Brenuth: History and Rumors

For centuries, this town has defied dwarven tradition even as it upheld them. Founded in 586 as a partial solution to the dwarf-giant wars, this town was designed by a devout follower of Dorand who specialized in architecture rather than weaponsmithing, stone cutting or other more traditional dwarven pursuits. Bramt Thkurra'annth and his wife Plimig designed the town using the acoustics of the naturally occurring shears and the burble of the streams to create an almost meditative background melody. Bramt in particular felt that the worship of Dorand, as rife as it usually is with clanging, hammering and the hiss of fire, would benefit from a quieter space surrounding it. Unusual, but for the townsfolk now called "Brennies", it works.

To the outside world, this town was named by visitors during the third dwarf-giant war. It was said by these observers that the dwarves were so tense, waiting for the next rain of boulders, that if there was at any time a lapse in the violence, they'd all be waiting for the other shoe to fall. It was not until a traveler by the name of Harold Gordson got into a discussion with a local guard that the dwarven name was revealed; the subsequent argument regarding the correct pronunciation of the written name echoed off the mountain walls for days. From an ear witness:

Guard Anvil: Thoit's Bray-noot. Easy 'nuff aye?

Harold: But it looks like Bre-Nuh-thh. Brenuth.
Guard Anvil: Boy, yar ears'r on backwerds; I jest told ye it's BRAY-NOOT.
Harold: But it says right here, you wrote it, Bren-NUTH. There's a -th sound
Guard Anvil: I dunt care how yar think it sounds, I oughter know! It's BRAY-NOOT!
Harold: Bren-nuth! There is no O in this word!
Guard Anvil: BRAY-NOOT yar twit! Yar fault if yar kinna shape yar vowels proparly!
Harold: BREN-NUTHH! UTHH! And what do you mean, shape my vowels? You talk like you have a mouthful of pebbles!
Guard Anvil: BRAY-NOOT an' git offn my land yar disraspectful round-eared sonuva pigsticker
Harold: BREN-NUTH!
Guard Anvil: BRAY-NOOT!!....

So, to the visitor, be warned; Brenuth is properly pronounced Braynoot, and one had best not forget it.

In 592, just a few years after the town was built and while it was still growing, the first King of Brenuth was crowned. Chosen from the Hillchippers, a noted clan of carvers and stonemasons, was Merm Hillchipper, from then till his death known as King Merm I of Brenuth. Just two more kings followed until the night of the undead giant attack on the town. While most of the citizens were saved, King Hinther II and his family must have been the target, because they were nearly wiped out. King Ulgrid III made a bid at that time to consolidate power between the two towns, but the ravaged and mourning Brenuth decided to use council government until Coldsteel Ulgrid united the dwarves of the Brechs in 1112.

In 634, Kothac Lightbringer, tapped to be the General Superior of the Vorax Church but overlooked by jealous peers, exiled himself to Brenuth. He lived the rest of his days in the Dorand-dominated town, bringing the allied word of Vorax to the dwarves there and rekindling the faith in the Father of War. He also married twice, his first wife dying of natural causes one cold winter, and fathered three children by his first wife and one with his second. The children of Kothac still live in both the fortress and the town and there is a strong sense of tradition and pride in the Lightbringer clan. The current Pourthth is Hamrig Lightbringer.

In more modern times, Brenuth has built a crypt for the dead of the Ulgrid Kingdom that is as secure from necromantic magic as the clerics can make it. Special spells and protections both prevent such desecrations and alert guardsmen if an attempt is being made to defile the dead. Oddly, not all these are strictly divine; a young dwarven wizard by the name of Brac'ar "Fireface" Kilring, normally an aberration to his people, helped with his command of the ]]Al'Noth]] to prevent a frog-man invasion in subterranean lake caves below the city. Since that time and in conjunction with the connection to Allurial, some limited amount of arcane magic is tolerated, if not encouraged, within the town.

For an ally or friend to the dwarves looking for superior craftsmanship, items purchased from the master craftsmen and craftswomen in Brenuth far exceed expectations. Amorack's Armory specializes in armor of such craftsmanship that enchantments are unnecessary; the Kilring Smithy has steadily earned a reputation for hammers and axes that are unsurpassed in both lightness and durability, not the least due to their carrying on the tradition of the legendary Silverhammer clan techniques.

Brenuth has also been working on expanding its temple to Dorand and the shrine to Vorax that exists close by.