02 - Iron Kingdoms W.. - Captain Spud Is Amazing

328 Iron Kingdoms
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Drer Drakkerung
The blasted ruins of the once mighty city of Drer
Drakkerung bear testimony to the final and largely
untold chapter of the Orgoth. The first Orgoth vessels
landed on Garlghast Island, and from there they
staged their invasion of western Immoren. They built
the great city of Drer Drakkerung, and for six centuries
they ruled from Garlghast. After the Scourge when
they had been forced from the mainland, the heart of
their remaining forces returned to this mighty refuge.
While historians on the mainland account for a
single battle between the Orgoth and the forces of
the Dragonfather, what they do not realize is that
the ultimate defeat came at the hands of Cryx. After
the Orgoth fled the mainland, Cryx launched its own
great siege on the island, quickly beating the routed
enemy back to the walls of Drer Drakkerung. Attacking
without warning, Toruk’s fleet hit their ports first,
capturing most of their blackships while still docked.
The Orgoth had been forced back to the gates of
their city, but they were not undone. The final siege
lasted for months, and both sides exchanged fell magic
that tore the earth and burned the sky. Even after all
hope of escape was lost, they fought on. The siege
came to its conclusion when the beleaguered Orgoth
warwitches unleashed a devastating counteroffensive
just as Cryxian forces suddenly breached the walls of
their inner sanctum. Their final suicidal act was to take
as much of the enemy with them as they could, and
forces on both sides were consumed in a conflagration
that blasted the city of Drer Drakkerung apart. At least
three lich lords and tens of thousands of thralls and
mercenaries were annihilated instantly.
It required centuries for Cryx to rebuild its forces
after that prolonged onslaught, but the losses were
insignificant compared to what was gained: Cryx had
inherited Orgoth secrets. The Dragonfather’s legions
had captured what remained of the enemy fleet, and
soon enough skilled shipwrights learned the lore of
the terrible Orgoth blackships. They had also taken
numerous prisoners, including warwitches who had
wreaked much havoc on the world. Given a choice
of service or death, some of the warwitches chose
allegiance to a new master. They chose Lord Toruk.
Of Drer Drakkerung, only a windswept wasteland
of skeletal ruins stands amidst the rubble. Though
some structures yet remain, the ruins are uninhabited
by living occupants. Beneath the broken streets a vast
labyrinth of tunnels and vaults are filled with ghastly
specters. Indeed the largest hoard of unclaimed
Orgoth artifacts and lore perhaps in the world are
in the depths of Drer Drakkerung. Undoubtedly the
once mighty city protects many great secrets still as it
has done for hundreds of years.
The Dying Strands
Off the west coast of Garlghast is a vast area of
shifting sandbanks and harsh reefs in an otherwise
relatively safe channel of water called the Dying
Strands. Some vessels with skilled navigators chose
this route to avoid Ordic and Cygnaran marine patrols
operating eastward of the Schardes. This region got its
name from a legendary battle that took place here near
the start of the Orgoth invasion. Having experienced
the first sallies of the empire, the bulk of the fabled
Tordoran Armada set sail to repel the invaders. The
vessels waited in this channel hoping to surprise the
Orgoth fleet—which they did, but to little avail. They
were smashed to pieces. It is said that so much timber
and debris was in the water afterward that it was
actually possible to walk westward from Garlghast to
the Shattered Islands. The story is clearly embellished,
but of the hundreds of vessels setting out to surprise
the invaders, very few limped back to port, and most
returned to shore as driftwood and corpses.
Garlghast Island
The largest of the Scharde Islands is called
Garlghast, a dangerous and vile place haunted by the
shadows from centuries ago. It is a little known fact
on the mainland that long before the Orgoth invaded
there, they landed at Garlghast. After enslaving the
local humans and trollkin, the invaders set about the
construction of a dark and sprawling city modeled
after those of the homeland. They called it Drer
Drakkerung (see above), and its meaning in their
tongue is unknown. It was from this seat of power
they prepared their vast fleet for the conquest of
western Immoren, and it was to Garlghast Island they
returned centuries later as their empire crumbled.
Finally it was there that the armies of the Black
Dragon laid siege to the remnants of the Orgoth
empire and blasted it to oblivion.