Duran'Gal - Revision history

Astrid Myriad: /* Origins */

2026-07-03T18:29:09Z

Origins

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	The first was '''Gobannis Steelgrave''', a former Forge Core artificer responsible for designing many of the Republic's foundational technologies, including the original Progenitors, the first Aetherships, Portable Divine Machines, and the classified '''Project V.E.G.A.S.'''. Having become disillusioned with the Republic's transformation, Steelgrave offered his knowledge to the growing resistance.		The first was '''Gobannis Steelgrave''', a former Forge Core artificer responsible for designing many of the Republic's foundational technologies, including the original Progenitors, the first Aetherships, Portable Divine Machines, and the classified '''Project V.E.G.A.S.'''. Having become disillusioned with the Republic's transformation, Steelgrave offered his knowledge to the growing resistance.

	The second was '''Project V.E.G.A.S.''' itself—an experimental ooze infiltrator and assassination construct originally developed for covert intelligence operations. Having achieved self-awareness and learned of the Runaways' growing reputation, V.E.G.A.S. sought their assistance while pursuing ~~'''~~Calgari~~'''~~, a former Draconian soldier whose family had been killed during decades of war against Duran'Gal. Consumed by grief and vengeance, Calgari swore to destroy the Republic regardless of political allegiance, eventually becoming one of the conflict's most relentless commanders.		The second was '''Project V.E.G.A.S.''' itself—an experimental ooze infiltrator and assassination construct originally developed for covert intelligence operations. Having achieved self-awareness and learned of the Runaways' growing reputation, V.E.G.A.S. sought their assistance while pursuing [[Calgari Albion\|Calgari]], a former Draconian soldier whose family had been killed during decades of war against Duran'Gal. Consumed by grief and vengeance, [[Calgari Albion\|Calgari]] swore to destroy the Republic regardless of political allegiance, eventually becoming one of the conflict's most relentless commanders.

	These events transformed what had begun as scattered resistance into a continental movement capable of challenging the Republic directly.		These events transformed what had begun as scattered resistance into a continental movement capable of challenging the Republic directly.

Astrid Myriad at 18:25, 3 July 2026

2026-07-03T18:25:47Z

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	Working in concert with the Progenitor '''Vesselex''', the Forge Core designs experimental weapon systems, develops advanced augmentations, studies forbidden magical disciplines, and manufactures the '''Algorithmic Saints''' that power the Republic's vast network of Portable Divine Machines. It also maintains the distributed cognition architecture linking every PDM to the Progenitor Network, making it one of the most influential organizations within the Republic.		Working in concert with the Progenitor '''Vesselex''', the Forge Core designs experimental weapon systems, develops advanced augmentations, studies forbidden magical disciplines, and manufactures the '''Algorithmic Saints''' that power the Republic's vast network of Portable Divine Machines. It also maintains the distributed cognition architecture linking every PDM to the Progenitor Network, making it one of the most influential organizations within the Republic.

			== War of the Last Knight ==

			The '''War of the Last Knight''', also known as the '''Second Dwarven Civil War''', the '''War of Reclamation''', or simply '''the Civil War''', was the largest internal conflict in the history of the modern Profiteer Republic. Fought in the closing years of President Gundir Grimson's rule, the war pitted the industrial government of Duran'Gal against a decentralized coalition of revolutionaries, deserters, escaped prisoners, foreign allies, and occupied peoples collectively remembered as '''the Runaways'''.

			Unlike previous conflicts fought over territory or resources, the War of the Last Knight became a struggle over the identity of Duran'Gal itself. To supporters of the Republic, it was a campaign against terrorists seeking to destroy civilization. To its opponents, it was the final attempt to reclaim the soul of a nation that had abandoned the ideals upon which it had been founded.

			The conflict derives its common name from '''Marco Silvermane''', a former child soldier and founding member of the Runaways, who became the 45th bearer of the '''Sword of the Dwarvish Lords'''. Throughout history, the sword had passed through forty-four previous wielders, each of whom fought in different conflicts relating to the dwarves and to Duran'Gal; however, only the final ten bearers had fought explicitly for the freedom of Duran'Gal itself. All had failed in their struggles, making Marco's victory as the '''Last Knight''' the first successful fulfillment of the sword's long history. The sword, once forged to unite the dwarven kingdoms during the First Civil War, became the enduring symbol of a second struggle to determine whether Duran'Gal would remain an industrial empire governed by profit or return to the principles upon which it had first been founded.

			=== Origins ===

			The origins of the Civil War can be traced to a series of international events that dramatically shifted the balance of power across Westwynd. Following the Runaways' successful alliance with the '''Crimson Court''' in the Deadwood, the company undertook the restoration of the long-slain Vampire Queen '''Morgana Von Glauer''', recovering and reuniting the scattered remains of her body. Her resurrection culminated in the formation of a formal alliance between the Crimson Court and the nation of '''Sparksborough''', establishing the first major coalition previously allied with Duran'gal that was now opposed to the expansion of the Profiteer Republic.

