Barak'tor (BAH-rak-TOR)
Civil War
Centuries ago, there was a feud over land in Barak'tor, which sparked a series of conflicts that cascaded into a civil war between the Silverguard and the Battlebrand clans. The Silverguards won, and after a handful of years being treated as lesser for their loss, the Battlebrand clan emigrated west to Vaas-Vrudak while the Silverguards expanded downward.Barathkalsa: The Shining Jewel of the Underdark
After their civil war, the dwarves of the Silverguard clan began to expand deeper into the mountains instead of rebuilding their fallen city. As they expanded downward throughout the years, they were eventually met by the drow and duergar of the Underdark. War-weary and out of place, the Silverguards met the Underdark parties diplomatically, and struck a deal. With it, their city of Barathkalsa was allowed to expand into the Underdark, and drow and duergar whose land they were technically on would recieve a portion of their wealth. Armed with a contract and the knowledge that breeching it would result in their swift extermination, the Silverguard clan began to build downward, extracting the resources from where they had come from above and where they were going below. What at first was a bastion of surface-dwellers amidst the darkness beneath eventually became a thriving city. As it did, people from below—drow, duergar, and deep gnomes—became interested. The houses were unhappy with this, and decided it was time for the dwarves to return to the surface. However, the city was plenty formidable at this point, and after a short battle, it was clear that warring over it would result in heavy loss on both sides. The drow houses and duergar clans left the city be. These days, they coexist as best they can, and unhappy citizens of the Underdark occasionally escape to Barathkalsa, although staying long is ill-advised. Barathkalsa will protect their fugitives, but while the duergar might take a more direct approach, the drow noble houses are never short on assassins who can conduct their business in the shadows.Mining Towns
Barathkalsa is one of the largest cities in Dorstovoya, but it isn't the only city in Barak'tor. There are plenty of villages scattered around it, closer to the surface. Other towns in Barak'tor are usually dedicated to carving out the resources of the mountains above, and access to the surface is much quicker from the smaller towns. There are a few other clans that call Barak'tor home, but in the end, they all report to the Silverguards in Barathkalsa.Pictured: Barathkalsa, permanently lit by lights both mundane and arcane.
Languages. Dwarvish, Undercommon, Common, Elvish
Government. Barathkalsa is the seat of power in Barak'tor, and here the leaders of clan Silverguard rule as a council. As Barathkalsa grows, there is more and more unrest with the leadership solely by clan Silverguard, lacking representation of the many diverse people living in the city.
Demographics. Most of Barak'tor is dwarvish, but Barathkalsa has become a cultural melting pot of Underdavian and surface-dwelling people, although the city itself is still mostly dwarvish. In the greater world, Barathkalsa is understood to be a place where nobody turns their head at strange and unusual people. While this likely isn't quite as true as they think it is, the conception has given rise to an influx of people who feel they can't be accepted in other societies, such as goblins, bugbears, orcs, and the like.
Military and Defense. The smaller villages in Barak'tor are guarded and kept by local townsguard, but clan Silverguard takes the defense of Barathkalsa very seriously. The city is constantly watched and patrolled by soldiers they personally vet. However, the Silverguards also try to encourage as much immigration and tourism as possible, which means it is less difficult than they would have their citizens believe for criminals to slip through the cracks.
Economy. Barathkalsa exports goods and products from the Underdark; although the resources may have at first seemed sparse, the craftsman of Barathkalsa have learned to work with them to make truly unique works. The other settlements in Barak'tor export iron, silver, and gold. Agricultural products are generally in short supply, given the mountains and the underground living. These are imported almost equally from Toralaithe and The Rivenglades.
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