The Era of Prophecy
The Era of Prophecy (1750–1700 YE) constitutes the final, agonizing forty-year span in the historical trajectory of the doomed Lost City of Umbral, and is, by necessity, a dark chapter in the greater saga of the Age of Weaving. While the preceding Vorlag’s Dominion focused on the physical zenith of Umbral's unchecked progress, this era pivoted sharply inward, defined by the overwhelming realization—and subsequent suppression—that catastrophe was not merely possible, but inevitable. As Chronicler, I regard this period not for its technological achievements, but for the moral and intellectual failures that accompanied the widespread acquisition of dire foresight. Knowledge springs eternally from the deep stone, but only through diligent, constant polishing of the inscription can the flawed reflection truly guide the dwarven future. In this era, the reflection was clear, yet the dwarves refused to polish their actions.
The atmosphere was one of palpable dread, a collective paranoia stemming from the increasingly tangible instability caused by the over-strained Aetherium Conduits powering Umbral’s impossible architecture. This environment catalyzed the brief but potent rise of the prophetic class. Key figures, primarily the seer Anya, the Gloom Weaver, became central. Anya and other high-ranking Sky-seers began to channel unvarnished visions of destruction gleaned from the corrupted flows of the Veins of Whispers. Their warnings, meticulously recorded in the forbidden archives known as the Prophetic Scrolls, spoke of the imminent geological failure that would later manifest as the Great Sundering.
The intellectual achievement of this era was the near-perfect documentation of failure before its occurrence. Yet, this achievement was poisoned by the pride of leadership. Architect Vorlag, unwilling to dismantle his monumental works, dismissed the prophets’ warnings as superstition, instead pouring resources into frantic, ineffective infrastructural 'solutions.' The period was characterized by a massive political divide: the prophets seeking spiritual repentance and systemic reduction of Auric Resonance usage, countered by Vorlag’s faction demanding continued, reckless exploitation. This societal schism ensured that when the collapse finally arrived, there was no unified plan for survival, leading directly to the conditions that bred the vengeful Shadow-Goblins. The true tragedy of this era lies not in the prophecy, but in the willful deafness of those who were warned.
To properly categorize this period of intellectual and moral conflict, scholars of the Abbey divide the Era of Prophecy into five critical sub-periods:
* The Years of Silent Dread (1750–1742 YE)
* The Period of Vellum and Ink (1742–1734 YE)
* The Crisis of the Deep Stone (1734–1726 YE)
* The Age of False Solutions (1726–1718 YE)
* The Final Vigil (1718–1700 YE)