On the Ruins of Geroc

By Jacquier L'Olien, Rank 3 Lorekeeper of Falroum's Imperial History Guild. Year 1561 FD.

Any traveler who has journeyed along the Merchant Road through the harsh and unforgiving sands of the southern Great Desert of Falorum will be able to relate the immensity and mystery of the Ruins of Geroc. Stretching for many, many miles along the desert are a series of massive ruins. The ruins are not mere buildings, though. They are huge stone structures, larger than almost any other in the empire, worn by sand and wind. Most notably amid the ruins are what seem to be large rock-hewn gears, half-buried by the sands and littering the desert floor. I am understating things, though. By “large” I do not mean that they are the size of a carriage wheel, nor the size of a man, nor even the size of a horse. They are much bigger than that. Archaeologists will attest that these gears range in sizes, but the largest among them reach heights taller than most buildings. What truly makes Geroc fascinating, however, is the fact that the ruins are entirely a mystery. No known historian has been able to explain who built them or what their purpose was.

Some theories, of course, have arisen, but none have been backed by substantial evidence. Perhaps the most concrete theories are those that link the ruins with the god of justice, Atalzerus. The Father of the Gnomes has been depicted from time immemorial as being formed by gears and metal, so it is quite easy to assume that connection, or at least a connection between the ruins and the Gnomish race. Additionally, various master architects, including Falorum's own Sir Andre Gouis de Renlowe (1449–1523) and legendary gnomish designer Crigley Rols (1454–), have remarked that Geroc's architecture bears not a close, but a moderate resemblance to much of the older architecture in the Gnomish dales. This brings up the third piece of evidence, which is the proximity to the dales. Geroc, while still sufficiently far from Gnome Country, is actually quite close relative to most other hubs of civilization. Finally, although the exact age of the ruins cannot be known, it is known that they are at least 3,000 years old, as the very earliest recorded mention of the ruins dates from that long ago, from a decree written by King Encharadenzas the Great of Maeyor. It is assumed, then, that the ruins are possibly much older than that, as they were referred to as ruins by Encharadenzas himself. The incredible age of the ruins could suggest that they were active in mythic times, when Atalzerus was said to be alive. Geroc could have, perhaps, been a seat of power for the god himself, or for his people. Perhaps, too, just as the dwarves and elves have legendary locations of creation, perhaps this was the gnomes'.

Regardless of theories, the ruins largely remain a great mystery. There have been signs of a writing system, and perhaps detailed building layout organization, but nobody has been able to decipher anything yet. Thankfully, in recent years, there has been a push in the Imperial History Guild for archaeological expeditions to explore the ruins more thoroughly. Will we ever know the origins or the purpose of Geroc? Only time will tell.