Halromar Hold

Harris was easy enough to find. In an encampment where most of the folks were barely cresting five feet, the human towered over most, even as he was bundled in cloaks and hunched over his stew. A blanket was wrapped around his lap; despite it, the gloves, and the hat, the noble looked generally miserable. Too used to Gravenwall's climate, the poor thing. Harris's blood was thinner than water. Even so, he weathered the cold with as much dignity as he could, which was to say miserable and silent. He wouldn't return home, even if they could spare the scouts. The historical significance of the venture to survey the Dwarven Hold wasn't lost on him, his family was helping to fund the mission after all. Innes huffed, heaving her musket over her shoulder as she made her way over to the Somer Family's second son. His mastiff, Mathias, raised his head as she approached; only to roll back over onto the bedding that had been laid out for him, to save his stomach from the frozen ground. Innes smiled, scratching at the canine's ears before, gaining Harris's attention. "Ya alright there, ukrad?" She asked, moving to flop down on the bench beside him. She snorted back a laugh as, despite the frigid cold and his dark completion, the endearment caused Harris's cheeks to flush. He shoveled food into his mouth. "'Cold." He mumbled around a bite of bread. Innes laughed again, bumping against his shoulder, as she leaned back to rest her musket against a nearby tent. "It's only gonna get colder, the farther north we get." There was a grumble in response, edging on rude. Innes had to hide her smile with her hand. "Thankfully," She continued, and despite his poor mien and the cold, Harris listened to her intently. She took a small amount of pleasure in that detail. Her mother had been concerned at the news of the betrothal. Had wrung her hands and grumbled at the faults and inequalities of humans, even now that the King had granted them what had been due. Which was fair enough, considering the actions of the Old King. But even so, it was nice that her human seemed to be one of the good few. "Thankfully, we should be reaching the Karlokh Mountains in the next few days, should Urian and Darmon be on our side. Weather east of the bluffs should be more favorable to your senses. Might even be able ta catch a glimpse of ol' Haromar Hold if we are lucky. Or what is left of it, I should say." The last sentence was swift, half bitter. Harris, bless him, reached over to take her hand, raising it to his lips. Innes tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, ameliorated, and handed over her bowl and spoon. "Any signs of Dar activity?" The words were muttered, as Harris reached over to ladle her out some of the stew that hung over the fire-pit. He then handed her the bowl, and reached down to pet Mathias's head. Innes watched him for a moment. Neither of them were old enough to remember the fires of the Dar. He had not been born, and she had been but a babe. But the tales of their fathers and mothers were enough to warrant concern. "Some." She said finally. "Not enough to herald a contingent. But definite recent activity." "Are they in the Hold, do you think?" The question was asked with intent, relying upon both her knowledge, and her men's knowledge of the area and environment. "Probably." She replied. "It would be the safest place, tucked out of the snow and gales as it is." Harris rubbed at his chin with a gloved hand, and Innes let him think and ponder. He was not as loud, or brash as his other siblings. But his mind was sharper than the two of them combined. "If we get close enough... We might be able to use the defenses of the Hold to our advantage, then. Depending on if they still are functional." Innes looked over at him. "Hm? We'd need to go near the Hold for that." "We could take the Dar out of the Hold." The words hung like a treat, a conspiratorial whisper. He knew that she was the type to love a good fight, especially if given the advantage. "Bah," Innes grumbled, sipping at her stew, "How would ya even propose ta do that, ukrad? We don't have mages in this expedition." Harris continued to think, before his gaze flicked once to Innes's gun. With a single finger to his chin, Innes pushed him back to face her. "None of that. We don't have the powder for it. Nor are we trying to retake the damn thing. This is a scouting expedition. Our objectives are determining the locations of surrounding mines and viable routes for traffic. Not start an all out skirmish with who knows how many Dar in the area. Your father would have a fit if he knew you were thinking such." “My father would be excited I was willing to feel the call to adventure.” “Fine then, my father would be upset at you sending good men and gold at the gobs.” From beneath his hats and jackets, Harris pouted. Innes had to snort. Never would she have believed that she would be the voice of reason in this. But since she had married him in the previous year, she had learned that while his brother focused their attention on beasts and monsters, Harris apparently had a quiet fascination with old dragons of the past, and their reported powers. Apparently to the point that he was near willing to take on an entire Hold's worth of Dar to see if the magic would still work. Innes ladeled another spoonful of soup into her mouth, when the alarm rang out. Almost reflexively, she sprang to her feet, already reaching for her gun as the shouts started traveling. “Hobs on the left--” The shout was cut off by a scream, followed by an explosion. Heat rose up from one of the outside campsites. Orange light reflected off of the white snow. It burned hot. Too hot. Alchemist fire. Dar Fire. Fuck. Innes didn’t stand. Instead she immediately started loading powder, ripping one of twelve remaining packets with her teeth. As she drew out the ramrod and shoved it down the barrel, she heard the drawing of a bowstring. Mathias drew close to her side, his hackles raised, even as his owner let his first arrow fly. Innes watched as it snagged on a tent, tearing through the canvas, only to meet its mark in one of the encroaching silhouettes that were painted in flame against the shelter. She didn’t let herself hesitate. She shot, following his own trajectory, snarling as her own shot downed another of the enroaching soldiers. Two down in a force of too many. This couldn’t just be a scouting party. Innes had thought that they had been being careful. She had thought that they had stayed far enough way from the Hold. She had been wrong. Innes loaded her gun again, even as Harris let two more arrows fly, and sent Mathias careening into melee with a sharp order. “Get to the gorge!” Innes shouted, hoping beyond much hope that her men would hear her over the din of the battle. Even if they didn’t, she hoped that they remembered the retreat strategy that she and Karik had attempted to ingrain into most of the scout’s skulls. They had calculated, talking in quiet tones that the humans and workers likely wouldn’t understand. The gorge theoretically should be narrow enough to allow for a retreat if-- Innes’s eyes grew wide as the fire started to spread. Fire that would immediately crumble their plan to ash. Almost as if the gobs knew. Innes felt her eyes narrow. She smelled a rat. That would need to be discussed later. If they got out. “Harris!” Her husband looked at her, wide-eyed but stoney-faced. What You Fear, We Master. The words of his family rang true. If she had but a moment of time, Innes would have kissed him. “Help me get to the quartermaster’s tent, Ukrad!” Lords bless him, Harris only nodded, calling for Mathais to round back with a sharp whistle. Together, they scrambled, losing both arrows and musketballs whenever they had the clearest shots. Once at the tent, Innes rushed in, snatching up two of the three small barrels, before shoving one at Harris’s outstretched arms. She grabbed at the remaining third. “What--” “If we have to retreat farther north. One should be enough to bring the down the gorge Hayden’s men made. If I go down--” She paused, swallowed, and breathed out, “If either of us gets lost, only one of these need be enough to allow our men some distance from these fuckers. Come on!” Harris’s eyes took on that steely quality again, before slowly, he nodded. “I’ll follow your lead, then.” He said as they started moving, the words almost lost in the barking of hob orders, and the cries of cartographers and diggers. If she could have, Innes would have kissed him for that, too. Together, they rushed forward, toward the eastern outskirts of the camp, away from the fires, and into the snowy-night.

