The Overlook Towers of Whissly-Foosh

Winding through the deep caverns with my Dwarvish friends, I was told that we were now deep under the Great Mountain Udurg in the Kvargid range. Here, they told me tales of ancient times when the Dwarves built cities deep below the crust of the earth and traded with their Elvish friends far above. They told me the tale of how Udurg the Great, as they named the mountain, was a peaceful place of verdant green along it's slopes. All was quiet and the Dwarves were happy. However, one day, they may have mined too far below, breaking through a hidden passage to reveal a chamber of steam and molten rock. The pressure was released and the molten liquid rose through the channels far above. Only thanks to an intricate warning system of horns, bells, and whistles was the majority of the population saved whilst their best miners tried in vain to block the passageways with huge boulders to impede the torrential flow that was advancing upon them.

All too quickly, it was over. The flames reached the top shafts of the mountain and burst it asunder, breaking it in ruin as the liquid fire rained down the slopes, burning everything in it's devastating path. The great mountain was broken, a bubbling mass of liquid rock in it's center, steaming and burning all that remained of a once great civilization above and below. Their loss, and the loss of the Elves, was a catastrophe never to be forgotten.

But, many centuries had passed, becoming a thousand years, and two thousand, until time was no longer counted. The crater cooled. Rain collected in the great hole in the earth. And upon it's slopes once more, green grass and trees thrived like in days of old.

The story marveled me as we slowly climbed up a set of stairs that brought us past ancient galleries carved within the living rock. Here and there I saw chisel marks of names from teams of workers long gone. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of climbing, and many periods of rest, we came to an opening in the side of the mountain. And, behold! the sun shone before me, blinding me for a moment with it's gorgeous light. We were on the inside of the crater, far above the ground. Below was greenery and a beautiful mountain lake of blue set in one of the natural terraces on the side of this huge crater. Far, far below, was an even larger lake, the mist rising up to this beautiful terrace. Elegant towers of wood rose like great trees with gemlike windows for the occupants to admire this beautiful view. It was like a miniature world, protected by the naturally high walls of the mountain surrounding it. And then, I saw a beautiful example of Elvish workmanship in a wonderful machine that flew in the air resembling an insect. It seemed very light and fast and, somehow, very Elvish.

The Dwarves then told me how the Elves came back, many years ago, to this crater and named it Whissly-Foosh, cultivating and caring for the trees and unique plants that were found in this place. There were dozens of such communities all around the crater, the flying ships connecting them all. I looked for a long while at the beauty of the scene before me, dazzled by the purest of azure waters before me, the yellow volcanic rock of strange formations that had once rained so much misery and destruction on two undeserving cultures, the mist swirling from the great body of water below. A beautiful world in miniature, protected now by the very thing that first drove it all away. And I pondered on the irony of nature as I stared until the sunset at the lovely scene while we broke bread and camped comfortably in the shade of a tree near the pathway that would lead us down in the morning.

- Traveling Uncle Nat. :)

07/10/00

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