Page 61 - D&D - Player's Handbook

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