The Eroded Mountains

Long ago, a clan of dwarves were forced into exile from their homes and forced to wander the surface, searching for a new home. A young Noble of the house found and rescued a wounded griffon, which (the legends say) carried him back to the griffon aerie, high up on the cliffs of Mount Targud. There the Dwarf found a series of shallow caves. He returned and led his clan back up the cliffs and established Tal’Vellar. Clan Norkaidrumm, the Cloud-Tamers, all descend from this clan. Tal’Vellar is all but inaccessible to uninvited guests. Those who approach from the ground must make their way up perilous, winding trails with steep ascents; those coming from the sky must find their way through the thick clouds surrounding it. More dangerous still are the clan’s halberdier guards, who ride their griffon mounts with unparalleled skill. Anyone who is allowed in, however, discovers the wonder of the Caves Above The Clouds. Perhaps most notable in this is the Sunforge, a large crystal carefully positioned and enchanted so as to catch solar rays and focus them down for forging. Powerful magic weapons are made here (even rarer are the Lunarforged items, possible to work only during a full moon). The Cloud Dwarves, for their part, are strange mirrors of their earthbound cousins, notable for their light-blue eyes and fair skin and hair. Although standoffish and isolationist, the clan can be roused to assist in helping those below, and may sometimes be seen serving as aerial mercenaries for good-aligned armies.