Ulgrid Fortress: History and Rumors
T
he dwarves of the Ulgrid Fortress are close-mouthed about their past. Very little is definite and nothing personal is known. They've occupied the fortress for over eight centuries, becoming a sect of Vorax and virtually a sect of Dorand in their seclusion. Until 1249, they had practically no contact with other cultures, apart from this or that king's few diplomatic efforts, but that has changed due to a trade arrangement made between Ta'karsh Blacklung, High Hammer of Dorand, and King Ulgrid IV. From that agreement both Brenuth and the fortress had to adjust to visitors, merchants, travelers, adventurers of every race, and the transition from isolated dwarven-only community to noted dwarven mercantile powerhouse did not come easy.
From one of their most legendary heroes, Bruennor Battlehammer, came the fortress that these dwarves call home. Bruennor was a dwarven general who taught the Ulgrid nation how to construct the edifice they now have and provided them with new and innovative ways to defend it. These defenses have allowed the clan to live in relative peace for three centuries, with a new dark elf attack coming only recently.
The defenses were used in holding off attacks from the dark elves as well as deep dwarves raiding parties and allowed King Ulgrid II to reach a tentative agreement between with the warring Deep dwarves and his people late in his reign. With the Deep dwarves mollified, the fortress built up special dark elf traps to make the next defense even more effective.
Topsiders are rarely lucky enough to speak with an Ulgrid clan member; the Ulgrid dwarves hold themselves proud and aloof. The former queen of Mistone, Queen Allurial, did speak to them, and contracted the dwarves to build a great underwater passageway and sturdy ships to sail it. This was done but it came at a great cost of lives due to a large cave-in during construction; later it was found that the cave-in was caused by a weakened wall from an aborted dark elf attack. The calamity brought a tide of rushing water from the underground river and swept many in the clan away to their death. Beyond the collapsed wall, however, was a huge cavern with spectacular waterfalls, and a jut of rock that could be used to build a dock. By consensus, the dock is called Cleaver Dock, for the clan that lost the most members in the cave-in and flood.
This large cave did eventually give a large adventuring party the chance to locate and later rescue the Lost Library. During the rescue of this library it was moved to Voltrex and renamed the Great Library. It should be noted that the dwarves not only built a ship capable of making the journey but also are among the few who have negotiated the Broken Corals successfully. For that reason, those dwarves who were on the trip are occasionally tapped to help with rescue or salvage operations around the Corals.
So heartfelt was Allurial's gratitude for the kingdom's help that when Bar'Grot Coldrock visited her to present the Ulgrid Kingdom as an ally, she was rumored to have given him an exceptionally powerful gift. Those few who were around to witness the event reported that the contents of the small crate she presented to him were never seen, however the Al'Noth around the chest was so strong that even the least practiced spellcaster could feel it.
Recently there has been another, strong dark elf attack, but it was easily foiled. Interestingly, some decades before a dark elf with strong illusion magic attempted to infiltrate the fortress. One particularly willful and spirited young dwarf saw through the illusion, and rather than simply charge the elf to kill him, the dwarven youth reported it to the head of his clan. They were as guests of this clan at the time a group of adventuring friends, and they offered council when one member of the group "accidentally" overheard the revelation of the traitor. They convinced the clan leader to take it to the king, and instead of the dark elf being slaughtered outright, he was carefully fed misinformation, some of it from the party itself, and allowed to go on his way unmolested.
When the dark elves attacked so many years later, they used some of this bad information, and that hampered their efforts and allowed the dwarves to bottleneck them in a trapped hallway. The final death count was dark elves, 29, dwarves, 1.
The Ulgrid dwarves continue to mine, carve, smith, love and live in their fortress inside the mountain. It is exceedingly rare for one born here to leave, and the founding of Brenuth was the only period of time that any of the clans left for the surface. Ever since the Dark Ages held Layonara in a firm grip of cold and perpetual dusk, many from their brother city have in fact returned to the stone halls of their king.
