Great Thrundar

Great Thrundar is a rich nation of gold mining dwarves living in the Quartzrock Mountains. However, their kingdom extends through the Dundren Hills to Port Dundren, an area heavily populated with humans loyal to Great Thrundar. The relationship between dwarves and humans in Great Thrundar began as one of mutual convenience with humans handling the majority of the dwarves’ sea trade through Port Dundren. Over the centuries, though, the relationship grew into one of familiarity and true friendship.
The government of Great Thrundar is a hereditary monarchy in which the same clan has reigned since its founding. King Hlomdax Ronmolir is the ninth king in the Ronmolir line. King Hlomdax is a popular king, respected by dwarf and human alike. He is currently grooming his eldest son, Melvain, to be king someday, but Hlomdax will likely reign for another 150 years before considering retiring. His own father, Jorgalthar, has been retired for close to 50 years and is enjoying his twilight years.

Life and Society

Great Thrundar does not have social classes as much as it does differing levels of clan influence. At the top is the Ronmolir clan, which has ruled for centuries. Beneath them are all the other clans, from which the king choses his advisors. Even the human families are called clans. Though much shorter lived than the dwarves, the descendants within a human clan are groomed to carry on the family traditions in order to maintain continuity with their dwarven peers who will likely know several generations of a human clan throughout their lifetimes.
Typical dwarves in Great Thrundar live in the Quartzrock Mountains. They contribute to the mining and smithing industries through traditions handed down from generation to generation. One can be a worker in a mine, or a blacksmith, weaponsmith, armorsmith, lapidary, or any number of other professions dealing with metal or gems in some way.
The typical human is either a farmer in the Dundren Hills, or living in Port Dundren, involved in facilitating the trade of Great Thrundar’s valuable exports for profit in some way. This could be shipbuilding, sailing, mercantilism, or anything else that helps promote and move product. The majority of fishing is also handled by humans.
Occasionally, dwarves and humans explore the other’s traditional roles. Some humans actually enjoy working in the mines, while a few dwarves have taken to life on the farm or on the sea. Culturally, dwarven traditions and songs have mixed with human ones creating amalgams of the two that have become the new norm in Great Thrundar over the centuries, particularly in locations where the two races mix the most.

Major Geographical Features

The majority of Great Thrundar is comprised of mountains or hills. This terrain can be dangerous because various creatures have many places to hide within. Though its regions are frequently patrolled, bandits and monsters still abound. The deep dark places under the mountain can never truly be cleared and are often the most dangerous. But the hills require their own vigilance as well. It is well known that the dwarves trade in gold and gems. This makes trade caravans targets for those looking to pilfer and plunder their way to wealth.
Dundren Hills: These hills were known as the Giant Hills before they were conquered by the Andarian Empire and renamed for the commanding general at the time. The ogres and giants in the hills were driven out and the land settled by the Andarians. Centuries later, after the collapse of the Andarian Empire, Great Thrundar purchased these hills from the local human lord who ruled them to secure the trade of Thrundan exports. Today, these hills still possess a moderate ogre and hill giant presence, in addition to multiple bandit groups.
Giant Mountains: These mountains were not named for their size, as they are the smallest mountain range in the area, both in terms of area and altitude. Instead, they received this name because of the numerous tribes of giants that have always inhabited them.
Golden Lake: Since its discovery, gold deposits have been found in the lake. It is not so much a popular location for gold prospectors anymore as the majority of the gold has already been found, but many believe that more rests on the bottom of the lake waiting for someone with the ability to safely venture into its depths. Many have tried with the aid of magic, and yielded slight returns, but the effort is largely viewed as impractical. This serene lake is fed by a waterfall in the Quartzrock Mountains and empties out into the River Dundren. The dwarven capital of Thrundalin as well as the gnome city of Brinshire are both lakeside settlements.
Hammer Pass: Hammer Pass is less a mountain pass than it is a separation between two mountain ranges. Either way, it serves the same purpose. A paved road in Hammer Pass, regularly patrolled by Great Thrundar, connects the dwarven cities of Thrundalin and Brux. Various monsters from the Orgron Mountains to the north, as well as bandits, often attempt to prey on travelers in the pass.
Orgron Mountains: Ogres and wyverns are among the most common monsters found in the Orgron Mountains, but many other creatures can be found there as well. Closer to the Haegren Barrens, there are several goblinoid tribes. On the eastern side of the range, many kobolds dwell. It is also known that multiple paths to the Underdark can be found in the Orgron Mountains, leading to the drow city, Ylathys.
Quartzrock Mountains: Named after the heavy quartz deposits in the range, these mountains truly became famous for gold mining. However, most of the gold mining is in the northern half, controlled by Great Thrundar. The southern half of the mountain range is known for being more volcanic and generally less habitable. Multiple species of giants and dragons have been known to lair in the Quartzrock Mountains since the time of the Andarian Empire, most of them concentrated in the southern half.

