Othlest Inod

Othlest Inod is a large dwarven fortress located in the volcano known as Stodir in the Twinobra Mountains. Known for its fiery forges the fortress was settled first by the dwarves in the year 870. Coming from the northern mountain ranges the dwarves decided to settle in the volcano, for its good access to lava. They serve as a semi-independent fortress in the princedom of Pyrulos, which itself is part of the Oroborian Empire. The volcanic magma is the perfect ingredient to make Othlesti Steel, a highly sought after metal characterized by distinctive patterns of banding and mottling reminiscent of flowing water. Weapons made from Othlesti Steel are reputed to be tough, resistant to shattering, and capable of being honed to a sharp, resilient edge.
== Description ==
What follows is a description of the dwarven fortress Othlest Inod, starting from the outskirts of the city all the way until the mines dug deep inside the volcano. 
Before its possible to see the fortress travellers have to traverse the smokey outskirts of Othlest Inod. The outskirts are unpleasant to look at and even worse to smell. As large sludge pits cover the landscape, for all the sludge if dumped outside of the fortress. Few villages and even fewer inns dot the dark and desolate landscape. With thick fumes coming from the pits. The sight doesn't get better when approaching Othlest Inod, as the volcano is always smoking. 
When approaching the city any traveller is quick to spot the extensive defensive structures that Othest Inod is particularly well known for. Most of these defences were constructed after the reign of Smith-Queen Tesumdali and the subsequent siege of Othlest Inod. Surrounding the volcano the dwarves have made two great moats, one outer trench filled with magma pumped up from the deepest depths. The inner moat laying empty, function as a way to divert any lava if the volcano were to erupt. A retractable steel bridge, powered with magma, crosses the multiple moat. It is said that the bridge itself contains many different trapdoors which the dwarven defenders can open with great precision, dropping any unwanted guest into chasms of fire. Once having crossed the first moat anyone will notice the two obsidian towers flanking the road. Carved in the sides of the tower are the faces of the Othlest Inodi deity of magma. Its faces contain a gaping mouth from which hot magma can flow down into a small dip in the road, burning anyone making it this far. In addition the top of the towers are equipped with powerful magma cannons, firing molten rocks at any would be invader. The towers themselves are only accessible from passages running deep below them, if somehow an opening was created into the wall the defenders will quickly evacuate the tower via a pole taking them directly to safety. Once here, with the press of a button, steel doors will close and hatches on the pipes in the tower open spilling the magma into the tower, making sure that the attacker can't use the towers against the exterior of the city itself. If somehow the attacker manages to conquer these obstacles they will have to will with the main entrance which is a 10cm thick gate made of steel. The outside of which is decorated with fine platinum and rutile, the inside is encrusted with layers of ruby and emeralds. When standing close by to the door one will see a series of decorations depicting the founding of the fortress.
Once inside the fortress one needs to traverse a series of even more magma moats with plenty of bridges before entering the main hall. Here large pillars support the high ceiling. In the main hall an informal market can be found, with many dwarves offering their wares. Deeper down into the fort typical structures can be found, large series of sleeping chambers a dinning halls and temples. The main levels are lavishly decorated with brass decorations. On the lower levels the fiery forges that produce Othlesti Steel are located. These are the lifeline of the fort, creating much of the wealth for the fort. The forges are powered by the volcano itself, with magma heating the ores to be molten into fine metals. The forgeries are equipped with steel hatches, which if need be can be closed to prevent any flaming troglodytes from harassing the smelters. The forges themselves are regulated heavily by the Overseers, the cities political rulers. Making sure that the labourers creating Othlesti Steel work in pristine work conditions and that all fumes are funnelled appropriately to the outside world.
Deeper down the mines are found with rich veins of gold, zinc, and copper. The upper mines are well regulated, yet the deeper you dig the more dangerous the mines become. Rickety and crumbling apart at times. The deepest levels of Othlest Inod are largely unmapped and is essentially a haphazard maze of partially collapsed tunnels and caves.
=== Ziril Amal ===
Ziril Amal is part church part university that is located within the upper levels of Othlest Inod. Roughly translating to 'Fire School', Ziril Amal is a haven for the study and uses of magma, both for civilian and military use. 
== History ==
Led by Urist Bedbite, the expedition arrived at the volcano, they named their new settlement Othlest Inod which is dwarvish for Scorch Gate. The dwarves encountered some resistance from locals when approaching the volcano, all was this resistance not hostile in nature instead they were warning the dwarves for the fiery flames of the region. Nonetheless the dwarves pushed on settling a small encampment on the outskirts before digging into the hot rocks. For the first year the dwarves dug small basic chambers into the volcano, but after their first winter everything would change. They had struck gold, word spread fast and it would not be long before waves of dwarven migrants would reach Othlest Inod. In the first decade the fort quickly grew, with the dwarves digging deeper and deeper than they had before. During this period the Oroborian Empire conquered the city, incorporating it fully in its empire. 
