Vulkaris, a continent edgeward of the Great Parch, was once a land of extremes. Although its sky was often choked with ash from the many volcanoes that dotted the landscape, amidst this harshness, life thrived – for Vulkaris was a land blessed by the presence of four ancient Realmgates, each a connection to different Mortal Realms: Ghyran, Hysh, Ulgu, and Chamon.
It was through these gates that a great empire arose, its people drawing on the energies of these distant realms to irrigate their fields, forge wonders of metal and light, and build cities of splendor and beauty. This empire, known to history as the Kingdom of the Fourfold Path, became a relatively peaceful zone in a continent high in Aqshy’s fiery magic. Its capital, Avul’kar, located at the foot of Karvul Peak, stood as a testament to the ingenuity of its people – a city of towering spires, gleaming with the brilliance of Hysh and fortified by the iron will of Chamon.
But as with all things, the glory of Avul’kar and its domain was not to last. When the Age of Chaos descended upon the Mortal Realms it was sudden and all-consuming, and the Kingdom of the Fourfold Path was no exception. Beasts energized by Emberstone but forced into hiding rose up, while legions of Chaos swept across the continent, razing cities and slaughtering the populace. The skies darkened with the foul magic of Tzeentch, and the rivers ran red with the blood of the fallen.
In desperation, the surviving Duardin of Vulkaris retreated to the depths of the earth, seeking refuge in the caverns beneath the volcanic mountains. There, they became what we now know as the Fyreslayers – grim and determined. But even in their underground refuge, they could not escape the doom that had befallen their land.
Driven by a need for survival and the desire to harness the power of the molten earth, the Fyreslayers delved ever deeper into the bowels of Vulkaris. It is said that they sought to find the heart of the volcanoes themselves, where the purest Ur-Gold was said to be found. But they delved too greedily and too deep. What happened next is lost to history. Some say that the Fyreslayers, in their zeal, shattered the delicate balance of the gates by destroying an arcane nexus where the energies of the nearby Realmgates converged. Others believe they unwittingly unleashed a force that had been sealed away for millennia. Whatever the truth, the result was the same: the magical connections of the Realmgates were severed, and Vulkaris was cut off from the rest of the Mortal Realms.
The once-flourishing continent was now truly plunged into isolation, its gates silenced and its people left to eke out a living in the shadow of their former glory. The ruins of the Kingdom of the Fourfold Path still stand – a haunting reminder of what was lost: ancient cities now crumbling to dust, their once-bright spires tarnished and forgotten. And beneath the earth, the Fyreslayers of the Karvul Lodge continue their endless quest for Ur-Gold in the depths of Karvul Peak – their history a testament to the price of ambition.