Hewnhold

**Hewnhold** is a dwarven term used for their underground settlements. They were once all connected to one another via the Underways. Hewnholds are often named after a prominent house, and in some cases, founded by Exemplars.

Hewn from the underground rock of Morgaea itself, the physical structure of hewnholds can last millenia, even if many of them have been abandoned, or destroyed by fiend raids, their inhabitants killed or fled. This structure often allows the hewnholds to serve as fortresses, in addition to their other roles.

## History

One of the first hewnholds was the Primeval Hewnhold, which is so ancient that its existence is not even recorded in dwarven history. The Memories date back to the foundation of the "First Hewnhold" however the Primeval Hewnhold is considered much older.

After the outbreak of the First Scourge, the fiendish horde invaded the dwarven empire through the Underways, and a massive amount of hewnholds were lost to the horde. Only the four major kingdoms: Ondrathum, Dighagh, Bhorndan, and Nar-Lodahr managed to survive, and sealing the Underways was the only effective way used to delay the process. By **-35D** (1165 AE) only the kingdoms of Ondrathum and Nar-Lodahr had not fallen.

### Great Hewnholds

The dwarven kingdoms originally consisted of twelve "great hewnholds", and numerous smaller hewnholds, spanning the length and breadth of Morgaea, but most have fallen. There are only two great hewnholds still inhabited, Nar-Lodahr and Ondrathum.

## Inhabited Hewnholds

In present day, these hewnholds are still inhabited by dwarves.

* **Nar-Lodahr** – former capital of the dwarven empire, as well as the capital of the Kingdom of Nar-Lodahr; it lies deep beneath the Hunteron Mountains, between Maudet and Netheren

* **Ondrathum** – current capital of the dwarves, as well as the capital of the Kingdom of Ondrathum; it lies beneath the White Spine, between Nordain and Maudet

## Lost Hewnholds

In present day, these hewnholds have been lost to the darkspawn.

* **Augahm** – a hidden hewnhold whereby dwarven smiths sought to research, replicate and improve on Beladin's work by studying and altering existing golems; contact with the hewnhold however was lost under mysterious circumstances

* **Bhorndan** – the capital of the Kingdom of Bhorndan, it fell to the fiendish hordes within a decade after **-40D** (1160 AE), around the same time as the kingdom of Hugulum; shortly before its fall, the hewnhold was ruled by King Jereck, who was slain by the warrior Beregan in a Proving match; an action which considerably weakened the kingdom.

* **Borimmar** – also known as the **Dead Trenches** or the **City of the Dead**; it is an ancient fortress designed by Exemplar Beladin which used to be the former headquarters of the Legion of the Dead; having passed possession between the Legion, and the fiends for several centuries, it was lost to the fiendish horde in **9A13**

* **Cham'golar**– an ancient settlement which at one point became a sanctuary for elven refugees from Elveshaal; when this was discovered by the dwarves of Nar-Lodahr, they destroyed the hewnhold in order to cover up the evidence and not jeopardize their alliance with the Adamantium

* **Camar** – it was built upon Cham'golar

* **Darmangum** – it was one of Morgaea's greatest sources of gold; according to legend, the gold and silver veins of Darmangum ran so deep they made the entire city sparkle; the glittering city of Darmangum is located somewhere beneath eastern Morgaea

* **Dhunne** – a dwarven outpost built near the Aeborrow Ocean in order for them to gain access to salt and the sea ways; a flourishing human settlement was built above which collaborated with the dwarves; after the Underways were overrun by fiends, the outpost was abandoned and sealed, however its name is still used by the human town

* **Fel-Kahldur** – the hewnhold fell during the First Scourge

* **Grynar** – the ancestral hewnhold of the House of Grynar

* **Hughlodar** – built before the First Scourge, this hewnhold was named after Exemplar Hughlodar; it served as an important lucenium mining source for the dwarven empire

* **Hugulum** – former capital of the Kingdom of Hugulum, it fell to the fiendish hordes in **-35D** (1165 AE); the legendary Exemplar Eganor is known to have led the hewnhold's defenses until its fall

* **Kal'Naboram**– a hewnhold located south of Hugulum; it fell shortly before Hugulum was overrun by the fiendish horde

* **Kul-Dagram** – a dwarven fortress located beneath Nordain

* **Olihm** – the ancestral home of House Olihm located beneath Nordain

* **Varmoghgari** – in ancient times the dwarves used Varmoghgari as a trading post until it fell to the fiendish horde