there was a Standing Stone in the Dalelands, or a
Waterdeep, or a Myth Drannor, there was the brief (in
dwarven terms) glory of Besilmer, and the realms of
Haunghdannar and Gharraghaur. Ruins now, to be sure,
but these kingdoms lasted longer than almost any living
realm of humans, even if their works have been forgot-
ten by humans and dwarves alike.
The greatest and most recent of these dwarven realms
was De lzoun, also called the Northkingdom. It stretched
from the western edge of what was then the Narrow
Sea (later, the Great Desert of Anauroch) west almost to
present-day Silverymoon, and from the Ice Mountains
to the Nether Mountains. Citadels Adbar and Felbarr
were fortresses of Delzoun, and Mirabar, Mithra! Hall,
and Sundabar all owe their existence to that ancient
kingdom or its descendants. Fabled Gauntlgrym, said
to be touched by the presence of Moradin himself, was
built by Delzoun's dwarves- first as a mine, and then as
a city. It was the dwarves of Delzoun who built Iron mas-
ter, too, and all the great mines and renowned forges of
the North reside in the halls of the dwarves.
Now, when shield dwarves invoke the name of
Delzoun, they are calling upon the glory of all their past
accomplishments: every feat of architectural mastery,
every fine blade or crushing warhammer forged, every
kingdom and battle- won or lost- in defense of their
people and the folk around them. The name is as much a
battle cry and a badge of honor as it is a call into history,
for although every dwarven settlement now has its own
masters, kings, and queens, they all respect the memory
of the great hammer of Delzoun and the glorious king-
dom it represented.
The details in this section are drawn from the exten-
sive teachings of Drorn Waranvil, a longbeard (dwarf
elder) who is a retired veteran of the Iron Guard of
Citadel Adbar and the Citadel Guards of Felbarr. Drorn
fought in the ore wars of both this and the last century,
and helped free Citadel Felbarr (twice) and Gauntlgrym
before he put down his warhammer a few years ago
and began to chronicle his experiences for the benefit
of younger dwarves seeking to know more about their
heritage and about the world of today from the proper
perspective.CITADEL AD BAR
In the extreme north of FaerO.n, near the Cold Wood,
lie the Ice Mountains. There, in the bitter cold, stands
the eternal fortress of Citadel Adbar, the last great rem-
nant of the Northkingdom, and glory of fallen Delzoun.
For nearly eighteen centuries, Adbar has stood strong
against every threat from every foe, and stood fast, to
the great pride of its residents and our people through-
out the region.
From the surface, Citadel Adbar looks less like a
castle or a human city than a mountain carved to suit
the purposes of the dwarves who live there. The two
great towers that stand uppermost are ringed with
vicious dragonspikes to keep large creatures from land-
ing to attack the structures directly. The great chimney
of the city's central foundry stands between them,
belching smoke like a volcano about to erupt. Ringing
the citadel is a host of platforms, battlements, and arrow
slits from where defenders can fire crossbows at anyone
foolish enough to attack the city.
For centuries, Adbar has stood as the living monu-
ment of the Northkingdom. Already the main fortress
of Delzoun when that empire fell, it only grew in impor-
tance to the dwarves of the region as other settlements
were overrun by ores, assailed by goblins, or simply
disappeared. An ore horde hoping to take Citadel Adbar
might rage against its walls, but to little effect, until the
great, unyielding granite became the anvil against which
they were smashed. The great drawbridge allowed none
to pass except welcomed guests, and such guests were
few indeed. Standing unconquered, it was the bastion of
dwarven hope, glory, and trade.
But now, for the first time in memory, my fellow
Adbarran seem truly frightened at the prospect of
opening the citadel to any outsiders. Perhaps they are
reacting to the recent losses of the war, or the lack of
leadership shown by our new king, or mere war-wea-
riness, but for whatever reason Adbar's gates are even
harder to move with soft words than they have been in
the past, and there are fewer traders coming out of the
city nowadays.
The recent ore wars have cost the kingdom dearly,
both in warriors and in leadership. In a short time, our
long-ruling king, Harbromm, died. His unprepared twin
sons shared the rule until the elder, Bromm, was him-
self killed by a dragon, leaving young King Harnoth with
the rule of the ancient citadel.
What followed was a great bleeding of the realm.
Much was required to break the North out of the great
siege the Many-Arrows ores held it under. There are
also whispers that King Harnoth led his Knights of the
Mithra! Shield out into the field to vent his rage and grief
on the ores in ill-advised assaults, winnowing down
the once great Knights to fewer than two dozen. The
Iron Guard, Adbar's army, appears as strong as ever it
did, but given the extent of the losses against the ores,
it would be little surprise if their newer recruits were
more smiths than warriors, serving their realm out of a
sense of duty rather than a desire for battle. I served in
the Guard for a century, but I've yet to test the newcom-
ers to see just what they're made of.
If you are fortunate enough to be granted entry to
Ad bar, be wary of walking around on your own. Within
the citadel are traps, deadfalls, and other hazards in var-
ious places waiting for someone to approach a protected
location incorrectly. A guide, if you can find one, is nec-
essary for newcomers to get around safely.
Beneath the citadel proper, miles of dwarf-sized
caverns form a confusing maze that frustrates most
non-dwarf visitors. These tunnels are what remain of
the early mining efforts inside the mountain. Below
them lie the great ore mines of today, constantly being
worked by crews of engineers and laborers.
By law, the mines are forbidden to visitors- even
non-Adbarran dwarves- except in times of great emer-
gency. So, given the impregnable nature of the fortress,
no one not of Adbar has yet been privileged enough to
witness what occurs down below. The citadel's Great
Wheel, a most impressive sight even to a dwarf, is an
ever-turning water wheel that provides power to keep