Citadel Adbar Citadel Adbar was a fortress named for King Adbar , the ancient dwarf who began its construction in - 370 DR and completed it in - 272 DR during the waning years of ancient Delzoun , making this the last shard of that once mighty dwarven kingdom . The Citadel consisted of a massive fortified fortress that provided surface access to miles and miles of defensive granite corridors , tunnels , and hallways that wind their way under the Ice Mountains . The city can house up to 60 , 000 dwarves in relative comfort , though less then a third of that number were usually present . People . Citadel Adbar does not welcome visitors . This is not surprising , as most visitors are orc s or monster s seeking the swift death of its citizens , but , despite it ' s insular traditions and remote location , the fortress is a trading city . The dwarves dwelling here make their living by mining , smelting and forging their native ores . Their constant work causes a permanent cloud of smoke to hang over the city and creates such a din and clangor that it is just as well that the city does not entertain many guests . Like other dwarven communities in Faerûn , the number of dwarves in Citadel Adbar had been steadily dwindling over the last several generations . In recent years , as the miners grew fewer and orc raids upon the trade - caravans became fiercer , the remaining dwarves ' output decreased significantly . The renewed vigor brought about by The Thunder Blessing however , promises to help return Citadel Adbar to its former glory . While many dwarves of the new generation have left to rebuild Mithral Hall and Citadel Felbarr , enough have remained so that the city is once again producing its famed goods in quantity . For over a hundred years Citadel Adbar has been ruled by King Harbromm , and he is noted for his attention to strategy and detail . He is also a master smith and the city ' s badge is his personal forge mark . It is an upright , single - bladed hand axe enclosed by a circle of flame inscribed in red on a silver field . He has managed to hold his community together in the face of threats from the orcish tribes . Militia . The king employs human adventurers in patrols outside the walls , and he keeps two hundred dwarves on the battlements of the Citadel . Another 1 , 500 are ready to take up arms if the horn call is sounded through the speaking tubes cut in the Citadel ' s rock . These tubes also allow dwarves to flee quickly underground by tumbling into them . In a day , Adbar can arm and armor 9 , 000 dwarven warriors . Harbromm ' s policy is to safeguard the lives of his folk and to keep inside the Citadel whatever befalls . The Iron Guard form part of the militia . Places . The Citadel is a fortress . It has ditches that can be filled with flaming oil , bridges that can be drawn up or swung down into deep pits , concentric rings of walls that can be defended one by one in the event of a powerful besieging army , and so on . The Citadel has withstood over 60 orc horde attacks thus far . Each of these were determined sieges by over 10 , 000 orcs at a time , and occasionally 10 times that number . The fortress that humans see is only the small surface part of an underground , dwarven hold known as Adbarrim . The Citadel exists to provide a secure connection with the world above and to keep the smoke , noise , and stench of metalwork out of the dwarven homes . Miles upon miles of chambers , passages , and suites have been carved out of solid granite . The tall towers that jut above ground were called the Dragonspikes , so named because they protected against dragon attacks with their nasty spikes . Smoke from the Foundry exited out the central tower chimney . A waterwheel operated in the lowest part of the mines . Chain hoists connected the aboveground levels to the belowground levels . Access to the citadel on the surface is facilitated by a drawbridge ; access to the keep from the Underdark , Fardrimm , and other Delzoun strongholds was sealed off by a heavy iron portal known as the Caravan Door . Trade . Underdark Trade . As it is , only metal traders and the most desperate or daring peddlers attempt to reach Citadel Adbar . Ironically , since raiding orcs , prowling crag cat s and other predators make the land around the Citadel so deadly , most caravans travel through the relative safety of the Underdark via Sundabar , Mithral Hall and even distant Mirabar . Caravans that survive the long and dangerous journey bring mainly grain and dried fruits and vegatables that the Citadel is incapable of producing . Fresh fruit , which the dwarves delight in eating during the winter , fetches the highest price . Every year more than one caravan is lost in the Underdark but those who are successful are richly rewarded . The dwarven smiths here make the best dwarven weapons and armor this side of the Deep Realm . All goods made in Citadel Adbar are considered masterwork and command premium prices throughout the North . In addition most of the forge bars ( blocks of refined metal ) used by quality smiths in The North are from Citadel Adbar . The dwarves continually mine mithral as well as other precious metals , but the recent opening of long - abandoned Mithral Hall has made the largely mined - out mithral deposits of Citadel Adbar less important . A well - guarded route runs through the Underdark from Citadel Adbar to Sundabar and also provides access to the Everfire . Once a year at Shieldmeet , a dozen master craftsmen are chosen by the king to make the perilous journey to the forge at Everfire . They are each given an entire year to create a single magical weapon or piece of armor commissioned by the king for an undisclosed champion of Citadel Adbar . These priceless artifacts are presented to the most deserving defenders of the city , as chosen by the king , and are almost always dwarves , however at least one dwarf friend has been awarded this great honor . Surface Trade . Two trade routes exist on the surface . Both start at the gates of Citadel Adbar but split very soon after that . One , barely more than a trail passes through Cold Vale to eventually reach Silverymoon . The other travels for a short way to join Fork Road , at The Fork allowing access to Ascore at one end of Fork Road and Silverymoon at the other . Surface traders brought fresh produce to Adbar and returned with metals and dwarven craftworks . The Silver Marches Confederation . King Harbromm was initially opposed to conjoining Citadel Adbar with the Silver Marches confederation , as he saw no benefit in it . But thanks to Emerus Warcrown and Bruenor Battlehammer , Citadel Adbar is now the Confederation ' s primary source of military ordnance .