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Of the Kingdom of Grimgaud
Grimgaud overland is home to many rivers, hills, and pastures, which lie between Thradhel to the north, the Eol to the west, the Orodrain mountains of Gwathia to the east, and finally to the south the borders of Aer Arnad and the Blackwood. These open lands are sparsely peopled, and thinly defended, and even then mostly by Men, who are yet sworn by oath to Dwarven masters, though seldom in contact with them, for the lords of Grimgaud reside below its hills, as indeed do its greatest cities. Gnomes also call Grimgaud home, in greater numbers than any other country, though they tend to spread widely.
Of late the kingdom has experienced a great constriction, exerted by forces of the Underdark which swarm westward from below Gwathia. These darklings have in their wake spilled across Dwarven halls much blood, and thus is Grimgaud a land besieged, though aboveground appears as it always has. It is by this opportunity that Aer Arnad has ventured north, claiming for its own lands abandoned Dwarven fiefs, or those still peopled, and which submitted willingly to new masters.
Some of Grimgaud's mighty cities are now fallen and desecrated, or else destroyed. Those which remain are the so called Gathols, Citadel-Cities, cavernous fortresses which under no assault may yield, unless all of the armies of all of Orben marched upon them. Thus the war in the Underdark reaches stalemate, and desists, and the Dwarves muster for a counterattack with little but vengeance on their minds.
The first of these remaining cities is Belgrith, Grimgaud's capital. The other cities number three, and are alike to Belgrith, though lesser in scale and wealth, and hewn more roughly. Once these stood as six arrayed around Belgrith in a circle, connected by great halls and tunnels to one another, and to the capital between them as by the spokes on a wheel. Now the wheel is broken, and hangs only a shard which favors the northwest of its former shape. Ere they were bound together in war, the cities kept most of them to themselves, except for the passage of merchants, as even those Dwarves who hearken to Fabnar and call him king hold first still to the names of their clans.
On King Fabnar I
Grimgaud is on all accounts fairly ruled by King Fabnar, son of Ragthar, and sister-son to the kin of Ponticia, who resides in Nuumalon as queen to Precter. Fabnar is tall among dwarves, and towers broadly, being also wide and thickset with muscle, and his beard is black and long, so that it covers the front of his tabard, which is gray, over where a sigil might be displayed, and thus disguised his crest is worn ever upon his golden helm, as a stone skull girded with gems, and which he wears in place of a crown. In battle Fabnar arms himself with two Dwarven axes, called Karthog and Jabnir, which it is said darkling orcs especially fear and cower from, and he mantles himself with heavy mail, such that he appears as a moving tower of brightly polished plates. Queen to Fabnar is Hagatha Riverhand, who was a common Dwarf woman ere she was chosen for Fabnar's wife, and it is said that she is beautiful among Dwarves, with silver hair from her crown and about her jaw, braided finely. Always dressed is she in fine linens from Nuumalon, except when summoned to war as now, in which she partakes, much like her cousin, and for her has been fashioned a bright blue mail made from the scales of a dragon, and which was wrought at great expense even above the armor of the king, for Fabnar would suffer to lose his kingdom ere allowing any to smote his wife. Between them Fabnar and Hagatha have borne three daughters and one son, whose names bear little import on this account, which continues here apace.
On the Peoples of Grimgaud
Dwarves
The Dwarves of Grimgaud are hardy and proud, for seeing little sun they become most like stone, and are short even among Dwarves but great in bulk, with complexions grey or dark, and with darker hair, thick upon their brow and chin, though they are oft red of cheek and forehead, as being hardworking they exceed the mirth of many other peoples in leisure. Their dress is rugged but well-made, with dull-colors, and worn in tabards with minimal ornament, as if they prepare always for war, which is scarce found far from truth, even among their women.
Men
The Men of Grimgaud tend to be alike to their masters in bulk, as rarely are they lean, and they possess little grace, subsisting on the meanest provisions and eating of them overmuch, for the Dwarves drive them also to work, in ways which they themselves tolerate but which are less tolerated by the constitutions of Men. Yearlong do they labor, in summer suns outside of shade, and in harsh winter winds which descend from the Thradhel to nip at them as a pack of roving wolves. For this their skin is thick and rough, and ripples with many muscles, and most who behold them call them ugly, but fearsome when they are drawn to battle, which following the Dwarves both sexes engage in equally oft as not, and is lately their summons. Their eyes and hair are most often dark, with colors fair still arising on occasion, but infrequently, and their skin is tanned and weathered, and their faces are sullen. Their dress is as of peasants, even those with proud bearing, and the men grow beards thickly like their masters, though never so far from the chin, and keep their hair cropped close to their scalp. The women wear their hair and dull dress almost always as spinsters and maids, no matter their age, and so they look always old even when small. Those few families who alight from overland to join the Dwarves as lesser nobles and servants quickly become pale and lithe, and dress alike to their masters, but they hide away their women, who adopt more feminine appearance, having access to merchants, and in becoming comely are oft coveted by Dwarves, to the jealousy of their own wives. Thus the most melancholy of all art and song comes from the noble wives and daughters of Men trapped forever in Dwarven halls.
