Mror Holds

Capital: Krona Peak
Hallmarks: Banking, dwarves, metalwork, mining (precious and non-precious metals)
When humanity first came to Khorvaire, they found the dwarven clans of the Mror Holds locked in endless feuds. This division kept the clans from uniting against the new arrivals, and the dwarves were forced to swear fealty to Karrnath and Galifar. Over the centuries, they turned their energies to harnessing the astonishing natural resources of their mountain home. The dwarves were then reborn as merchant lords.

In the early days of the Last War, Mror miners made an astonishing discovery: the ruins of an ancient dwarven empire, vast halls deep within the Ironroot Mountains. Explorers uncovered mines still brimming with jewels and precious ores and vaults filled with riches and powerful artifacts. The Mror restored these ancient fortresses and worked to reclaim the secrets of their ancestors. Seeing the untapped potential of the Realm Below and the broken Kingdom of Galifar, the clan lords joined together to form the Iron Council and to declare the independence and sovereignty of the Mror Holds.
One question remained: What had become of the ancient dwarves? The answer soon became apparent. As the Mror delved deeper into the Realm Below, they woke an ancient evil: Dyrrn the Corruptor, a daelkyr lord of madness. Hordes of aberrations and derro rose from the depths to challenge the explorers. For decades, the Mror lords have been fighting a battle in the depths, struggling to drive the darkness from their ancestral halls. Many dwarves revile anything to do with the daelkyr. Others believe that the daelkyr can grant the Mror dwarves the power to overcome any enemy. Some clans have taken up symbionts and living weapons recovered from the depths, and cabals of warlocks draw on the power of the Plane of Xoriat (see chapter 4).
The Mror Holds consist of a loose confederation. Twelve noble clans each govern a hold and have a representative on the Iron Council, which resolves disputes and issues affecting the entire nation. Each hold includes a number of lesser clans, who owe fealty to the noble line. Those who occupy land above have the right to claim the halls that lie below if they can.
The Sovereign Host is the dominant faith of the Mror Holds. Kol Korran is the most beloved of the Sovereigns, but the dwarves also revere Boldrei, Dol Dorn, Olladra, and Onatar.
Interesting Things About the Mror Holds The Mror Holds contain deep reserves of gold, silver, and other rare and precious metals, along with iron and other ores. The Mror dwarves are skilled miners and artisans. A clan of orcs called the Jhorash'tar live among the Ironroot Mountains. The Jhorash'tar have been slowly crowded into the least hospitable regions of the mountains. A few dwarven clans seek to incorporate the Jhorash'tar into Mror society, but others wish to drive them out once and for all. The dwarves have recovered artifacts and arcane secrets from the Realm Below. Dwarf artificers are still working to master the techniques of their ancestors, while warlocks strive to harness the powers of the daelkyr. Mror communities are shaped by the artifacts they possess or by their interactions with the daelkyr. A Mror lord might serve guests from a bottomless cauldron of wine, while another studies strangers using a crown of eyes, claiming that this living artifact reveals all evil intent. Mror Characters As you develop a Mror character or NPC, consider the following:
Clan Focus. The dwarf clan is the heart of Mror culture. Is your clan known for mercantile power or martial skill? Are you a noble—even if you're a few steps removed from true power? Or are you a guild artisan or soldier? Most Mror have embraced modern martial techniques, but a few minor clans still cling to barbarian traditions of the past. What caused you to leave your hold? Are you serving your clan and honing your skills, or have you been exiled from your homeland?
The Realm Below. How has the Realm Below affected your family and your character? Do you oppose the foul forces that infest your ancestral halls, or do you see them as a source of power? You might be a paladin sworn to oppose the horrors that dwell in the deep, or you could be a warlock who's forged a pact with a Great Old One patron, one of the dark powers in the depths.
Pride in Possessions. From the wealthiest clan lord to the humblest miner, the Mror take great pride in their possessions. Quality is more important than appearance, and you are interested in the history of the items you carry. If you find a magic weapon, you want to know the battles it has seen and the warriors who have wielded it before you. This is especially true of the relics recovered from the Realm Below. Who forged the blade you carry? Do you bear a trinket from a forgotten age?
