Galthurdor (capital city)

[Northman]

Galthurdor
Heart of Thoradur​

Galthurdor (large city): Conventional; AL LG; population 20,470; 40,000gp limit, Assets 40,940,000gp; Isolated (99% dwarf [90% mountain dwarf, 9% hill dwarf], 1% slaves).

Authority Figures: King Dulnor Grimstone IV, male mountain dwarf F10, Art5; Lord Mayor Urdor Longroot, male mountain dwarf F7, Arist3; Chief Magistrate Turgan Eblelan, male mountain dwarf F12;

Important Characters: Prince Haldan Grimstone II, male mountain dwarf F9, Art1; Stonemaster Valdaron Ironbound, male mountain dwarf, C18; Axemaster Burin Undersun, male mountain dwarf, F16.

Galthurdor is the heart of Thoradur, Kingdom of the Dwarves. From this great city stretch passages to every city and town in Lower Thoradur and beyond to the settlements of Upper Thoradur in the surface world. Mountain dwarves proclaim their pride in their capital city by speaking the old adage, “All tunnels lead to Galthurdor.” And indeed they do.

The underground city of Galthurdor is built on both sides of a great underground chasm more than five hundred feet wide. Spanning The Chasm are twelve stone bridges, the greatest two bridges, Mollar’s Bridge and Arazadul’s Bridge are both ancient and amazing feats of engineering. Pouring past these bridges at different levels are the five waterfalls that spill out into the Chasm. The waterfalls cloak the bottom of the chasm in perpetual mist while light-emanating lichen illuminates it. The city itself is built with seven levels along the chasm and around it.

The sound of miners chipping stone, smiths pounding iron, or the thunder of the waterfalls give Galthurdor constant noise, unlike many places in Lower Thoradur. Along with those sounds can also be heard the baying of the dwarven hounds which can be found everywhere in the multi-leveled city. Everywhere mountain dwarves go, their faithful companions can be found. Many of those hounds in the city tend to be fat, though happy. These “city dogs” have seen little of the outer tunnels, while those dwarven hounds that walk the passages outside Galthurdor are well muscled and vicious, and know how to use their fearful barks.

Hill dwarves can be found in most tunnels in Galthurdor, though not in large numbers. Most hill dwarves that live in Galthurdor are subservient workers of some kind doing simple labor or baser craftwork, such as leatherwork. Often hill dwarves in Galthurdor are only passing through. These merchants bring grain, vegetables, meat, and goods from far off kingdoms to their underground cousins. The mountain dwarves have come to depend on the grain and vegetables of the hill dwarves and it has increased the standing of hill dwarves in mountain dwarf society.

Temples: The greatest temple in all Thoradur is located on the third level, the Grand Temple of Galvar. The temple is part of a great complex that also houses the Clerical Academy, the largest center for clerical learning in all Thoradur. It is here that hill dwarves can be found in relative large numbers. The temples to Kovar and Brand are considerable in side while the temples of Adenan Stronghand, Alohim, Trandim, Os, Prosimus, Salin, and Urvon are small. These minor temples are scattered across the seven levels of Galthurdor.

Stone Throne Under the Mountains: The seat of power in Thoradur sits in Galthurdor. The great Stone Throne is carved from the very stone that makes up the Great Hall in the Silversmith Palace carved from the earth by the first King of Thoradur, Thorgrim Silversmith. The throne has a great square back and thick heavy arms with a band of dwarven runes running across each part of the chair. It is simple and massive. As Thoradur is the heart of all dwarves, and Galthurdor is the heart of Thoradur, the Stone Throne is the heart of Galthurdor. It was the very first throne ever created on Aerde and on it’s polished seat the kings of Thoradur still sit.

Warrior’s Academy: The halls of the Warrior’s Academy are hallowed and revered as producing the finest warriors in mountain dwarf culture. Axemaster Burin Undersun was a veteran of seventy years of fighting orcs, cave giants, tunnel drakes, surface creatures, and other deziens of darkness before he took on the role as Axemaster. For fifty years now he has trained young dwarves in the art of combat. He is known for brutal methods that produce tough, disciplined fighters that do not shrink from overwhelming odds. This proves useful in the northern tunnels against the hordes of orcs.

Miners’ Halls: Throughout Galthurdor you can find miner’s halls where miners meet for holidays, meetings, and celebrations. Mining is the most prestigious profession in mountain dwarf society and those that work the mines belong to the Miner’s Guild. Only miners and their families may attend functions in Miners’ Halls.

Slaves: Mountain dwarves are not above keeping slaves. They use them for the basest labor, and only enslave races that they have a deep hatred for, considering slavery worse than death. Most often slaves are made of captured cave giants since they have tremendous brute strength and a low intelligence, which makes them more malleable. Cave giants are used in Galthurdor specifically to power the elevators within the city. Once the cave giants become accustomed to the labor they tend to work consistently and without complaint. The giants are fed well even if their life expectancy is only a handful of years.

Arenas: Mountain dwarves love battle, which comes as no surprise since their creator is a god of war. There are many small arenas throughout the city where dwarves can be found almost daily fighting each other and monsters brought in for this purpose. While battle between dwarves is never to the death, battle with monsters always is, thus the uncommon frequency of monster bouts. Yet the demand for fighting creatures is high and significant gold is paid for them. Orcs and cave giants are a favorite though most captured cave giants are sold as slaves and few make it to the areas.

Alerooms: In every corner of Galthurdor can be found alerooms where beer, ale, and mead are served in endless varieties. While mountain dwarves do like their alcohol strong, they love variety and most dwarves are connoisseurs of the potent stuff. “There is no ale outside the Halls” is a proverb that speaks of the mountain dwarves’ contempt for all ale on the surface world, including the spirits of the hill dwarves. Alerooms are centers of social activity, news, and culture in Galthurdor.

Rumors: The myth of evil dwarves deep in the earth beneath Galthurdor persists as a story told to dwarven children at night. While some swear they are real, few have seen them and most believe that Galvar would never allow such a mockery of dwarves to exist.

Dwarven warriors are always needed in the north to fight the orcs, and in the south to guard against cave giants. Recruits are always in Galthurdor looking for willing dwarves.