Citadel City
Map: Q14-Q15
The Nazgûl's Citadel - history, ethnography, etc
3 lead ore veins
When the Inland Waterway was proposed, it was obvious that crossing the Yellow Mountains in several places was ideal. There were no records of great dwarf holds in the central reaches of that range, and the Three Kings invested heavily in fortifying the region.
Scouting possible routes, they discovered a mountain carved like a dragon head, crowned with crumbling towers. After driving small scavenger-level bands of orcs from the caves beneath, they committed to the fortress in a serious way.
Being primarily a Harnic settlement, the exposed magma of the grand central shaft has become a forge temple to Aule, nominally under the Church of Eru, but encouraging worship of whatever good or neutral aligned dwarven Deities its congregation is comfortable with at altars on the various levels. There are also temples of the
By making it a central religous location, they have multiple spell-focus extended zones of protection from evil powered by the prayers of the various clergy and worshippers.
Orc refuse and shoddy craftsmanship has been swept out, a great deal of purification and consecration has been performed, and it has been improved to be as much a fortress against attack from within as from without, particularly against invasion by tunneling, teleportation, or corrupting spiritual forces. In addition to zones of protection from evil, regular fortified and roving checkpoints, with Dwarven Paladins or Items of Detect Evil, remain alert and have good communication and alarm raising practices.
This is the test site of the first underground branch of the Signal Company Network, with regular check-ins relayed along the network from the various guard posts. A group of the smiths here are pushing the forefront of enchantment with gear driven variable encoders research, developing mystical cryptography, and are on permanent contract to the Signal Company, advising its encryption section, as well as supplying fittings. A large series of workshops is also devoted to crystal and glassteel production, and the work is some of the finest in the Free Imperia.
Their lead mines also produce the bulk of the Free Imperia's sidearm ammunition, in standardized calibers for the military along with specialized rounds.
The poorly designed lead mines have been modified, and toxic water runoff no longer pollutes the ghost town of Tartaust at the foot of the mountain. Already lock tanker fortifications and a guest hostel have been constructed below, and the open air market is considerable. Still, downslope agriculture seems ill advised on the Chennacatt Side, so the citadel's not insignificant agrarian space is in the greener hill country to the South. Hill Dwarves farm and patrol the surface for some distance, and lead scouting/prospecting parties further west among the mountains to look for more good mine/fortress opportunities.
Excellent grapes of several varieties are grown here, along with figs, olives, and dates. Camels and ponies are bred for labor, along with the squat long-haired and -horned local cattle. Horses and Mûmak are also traded, but less popular. Special caves have been inoculated with cheese-aging cultures, and a wide variety of excellent cheeses are made. Date wine and distillation thereof are popular beverages, as are the grape wines produced here, but a large variety of alcohol is also imported to the local markets.
This is a strongly held citadel, designed by dwarves who expect that trouble will come sooner or later, and consider it a key defensive position. It spawned a strong outpost at DK#5, and encouraged Iron Fist's founders to do the same at DK#6 to protect other crossings and prevent goblinoids from gaining a foothold in the range. Anchored by the Solamnic Orders' Castle Sancrest in the middle, it is a strong line of fortresses.
