Hold of Krakdhûmvror

**Krakdhûmvror** is a dwarf hold in the West Dwarovar known as *Frozenforge Hall*, the home of dwarven exiles, Ice-Steel and meritocracy. Known for being founded by exiles and criminals of Aul-Dwarov on the derelict *Verkal Midjurdr Kralt*, which was a fortress that protected the dwarves from the Ice Giants, the hold was made up of various dwarves who had to rise through skill to earn anything. The Quartz Dwarves were famous for their Ice-Steel, which was cryomantic magic infused metal that is very versatile and used for many applications.

## Culture and Customs

The origin of Krakdhûmvror comes from the old Verkal Midjurdr Kralt, the Fortress of the World's End which was originally built to protect the Dwarovar against Ice Giants. With the inhabitants being a mixture of exiled and criminal dwarves, who built a new life and turned the fortress into a proper hold, forming a bond of solidarity in the harsh conditions of both constant war and unforgiveable weather. The outcasts of the empire gave more to the survival of their hold than any dwarf elsewhere, and with that attitude, it became known as the "Chain Bond" amongst the Quartz Dwarves, a chain between each member of the hold from generation to generation forged in the frozen hardship of the north.

"Zaru ubr Bloth" or Skill over Blood has long been an unofficial motto of the Krakdhûmvroric administration who valued meritocracy much more than the bloodline of some famous clan. They favored individual talent and saw nepotism as sacrilegious which ensured an innovative and flexible administration for much of it's existence. The clans of Krakdhûmvror were different to the conventional clans of the rest of Aul-Dwarov, one clan member was able to leave to another and were not tied to them by bloodline, although the leaving of one such clan was rare. The Quartz Dwarves employed a highly utilitarian style of architecture called "Orv Zana", or Cold Stone, it was a style that was designed purely for defense and survival rather than beauty.

Krakdhûmvror was famous for an unusual type of magic called Icecraft, which was more akin to magic of Cannorian schools of magic rather than the runic magic dwarves usually practiced. It was a type of cryomancy which was shrouded in secrecy by the Quartz Dwarves which was also used in the creation of the Frozen Forges which channeled the biting cold of the northern winds into a magic energy, in turn creating Ice-Steel.

## History

### The Final Battle of Amldihr

As Verkal Vazkron was breached by orcs in 5895 BA, King Hurnik XIV of Orlazam-az-dihr sent his fastest ram rider north to Krakdhûmvror to request aid, where he was met with the clan council led by Thorar Trollslayer. At first he was hesitant to send out his forces but he believed that history would see the Quartz Dwarves as traitors or cowards. With that, the Grim Legion of Krakdhûmvror, clad in Ice-Steel marched not to fight old ice giants of yore, but rather went south to save the empire that had shunned them.

With these reinforcements, the Kronium and Ramsteel armies sallied out of Amldihr and met the orcs head on in Verkal Vazkron, which instead trapped the orcs. Once the Grim Legion arrived, the orcs finally tasted fear, there was no escape for them as the western holds attacked from the rear and the seemingly unkillable dwarves at the front and at that day's end, every orc that had stepped foot in Verkal Vazkron had laid dead.

However, Ducaniel had never stopped creating orcs, a fact that the dwarves quickly discovered. An even larger host of orcs had arrived through the Dwarovrod and managed to take the Amlvaz tunnel, which instead trapped the western armies in Verkal Vazkron. The Hall of Ancestors fell next which caused a direct assault on Amldihr proper, which prevented reinforcements to Verkal Vazkron, causing considerable losses to the western dwarves and the death of the Grim Legion.

### The Frozen War

By 5738 BA, the West Dwarovar was entirely crushed by the orcs. Craving a challenge, the orcs headed north towards the Giant's Anvil which was detached from the rest of the Serpentspine Mountains, however, the Quartz Dwarves stood ever defiant. They had abandoned their outposts in the Northern Pass and retreated to the entrance of the Giant's Anvil which was guarded by Kar Durghoir, the Citadel of Dark Ice, where the Quartz Dwarves had an overwhelming advantage .

