Elder Borin's Chronicles
Elder Borin's Chronicles, bound in petrified wood and clasped with shimmering Aetherium filigree, are more than mere records; they are a living testament to dwarven history, meticulously compiled by generations of chroniclers under the watchful eye of the Truthseekers. For centuries, these annals have served as the foundation of knowledge within The Dwarven Abbey, shaping its culture and dictating its understanding of the world. They detail everything from the rise and fall of dwarven kingdoms to the intricacies of Resonance Weaving, and even contain fragments of prophecies regarding The Great Unmaking.
However, the Chronicles are not without their mysteries. Certain passages are deliberately obscured, hinting at a darker, more complex history than the Abbey admits. Archivist Theron, for instance, believes the Chronicles present a sanitized version of The Schism of Stone and Sky, concealing the true motivations of the warring factions and the role of the Order of the Azure Hand in the conflict. He suspects that the Crimson Cartographers possess a more accurate account, one that reveals the forbidden secrets hidden within the Iron-Grip Mountains. Are the Chronicles hiding the way to reach the Silent Forges? Tales say that Elder Borin's Chronicles can be decoded using the song of the Silent Monks of Durin's Peak. There are also unsettling entries about the Chitinous Swarm, describing them as a consequence of dwarven hubris, unleashed upon the world by the reckless pursuit of Auric Resonance. The Chronicles make note of a meeting of the Forgotten Smith and the Truthseekers, and what was discussed remains unwritten.
Perhaps most intriguing are the cryptic references to the Lost City of Umbral, a legendary dwarven metropolis said to have vanished without a trace. The Chronicles hint that Umbral was a center of Aetherium Conduits research, its fate a dire warning about the dangers of unchecked ambition. The Shadow-Goblins are noted as the lost souls of Umbral's demise, forever cursed to wander the mountains. And it is noted that the Skyclaw Griffons are descendants of a dwarven war experiment to combat the goblins. The chronicles are missing pages - perhaps the Cobalt Corsairs have them!