Kaladim

The Great Fallen Fortress

By: Savanja

 

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Many years ago, Kaladim was the great city of the Dwarves. Positioned prominently in the northern region of the Butcherblock Mountains, was the vast wall the kept out the undesirables from this grand city, and protected the riches within. The Dwarves, having always been very protective of their belongings, preferred to live out their lives hidden within the mountains in which they mined. The city of Kaladim was the perfect home, and the Dwarves treated it as such, with noble guards and a strong leader.

Before the Cataclysm, the city of Kaladim was ruled by the mighty King Kazon Stormhammer. The Stormhammer family had long ruled Kaladim, and the castle within the city walls was aptly named Stormhammer Hold. It was a majestic castle that housed not only the royal family, but was also home for the many mighty fighters of Kaladim.

Also within the city, was the beautifully crafted monument dedicated to the creator of the Dwarves, Brell Serillis. The Underfoot Cathedral, as it was called, had been the the sacred grounds for the paladins and the clerics of Kaladim. These holy crusaders fought to preserve not only the great city, but also the name of Brell.

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Kaladim of Old

Even as hearty and brave as these people were, they could not stop the events that lead to the fall of Kaladim.

The city did better than some during the Cataclysm, but it did not escape unscathed. The statue that marked the entrance to Kaladim cracked and crumbled, dropping pieces that sealed the entrance to the city, and trapping those that were still inside. Some of the trapped managed to survive for a long while, whilst the Dwarves on the outside toiled to free the trapped city.

But what they found once the city had been freed was not what they had expected.

Long ago, the Dwarves one true concern had been the Dark Elves and the Ogres and an impending attack upon Kaladim. It never occurred to them that the true threat to their city came from otherworldly beings, invading from the inside out.

Captain Irontoe tells the tale of what had come to pass:

The great rumblings of the Age had created a fissure between our kingdom and the depths of the underworld. This fissure was the means used by an evil alliance of underworld denizens to enter Kaladim and slay every last dwarf, thereby claiming this city as their capital.

By the time we managed to breach the collapse and enter our city, the horde had established an impregnable front. We lost many soldiers during our early assaults. We must bolster our forces to defend and expand Fort Irontoe, our new base of operations within Butcherblock Mountains.

Lost was Kaladim, but the Dwarves remaining fought grandly alongside the Wood and High Elves, and managed to help save the Elven cities of Kelethin and Felwithe from the terror of the Dark Elves and their evil minions.

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The New Kaladim

I believe the Dwarves could have returned and saved Kaladim, but they had been called out on a quiet mission for Brell. The details of the mission are vague, but it was a compelling enough call from their God that lead them to abandon their beloved city...

For now!

The story of Kaladim is a good one, and I hope that more lore is uncovered as we spend more time in the Butcherblock Mountains. Outside of the lore, Kaladim used to be the starting home of the Dwarves of Norrath in EQ1. The changes to the city are startling, and the only parts that are truly recognizable is the outside statue and wall, and the towers found just on the inside. The rest of the city underwent massive changes, and much of Norrath did during the Cataclysm.

 

I've enjoyed researching the story behind Kaladim, and we hope to bring more stories of lore from some of our favorite zones. Please feel free to provide feedback on this piece, letting us know if you enjoyed it and perhaps suggest other zones that you would like to see the lore on. Please direct your questions and comments to Savanja.