The Ancient Summit

And the Dwarven Tribe of Al-Karesh

Government

Similar to some human cities, the dwarves of the Ancient Summit are ruled by something akin to noble houses. The heads of the founding families function as a council, overseeing important decisions that will affect the majority of the Summit's inhabitants. Day-to-day matters are usually left for the guards to sort out. While the Al-Karesh are more welcoming and accepting of strangers than the An-Karesh, they are also more battle-happy. Due to the constant threat from the tunnels leading to the Underdark, many of them have adopted a hit first, ask questions later.

Addendum: Laws

Most of the crimes occurring in these mountain halls are committed by outsiders, who, usually, get escorted outside and are prohibited from entering the Summit ever again. However, if a native of the Al-Karesh commits a severe crime, they will instead be banished to the Underdark with naught but the clothes on their back.

History

This is where the Al-Karesh, a dwarven tribe of old, took shelter in the war-plagued years of The Age of Dread. What was meant as a temporary shelter, quickly turned into their forever home. Shortly after the Al-Karesh had settled in the mountains, they discovered multiple access points to the Underdark. Since many of the creatures of the Underdark had been corrupted by The Dark One, the dwarves took it upon themselves to serve as protectors of Cadalyn by ensuring that no corrupted being ever stepped outside of their mountains. However, this led to scrutiny from the denizens of the Underdark, who fought against their brethren and oftentimes were forced to kill their own family and friends who had become corrupted. To this day, there is animosity between both parties, which occasionally leads to skirmishes.
During The Age of Solitude, there was some dissent about whether or not the gates of the Summit should be opened up to non-dwarves, ultimately leading to some of the dwarves splitting from the Al-Karesh tribe in the year 524 and establishing the An-Karesh Tribe in the mountains on the island just east of the Ancient Summit.

Tourism

The Al-Karesh have since opened their gates for outsiders and although the mountains are difficult to traverse, merchants and adventurers alike make the trip to visit the great halls of the Summit. There is always a good trade to be found in those mountains and some of the most renowned weapon masters are from Al-Karesh, making it an interesting destination for adventurers looking to hone their skills with all sorts of weapons.

Geography

The Ancient Summit is the name of the tallest mountain of the mountain range in north Cadalyn. The mountains are rich in valuable materials as well as plenty of game to hunt, with frequent snowfalls and underground lakes providing drinking water.

Founding Date

The Age of Dread
Rainfall 26, 384

Population

1870