			With new allies secured, the Runaways petitioned '''Diomedes''' for permission to begin severing Sparksborough's increasingly unstable alliance with Duran'Gal. Intelligence suggested that the Republic's military-industrial apparatus had entered an unprecedented period of expansion. Reports described the rapid spread of '''Portable Divine Machines''' beyond Duran'Gal's borders, the increasing influence of the '''Progenitor Network''' over neighboring nations, and the continued growth of the Republic's automated war machine.

			Travelling to Duran'Gal to investigate these developments firsthand, the Runaways uncovered evidence that the National Emergency had evolved into a permanent surveillance state whose influence extended well beyond the Republic itself. During this investigation they encountered two former architects of the Profiteer regime.

			The first was '''Gobannis Steelgrave''', a former Forge Core artificer responsible for designing many of the Republic's foundational technologies, including the original Progenitors, the first Aetherships, Portable Divine Machines, and the classified '''Project V.E.G.A.S.'''. Having become disillusioned with the Republic's transformation, Steelgrave offered his knowledge to the growing resistance.

			The second was '''Project V.E.G.A.S.''' itself—an experimental ooze infiltrator and assassination construct originally developed for covert intelligence operations. Having achieved self-awareness and learned of the Runaways' growing reputation, V.E.G.A.S. sought their assistance while pursuing '''Calgari''', a former Draconian soldier whose family had been killed during decades of war against Duran'Gal. Consumed by grief and vengeance, Calgari swore to destroy the Republic regardless of political allegiance, eventually becoming one of the conflict's most relentless commanders.

			These events transformed what had begun as scattered resistance into a continental movement capable of challenging the Republic directly.

			=== The Runaways ===

			The Runaways evolved from the original mercenary group of six into a small band of escaped prisoners, child soldiers, displaced civilians, deserters, and political dissidents, before the name was later extended to all those who joined the Rebellion, including figures such as Brenn Ironbrow, the first saved Profiteer, and a Profiteer intern soldier whose mercy from Isaac Blackburn turned his allegiance. Rejecting both the rigid hierarchy of the Corporate Cores and the fatalism encouraged by the Portable Divine Machines, they sought to preserve the cultures, faiths, and peoples gradually being assimilated by the Republic.

			Rather than functioning as a conventional military organization, the Runaways united numerous independent factions under a shared objective: dismantling the systems of industrial oppression without destroying the civilization they hoped to save.

			=== Marco Silvermane and the Sword of the Dwarvish Lords ===

			Among the Runaways, no individual became more influential than '''Marco Silvermane'''. Originally joining the Runaways after escaping the brutal criminal labor imposed by his father's secret thieves' syndicate in Sparksborough, the Brotherhood of Nine Lives, Marco eventually emerged as one of its foremost leaders.

			Contrary to popular legend, the '''Sword of the Dwarvish Lords''' was not recovered from the Heart-Forge beneath Duran'Gal, but from the Goblin King '''Grimgob'''. Through immense corrupted strength, Grimgob had wielded the legendary weapon while it remained imprisoned within the stone in which it had originally been forged. Following the defeat of Grimgob and the destruction of the Goblin Mushroom Cults, the Runaways recovered the relic.

			Although Marco claimed the weapon, he was unable to draw its blade. For many months he carried the sword still embedded within its stone, wielding the entire boulder as a weapon until the spirit of '''Good King Yurgrim''' judged him worthy. Only then did the stone shatter, revealing the exalted blade hidden within.

			The awakening of the sword granted Marco extraordinary abilities that quickly established him as one of the greatest knights of his generation. Its blessings, however, carried an unexpected burden. The ancient magic gradually transformed Marco's body, replacing his half-orc features with those of a young dwarf resembling Yurgrim himself. Scholars later referred to this phenomenon as the '''Curse of the Dwarf''', believing the sword sought to recreate its original bearer rather than empower a successor.

			Marco ultimately broke the curse not through force of will, but by embracing his own identity. Accepting that he could honor Yurgrim without becoming him, the transformation was lifted, allowing Marco to wield the spirit of the First King while retaining his own appearance, convictions, and humanity. This event became one of the defining legends of the rebellion and cemented his title as '''the Last Knight'''.

			=== Course of the War ===

			The Civil War differed significantly from previous conflicts fought by the Republic. Rather than confronting the Aether Corps in conventional engagements, the Runaways spent the opening years of the conflict forging alliances among nations, liberation movements, religious orders, and internal Profiteer factions that had begun turning against one another. Increasing political divisions between the Corporate Cores further weakened the Republic's unity, allowing resistance cells to expand across Westwynd.

			As the rebellion gained momentum, campaigns shifted toward dismantling the logistical foundations of Duran'Gal's military-industrial complex. Resistance forces sabotaged Aether refineries, exposed Progenitor installations, intercepted supply lines, liberated political prisoners, and disrupted the Republic's surveillance infrastructure.

			The turning point of the war came during the assault upon '''the Gears'''. There, the Runaways overthrew the industrial death camps administered by the Drill Core after slaying '''Skarn''', the Fire Giant who oversaw the refineries and prison complexes. Tens of thousands of surviving prisoners were liberated as the Republic's largest source of forced labor collapsed.

