Redmire - The Mountain Forges
The Darkan homeland, where northern mountains echo with hammer-strikes and ancient discipline.
"We are the Dark Titan's heirs, but we chose differently. The Titan consumed without end. We forge without rest. The difference is everything."
High King Thorin Stonefist
Redmire is the Darkan homeland, a realm of northern mountains where volcanoes still burn and the earth itself seems alive with fire. Here, in vast underground cities and surface fortresses, the Darkan have built a civilization of discipline, craftsmanship, and controlled ambition.
| Attribute | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Mountain Kingdom | Surface fortresses and underground cities |
| Race | Darkan | Heirs of the Dark Titan |
| Capital | Stoneheart City | Carved from a living mountain |
| Philosophy | The Forge Creed | Shape yourself as you shape steel |
Origin of Redmire
When the Dark Titan was destroyed, its physical form scattered across the cosmos. Some of this matter-dense, powerful, and strangely alive-eventually coalesced into the Darkan. They emerged from deep beneath the surface, in places of immense pressure and heat.
Redmire sits above the largest concentration of Titan Matter in Arcania. The Darkan settled here not just for the mineral wealth, but because the land itself resonates with their origin. They feel the mountain's heartbeat, the singing of metals, the memory of being molten rock.
Note
The name "Redmire" comes from the iron-rich soil that colors the mountain slopes. When it rains, the runoff turns streams red-as if the mountains themselves bleed.
Geography
The Surface Fortresses
Unlike common belief, Darkan don't only live underground. Their surface fortresses guard mountain passes and watch the northern approaches. These structures are architectural marvels-built to withstand siege, avalanche, and even earthquake.
The Underdeep
The vast underground realm where most Darkan civilization flourishes:
| Attribute | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Crystal Caverns | Mining Hub | Precious gem deposits that fund the war effort |
| The Fungal Forest | Agriculture | Bioluminescent mushroom jungle providing food |
| Stoneheart City | Capital | Magnificent carved metropolis, heart of Darkan culture |
| The Abyss | Forbidden Zone | A bottomless pit even Darkan fear to approach |
Stoneheart City
The Darkan capital, carved from the heart of Mount Stonejaw. Every surface is worked stone-pillars depicting ancient heroes, walls inscribed with the Forge Creed, floors polished to mirror brightness. It is said that ten thousand years of labor went into its creation.
The Great Forges
Massive smithies powered by volcanic vents, where the finest weapons and armor in Arcania are produced. Volcanic steel and Titanbone alloys originate here.
Culture
The Forge Creed
The philosophical foundation of Darkan society:
"From raw stone, I was carved. Through fire, I was tested. By pressure, I was strengthened. My word is mountain. My will is iron. I am Darkan. I am forged."
Clan Structure
Darkan organize into clans, each led by a Stone Father or Stone Mother. The High King is elected from among clan leaders and serves until death or failure.
The Oath Binding
A Darkan's word is considered literally unbreakable. Oaths physically bind them-breaking an oath causes genuine spiritual damage. This trait makes them the most trusted diplomats and merchants in Arcania.
Ancestor Forges
Rather than burying their dead, Darkan return them to the earth through sacred forges. The ashes honor those who came before, and the forges continue their legacy of craftsmanship.
The Hunger
Every Darkan carries an echo of the Dark Titan's drive-a whisper that says more, grow, consume. Most manage this instinct easily. But some Darkan fall to the Hunger, becoming Titan-Touched: beings of immense power and zero restraint. Containing them is a sacred duty.
Military Tradition
Redmire produces the mightiest warriors in Arcania:
| Class | Redmire Specialty |
|---|---|
| Warrior | Steel Covenant masters with unmatched discipline |
| Paladin | Dark Titan's children seeking redemption through light |
| Cleric | Understanding sacrifice through their forge traditions |
| Ranger | Earth-bonders who feel the Earthsong |
| Mage | Titans Reborn-rare but terrifyingly powerful |
Tip
Darkan have the highest starting Strength and Vitality (+4 each), making them ideal for frontline combat roles.
The Path to Valoryn
From Redmire, the journey south to Valoryn is long but secure:
- The Mountain Descent - Navigate treacherous passes with Darkan guides
- The Northern Road - Well-patrolled route through allied territory
- The Crossing Fields - Open plains requiring vigilance
- Valoryn's Mountain Gate - Where Darkan sentinels never rest
The journey takes 4-5 weeks, during which travelers forge bonds as strong as steel.
Notable Locations
The First Forge
The oldest smithy in Redmire, said to be built where the first Darkan emerged from the earth. Still operational, producing ceremonial weapons for clan leaders.
The Hall of Oaths
Where binding agreements are made. The walls are inscribed with every major oath in Darkan history-a record of promises kept across millennia.
The Titan's Echo Chamber
A natural cavern that amplifies sound strangely. Darkan come here to face the whispers of the Dark Titan's hunger-and prove they are stronger than their origin.
The Ancestral Vault
Repository of the greatest weapons ever forged by legendary Darkan smiths. Only in times of greatest need are these weapons drawn.
The Redemption Philosophy
Many Darkan feel they must atone for their progenitor's cosmic ambition:
| Attribute | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Titan's Sin | Cosmic Hunger | Unending expansion that would have consumed all |
| The Darkan Response | Controlled Ambition | Channel the drive into creation, not consumption |
| The Proof | Service to Light | Many become Paladins, serving what their origin opposed |
| The Goal | Transcendence | Prove that origin does not determine destiny |
Quotes
"Humans fear their mortality. Luminar mourn their goddess. Lilin contemplate the void. We? We work. Every hammer-strike is an argument against fate. Every forged blade proves we are more than what made us."
"I felt the Hunger once. It whispered that I could consume everything, become everything. I answered with the Forge Creed. I am not the Dark Titan. I am what it could never be: controlled."
- Stone Mother Grenda, Paladin