Purpose / Function

Halromar Hold was reported to have been originally founded as a mine for adamantine and emeralds in the cold taiga of the northern lands of the Dwarven Empire. For centuries, it remained isolated and insignificant, a small town known only for its importance to trade maps. There were no underground connections to it from any of the other far flung Dwarven cities or holdings. That changed when workers within the mine found mithril veins running through the frigid stone, and they were instructed to dig deep, to find where the ore of the precious metal originated. This never happened however, no matter how far or how long the miners chipped way at the stone. Metal that shown like the sun always lit their descent. After word reached south about this find, the clans of the region coalesced. At their helm was the Bronzemane Clan; and with their help the Hold was built from the ground up, digging down, deep beneath the earth. Over the decades, the Clans of the Northlands chiseled roads, connected caverns, and crafted buildings from the web-like network of formerly dug mines. Together, with the aid of mighty empire at their back, the Bronzemanes created a city. A warm Hold that would keep out the winter's chills. Over the centuries, the Halromar Hold was built to rival those of the empire in the southern lands. This Hold provided mithril access to the Empire, and continued to grow in prominence, drawing attention from far and wide. Its riches and wealth drew many eyes, even those of the Crimson Queen herself.

Alterations

The Hold has gone through numerous alterations and changes through the millennia. During the time that it was a part of the Dwarven Empire, the Hold was a beautiful sight to behold, with corridors lined in gems and carvings. Mithril was used as a decorative aspect, with lief and plating of it being utilized wherever the builders deemed fit. The throne room of the Halromar Hold was reportedly one of the most resplendent in the Dwarven Empire. Mithril caught the light from the sun, moon, and snow, refracting it and lighting the throne room regardless of the time of day. The greens of emeralds were utilized to simulate the growing of grass and vegetation, causing the throne room to be dubbed the "The Room of Eternal Spring". However, in present day, these decorations are those of tales, rather than reality. It is said that the Room of Eternal Spring was altered to allow the Crimson Queen to fit, with walls and roofing being taken out to accommodate her reptilian form. It is not known where the materials and decorations that she removed went to, though it is assumed that, given her greed and ruthlessness, the Crimson Queen would not have destroyed such pieces of wealth wantonly. It is also known that the Crimson Queen was the one who opened up a large hole in the roofing of the throne room, that would allow her easy aerial access in and out of the Hold. It was thought that during the time of her life, her natural heat would vaporize any snow that fell into the one grand throne room. Since her disappearance, however, snow and debris filled the throne room. An avalanche has blocked off the central chambers of the Hold for many centuries, with the resident Dar giving the area a wide berth unless otherwise instructed.