Their use of Ice-Smithing coupled with decades of warfare meant that the Quartz Dwarves were far more experienced than any other hold in the Western Dwarovar. All this, however, did not stop the orcs from throwing themselves at the citadel, which caused a war dragging on for years in which the orcs started losing interest in, with many stopping their attempts of sieging the citadel and leaving to other parts of the Dwarovar, but some stayed and maintained their siege.

#### Growing Attrition

Many of the orcs that had left for the Dwarovar had returned north by 3640 BA, seeking to get past Kar Durghoir but to no avail. However, the Quartz Dwarves started to run out of supplies which would originally be obtained from the rest of the Dwarovar, and with their outposts in the Northern Pass abandoned, they also lacked the means to hunt for food. What food they had was what little their small scouting parties had managed to bring back and the ramshackle fungal farms they had set up in the the caves, nevertheless, the Quartz Dwarves still managed to hold off the orcs for many more years.

#### Quartzfall

One one fateful day in 2581 BA, the Ice-Smiths were preparing to drop an enormous block of ice on the besieging orcs, but with a single catapult shot, everything changed. Whether by luck or great skill, the shot hit the platform on which the Ice-Smiths were preparing, and the sudden destruction misfired the spell and caused the ice to drop onto the gates of Kar Durghoir. This greatly weakened the gate and the orcs wasted no time in exploiting this, the citadel held against the orcs for 3157 years but with the gates destroyed, the orcs poured into the Giant's Anvil with the Quartz Dwarves still refusing to give an inch of the caves.

#### Siege of Krakdhûmvror

By 2535 BA, the orcs had finally managed to reach the hold of Krakdhûmvror, yet unlike Kar Durghoir, the hold was nigh impregnable. The resources of the Dead End Caves were still plentiful and above all else, completely safe. The lack of food however was beginning to become problematic for the Quartz Dwarves. At first the orcs attempted to siege the hold like the ones before it but then realized it was a foolish mistake, the gates were forged from Ice-Steel. Any damage to the gate was almost instantly repaired by the flowing steel. The orcs sieged the hold for 80 years, trying anything they could to breach the gate, at one point, an orc named Aakax Rockskull even attempted to lick the gates, thinking he could lick the ice off of it. Only a few orcish tribes stayed in the Giant’s Anvil, with the rest leaving to find other challenges.

#### Entrenchment of the Five Clans

By 264 AA, lacking the resources and manpower to look for resources in the already exhausted Dead End Caverns, the Quartz Dwarves abandoned the caves, redirecting their resources to providing food for its declining population. It is during these trying times that the five great clans of Krakdhûmvror become entrenched. Clan Iceheart oversaw military leadership and command. Clan Trollslayer managed recruitment and training. Clan Earthstriker took over what mines remained. Clan Shalebeard managed the population and census. While Clan Frozenforge attempted to find the best for the people.

## Notable Clans

### Clan Iceheart

Clan Iceheart is well known for having some of the finest military minds in Krakdhûmvror, they hold positions in most of the upper echelon of the military and oversee military leadership and the command of the army.

### Clan Trollslayer

Clan Trollslayer always produced some of the finest warriors in Krakdhûmvror, instead of commanding the army, they were the dwarves that made up it's ranks, earning their glory many times over in battles against various enemies.

### Clan Earthstriker

Clan Earthstriker controlled much of the mining operations in Krakdhûmvror for generations, as well as having great stakes in the Dead End Mines, creating a monopoly for many raw materials.

### Clan Shalebeard

Clan Shalebeard was distinguished for their many fine administrators and governors and form a large portion of the administrative body, integrating the many various cultures migrating to the hold into the society.

### Clan Frozenforge

Clan Frozenforge has ever had Krakdhûmvror's greatest interest at heart. They have stood loyally by the chosen leaders of the people through thick and thin. It was during the rule of Garlim Frozenforge that many attribute the start of Krakdhûmvror's great expansion and the clan's representatives were quick to remind them of other great Frozenforge leaders from history.