The Battle of Ashen Gorge

The Battle of Ashen Gorge
Event Date: 150 AC

Overview:
The Battle of Ashen Gorge in 150 AC was a defining clash in Ironreach’s history, where Forgemaster Drenvar Steelrend united the fractured Iron Clans against cannibal hordes spawned by Vortulon’s Starveplague. Amid the Ashen Gorge—a darkstone-rich chasm glowing with eerie, rune-etched light—Drenvar’s leadership and innovative hydroponic steam machines rallied the clans, turning desperation into triumph. Losing his arm in the fray, Drenvar forged a mechanical replacement and an iron crown from cannibal blades, symbolizing Ironreach’s resilience. This steampunk horror event, marked by grinding gears, eldritch miasma, and primal hunger, solidified Ironreach’s industrial might but sowed seeds of greed and Morgrath’s madness, linking its fate to Ravensgate’s Aetherian seal and risking a second Calamity.

Causes:
In the 150 years after the Calamity (0 AC), Ironreach rose from Aetherian forges as a mining hub for darkstone, an ore amplifying arcane energy. Yet, Vortulon’s Starveplague, a lingering eldritch curse, resurfaced, twisting miners in the Withered Mine into cannibals with glowing eyes and ravenous hunger. The Iron Clans, divided by scarcity and darkstone greed, faced collapse as food stores dwindled and forges stalled. Clan Leader Korath Blackvein of the Deepmine Clan hoarded relics, tainted by Xulthar’s voids, worsening the plague’s spread. Drenvar Steelrend, a master artificer from the Ashen Clan, developed hydroponic steam machines—brass tanks and crystal-lit vats—to grow food in barren mines, drawing clans together. When cannibals raided forges, slaughtering smiths like Drenvar’s mentor Elyra Forgeheart and seizing darkstone, the clans rallied to the Ashen Gorge, where the veins pulsed with volatile energy, amplifying the plague’s madness.

Key Events:

  • Cannibal Uprising: Starveplague-infected miners, led by the mutant warlord Gorrak Fleshripper, stormed Ironreach’s forges, killing workers and looting darkstone caches. Gorrak, a hulking orc with rune-etched teeth, proclaimed Vortulon’s hunger as divine will.

  • Drenvar’s Rally: Drenvar, sharing his hydroponic machines with rival clans like Deepmine and Stormforge, forged alliances. Clan Leader Sylva Greenfist of Stormforge joined, her Verdant Covenant druids providing primal wards against the plague’s illusions.

  • Gorge Ambush: In the Ashen Gorge’s smog, Drenvar’s forces ambushed the cannibals, using steam-hammers and darkstone explosives. Drenvar clashed with Gorrak, his hammer crushing mutants amid Morgrath’s whispers.

  • Drenvar’s Sacrifice: Gorrak’s jagged blade severed Drenvar’s arm, but Drenvar smashed the mutant’s skull, ending the battle. He rallied the clans, forging his mechanical arm and iron crown from cannibal blades on the spot.

Consequences:
The victory halted the cannibal threat, uniting the Iron Clans under Drenvar’s iron crown and establishing the Ashen Forge as a grim foundry on the battlefield’s scarred ground. By 160 AC, Drenvar’s hydroponic machines, inspired by the battle’s famine, fed survivors, cementing his rule and fostering clan loyalty. However, the battle exposed relic caches in the Withered Mine, drawing Ebon Star interest. Morgrath’s whispers tainted survivors, fueling Drenvar’s volatile temper and greed for relics. Xulthar’s voids seeped into darkstone veins, sowing corruption. Ironreach’s newfound strength tied it to Ravensgate, as its tech later supported the Aetherian seal’s defenses during the lockdown (290 AC).

Lasting Impact:
In 300 AC, the Battle of Ashen Gorge defines Ironreach’s industrial identity and Drenvar’s legacy. The Ashen Forge produces lockdown gear for Ravensgate, but Drenvar’s relic trade with the Ember Syndicate risks seal breaches. His iron crown, forged from cannibal swords, and rune-etched arm are symbols of victory, yet rumors persist that the arm channels void-energy, threatening a second Calamity. The battle’s legacy drives Ironreach’s ambition but also its corruption, with Morgrath’s whispers and tainted relics haunting the Ashen Gorge, a monument to survival’s brutal cost. The hydroponic machines, a marvel of steampunk ingenuity, inspire Plague Doctors’ solutions in the District of Desolation, yet their darkstone cores pulse with Xulthar’s voids, echoing the battle’s eldritch shadow.