Palace of Th’ Shoiz Shai Zhai

The palace is a massive fortress built on the side of rock outcropping. The outer walls are in ruins and are now overgrown rubble. There are many dead trees in the area. The few trees that are not dead are sickly looking with twisted limbs and few leaves. Th' Shoiz Shai Zhai is the name of the elven bride of the great Paladin, Suakim. Kheyl is the dwarven name of the rock.

Dwarven Ancient History

The great dwarven lord Thirrim knew the mountain held vast fortunes in gold and gems. He built a vast fortress to guard the entrance to the mines below. In his arrogance, lord Thirrim thought he could avoid the ancient evil trapped in the rocks below. As the mine progressed and the fortress grew lord Thirrim became enamored of looking at the powerful evil force to prove his might and power over it.

Over the decades that followed the evil power slowly exerted more and more influence over the dwarven lord Thirrim. The lord did everything in his power to protect his young daughter Tola from the evil buried deep underground. Lord Thirrim did not know the ancient evil had already corrupted his daughter.

The daughter grew. Day by day, Tola become more and more evil. Lord Thirrim continually made excuses for his daughter saying she was young and foolish and did not know what she was doing. Lord Thirrim convinced himself that his daughter was just a misunderstood youth, and not the evil witch she had become.

The daughter married a young dwarven noble, Jalair. Five days after the marriage the young husband pleads with the lord to annul the marriage. When Thirrim asked Jalair why, the young man’s only reply is, “she is evil.” Lord Thirrim refuses the young man’s plea.

A week later, Jalair dies suddenly. Some say it was suicide. Others say it was murder. Still others say he died of a broken heart. However, the short marriage is fruitful. The young bride is pregnant. Months later, she brings forth a son. Lord Thirrim is overjoyed. The lord spends much of his time paying with his new grandson named after his grandfather, Thirrim son of Jalair.

The mother sacrifices the child on his first birthday by cutting off his head in a ceremony to empower the ancient evil. Lord Thirrim walks into the ceremony just as the knife slices though the young boy’s throat. Lord Thirrim finally realizes that his daughter is a monster. Taking his massive battle-axe, he hacks his daughter to pieces.

Grief stricken with the loss of his grandson and covered in the blood of his daughter he has slain, the lord realizes his arrogance in allowing the evil forces to grow. Lord Thirrim turns his attention to the ancient evil. With all his might, Thirrim tries to destroy this ancient evil. He fails. However, he strikes a grievous blow. In retaliation, the ancient evil causes a massive earthquake, which causes the mighty fortress to crack and crumble. Lord Thirrim dies in the earthquake. The entrances to the mines collapse, trapping the dwarves below. The sacrifice of the infant empowers the ancient evil to turn the trapped dwarves into undead creatures.

Ages pass.

Humans take the lands surrounding Kheyl from the dwarves during the battle of Prant.

Ages pass.