through intrigue and deceit. Rathe r, they roll up their
sleeves and work harder to inc rease their prestige
through the fruits of their labor.
All the honor a nd honesty the duergar apply among
the mselves doesn't apply to outsiders. The gray dwarves
constantly try to manipulate contracts to take advantage
of foreign merchants, looking for any excuse to enslave
random visitors who appear weak or vulnerable-
including adventurers.
Though they aren't moved by vanity. duergar a re
extremely proud of their work, and praising the quality
of duergar crafting can sometimes help outsiders in
their dealings with the gray dwarves.SUBSISTENCE
Duergar clans use caverns under Gracklstugh and
choice outlying caves to farm a variety of plants and
fungi. These crops are complemented by meat from
Underdark beas ts and fish from the DarkJake. Not eve n
the duergar risk drinking water from the Darklake,
however, and with clean streams in short supply, the
people of Gracklstugh cover this scarcity with Darklake
Stout, the signature ale brewed by the Muzgardt clan.OUTCASTS
The bottom rung in Gracklstugh society is mostly
occupied by the unde rclass of the derro. Enslaved by
the ducrgar centuries ago, then freed. the derro aren't
allowed to hold honest jobs, and their rights are hardly
ever recognized by the duergar. Even s laves are held
in higher regard. Derro scuttle about like vermin and
are mostly confined to hovels built along the walls of
Ladugue r's Furrow in the West Cleft District and East
Cleft District.
Anothe r kind of outcasts are those duergar who
dishonor their clans so grievously they are stripped
of all but their lives: the calassabrak, meaning ''the
flawed who aren't to be tr usted'' in Dwarvish. They are
shunned by other ducrgar, many eventually taking their
lives rather than face an existence apart from family and
clan. Those who live on become bitter and tough, with
many leaving Gracklstugh as hermits or adventurers, or
turning to crime and a life in the shadows. Members of
both the Gray Ghosts and the Empty·Scabbard Killers
include a significant number of calassabrak, no longer
bound by oath. honor, and duty.RELIGION
Duergar don't pray, but their religion is tightly
woven into their everyday life. Deities worshiped in
Gracklstugh include the following.
Laduguer. The patron of the due rgar is a god of self·
reliance, defense, and s urvival. His clerics have access
to the War domain.
Deep Duerra. Laduguer's mortal daughter who then
ascended. Deep Duerra is the goddess of cooperation
and dominance. War is her domain as well.
Diirinka. The patron of the derro betrayed his twin
brothe r Diinkarazan to escape with the secrets of
magic. He embodies cruelty. insanity. and cleverness.
His clerics have access to the Trickery domain.
Skoraeus Stonebones. Stone giants revere the King
of the Rock, god of buried things, whose clerics can
CIIA.I'Tl'R 4 ) C RACKL.HUCIT
access the Knowledge and Life domains. Stonespeaker
Hgraam, a powerful spellcaster. is Skoraeus's only
priest in Gracklstugh.LAW AND ORDER
Minor crime is relatively rare in Gracklstugh. The
ducrgar live by a strict code of honor, and their laws
are few, simple, and practical. Both guards and regular
citizens can be invisible and watching, which keeps
any potential criminals and dissenters uncertain and
fearful. A laird may punish any member of his or her
clan who commits a crime, but offenses between clans
are immediately brought before the Council of Lairds,
which resolves matters swiftly and harshly. The code
of punishment is s imple. Because dishonor, mutilation
and imprisonment are a waste of resources and c reate
weakness in society, a duergar who intentionally
commits any crime receives a death sente nce.
Accidental c rime by a duergar is compensated by goods
or work equivalent to the damages. Derro, s laves or
outsiders caught committing any crime can be executed
on the spot by any duergar present.GRAC K LSTUGH
Population: 10 ,000 duergar, 2,000 derro, 50 stone
giants, and an unknown number of slaves (quaggoths,
grimlocks, orcs, shield dwarves. svirfneblin, and a few
kobolds and goblinoids)
Governme nt: Absolute monarchy
Defense: Large standing army with specialized corps;
every duergar is trained for battle. and the citizens of
the city create a formidable militia
Comme rce: Weapons and armor of high quality: various
fungi, molds, and exotic creatures for food; trade from
across the Underdark and the surface world
Organizations: The Council of Lairds, the Council of
Savants. the Merchant Council, the Keepers of the
Flame. Clan Cairngorm, the Gray Ghosts, and othersThe cavern housing Gracklstugh is split in two by a
rift called Laduguer's Furrow, after the duergar patron
god. The north half comprises North furrow District,
where common worke rs and the clans devoted to m inor
crafts make their home, and Darklakc District, open
to foreigners and where the city's merchants engage
in trade with visitors. As befits a major settlement in a
dangerous realm, Gracklstugh places no restrictions on
the weapons or gear characters can carry or trade.
Twelve stone bridges lead to Southfurrow District,
and then farther south to Flowstone District. These
boroughs are reserved for the more prestigious clans
and the largest smelters and forges Themberchaud
ignites during his Rights. The Wyrmsmith's lair and the
cavern complex the stone giants of Cairngorm Clan call
home both connect to these districts.