History Of The Southern Wards
The History of the Southern Wards
To the south of Dal-Dur lies the Broad Swells, a region where the continent meets the chaotic currents of the lower atmosphere. To prevent the "Aether-Mist" from flooding the tunnels and mutating the population, the ancient dwarves constructed the Southern Wards.
The Foundation (12 AW)
The Wards were commissioned by the first High King of the New Era, Durnar the Iron-Willed. He recognized that the South was vulnerable to the "Aetheric Backwash" left over from the Age of Ruin. He hired the last surviving Sun-Mages of the surface to help forge the Great Anchor-Stones.
The Architecture of Defense
The Wards are not a single wall, but a series of three defensive rings:
- The Ring of Silence: A mile-wide zone where all magical resonance is neutralized by buried lead and cold-iron rods.
- The Crystal Wall: A massive barrier of reinforced glass and Aether-resistant obsidian that spans the southernmost cavern entrance.
- The Breath of the Mountain: A system of massive bellows and vents that pump "Pure Stone-Air" (filtered through thousands of tons of basalt) outward, creating a pressure differential that keeps the toxic mists at bay.
The Broad Swells Incursion (385 AW)
The Wards faced their greatest test when a "Mana-Typhoon" rose from the Swells. The Crystal Wall cracked, and for three days, Dal-Dur was bathed in flickering, purple light. Thousands of citizens were evacuated to the Upper Holds. The breach was only sealed when the Shield-Guard of Stoneguard sacrificed themselves to manually reset the Anchor-Stones.
Current Condition: The "Flicker"
In recent years, the Wards have begun to "flicker." High King Thrain III has officially attributed this to "natural atmospheric shifts," but the Lorekeepers fear that the Anchor-Stones are finally losing their charge.