The Vorlag Ascent
The Vorlag Ascent (c. 1860 – 1850 YE) stands as the sharp, terrifying apex of the entire Age of Weaving, a brief, feverish decade that saw the dwarven civilization of the Lost City of Umbral achieve its highest architectural splendor just before its catastrophic precipice. Historians view this era not as a stable timeperiod, but as a critical transition, the final, desperate surge into what would become Vorlag's Dominion. It was a reflection of ambition unbound by caution, where the philosophical foundations of traditional deep-delving were utterly discarded in favor of radical, sky-reaching innovation.
During this time, the visionary Architect Vorlag consolidated nearly absolute control over Umbral's construction mandates. The zeitgeist was dominated by speed and verticality; every inscription carved during this era speaks of haste and monumental scale. The core event was the widespread, reckless installation of experimental, large-scale Aetherium Conduits, designed to channel immense amounts of raw Auric Resonance toward the floating upper districts and the final, crowning segments of Vorlag’s architectural masterpieces. This period represents the purest form of Umbral’s hubris, believing that brute force and complex Resonance Weaving could sustain structures that inherently defied natural law.
Yet, this rapid ascent was not silent. It was marked by the increasing, yet ignored, warnings of dissenters. The pronouncements of Anya, the Gloom Weaver grew louder, focusing on the inevitable geological backlash from over-strained earth energies. Meanwhile, the isolationist philosophy of the marginalized Deep-Delvers hardened into outright resistance, viewing every conduit installed as a prelude to sacrilege.
To properly catalog this decade of fateful decisions, the Ascent must be broken into five high-intensity chronological fragments that chart the final approach to Umbral’s zenith. These critical sub-periods are: The Year of the High Span, characterized by architectural expansion; the Zenith of Conduit Construction, detailing the maximal utilization of Aetherium; the Great Consolidation, focusing on Vorlag’s unchecked political power; the Period of Auric Strain, recording the first measurable subterranean instability; and finally, the ominous Silence Before the Dominion, the brief, deceptive calm immediately preceding the full installation of Vorlag’s new governance.