Abad Durhai
Today, Abad Durhai is the capital of the dwarven Clan Krazzadak and the most populous settlement in the Stoneheart Mountains. For much of its existence, however, it was a bit of a backwater on the outskirts of the Shengotha Plateau. Then, 500 years ago, the snows came and buried the Shengotha Plateau and the old capital of Bryn Tuk Thull under a glacier of ice 500 feet deep. The dwarves were forced to flee what became known as the Stoneheart Ice Plateau, with many seeking refuge in Abad Durhai, the nearest Krazzadak settlement.
The architects who transformed the rapidly expanding Abad Durhai from a small community into a bustling city incorporated the cavern’s natural stone walls into their plans, while using dwarf-made devices to further subdivide the space into smaller structures and buildings. Stone doors encased in bronze and embossed with mithral and silver grant access to the city proper. Networks of tunnels branch out from the main city and burrow into the rock and stone beneath Abad Durhai.
History and People
Abad Durhai was founded approximately 3,000 years ago by a family of Clan Krazzadak. Arriving from their nearby homeland in the Shengotha Plateau, they found a complex of natural caverns, and, more importantly, a vein of mithral. Many came here to mine, and soon it was a small but growing community.
When the glacier came to the Shengotha Plateau, Abad Durhai was a natural place for refugees to head. It was far too small to house so many, however, so architects quickly set to designing an expansion of the natural caverns, planning a much larger city and citadel. Tunnels and chambers were dug and soon filled with those seeking refuge, at first temporarily, but they soon settled in and became permanent residents.
The last king of Clan Krazzadak was lost with the coming of the ice, so a new king was declared from among the surviving royalty. The new king, Argrim Longhair, provided the leadership the shocked and stricken dwarves desperately needed, and soon their new capital was a thriving community. Argrim’s grandson Thorgrim is the current king, or as the dwarves say, the King in Exile, as they intend one day to return to Bryn Tuk Thull and reclaim their legacy and homeland.
Despite the clan’s perseverance, the many hardships heaped upon these dwarves give them a glum disposition and a suspicious outlook toward others.
Religion
The Battle of Hummaemidon and the destruction of their homeland on the Shengotha Plateau causes many of Abad Durhai’s residents to take a lackadaisical approach to religion. Among trusted company, some dwarves sarcastically quip that “they will give to the gods, what the gods gave them — nothing.” Nonetheless, roughly half of the city’s dwarves still pay homage to their patron deities. Foremost of these is Barator, the God of the Forge. While this lost god has fallen out of favor with the other dwarven clans, the Krazzadaks maintain a strong affinity for him. Indeed, Abad Durhai hosts the god’s exalted high altar.
Trade and Commerce
With hostile neighbors to the north and south, Abad Durhai’s commercial partners remain limited. The city’s mines produce significant quantities of diamonds and mithral as well as iron and silver ore that they export to other dwarven clans or to merchants in Bard’s Gate. Unlike most of the great mountain clans, the dwarves of Clan Krazzadak deal directly with humans and other humanoids when absolutely necessary, though they still prefer dealing with non-human middlemen when possible. In addition to selling raw materials, Abad Durhai’s craftsmen enjoy a stellar reputation among the buying public. Weapons and armor forged in the Temple of Barator rank among the most coveted in all of Akados. Many circles refer to these valuable items as “Durahai Steel.” Genuine products fetch a handsome price in many cities and towns throughout Akados, though their value also spurs counterfeiters to manufacture cheap knockoffs of the real article.
Diplomacy
Over the past five centuries, Abad Durhai has engaged in multiple skirmishes with the svirfneblin city of Alesardin to the south and the barbegazi to the north. Some residents refer to this geopolitical stalemate as the “Gnomish Vice,” a reference to being sandwiched between two factions of equally devious gnomish offshoots. Not surprisingly, the dwarves of Abad Durhai have no love for gnomes of any ilk and hold them in equal disregard as humans. While the dwarves can muster a far greater military force than either of their potential opponents, they are also reluctant to fight these foes on their terms in their own backyards. Abad Durhai’s leadership is content to maintain the status quo on these fronts rather than go to war against either adversary.
King Thorgrim enjoys widespread popularity within Clan Krazzadak, though the same cannot be said for their ambivalent relations with Clan Craenog. The King in Exile endeavors to change this situation, but his diplomatic efforts have generated little progress on this front. A handful of voices within his court suggests normalizing relations with Bard’s Gate. However, this tiny minority never presses the issue beyond a few comments about the potential economic benefits of such an arrangement. If the mood sours, the person immediately drops the matter. To date, the king shows no signs of softening his stances toward humans — or any other non-dwarves for that matter.
Government
Abad Durhai serves as Clan Krazzadak’s capital city. From his seat of power atop the Mithral Throne, King Thorgrim Firebeard rules over the clan’s holdings in the southern and western portions of the Stoneheart Mountains. His territory includes the range’s southern tip as well as the lands due east and west of the Stoneheart Ice Plateau. Entering his 150th year, the charismatic and seasoned leader exudes a palpable aura of confidence and strength. He carefully deliberates on most decisions with input from the six-member council of appointed advisors and administrators known as the Mithral Seats. These individuals manage the city’s daily affairs from its most vital operations to its mundane matters.
King Thorgrim governs in a stern yet fair manner. The monarch personally presides over all civil and criminal matters within the city. Thorgrim enjoys a strong reputation for honesty and impartiality. However, he rarely shows mercy when rendering a judgment or passing sentence. In his mind, logic, reason, and the letter of the law take precedence over personal feelings. His harsh attitude spurs some grumbling among the friends and families of the aggrieved, yet so far no one has openly spoken against the city’s ruler.
Military
For a city of its size, Abad Durhai’s troop strength is comparatively small. In an emergency, the king can field an army of roughly 1,800 trained and experienced soldiers. However, only 600 soldiers are typically on active duty at any time. The city instead devotes much of its energy and industry to supporting each individual soldier with the best instruction and technological advancements rather than mass producing equipment and conscripting desperate young men and women. Clan Krazzadak believes one highly skilled, motivated, and well-equipped infantryman is worth more than 10 frightened, poorly-armed civilians pressed into service. Equally adept at close-quarters fighting with an axe or firing a crossbow from a distance, a dwarf in the king’s service is a versatile killing machine. During their last major engagement with the svirfneblin in 3508 I.R. at the Skirmish of the Iron Intersection, King Thorgrim’s charges killed 88 deep gnomes while sustaining only 14 casualties in a pitched subterranean battle.
Major Threats
Abad Durhai need not look far to find enemies at its gates. The svirfneblin city of Alesardin relishes an opportunity for revenge against their hated foes. Turning north, the dwarves would conversely jump at the opportunity to land a devastating blow to the barbegazi inhabiting their former homeland on the Shengotha Plateau or exact some retribution against the ice gnomes. Human incursions as well as territorial disputes with Clan Craenog also periodically challenge Clan Krazzadak’s hegemony over the region.
Capital
Abad Durhai, City of
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