Important Settlements

There are three major settlements in Great Thrundar, two in the Quartzrock Mountains and one in the Dundren Hills. The rest of the Thrundan people live on countryside farms or in small mining communities spread throughout the Quartzrock between Brux and Thrundalin.
Brux (Small City, 7,900): Great Thrundar’s second city, Brux is also the smallest. Built entirely within the mountains, a large stone gate up the slopes on the mountain face is the only structural evidence of its existence from the outside. The gate is guarded at all times by several dwarven guards who watch from their elevated rise for any oncoming dangers. On the inside, the city digs under the mountain with stonework buildings and streets that eventually give way to spent gold mines deeper within. Despite the fact that the mines in close proximity no longer yield riches, Brux manages several mining operations deeper within. Many of its citizens work for days, away from home under the mountain, in rotations allowing them two or three day breaks with which they can rest, relax, and enjoy leisure or family time. Brux sees very little in terms of visitors as its remote and subterranean location are not typically found very appealing to non-dwarves. However, adventurers are occasionally hired for tasks deep within the mountain or in the wilderness in the areas around the city.
The current overmaster of Brux is Garanthan Stoutarm.
Port Dundren (Large City, 23,000): Port Dundren is Great Thrundar’s most populous city, and its only sea port. The majority of the kingdom’s exports and imports pass through the city. Over half of Port Dundren’s population is human, but their mannerisms and customs are very dwarven in nature. Though dwarven is the official language of Great Thrundar, Andarian is widely spoken in Port Dundren. The city is wealthy in terms of its revenue and funding. Gold for repair projects and upgrades is always available, as the gold mining is the nation’s chief industry. As a result, the city always appears fresh and vibrant, never stagnant or dilapidated. The people of Port Dundren may not be wealthy as individuals, but they majority are not poor either. People in Port Dundren are comfortable, finding many ways to earn income through jobs that pay above average wages. Sailing, merchant trade, fishing, are all major industries here, and many a skilled dwarven blacksmith plies his trade here so that visitors do not have to venture too far into Great Thrundar to find quality products.
The current overmaster of Port Dundren is John Dolanthorp (human).
Thrundalin (Large City, 19,500): This city has been the seat of power for the dwarves in the Quartzrock Mountains since its founding. Built where the mountains join the Golden Lake, Thrundalin is an impressive display of dwarven stonework and craftsmanship.
A portion of the city is outside the mountains, welcoming visitors who come to trade or sightsee. Stonework buildings resemble those in most surface towns, though with an evident dwarven flair. Taverns loud with dwarven song serving dwarven brews, comfortable inns where one can rest, and an open market square full of merchants and smiths selling dwarven wares can all be enjoyed. Then, up against the cliff side, a short ways from a cascading waterfall is a great gate, 30 feet tall. This gate is flanked by enormous carvings of Thrundar’s first king kneeling on one side and their god, Moradin, standing proud on the other.
Within the mountain, the true city of Thrundalin awaits, carved from the rock into high-ceilinged halls decorated with grand sculptures and carvings. Avenues, buildings, craft districts, and markets all abound within. Most visitors do not venture too far inside as many can easily become lost in corridors that can appear labyrinthine to those unfamiliar with them. But farther within is where the dwarves truly live, their public facades on display closer to the surface where they can be enjoyed by visitors. Just beyond the first markets and inns is a wide courtyard that the dwarves call a Thrundalin Park, decorated with stone benches and rows of curious stalagmites growing a luminescent moss. Just beyond the park is the royal palace of the Ronmolir kings, up a series of stone steps guarded by ceremonially armed and armored dwarven warriors.
The king in Thrundalin serves as overmaster of the city.

