The Third Age v 0.1


Story thus far:
For thousands of years the world lived in peace. The five elder races watched over all of creation, this was known as the First Age. During the first age many great marvels were constructed. The floating marble spires of the Dragons, the giant cities made entirely of glass of the Xecti, the great underground halls of the Old Ones, and many more. It was with the discovery of the Alfar by the Dragons that began to change things. The Dragons found that the Alfar excelled in the arts of magic, and were able to quickly master the arcane. The power that they represented frightened the other elder races. In response, the Old Ones began to expand their underground territories, constructing thousands of massive castles deep underground and populating them with the Brimir, a race of constructed golems that was sturdier and stronger than the Alfar, but with no potential for growth. Thus began the Age of Strife, a period of great contention between the elder races as they vied for ever increasing power.
It was during the Age of Strife that the Old Ones discovered adamantine and began to research this magical metal's properties. They discovered that by infusing their golems with adamantine and their own blood they were able to make flesh from stone. These new golems were weaker than before, but had a great potential for growth, and were able to master the elements, thus giving the Old Ones an equal footing with the Dragons. Inspired by this discover and hoping to find even more powerful elements deep in the earth they began to dig ever deeper. Little did they know the terrors that awaited them beneath the earth.
The day the Old Ones breached the underworld the entire earth shook in terror as the unspeakable monstrosities that were locked there broke free. They swept across the land destroying everything they could find. The elder races were no match for the demons ferocity. The Xecti were the first to fall, their great glass cities reduced to dust and their civilization scattered, the few remaining hid deep in the deserts, away from the demons assault. The Dragons and Old Ones quickly realized that if they did not do something the demons would overrun the entire planet and wipe out all life. Thus began the Age of Turmoil.
It is said that during the Age of Turmoil the ground was filled with the bodies of dead dragons and demons. The great marble spires were toppled, and the underground halls were filled with the dead. It became clear to the elder races that there was to be no end to the demons. For every one that they struck down another took its place, if they were to have any hope of winning they needed to seal the underworld. The Olds Ones realized that the only way to close the realms forever would be to simultaneously unleash massive amounts of energy on both sides of the breach. It was the Giants that had the idea to use the mysterious adamantine as a conduit for the powers of the Alfar and Brimir to generate the type of energy needed. The Dragons offered to assault the breach head on in order to buy the Old Ones the time they needed to set up their plan.
On that day the skies turned black as every dragon that was able took flight and brought the fight to the breach. Assisted by many of the Giants, the Dragons created a wall of stone, fire, and scales. While these brave souls fought against the tides of demons, the Old Ones took position in their castles, preparing to seal the underworld for ever. The Giants shaped the adamantine into large spires that connected the underworld to this world and the Alfar and Brimir took positions to unleash the force of the elements and the arcane through the spires. It is unknown what exactly the Old Ones did, but on the day that the elder races enacted their master plan the great mountains broke in half and lava spilled across the lands in an event known as the Breaking.
When the earthquakes stopped and the dust settled, those that were left found the breach had been closed, with the Dragons on the other side, and that the earth had been transmuted into a pitch black, unbreakable rock. As the Brimir began to search for their masters they found that the castles had also been transmuted into the same material, and no trace remained of any of the Old Ones. With no one to serve, both the Alfar and Brimir were lost, and for thousands of years they wandered the world, looking for new masters, for new purpose. Thus began the Second Age.
The Second Age was an age of bloodshed and violence. The demons had been sealed, but their taint had infected all life. Once brothers in battle, the Alfar and Brimir split apart from each other and began warring against each other. These conflicts quickly took their toll on the races and they began to break apart from within, each faction thinking they had they correct answers. It is unknown how long these civil wars lasted, but in time all of the earth was once again divided amongst the living races, and a fragile peace was developed. This Age of Peace lasted for thousands of years before the Arrival.
The Arrival heralded in the newest races, Ashari and Humans. It is unknown where these new races came from, as they are not descended from any of the elder races, or the Alfar and Brimir, because of which they were treated as lesser races. Over time, however, the Humans became a dominant force amongst the races and helped to establish the trade and diplomacy that exists today, and the Ashari found a home in the deserts where all other races feared to tread. During this time the Giants also returned from their long imposed self exile as they fixed the enormous amount of damage that the Breaking caused. The return of this elder race marked the beginning of the Third Age.