Architecture

There are architectural marvels hidden away within the ruins of Halromar Hold. The first, the Room of Eternal Spring has been lost to the clutches of time and stone. However, it is thought that sections of the room might have been salvaged or saved from the Crimson Queen's conquest of the Hold. Many Dwarven Traditionalists long to return to the ruins of the city, to see if anything can be located or found of the room that was so often spoken of in songs of old. The second architectural marvel of note was a later addition to the Hold. Alku-Daldonin, the Bridges of the Sky, were a later modification to the original bridge that led to the hold. High above the original stonework, these two bridges were constantly cloaked in the fog and characteristic snow clouds of the Northlands. Their flagstones were said to have been heated via enchantments, melting the frost that otherwise might crack them, and warming the weary travelers that braved their way to the Northern Hold above ground. Unfortunately, both of the twin bridges were destroyed in one of the many assaults that took place over the Keep's history. There are some records that hint to the eastern bridge falling during a desperate attempt at defending the Keep. It was reported that the western Bridge of the Sky fell at a later date, to the Crimson Queen's own fires, after she had allied with the Bronzemane Clan to help defend their lands against the Jotnar invaders. As a whole, the Hold is one of architectural beauty. Delicate inter-workings of metal mix with stone designs. Said metals are still said to glint and gleam within the halls and pillars of the Keep, even within present times. Though tarnished and destroyed in parts, the Hold is still held as an ancient wonder of the Dwarves. Many of the clans long to reclaim the keep, however, all attempts have been thwarted. A contingent of Dar took up residence in the ruins of the Keep, using it as a safe haven to withstand the weather of the Northlands.

History

The Hold was created during the Mythic Reign, before the initiation of Dragonfall. For the first few centuries of its existence, the Dwarves greatly treasured the Hold and its wealth, connecting it to its southern sisters. Everything changed when the Jötnar attacked. While the Dragons of Orbem rose up in near unison to fight against the other-worldly invaders, they were not alone in their opposition. Many of the Dwarven Holds also felt the wrath of the Jotnar, and rose up to fight against them. One by one, the Holds of the Dwarven Empire started to lose their lines of connection between their cities. Entire Holds would go quiet, and the subterranean routes between them would be caved in, isolating each of the crown jewels of the Empire. This became especially true once the Jotnar started bringing in mages. The Dwarves were unaccustomed to the magics that seemed to run through the giants' very blood, and many were burnt in the fires that the mages cast. While it is unknown the exact reason why, or when such an agreement occurred, the records of Halromar Hold state that the King of the Hold, Magni Bronzemane, reached out to the Crimson Queen, in an offer of alliance. The Queen, a chromatic red dragon, was known to be impetuous and proud. However, she was fiercely territorial of her mountain range, upon which Halromar Hold bordered to the South, and hated the Jotnar for their encroachment upon her lands. Because of this unified hatred, she aligned herself with the Dwarves of the Hold and protected their lands as she would her own. In turn, she was bolstered by their bullets and warriors, and was garbed in armor and protective enchantments that the Hold's craftsmen made for her. This alliance continued until the time that the Jotnar left the plane of Orbem. Upon which, for a few of the following centuries, the Queen continued to guard and protect the lands of the Hold. The dwarves, however, were reported to have grown tired of her temper, arrogance, and demands for reverence, especially when they did not face a common enemy. The King began to insist that the Hold's lands and boundaries no longer needed external protection, as he was the sovereign ruler of the lands. The Crimson Queen, however, took this rebuttal as a slight. She left the King's company, only to return a fortnight later. She arrived at dusk, armored and ready for war, guarded by Dar war-bands that she had blessed and raised as an Architect of Man. The Dwarves of Halromar Hold were no match against her fire, nor the spears of her followers, cut off from the rest of the remains of the Dwarven Empire as they were. And thus, the Hold of Halromar fell, not to the Jotnar, but to the betrayal of an ally. The Crimson Queen lorded over the region for many centuries, making the Keep the center of her expanded territory. Throughout the Summer Reign, she fought off numerous attempts to reclaim or plunder the Keep. However, nearing the of the age, all word of the Crimson Queen seemed to vanish, as though she had disappeared from the land of Orbem, along with the rest of her draconian brethren. All that remained were her modifications to the Hold, and the remains of her scales on those of her favored followers. The Hold is presently a ruin, acting as a nominal base of operations for Dar in the area. Recently, the Dwarven families of Cador, however, have expressed interest in setting up mining operations in the tundras once more. Some have even begun funding scouting expeditions to the region, with the official aid and approval of the Crown. Many rumors circulate throughout the upper courts of Gravenwall that these scouting expeditions and mining operations are fronts for some of the Dwarven Clans to determine if an attempt to retake the Hold is even possible. Currently, Clan Darkseeker has allied with House Somer to fund an expedition into the northern regions of the Northlands, focusing on the areas surrounding Halromar Hold. Lady Innes Darkseeker and Lord Harris Somer are the ones currently leading the expedition.