Kingdom of Goryur

**The Kingdom of Goryur**, **The Fortress of Bridgefarr**, or **Bridgefarr** is an old dwarven government that inhabited the far west of Clamund from 175 to 690. It's land was not far and vast, but rather, it inhabited a small fortress at the foot of the Irongrate mountains with several expeditions made to colonize the tundra north of the mountains, leading to the birth of less than a dozen known colonies and forts. Vun Lodgar, the dwarven kingdom's seat of power, has vast networks of mine shafts and living space below the earth that supply its colonies past the mountain ranges with wheat, mushrooms and precious metals for tool crafting. Aside from a few dwarven fortresses that dot the mountain's edge that operate much like the kingdom of Goryur, the kingdom holds no fiefs or holdings outside of its rule.

## History

The Kingdom of Goryur is one of five dwarven fortresses along the Irongrate Mountains that were considered kingdoms in their own right. Being the furthest away from human expansion in the Age of Magic, they were the last to fall to conquest after a religious schism in Clamund forcibly targeted the elven and dwarven population south of the Irongrate mountains.

### Early Founding, 100-178

Shortly after the arrival of Visiman in Clamund in the year 70, widespread knowledge of metallurgy had quickly drawn the attention of the few dwarven tribes, many of the tribes were living in massive stone forts with the ground it was placed upon dug out to store goods and place living quarters and valiantly fighting against wizard king rule with stone and flint weapons. After many years of perfecting the art, several fortresses were created as local tribes confederated in order to live as a collective rather than fractured and powerless. The Kingdom of Goryur was the first of these cities founded after several fortified tribal communities banded together and broke ground in the year 100. After five years, the fortress was thriving, with bustling communities underground and an impressive fortress on the surface to deter attackers.

#### Foultooth's War, 122-123

Foultooth's war was a year long conflict which pitted the fortress militia's of Bridgefarr against a warband of orcs who marched from the west and north. Foultooth's army consisted largely of orc and goblin tribes who were promised the spoils of the fortress upon its capture. A seven month long siege would persist as the fortress forged weapons and armour to arm their militias. And in the year 123, over 100 dwarven militiamen filed out of the fortress to meet the host of over 800 greenskins. The battle lasted over an hour and by the end, almost all of the greenskins sent by Foultooth were routed or killed, leaving the fortress able to thrive with only half of the militia dead or wounded. As Foultooth recently attacked the fledgling Kingdom of Lambert at the time, many of the weapons and armour used by the greenskins; most prominently the grey orcs of Foultooth's tribe, were of Visimarian origin, allowing the dwarfs to take and melt the equipment left behind in the battle. The rest of the year was spent dislodging local resistance from greenskin holdouts as well as the manhunt for Foultooth, who was found near the foot of the Irongrates before succumbing to a party of dwarven bounty hunters, allegedly veterans of the battle at Bridgefarr.

#### The Forger's Guild & The Construction of Fowlblade, 167

After serious deliberation and an extensive list to pick over, the establishment of one of Clamund's only blacksmith's guild was made in Bridgefarr in 167. Over three dozen dwarfs and three humans were considered members initially, but numbers quickly swelled as the knowledge of metallurgy became sought after by both human and dwarven people. The Forger's Guild was essential in the introduction to Goryur's superior metalsmithing skills as many legendary dwarven smiths have studied or were apprentices in those very halls. After an extensive collection of gemstones were uncovered under a large iron deposit, one master dwarf took it upon himself to construct an artifact known as Fowlblade, a legendary axe that appears on the city's banner in a display box. The axe is decorated with the teeth of the long dead Foultooth as the smith that forged the blade was present at the conflict as a young conscript in the shieldwall. The blade is extremely well made and polished that no dwarf is allowed to lay their hands on it lest it is used in war by the city's monarch.

### Fortress Expansion, 200-345

After the terrible siege led by the orc warlord Foultooth, the fortress began to prosper with little resistance. As the orc population was severely diminished in western Clamund due to the exploits of the Kingdom of the First Men throughout the 2nd and 3rd century, no other warlord was able to muster enough greenskins to attempt another siege on Bridgefarr. With no need to train their military during this extensive period, only a select few dwarfs that arrived in Bridgefarr were required to enlist in the militias for a period of time while the veterans of Foultooth's war were selected to be sergeants and commanders of militia squads.

#### Firestaff's Terror, 208-220

Onemorn Firestaff was one of Clamund's final living wizard kings that was apart of a realm wide attack by the remaining wizard kings still alive on the continent. Firestaff was an elven wizard king who ruled over what used to be the Jarldom's coast but was driven out by pirates after his dark servants were slain and driven away, forcing the wizard king to retreat into hiding up north. It was said that Firestaff's onslaught began at one of the logging camps established by Bridgefarr where he and a band of hired clansmen and outlaws from the Kingdom of the First Men ravaged and razed the camp and its 60 inhabitants. After the raid, Bridgefarr responded with the mustering of their militias which led to an almost 18 year conquest of dislodging the outlaws as they ambushed and ransacked the surrounding lands of the fortress while robbing and killing anyone that came and left.

A small battle near the foot of the Irongrates in 218 would put an absolute end to Firestaff's terror as 100 militiamen would face off against 200 clansmen and outlaws. The battle would last over an hour and would result in the death of all 100 militiamen, but another 100 militiamen arrived in time to route the exhausted force back to the Kingdom of the First Men. It was apparent that Firestaff was present at the battlefield as he used mighty magic which killed the militia commander as well as 30 other dwarves. However, his escape would only lead to his capture two years later where he was found living in an abandoned watchtower along with several armed guards. A small squad of 15 dwarves would infiltrate the countryside and raze the fort in 220 along with Firestaff and what remained of his gang.