We now live in the Third Age, and new threats abound. The Xecti, once thought extinct, have returned and are attacking all those who cross their paths, or attempt to communicate. In addition a new group of people calling themselves the Dragon Priests have emerged, these priests have tremendous power and have been foretelling of the time when the Dragons will break their way out of the underworld and reap vengeance on those that trapped them there. They have amassed a large group of races together, although it is unclear for what purpose or what their goals are.
It is during this time that you find yourself a leader of a small expedition of Dwarves. Your Mountain Home has decided that with the various new threats that have emerged they would like you to expand the territory your clan controls, and to figure out what is driving the Xecti and Dragon Priests.

Entities: The various DF entities
Extinct Races: These races are mentioned in the world, but are no longer part of it
Alfar: The Alfar were the servants to the Dragons. They helped build and maintain the great marble cities in the clouds, and worshipped the dragons as gods. They are not considered to be an elder race as they were little more than animals when the Dragons found them.
Brimir: The Brimir lived underground with the Old Ones, acting as their liasons to the other races, and providing the manual labor necessary to construct the great halls deep beneath the surface. It is thought that the Brimir were actually constructions of Old Ones.
Dragons: The Dragons were the most powerful of all the races with an empire that knew no bounds. They watched over all of the world atop the great marble spires in their floating castles. Although they saw all of creation as theirs they seldom interfered with the lives of the other races. While there are still some dragons left alive today, they no longer have any form of civilization and instead work only for themselves.
Old Ones: The Old Ones were the Dragons counterparts beneath the earth, believed to be older than the Dragons this enigmatic race focused only on their pursuit of technology and understanding the mysteries of the world. There is no known record of what became of the Old Ones, although some believe the Forgotten Beasts that haunt the depths are the twisted visage of what remains.
Races: These are the races you will find in this world.
Animal Men: Scholars are unsure where the humanoid animals came from. They have only a rudimentary capability for using tools and weapons and prefer instead to use their animal strength and features to terrorize the caverns beneath the earth.
Ashari: The only known group of humanoid animals that has achieved a level of sophistication. These cat like humanoids live primarily in the desert and are often nomadic in nature. They tend to cultivate the wild plants of the lands into powerful poisons and medicenes, and combined with their natural speed, stealth, and agility they are the most sought after assassins and thieves in the land.
Automaton: Creations of the Gnomes, the Automaton were to be the crowning achievement of the Gnomish people. Made to excel in all the areas the Gnomes lack in, the Automaton are strong, fast, durable, and aggressive. They have been taken over by an unknown force and now act independently from the Gnomes.
Dark Dwarf: Descended from the Brimir Dwarves that have forsaken the old ones and instead look to free the demons trapped beneath the earth.
Drow: Descended from the Alfar. This offshoot of the Alfar has forsaken the land above ground and instead builds their homes beneath the ground. They are cruel and vindictive, caring little for the other races, and despising the other descendants.
Dwarf: Descended from the Brimir. The Dwarves are the only race to still worship the old ones. They are master crafters and can even craft life into stone.
Elf: Descended from the Alfar. These Alfar have replaced the Dragons with their new Sylvan gods. They are friendly and cordial to any species that respects the forest, but will attack those who defile their new home.
Giants: One of the elder races, Giants have been around since before the age of civilization. They are a relatively peaceful and private race that does not trade or war on the other races. They see it as their responsibility to shape the lands, and as long as they are left in peace they ignore all of the smaller beings.
Gnome: Descended from the Brimir. The Gnomes abandoned the worship of the gods for the allure of technology and science. They are arguable the smartest and most advanced of all the races, but due to their relatively weak physical forms, are rarely seen outside of their mechanized homes.
Goblin: Descended from the Brimir. The Goblins were corrupted during the breaking and have become hostile, evil, and unstable. They blend magic and technology into dangerous constructions, but are more concerned with their next discovery then they are for each other, or the other races.
Human: The newest race to arrive, it is unclear where the Humans originated from. They came over the mountains in the north one year and have established themselves as a dominant force in the lands. It is theorized that their arrival and the aggression of the Xecti could be linked.
