Karak Kadrin

Situated south of Peak Pass, Karak Kadrin ("Stronhold of the Pass") is the largest of the northern holds after Karaz-a-Karak.  In its heyday, the pass connected the strongholds of the west to the mines and settlements on the eastern side of the World's Edge Mountains.  Since the fall of the east, Dwarfs no longer use this pass, but it has become one of the main routes for marauding Orcs and Goblins from the Dark Lands.  Karak Kadrin, nicknamed "The Slayer Keep" by the Dwarfs, guards the pass against greenskin invaders.

### **The Slayer Kings**

King Ungrim Ironfist of the Angrulok clan, a direct descendent of King Baragor, is the latest in a long line of Slayer Kings of Karak Kadrin.  Baragor took the Slayer's Oath centuries ago, but his duties as King prevented him from seeking redemption through a heroic death; the burden has passed down through his descendants.  The nature of Baragor's shame has been forgotten by his people as a sign of respect, and the secret is passed down from one Slayer King to the next, until one of them can make atonement.

Baragor founded a great shrine to the Slayer God Grimnir, and welcomed all Slayers to his realm.  They came from far and wide, and to this day Karak Kadrin is home to the largest population of Slayers in all of Karaz Ankor.  Located near a side gate of Karak Kadrin, the Shrine of the Slayers stands at the heart of a hold within a hold, known as Khaz Drengi, the Slayers' Hall.  The Slayers keep to themselves, and avoid interaction with other Dwarfs.  A second shrine to Grimnir, open to all Dwarfs, can be found in an underground gallery below the Slayers' enclave.

   King Ungrim honours his Slayer's Oath and his Oath of Kingship by waging almost continuous war against the Dwarfs' many enemies.  He is regarded as the best living general in Karaz Ankor; in the recent Battle of Broken Leg Gully near Karaz-a-Karak, King Ungrim and his army annihilated a greenskin army and captured the feared Orc Warlord Gnashrak.  King Ungrim's campaigning keeps him away from Karak Kadrin for much of the year, and in his absence the hold is ruled by Queen Alrika, who enjoys the full support of the clans.

### **The Hold**

Beseiged many times, Karak Kadrin has never fallen.  Many invading armies have broken upon its walls.  Karak Kadrin has also benefited from its location near Kislev and the eastern Imperial province of Ostermark.  since the time of Sigmar, humans have controlled these lands, protecting the western flank of the Dwarf realm against greenskin invasion.

Karak Kadrin draws many advantages from its proximity to the human lands.  It carries on a lucrative trade with the Empire and Kislev, and has always been able to count on the assistance of nearby Imperial forces against their mutal enemies the Orcs, Goblins, Skaven, and Beastmen.  The road from the Empire makes Karak Kadrin a natural stopping-place both for expatriate Dwarfs returning to Karaz Ankor and for adventurers in search of lost Dwarfholds and mines.  Outsiders find a warmer welcome at Karak Kadrin than any other Dwarfhold, and a host of merchants eager to supply them with any equipment they might need - for a price.

   As in other Dwarfholds, the current population of Karak Kadrin is much smaller than it was in the Golden Age.  However, its garrison, together with its large population of Slayers, has allowed Karak Kadrin to repulse many attacks even in the absence of King Ungrim and the hold's army.  Non-Dwarf guests usually lodge in chambers within the upper hold, although visiting Dwarfs or those honoured as Dwarf-friends may be given accommodations below ground.  Protected by cannons from the Karaz-a-Karak foundry and locally made stone and bolt throwers, the walls of Karak Kadrin stand against all enemies.

While not as spectacular as Karaz-a-Karak, the lower portion of Karak Kadrin is still impressive.  The grandeur of the stonework reaches its height in the King's audience chambers and the Great Hall, where the hold's populace meets in assembly twice a year.

A strong and heavily guarded gate at the south-east end of the lower levels blocks entrance to the Underway.  The Underway from Karak Kadrin to Zhufbar and Karaz-a-Karak remains broken in many places, and is rife with dangerous creatures.  Large crevasses and massive cave-ins have blocked the part of the Underway running north towards the fallen Karak Ungor, known as Red Eye Mountain to the green-skinned invaders.  While these obstacles give Karak Kadrin a measure of protection against attack from below, work is under way to clear and repair the underground highway, in preparation for the liberation of Karak Ungor.  Parties of Slayers set out northward along the Underway quite regularly, and the refugee clans of Karak Ungor are contributing a great deal of wealth and labour to the restoration project.

Assaulted many times on the surface, Karak Kadrin has never been breached underground.  However, the mines are protected by frequent garrison patrols and wandering groups of Slayers, making it highly unlikely that an attack from below could succeed.  The mines of Karak Kadrin contain many of the metal ores and precious gems found in Zhufbar and Karak Varn (except gromril).  The extent of these deposits ensures that Karak Kadrin remains one of the wealthier Dwarfholds.

## **Karak Kadrin Dwarf Traits & Bonuses**

* **Sons of Grimnir:**  Grimnir, the ancestor god of war, was renowned for wielding two legendary axes forged by his brother Grungni.  When wielding any type of axe, Karak Kadrin Dwarfs gain a +1 *Circumstance* bonus to their attacks.