Holdfast of the Iron Overlord
Ruler: Longbeard of the Clans, Saraas Helsborne, The Steel Overlord
Population: 3,001,480 (primarily dwarven)
Resources: Gold, Silver, Platinum, Iron, Steel, Weapons, Armour
Capital: Ul Bathar
Other Settlements: Stalgard, Ul Gaolnor, Ul Yazhmotik, Zan Tarkhaal
Sites of Adventure:
The forges of the dwarf clans burn brighter than ever.
Once, the dwarves were a disparate people, with no unified governance above that of the clan. This changed when the dwarf seer Nomothamai peered into his dark crystal and foresaw the coming age of Man. Rather than surrender their lands to a war of slow attrition, the Bearded Folk abdicated their scattered mines and spent the next thousand years consolidating their power into a series of connected strongholds centered about the Ul Dominor Mountains.
While independent clanholds still thrive, it is the Holdfast of the Steel Overlord that embodies the might of
the dwarves. Unified beneath the will of a single Overlord and the Council of the Clans, the dwarves have successfully avoided the endless skirmishes that plague the elves. The present Overlord is a hardy long-beard named Saraas Helsborne, who first sat upon the throne one hundred years ago, and fully expects to rule for another three hundred.
The choleric dwarves have embraced war as a philosophy and lifestyle; their guiding principle is to answer every injury or slight tenfold. The saying goes that if a human cheats you in trade, crush his family; if an elf snubs you in court, burn her forest to the ground; and if any mortal is so foolish to attack a dwarf at home or abroad, level entire nations to punish the guilty.
The law is seldom enforced to the letter, but its spirit pervades Holdfast society. Whereas a human duelist might count himself a master after a decade of training, dwarven warriors study for hundreds of years. Their weapons, armor, and tactics are all the result of thousands of years of innovation and endless refinement. Heroes of all races make regular pilgrimages to the Holdfast clans, hoping to
apprentice with a renowned weapons master, for while the dwarven physique might limit the practice of certain combat styles, it in no way limits their study of warcraft.
The halls of Holdfast are open to all, but few races can tolerate the dark galleries, clammy mines, and dour company for long. Most visitors attend the seasonal trademeets, when thousands of traders and merchants fill the outer halls of Holdfast. The Holdfast maintains cordial ties with the lord-barons of the Criestine Empire, and makes regular shipments of mithril and adamantine to the elven nations.
Dwarven cities are nearly entirely underground, hidden beneath mountaintops or in the walls of craggy canyons. Exposed elements like towers and gates are always well defended and can only be entered via tunnels and the like.