Kobold: A small mischeavious and thieving species, Kobolds have begun to amass in larger numbers, although they are still nothing more than a nuisance to any established cities and towns.
Orc: Descended from the Alfar. The "truest" of the Alfar, the Orcs are those who became lost and wandered the plains during the breaking. Now they are a sizeable civilization that has developed its own way of life.
Sylvan: One of the elder races. the Sylvan are a group of tree spirits that inhabit the forests of the world. They are worshiped by the Elves and are feared by all those who venture into the forests with the intent on harming them. They are generally aloof and uncaring in the lives of the mortal races, but if their woods are threatened they can come in force.
Xecti: One of the elder races, very little is known about the Xecti. They are an insectoid race that live only in the most isolated lands of the desert. The few travelers that have survived a journey through their lands report giant broken cities of glass and gems. Recently the Xecti have begun to attack outside of their realm. It is unclear what triggered their sudden aggression.
Groups: These groups are made up of many different races
Dragon Worshipers: Led by the mysterious dragon priests, this group is made up of all races and is viewed as a dangerous cult, the motivation of which is still unknown.
Hunter's Guild: Made up of Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Drow, and Ashari, this group is focused on the the thrill of the hunt..
Mage's Guild: Made up of Humans, Elves, Drow, and Dwarves, this group is focused on the pursuit of magic and the mystic.

Features:
New Metals: Various new war and economic metals added in the game.
Died Gold: 8 different colors of died gold, so you can make your fortress the colors you want, while still enjoying the wealth of gold.
Orichalcum: A high end economic metal, goes after platinum in worth.
Mithril: The next step up from steel. Few races know how to smelt Mithril.
Incendium: Steel infused with the element of fire. Makes excellent weapons with magical properties
Glacium: Steel infused with the element of ice. Makes excellent weapons with magical properties
Tempestium: Steel infused with the element of air. Makes excellent ammunition with magical properties
Earth Steel: Steel infused with the element of stone. Makes excellent armor with magical properties
Elementium: Steel infused with all the elements. Better than Mithril, and only slightly worse than Adamantine. Makes marvelous weapons and armor.
High Adamantine: Adamantine infused with light. Makes better armor than normal adamantine.
Dark Adamantine: Adamantine infused with dark. Makes better weapons than normal adamantine.
Cuendillar: A combination of High and Dark Adamantine, there is no known material that is stronger. Makes unparalleled weapons and armor.
New Glasses: New glasses that are usable for war.
Tempered Glass: Crystal glass that has been tempered and is usable for copper quality weapons and armor.
Blood Glass: Glass infused with the blood of enemies, makes iron quality weapons.
Soul Glass: Glass infused with the souls of enemies, makes iron quality armor.
Void Glass: Glass infused with the blood and souls of enemies, make slightly worse than steel quality weapons and armor.
Diamond Glass: Glass infused with diamonds. Makes slightly better than steel quality weapons and armor.
Moon Glass: Glass infused with the power of the moon. Makes elementium quality weapons.
Star Glass: Glass infused with the power of the stars. Makes elementium quality armor.
Fire Glass: Glass infused with fire. Makes iron quality weapons with magical properties,
Ice Glass: Glass infused with ice. Makes iron quality weapons with magical properties,
Storm Glass: Glass infused with air. Makes iron quality ammunition with magical properties.
Earth Glass: Glass infused with earth. Makes iron quality armor with magical properties.
New Workshops: Various new workshops, forges, and furnaces
Alchemy Workshop: A workshop for creating magical components and researching various elements.
Apothecary: A workshop that makes potions and poisons that can be coated onto weapons or drunk.
Arcane Forge: A forge that crafts ruins onto armor and creates magical weapons and armor.
Arcane Smelter: A furnace that is needed to smelt the metals better than steel
Creature Forge: A forge that uses creature components to craft special items
Creature Lab: A workshop that is used to research and dissect creatures
Engineers Workshop: A workshop that creates advanced technological parts and trap components
Gem Forge: A forge that creates gem weapons and armor
Gem Workshop: A workshop that creates gem furniture
Glass Forge: A