Gnomes
Also entertained here are many Gnomes, for in ingenuity do the Dwarves call them peers, and them only, though the work of Gnomes more oft is small and fine. And the husbandry of this joining with Dwarven industry produces many innovations, which are regarded with wonder outside their realm. But being never satisfied with relaxed leisure, the Gnomes in Grimgaud are seldom seen outside of their fest-halls or workshops, for rarely do they have occasion or desire to abandon their love of making, whether merry or industrious. Those few which have emerged from Grimgaud tend to be much alike to their Dwarven cousins, being dark or grey in complexion, though much more limber, and crowned by hair of silver or gold like the metals which they love, and metals which they also wear about them as jewelry upon festive tunics with such combinations of color as to confuse the eyes.
On the Country of Grimgaud
Concerning Belgrith, the Soul of Grimgaud
First among the cities of Grimgaud is Belgrith, in which King Fabnar resides, and it is an imposing city unparalleled in craft of its scope, for it is as a mountain underground, but formed of turrets and walls, and none dare assail it. Inside Belgrith is called also "The Soul of Grimgaud," and these defenses protect that soul, for the finest of all craftsmen reside here, and it is for their wares that the other nations look to the kingdom, and anger Fabnar not, lest he withhold from them his wealth, as it remains still great though the Dwarves grow less o'er time.
Concerning Clan Orath and Nuradul, Font of Fine Metal
Nuradul is called the city westernmost, which Clan Orath governs, and its purview lays about the refinement of precious ores and gems by the removal of impurities, using both magical and mundane means. Thus from Orath hails much gold, silver, iron, and steel, as well as diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and so on. Some of these the city draws itself from the northern base of the Albaug mountains, and others by way of a vast network of mines which as tunnels expand through all Grimgaud. In this practice the Clan's methods create the strongest and purest of all the produce of stone, unrivaled in perfection, and by processes kept also secret. These secrets have grown to be as much component of Clan Orath as any of its members, if not moreso, as they are all of them sworn to maintain silence on the matter under pain of death.
Concerning Clan Gedrir and Kaldith, the Ironworks
North of Nuradul is the city Kaldith, governed by Clan Gedrir. Residing here is the Geraung, "Ironworks," of Grimgaud, as one enormous factory, an assembly together of countless workers toward the same items, which smiths many iron goods to be used around Orben. The Dwarves produce these with such speed and in such number that they can be sold at very little cost, and thus likely it is that the creak of nearly any door in Linothor, or the fastening of any nail, may be attributed to the Dwarven factory-smiths of Kaldith. These capacities have of late been turned to war-making, but Kaldith continues its lesser trades vigorously, so as not to empty its coffers in the making.
Concerning Clan Thir and Demraur, the Steelworks
East of Kaldith, nigh to the easternmost end of Grimgaud, lays Demraur of Clan Thir, and within it Drabbaung, the "Steelworks." As Kaldith is to iron, Demraur is to steel, and chief among its many wares are the armor and weapons which gird the Dwarves as well as many the world-over. Demraur is attacked often by darklings, and always repels them, and in each attempt is renewed in its wrath against the invaders. So devoted is Demraur to this aim that all trade with it has ceased, and not only for danger to merchants from marauding orcs, but as its many smithies and mills turn all of their energies to the single object of battle.
Concerning Orsburg and the Dwarven Brewery
One structure do the Dwarves maintain above land, which is not tower nor fort, though it looks greatly alike to one, and it is the Orsburg Brewery, in the town of the same name, which nestles between the Duban river to the north and the Blackwood just south, nigh to where they terminate at the Eol. Outside of it do human fiefs toil to harvest what the Dwarves inside then brew, and renowned is this ale for its strength, as well as its quality. While these drinks are less enjoyed by more delicate races of Orben than Dwarves who are said to have stone stomachs, those Humans and Halflings who are hardest-drinking can be assured to partake in the ales of Orsburg.
Orsburg serves also as a gateway for Dwarven traders traveling down the Eol to ply their wares in Nuumalon or south in Beleri, and by this means does it distribute also its own ales. Thus it serves another purpose, as a riverport to all of Grimgaud.
Concerning the Mines of Grimgaud
Still unnamed here are many mines, for in Grimgaud the stone is generous, though not moreso than the other lands of Linothor, but the produce is great, for to harvest rock is not toil to Dwarves as it is to Men and Elves, and Grimgaud's ore is most sought after for its quality and plenty, and at little cost.
Concerning the fallen Cities
Feldraug of Clan Bergan, the easternmost city, fell first to the Underdark, being caught unawares, and many say, betrayed. Jarmud of Clan Hilgrim lay to the south, and was next overtaken. Finally east of Jarmud Gorogmal of Clan Thirrak was claimed, and this city and Jarmud lay now south of the border with Aer Arnad. These once produced the greatest of gold and silver jewelry, and fine ornamentation, and were considered the most beautiful and refined of all Dwarven cities, but sprawl now under the soot-stained feet of darkling hethens.