66 Chapter 2: Gazetteer of tal’Dorei
An ominous walk of a thousand stairs climb the side
of the mountain to the gates of the city carved from the
mountain itself, just wide enough for two dwarves to walk
abreast. Too steep and treacherous for carts or common
beasts of burden, traders and trappers use giant goats to
transport their goods to and from market, while wealthy
dwarven merchant lords employ serfs and laborers to carry
their goods. Kraghammer’s impenetrable adamantine
gates stand at the end of a perilous bridge overlooking a
hundred-foot chasm, and is guarded by three watchtowers
carved into the mountain itself.
Within those gates, the massive stronghold is made up
of three cylindrical levels called “slabs” that descend deep
beneath the mountains. Kraghammer’s granite walls are
lit by roaring fires, enchanted torches, and shimmering
candlerock, which glows with internal fire. Even when
the evening fires are extinguished, the amber light of the
Bronzegrip Metalworks at the base of the city bathes the
city in its warm glow.Government
Kraghammer law is written by a consortium of the five
most powerful houses within the city, each appointing a
delegate to serve on their behalf. That tenuous union of
houses is kept by the city’s executive officer, the Ironkeeper.
The Ironkeeper is elected by the houses, carries a term of
ten years, with no term limit, though most Ironkeepers rule
for between three to five terms. The current sitting Iron-
keeper is Gradim Greyspine of House Greyspine, halfway
through his third term. His heroics in the recent war have
made him beloved of his people, and his softer view of out-
landers has made him a champion of the repressed.
The laws of the city are enforced by a military class of
elite warriors called Carvers that act as guards, soldiers,
and jailers under the guidance of the Ironkeeper. Becom-
ing a Carver is a lengthy, rigorous, and taxing pursuit, and
many who choose to join fail to complete their training
and find another career path. As such, many Carvers are
brought to it through family tradition, the pressure and
expectation of the family name and a father’s honor being
stronger than personal pain and preference. Once officially
named, a Carver is given a homestead built into the center
slab of the city, a set of masterwork armor and weapons,
and a steady income.pre JuDiCe
No non-dwarf has ever served as a delegate of the
houses, let alone the Ironkeeper. Though dwarves indi-
vidually are often trusting, honest folk, Kraghammer
breeds a culture of xenophobia that prevents people
of other races from participating in the highest levels
of dwarven society. Even if they were born within
Kraghammer, their epithet will always be outlander,
surface-dweller, sun-eyes, or worse. Yet this startlingly
overt racism seems to melt away for as long as an
outlander is useful—and no longer. Greed drives Kra-
ghammer; it fuels its furnaces and works its bellows, and
many outlanders within Kraghammer do their best to
live within its system, trying to eke out a meager living.The only exception to this xenophobia are the gnomes.
When the gnomish city of Wittebak was sundered by hill
giants nearly 400 years ago, the refugees were accepted
into Kraghammer, bringing their innovative mechanical
ideas to the growing community and cementing a kinship
of convenience between the two races. As time passed, the
partnership has flourished for both parties, and the drive
to reclaim their old home has since been ever-postponed
due to procrastination and lack of interest. Still, no gnome
has ever served as a representative of the Houses, nor as
Ironkeeper. Some minority peoples within Kraghammer
are jealous of the gnomes’ place of “honor” within the
dwarven community and seek to subvert them, while
others implore the gnomes to use their voice to speak up
for the outlanders.Crime
Citizens of Emon who visit Kraghammer often marvel at
how lawful and organized the dwarven enclave is. Crime
is ostensibly low within Kraghammer thanks to the Carv-
ers’ protection, but this peace comes at a cost. Corruption
is rife within the Carvers, and within House Glorenthal,
their patron house. Because of Glorenthal’s close ties with
the Carvers, corruption has been hard to uncover within
either organization. That all changed when a gnomish
journalist named Ida Mudrake uncovered something
damning within the Glorenthal vaults. The information
has not been made public, but a massive trial is on the
horizon, and the Carvers are in chaos.Geo Graphy anD Climate
Though the Cliff keep Mountains themselves are blan-
keted in thick snow, the bone-piercing chill does not
extend into Kraghammer itself. Heat from the Bronze-
grip Metalworks and the other blast furnaces in the
Bottom Slab rises and permeates the entire city, though
the Top Slab still grows cold in the winter. The city itself
is carved out of the granite core of Mount Kraghammer;
though the dwarves rarely see the night sky, its walls still
sparkle like starlight in the amber glow of the furnaces.the top sl ab
The Top Slab, also called the Arch, is the entry level
of the city, built on a massive ring that sends off-shoot
neighborhoods and tunnels deeper into the mountain
around it. Here is where most residential life is rooted,
with thousands of stone-built abodes dotting the walls,
while popular taverns like the Firebrook Inn and the
Ironhearth Tavern fill alcoves pushed into the rock. Most
of the gnomish and non-dwarf population is relegated to a
neighborhood called the “Otherwalk.” A fine layer of soot
tends to coat much of this slab, due to imperfect ventila-
tion from the industrious center slab.
As members of the Kraghammer working class, “Tops-
labbers” either make the long commute to labor in the
Bottom Slab or work in the Toppers’ farms above the
mountain. Others are indentured servants to wealthy
dwarves in the Middle Slab, and only return to their fam-
ilies on the Top Slab on their monthly day of rest.