Cinderforge

**The Cinderforge** can refer to the ancient spellforge beneath the city of Nuramek, to the fortress that houses it, or to the Ducal family whose seat is that fortress.

## The Spellforge

The Cinderforge is an ancient spellforge, one of the seven largest and most powerful dwarven forges of the Age of Legends. The secrets of spellforging have been lost to time, but if they were to be recovered, the Cinderforge would once again be able to produce powerfully enchanted spellforged weapons and armor.

During his occupation of the Cinderforge, the dark mage Falrik Clanless was able to harness the power of the Cinderforge, along with powerful transmutation magics, to create spellforged beasts - twisted homunculi created through the forced melding of fiends with other creatures such as goblins, dwarves, and drow.

## The Fortress

For centuries during the Age of Legends, the Cinderforge Keep served two important purposes for Nuramek: first, it housed its eponymous spellforge, and second, it guarded the entrance to the Deep Roads, a series of underground tunnels that stretch for hundreds of miles beneath Karekanur, connecting the dwarven cities.

During The Calamity, the secrets of spellforging were lost and the Deep Roads became too dangerous for merchants to travel. However, the Cinderforge also gained a new raison d'être - during The Calamity's upheaval, most of Nuramek's lower chambers were captured by opportunistic goblin hordes, and the Cinderforge became an important staging ground for campaigns against the goblin invaders.

In 452 AC, the Cinderforge was attacked by an army of fiends. With no mage powerful enough to operate the castle's magical defenses, the Cinderforge fell to the attacking army and the Cinderforge family was forced to retreat to Nuramek. The keep was recaptured in 499 AC in the Siege of the Cinderforge.

## The Family

The current head of the Cinderforge family is Duke Bjermund Cinderforge, and his heir is Prince Finnbjorn Cinderforge, the prince consort of Nuramek. Because Finnbjorn is prince consort, his firstborn child will become monarch of Nuramek and his second-born will be heir to the Cinderforge. Currently, the second in line for the Cinderforge succession is Duke Bjermund's second son, Bjernhart.

The Cinderforge family has a long history of military service, with the men of the family typically exceeding the customary term of service in the Topaz Garrison and going on to serve as officers in the house guard. Cinderforge women typically serve only a two-year term in the Garrison, with many then going on to study at the Citrine Academy.

Historically, there has been a strong friendship and alliance between the Cinderforge family and the ruling Stonesong family. This alliance was cemented during The Calamity with a marriage between Fahren Stonesong III and Riswynn Cinderforge.

In more recent history, the Cinderforge family has also forged close ties with the Ironfist family through a marriage between Duke Bjermund and Farhilde Ironfist, and with the Frostbeard family through a marriage between Bjermund's father, Duke Olbjorn Cinderforge, and Melsindra Frostbeard. They have also reaffirmed their close alliance with the Stonesong family through a marriage between Finnbjorn Cinderforge and Queen Valona Stonesong I as well as a marriage between Duke Bjermund's daughter Eridred and Queen Valona's half-brother Prince Ilmar.