When the elven city of Molaesmyr unearthed a terrible curse that ruined the Savalirwood, many survivors fled to the north. They endured the blizzards and dangers of the Flotket Alps, clinging to the hope that the withdrawn dwarves of Uthodurn would find enough mercy to aid them. Though many perished in the harsh elements, the elven refugees finally located the iron doors of the subterranean stronghold and requested asylum. It was with only mild hesitation that the dwarves accepted their desperate guests, taking them into the warm halls of their city and giving them a place to stay.
Many years passed, with little information on the cause of the cataclysm that shattered the elven homeland, and everyone gradually realized that their new situation was permanent. Social tensions rose as cultural differences and forced proximity placed the denizens of Uthodurn into rising discomfort. This growing divide worried Judessa Fruunast, the queen of the dwarves of Uthodurn. She met with the throneless elven king, Imathan Talviel, and unexpectedly offered to instate a diarchy within the city. Months of deliberation followed as the monarchs discussed how best to establish social harmony, where new homes would be built, and how to expand the discs of the city to fit a more permanent populace. Eventually, the two came to an agreement that the majority of both dwarves and elves felt was fair and tolerable.
Many historians and prominent members of both halves of Uthodurn's society are investigating the source of the corruption that persists in the Savalirwood, hoping to one day heal the forest and reclaim the homeland of the elves. Shreds of evidence have been recovered by scouting parties sent into the deadly thicket surrounding the ruins of Molaesmyr to uncover signs of the curse and its origins. However, looters and thieves from Shadycreek Run have discovered the ruins as well, stealing relics and selling them to private interests. Anyone who might be from Shadycreek Run is treated as a lowlife brigand and immediately captured and interrogated. Any information about the powers behind the criminal civilization is considered useful, and once non-violent prisoners expend their usefulness, they are unceremoniously stripped of their equipment and set loose in the snowy fields of the Rime Plains.