Gor'dol

Whatever geography this fortress might have once enjoyed has been long lost to history. Formerly a mountain turned into a vast fortress, Gor'dol sits far to the north in Plastor, also known as the "Storm Lands." As the seat of the Fallen's rebellion against Creation itself, the surrounding geography was heavily affected by his storm, leaving it completely desolate and barren.

The remains of an artificial trench surround the visible front portion of the fortress, with only a drawbridge allowing entrance over the expanse. The surrounding hills had long since been cleared to provide full visibility of the fortress to anyone approaching, leaving a featureless geographical area for nearly a mile around it.

Without plant life to help regulate the weather in this region, massive storms (though thankfully not magical in nature this time) constantly assault the area. Even when clear, the fortress's location on the northern edge of the continent, far from the equator, leaves a bitter coldness.

Construction

Gor'dol was originally built as an observatory for Ankow during the early days of creation, where he studied the air currents, the stars, and other natural phenomena that he felt were far better than the sapient life his siblings were creating. Over thousands of years, with the help of Aethels under his command, the high mountain was fleshed out and converted into a vast complex teeming with various experiments and observations. Even the Father and his two brothers visited the original fortress to assist his son with his experiments.

Conversion to a Fortress

As any student of history knows, Ankow became increasingly disillusioned with sapient life, which he viewed as corrupting the perfect creation and hindering his full study of nature. The full details have not been shared, but Ankow became increasingly erratic and began lashing out against creation, which he began to view as ultimately flawed if it relied on Elves, Men, and Dwarves, rather than the Eldrin, to perfect. Thus, he began turning his former laboratory into a vast fortress.

It was during this time that the Orc race was created as a mockery of the sapient life created by the Father and his siblings. These dark creatures were dispatched to gather additional samples and further aid his increasingly complex experiments.

The Storm

When the Fallen finally launched his attack upon the Continents, it was centered from Gor'dol, which became the source for the Great Storm that he sent out across the world. The Dark Fortress became the seat of power for the newly named Fallen, and became a location spoken in fear, as few who entered ever returned from it, if they were lucky.

Destruction of Gor'dol

During the final campaign of the Great Storm, a coalition of the Elemental Alliance, the Kingdom of Askel, the Siorain Empire, the Dwarves of the Mountain, and the Frozen Clans, alongside the other three Eldrin, the Warrior, the Smith, and the Maiden, laid siege to the Dark Fortress. The records of the final battle have been mixed, as much of the fortress and the gathered forces were destroyed in the clash of the four primordial Eldrin. Those who know what happened next were sworn to secrecy and ensured that the truth was lost to history. The Warrior, the Maiden, and the Smith vanished during the conflict and were believed to have been killed. Rumors spread that the Fallen had been severely weakened, but was too powerful to kill, so his essence was now sealed in a mythical cage deep within the ruins of his fortress.

Age of Restoration

During the next 11,000 years known as the Age of Restoration, Gor'dol survives through those who either study or pass down lore as an area that must be avoided at all costs. Legends suggest that entering Gor'dol, best case, would unleash the remains of the Fallen's experiments. Worst case, it would release the Fallen himself.