have it even that some got too close to the dragons fire breathing activities and were set on fire, yet even when set on fire carried on with their work as if no pain was felt or danger impending. The zombie dwarves are not common to our understanding or experiences, and for this, we call them zombie dwarves.

The purposes of the dwarves and what they were accomplishing on behalf of the dragons is a mystery to us all, as is the very existence of the underground city. Not once had there been a mention of an underground city and not once had a poet or legend been fabricated or alluded. But now, the rumors were flying. Now, the bards were singing. Now, the legends were beginning to spin. For this Valley had been legendary even before its fiery demise as a wonderful place to live and visit. But now, it was legendary for its awakening of the dragons and several more monstrous creatures never before seen, and even more legendary yet for the reports now coming through on the very purpose the undergrounds city has seemed to serve.

In the next scroll, we will give those reports.