			Beneath the Gears, the Runaways also discovered that the remains of the elemental Archon '''Aethira''' were still being mined as a source of Aether Ore. Ending centuries of desecration, they halted the extraction of her heart and revived the ancient Archon. Rather than remaining to aid the rebellion, Aethira departed Westwynd in search of surviving Archons, vowing to destroy Duran'Gal for the betrayal committed against her people during the War of Archons.

			By the final stages of the conflict, the Civil War had expanded beyond a domestic uprising. The rebellion itself had fractured into three major revolutionary coalitions with differing visions for Duran'Gal's future, while the continent's four remaining great powers launched their own invasions. Though many claimed to seek liberation, historians generally agree that most foreign powers entered the war hoping to seize the Republic's industrial infrastructure and technomantic innovations for themselves.

			=== The Battle for Duran'Gal ===

			The final campaign centered upon the wastelands surrounding Duran'Gal before erupting into the city itself. No longer a conflict between a government and its insurgents, the Battle for Duran'Gal became one of the largest multinational engagements in Westwynd history.

			Alongside the Runaways marched their allies from '''Sparksborough''' under '''God Emperor Diomedes''', the '''Crimson Court''' led by '''Queen Morgana Von Glauer''', the '''Sisters of Sylvanis''' commanded by the eco-terrorist dryad '''Antracia''', and the legions of the Draconian Empire under '''General River Guangxi'''. At the same time, rival rebellion factions, opportunistic neighboring kingdoms, and surviving Profiteer loyalists converged upon the city, each seeking to determine its fate.

			The battle extended across every district of Duran'Gal, from the industrial vaults of the Gears to the towering corporate citadels of the Pinnacle. Every Corporate Core became a battlefield as competing armies sought control of the Republic's Progenitors, Aethership fleets, manufactories, and technomantic infrastructure.

			More than the future of a single nation hung in the balance. The destruction of Duran'Gal threatened the extinction of one of the world's greatest technological civilizations, while its capture promised whoever emerged victorious command of the most advanced industrial war machine ever created.

			=== Legacy ===

			The War of the Last Knight remains one of the defining events in the history of Westwynd. Historians continue to debate whether it marked the liberation of Duran'Gal or the beginning of an even greater struggle over the legacy of the Divine Machine.

			To supporters of the former Republic, the conflict represented the tragic collapse of humanity's greatest industrial civilization beneath the weight of rebellion and idealism. To those liberated during the war, it signified the rediscovery of Duran'Gal's oldest virtues—courage, sacrifice, craftsmanship, and unity before profit.

			Marco Silvermane's ascension as the Last Knight permanently linked the Second Civil War with the age of Good King Yurgrim, creating a historical parallel between the kingdom's first unification and its final struggle against the institutions that claimed to preserve it. Whether the Republic's technology would become a force for liberation, conquest, or destruction remained uncertain, as every surviving faction understood that whoever ultimately inherited Duran'Gal's Progenitors, Aetherships, and technomantic industry would possess the power to reshape the future of civilization itself.

Astrid Myriad: Undo revision 180 by Divine Machine (talk)

2026-07-03T18:24:45Z

Undo revision 180 by Divine Machine (talk)

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Divine Machine at 18:23, 3 July 2026

2026-07-03T18:23:18Z

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Astrid Myriad: /* Progenitors */

2026-07-02T23:15:42Z

Progenitors

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	== Progenitors ==		== Progenitors ==

	==== Rancor ====		=== Rancor ===
	''Progenitor of the Grudge Core''		''Progenitor of the Grudge Core''

Astrid Myriad: /* Progenitors */

2026-07-02T23:15:24Z

Progenitors

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Astrid Myriad: /* Progenitors */

2026-07-02T23:13:23Z

Progenitors

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Astrid Myriad: /* Central Directives */

2026-07-02T23:10:46Z

Central Directives

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	Rather than censoring every opposing opinion, the system overwhelms society with a continuous stream of state-approved messaging until alternative narratives become socially invisible. Public opinion is treated as an engineering problem rather than a political one.		Rather than censoring every opposing opinion, the system overwhelms society with a continuous stream of state-approved messaging until alternative narratives become socially invisible. Public opinion is treated as an engineering problem rather than a political one.

	=== Central Directives ===		==== Central Directives ====

	'''Directive I — Maintain Consensus'''		'''Directive I — Maintain Consensus'''

Astrid Myriad: /* Grimson Elder, the War Mouth */

2026-07-02T23:10:32Z

Grimson Elder, the War Mouth

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	''If everyone hears the same truth long enough, it becomes the only truth that matters.''		''If everyone hears the same truth long enough, it becomes the only truth that matters.''

	==== Grimson Elder, the War Mouth ====		=== Grimson Elder, the War Mouth ===
	''Progenitor of the Aether Core''		''Progenitor of the Aether Core''

Astrid Myriad: /* Progenitors */

2026-07-02T23:10:11Z

Progenitors

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	To the Yield Father, civilization itself exists only to transform finite lives into infinite production.		To the Yield Father, civilization itself exists only to transform finite lives into infinite production.

	=== Progenitors ===		== Progenitors ==

	==== Rancor ====		==== Rancor ====