Cities and Sites The Voice of Karrnath—Mror Holds: Birthplace of abomination! It's been exactly seventy years since the Iron Council declared the Mror Holds' independence from Karrnath. King Kaius II was newly seated on the steel throne and lacked the resolve to bring the dwarf lords to heel. Now we see the harvest we have sown, and it is horrifying. Without the firm hand of Karrnath to keep them on a righteous path, the Mror dwarves have embraced foul powers. Witness Lord Malus Soldorak, seen in Korth this week for trade negotiations. His breastplate was forged from chitin and muscle, and it seemed to pulse with its own heartbeat. A guard present at the event said that Soldorak's axe moaned when the blade came close to him, as if the weapon hungered for human blood.
This is what springs from our mercy and forbearance. Who knows what horrors the dwarves are crafting—or breeding—in their mountain halls? We cannot stand by and let this vileness continue. For the good of our nation, we call on all true Karrns to demand that Regent Moranna unleash our full might on the Mror Holds and cleanse this horror!
The Mror Holds spread across the Ironroot Mountains. Most Mror communities are at least partially subterranean, extending down into the mountains. The Realm Below is deep beneath the surface, and not every town has a passage to it.
Krona Peak Located in the dwarven realm of Mroranonhold, Krona Peak serves as the seat of the Iron Council and thus is the Mror Holds' equivalent of a capital. This center of commerce provides a major connection to the western nations. Kol Korran's Throne, Khorvaire's largest temple to the Sovereign Lord of World and Wealth, dominates the cityscape.
Solangap The holdfast of Clan Soldorak, Solangap boasts vast gold mines and the largest mint and treasury in Khorvaire. Clan Soldorak has recovered many daelkyr tools and weapons from the Realm Below. Solan lords proudly wear symbionts and make no effort to hide their warlock pacts.
Noldrunhold Four hundred years ago, the dwarves of Clan Noldrun vanished. All expeditions that delved into Noldrunhold ended in disaster, and the region was declared to be cursed and shunned. At the time, the dwarves believed that the Jhorash'tar orcs were responsible, but now it seems more likely that the Noldrun opened a path to the Realm Below. What malevolent powers have claimed the halls of Noldrunhold?
The Realm Below No one knows the extent or depth of the ancient dwarven empire deep beneath the Ironroot Mountains. Great wealth and arcane secrets remain hidden in these halls, along with endless hordes of aberrations. As a Mror adventurer, you could help your family reclaim lands from the Realm Below, or you could lead your allies into the deep in search of wealth and glory.
Aftermath of the Last War The Mror Holds declared independence during the Last War. Many nations depend on the resource of the Holds, and the Treaty of Thronehold affirmed its sovereignty.
To the casual observer, the Mror dwarves' star appears to be rising. Their mines seem to offer limitless resources. Mror artificers make amazing strides as they study the relics of their ancestors. The dwarves are proud of their ancient past and optimistic about the future. Most Mror are generous and courageous, eager to show off their wealth and accomplishments.
Those who dig deeper realize that this prosperity is built on an unstable foundation. The Last War may be over, but the war against the daelkyr has barely begun. The clan lords hold their reclaimed halls in the Realm Below, but no one knows the full extent of the power of the daelkyr. A renewed assault could come at any time, whether it's a force of monsters boiling up from below or a creeping madness that infects the weak-willed.
The dwarves are also divided by their attitude toward the aberrations. Some of the clans—notably Soldorak—embrace symbionts and other daelkyr gifts; some even experiment with flesh-warping techniques and create their own monsters. Others—notably Clan Mroranon—avoid contact with the aberrations. Such dwarves treasure the relics of their ancestors but despise those who use symbionts or form pacts with the darkness.
Long ago, the dwarves engaged in vicious feuds that kept them from uniting as a nation. This new divide could reignite those rivalries, leading to a civil war on the surface even as evil gains strength in the depths.

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