The city grew wealthy from its incorporation within the Oroborian Empire, despite the hefty taxes in gold and material supplies that had to be paid. Not soon after the citizens of Othest Inod would start to experiment with the hot magma, flowing from its volcanoes, setting up great moats of lava and fiery forges heated by the magma. By now Othlest Inod is seen as one of the greatest fortress in dwarven civilisation, for their walls are strong and their economy is even stronger. 
=== Reign of the Smith-Queen ===
During the next decades the dwarves would slowly refine the creation of Othlesti Steel, with the advent of this wondrous alloy the dwarven fortress started to dominate more than the direct surroundings. The craftsdwarves become the most powerful class in the fortress, but in general things were dandy. That is until the arrival of the master smith Idräth Tesumdal, who in secret refined herself the Tesumdali Crown, a crown made out of Othlesti Steel. In turn Tesumdal held a speech in favour of full independence of Othlest Inod from the Oroborian Empire, this managed to gain her great support. Tesumdal with crown in hand and support behind her was declared Queen-Smith of Othlest Inod and the surrounding area. This led her to creating a great army set out to conquer the surroundings, which would eventually be pushed back by forces from the Oroborian Empire. The reign of Tesumdal ended when the crown was lost during the siege of Othlest Inod by forces of the Oroborian Empire. Instead of fully occupying the city it was decided that the city would enjoy a great autonomous status within the empire, eventually evolving into the current political system of the city.
=== Day of Scorching ===
Rule in Othlest Inod was prosperous and quiet, until the day that the Scorching Library was created in 1498. Previously known as the Erudite Citadel in Ozul-Saba, the library came crashing down into fiery lava. Unknown is however is what caused the exact events to transpire. With many different groups laying the blame on each other. The main blame, by official rulers in Pyrolus, was put on Othlest Inod, with the city itself claiming innocence. Nonetheless if Othlest Inod was to blame or not it would experience a small series of sanctions put in place by Pyrolus, such as the main roads to the city being blockaded by Pyrolusian troops. These blockades would eventually be lifted by the Dragon Empire, who wished to avoid a second uprising in Othlest Inod. In addition the lack of income from Othlest Inod trade affected the pockets of the Emporer.
== Economy ==
Despite the tenacious relationship with the Oroborian Empire the city-state of Othlest Inod is largely dependent on trade with the empire. While the volcanoes are rich in gold they lack sizeable deposits of iron, which is a vital ingredient for the creation of Othlesti Steel and naturally regular iron/steel weapons, tools, and armour. These metal products are the main export of the city. In turn the city imports iron, but even more importantly food. For the rocky volcano does not provide plenty of soil to grow on. However, in periods with large amounts of volcanic ash the sludgy grounds outside of the volcano can even turn into fertile soil, temporarily reducing the need to import food. During their history the citizens of Othlest Inod have learned to construct large granaries and other rooms to store large amounts of food to lessen their dependence on regular food imports. 
== Government ==
The government of Othlest Inod consist of several different parts. The main governing organ consist of a council of 500 citizens known as the Overseers, which are elected by and among the wealthies inhabitants of the city. While everyone who is considered wealthy enough is allowed to run for the council of Overseers most will find that severe discrimination is put in place, causing mostly dwarves to be elected. Many of the voters are cited saying that somebody who is not a dwarf does not know enough to run a proper fortress. Aside from the Overseers there is the Dragon-Overseer, which is an appointed position by the Dragon Emporer of the Oroborian Empire.
The Overseers themselves are part of different political factions. There are two major political factions and one minor faction: The Statist who which to keep the current relationship with the Oroborian Empire as they are. Preferring to maintain the peace between Othlest Inod and the empire. For they either which to line their own pockets with lucrative trade deals, or fear what would happen if the food supply lines to the fortress are cut. The other major faction are the Expansionists, who wish to expand the lands directly administrated by Othlest Inod so that they can become more independent from the empire. Within this faction there are two sub factions, one seeks expansions and full independence, while the other faction wishes to acquire more land while maintaining the status quo. This sub factions often forms a weird middle ground between the Statists and Expansionists. The last minor factions seeks to integrate more within the Oroborian Empire, arguing that integration will lead to more wealth as supply lines, trade, and taxes will become more streamlined and efficient went part of the larger empire. 
Category:Dwarves
Category:Alex
Category:Locations
Category:Othlest Inod