According to the records of the Kaer, Daralon was a prosperous town nestled in a mountain valley in the Theran province of Barsaive (exactly where in Barsaive is left up the gamemaster). It subsisted mostly on farming the valley area and selling its famed ironwork and pottery, worked from red clay taken from the riverbanks. The inhabitants of the town paid their tithes to the Theran Overgovernor and their dues for the Rites of Protection and Passage that have allowed them to survive the Scourge.

Kaer Daralon was built over the course of three generations in the mountain caves above the valley. Much of the work was done by the master elf elementalist and builder Diamms. The natural caverns were expanded and strengthened with elemental magic, all laid out in accordance with the Theran plan. When the early signs of the Scourge came to the Daralon valley, the people entered the kaer and the wards were sealed to wait out the Long Night.

That was five hundred years ago. It is now the fifteen hundred and eighth year since the founding of the Kingdom of Throal 0 508 THY More than fifteen generations of Name-givers have lived and died in the confines of the kaer, waiting and watching the elemental clock designed by Theran magicians to tell when the time of the Scourge would be over. Fifty years ago, the sphere of True Earth stopped its descent towards the bowl of True Water. The clock has been frozen ever since.

This unexpected development has resulted in considerable debate and discussion among the leaders of the kaer, but thus far they have erred on the side of caution. The Therans predicted the Scourge would last as long as another century, but there is a growing belief in the kaer that something terrible has happened and the Scourge will never end. Some of the people have begun to despair and there is an edge of madness to life in Kaer Daralon. The people of the kaer remain hidden deep in the earth, watching, waiting and hoping for some sign that the Long Night has ended.

The History of the Kaer

Kaer Daralon was created by the people of the town of Daralon and the inhabitants of its surrounding farms and villages. The kaer was designed to hold all of the inhabitants of the mountain valley where the town stood. This included the village of T'skrang from the nearby river and several Troll clans from the high mountains. Members of all of the different Name-giver races dwell in the kaer, so there was some friction at first. Minor incidents of violence and conflict arose, but most were harshly dealt with by the kaer's ruling council.

In the final days before the closing of the kaer, a party of adventurers arrived in Daralon. They claimed to he fleeing from horrors they had encountered in the foothills of the mountains. The elders of Daraton took this as a sign of the time to seal the kaer. The party of adepts took shelter there as well. Many of them became the founders of the adept traditions known in the kaer today.

Some two hundred years ago, there was an outbreak of plague in the kaer that nearly doomed all of the inhabitants. Dianuus the Master-Builder, himself stricken with the plague, used his magic to cause a rock- slide that buried the access tunnel to the most plague- ridden portion of the kaer. This halted spread of the plague and saved the rest of the kaer.

Diarmus and some of the other adepts of the kaer were lost in the tragedy, along with their accumulated wisdom. Some claim - though not too loudly - that faint noises can sometimes be heard from behind the rockfall that closed off the plague tunnels and that there are ghosts or worse that still haunt those halls. The ravages of the plague and the pressures of life within the kaer began to diminish the population of the community. So the loss of a section of the kaer did not prove overly taxing.

About fifty years ago the Council of Twelve appointed a small group of adepts to exit the kaer and explore outside. The party departed through the Guardian Gate and it was sealed behind them. They never returned. Since then, the Council and their successors has been reluctant to allow any more such expeditions.

Life in the Kaer

Life in Kaer Daralon is very routine and has been for as long as any can recall. Food is carefully rationed out morning, noon and night, usually, meals of magically grown vegetables and similar staples with the occasional special occasion calling for meat or baked goods made from the kaer's carefully protected supply of grains. During the day the kaer's adults work the lattice farms that provide food, tend to the small herds of sheep and cave lizards in their pens or provide repairs or craft work for the kaer.

In the evening troubadours and storytellers read from the Book of Tomorrow and tell tales of the outside world while illusionists entertain and enlighten with their images of the world of the ancestors before the Scourge.

Kaer Daralon is ruled by the Council of Twelve, the wisest and most capable elders among the people. The Council represents the Twelve Passions that are venerated in the kaer. Although the Council members are not always questors, many of them are, and they are chosen to represent their Passion's purview on the Council. The Council makes laws, metes out justice and administers the kaer.

The other major factions of the kaer include the Swords of Daralon (usually simply known as the Swords) and the Adept's Lodge. The Swords are a warrior sect that serves as the guardians, police and military. They keep the peace in the kaer and are the only people allowed to carry weapons.

The Adept's Lodge is made up of the kaer's surviving adept traditions, who pass on their teachings to suitable students in anticipation of the end of the Long Night. Some Disciplines have died out or were never really represented among those in the kaer. Other disciplines, like the Scout and Beastmaster, have survived in little more than a ceremonial role, since the environments intended for them are limited in the kaer. There is some resentment by kaer residents against practitioners of disciplines that are looked upon as "useless" since they don't contribute to the survival of the community.

The Structure of the Kaer

Kaer Daralon is laid out like most kaers built under the Theran plan, with a large central chamber surrounded by smaller living areas. The central cavern is lit by a massive light quartz embedded in the roof. This cavern contains the important buildings of the kaer: the Hall of Records, the Adept's Lodge, council chambers, the temple of the Passions and the garrison of the Swords as well as other administrative buildings. The central chamber also houses Crafter's Row, a long row of tents and open kiosks were the kaerfolk trade their humble arts and crafts.

The outer edges of the great cavern and several other caves are taken up by lattice farms, high frameworks where the produce that feeds the kaer is grown, aided by elemental magic and the blessings of jaspree, the Passion of Nature.

In the center of the central chamber is a fantastic statue of the Passion Garlen, ten feet tall, sculpted from rose-colored living crystal by Dianuus the Builder. Radiating out from the central plaza are six narrow roads. Five are named for the True Elements land lead to the living quarters for the people. Each living space holds a fantastic sculpture of that element made by the master-builder himself. The Fire Caves were seated during the plague by Dianuus some two hundred years ago, but the other areas have been more than enough for the kaer's population.

The sixth road leads to a pair of orichalcum gates between two statues of fierce warriors known as the Guardian Gate. This gate leads into a maze of traps and deadfalls to the surface and the sealed entrance of the kaer.

Beneath the central cavern are deeper tunnels and caves. These were intended for population growth in the kaer, but the population has been shrinking and these areas have been abandoned. Few go there save for members of the Swords or the Adept's Lodge on some strange errand or another. Kaer-lore has it that the tunnels sometimes serve as meeting places for secret cults or other doings best hidden from the rest of the people.

The People of Daralon

Current population of Kaer Daralon is about 3,000 Name-givers. The kaer was constructed for nearly twice that number, but the population has slowly declined over the centuries and some of the lower caverns and tunnels of the kaer have been abandoned, along with the loss of the Fire Caves. Strange subter, ranean creatures have sometimes been spotted in the lower tunnels and they are normally considered offlimits to the kaer's inhabitants. There is some concern over the declining population, and some doornsayers claim that the kaer will die out before the Scourge is over.

Most of the population of the kaer is dwarf and human. There are some elves and orks as well. Trolls and t'skrang are rare and have been the worst hit by the kaer's declining population, the t'skrang especially so. There are only thirtysix t'skrang remaining in the kaer -- all that is left of an extended clan -- and they fear that they may well die out in another few generations. The kaer has a few obsidimen, most of which spend their time in a state they call the Dreaming.

Important name- givers

Doria kel'Ar, human female, Councilor and former High Sword of Daralon.

Doria was once acknowledged as the most skilled warrior in Daralon with the office of High Sword, leader of the Swords of Daralon. That was many years ago and she has since retired from the ways of combat: at least with a blade. She has taken up the ways of the Passion Garlen and is still known as a tenacious "shebear" protecting Daralon. She is wise, comforting, strong-willed and loved by the people of the kaer.

Pelgar, dwarf male, Chief Wizard and Councilor.

The wizard Pelgar is an elderly dwarf who came to his office nearly twenty years ago. He is a wizard of no small skill and oversees the activities of Daralon's magicians, mostly the maintenance of the kaer. A crotchety curmudgeon of a dwarf, he is the terror of magical apprentices in the kaer.

Mahon Rus, human malet, Questor of Erendis, Councilor.

Councilor Mahon is a follower of Erendis, the Passion of Order and Governance, which makes him well suited for his duties on the council of Twelve. His wisdom in matters of administration is heeded by his peers and he is well known for keeping life in the kaer running smoothly. Mahon is fair but firm, with a strong reputation as a disciplinarian among the children of the kaer. In truth, Mahon is leader of a secret society of kaer-dwellers who worship the Mad Passion Dis (ED, p. 317).

Meer'resh T'Lassor, female t'skrang, Councilor.

Councilor Meer'resh is the lahala (leader) of the surviving t'skrang clan in Kaer Daralon. She is fairly young for her role, the old matriarch of the clan having passed on only two years ago. She is considered level- headed compared to some of her brethren, who clamor increasingly for action from the Council.

Netzach Kol, ork male, Master of Memory, Keeper of the Book of Tomorrow and Scholar.

Netzach is nearing the age of fifty, ancient for an ork. He credits his long life to this love of knowledge and claims that he won't die until he knows all there is to know. He lovingly tends to the kaer's precious stores of books, scrolls and other heirlooms in the Hall of Time. He knows all of the lore and history of Daralon and can often be found telling stories to children in the Plaza in the evenings.

Onara Stonebones, troll female, High Sword of Daralon.

Captain Stonebones is the High Sword, commander of the Swords of Daralon. The troll warrior wields her massive stone broadsword like it was a toy. Her booming laugh and good cheer make her a welcome companion and a popular leader. Onara claims she does not involve herself in politics, concerning herself only with keeping the peace.

Emergence An Introductory Adventure For Earthdawn

Introduction
Kaer Daralon
Troubled Times
Beyond the Guardian Gate