Regional History

In 1182 AC, the dwarven city of Volgamir in the Serpent Peaks was attacked and destroyed by drow from the Underdark city of Deep Lodren. Most of the dwarves were slaughtered in a surprise attack, caught drunk or asleep on the final night of the Festival of the Ales. However a few dwarves managed to escape the massacre, fleeing the city and roaming the land as refugees for over 100 years. Among these refugees was the young Thrundalin Ronmolir.
In the time spent as a refugee, he grew in maturity and stature and became the head of the Ronmolir clan, somewhat by default as the majority of the clan did not survive the Night of Drunken Sorrows. Ultimately, in 1305 AC, Thrundalin led the refugees to the founding of a new settlement in the Quartzrock Mountains. Legend claims that Thrundalin himself was the first to strike gold in the mines. In the early days of their new settlement, stone giants attacked the dwarves, but Thrundalin led them into battle, felling two giants himself. As the dwarves’ fortunes increased, having defended their homes against the giants and beginning to see high yields of gold from the new mine, Thrundalin tried to name their new town New Volgamir. But the majority of the dwarves did not like the idea, considering it a bad omen and preferring to name it after their new leader, Thrundalin.
Thrundalin was crowned as the king of the city named in his honor and in his time the dwarves established a wealthy trade business from the gold and minerals produced in their mines. They dealt with the human merchants in Port Dundren who helped them move their gold to broader markets and both cities benefited from this partnership and grew in wealth. Thrundalin continued to thrive, expanding its city and fending off numerous monstrous attacks. By the time of his death in 1542 AC, King Thrundalin was regarded as Thrundalin the Great. His son, Umbarth became the new king of Thrundalin. During King Umbarth’s reign, the city of Brux was founded, in 1638 AC. The two cities joined to form a unified kingdom. This kingdom was named Great Thrundar.
Great Thrundar quickly grew as an economic power in the region, careful to maintain good relations with the mighty Andarian Empire which continued to spread around them, conquering all lands upon which they ventured. But when the Andarian Empire collapsed in 1965 AV, Great Thrundar was left as the sole power in the region, while human warlords, generals, nobles, and would-be kings vied for power in the wake of their empire’s collapse.
In 2001 AC, Great Thrundar purchased the Dundren Hills from the human noble, Lord Caldos, who was struggling to maintain control over his territory. The Caldos family moved away from Port Dundren, but many humans remained in the city and in the region to work for the dwarves. Humans in the Dundran Hills were granted Thrundan citizenship and Great Thrundar’s new territory became a vital part of the kingdom’s success.
For the next thousand years, Great Thrundar did not change much as it watched the world around it change. For a time it attempted to purchase more land, hoping to spread closer to the city of Olori in present day Anthaal, but was met with resistance, and failed to negotiate a deal. Soon after came the birth of the nation of Anthaal. All around them nations began to rise, either the gnome nation of Evercress, or various nations in what once was the Andarian Empire. The famous Battle of York saw to the formation of Kainan, a nation that quickly rose to power and has spread, conquering territories all around it. They have even made overtures to purchase the Dundren Hills from Great Thrundar, but the dwarves have refused to negotiate its sale.
In 480 AV, Great Thrundar entered into the Great Compact with Aravess, Luthia, Karavale, Rowadin, Evercress, and Oathendale. The Great Compact is an alliance treaty stating that if any of those sovereign nations are invaded by any other nation, each member of the compact will come to the aid of their ally. Many in Great Thrundar believe that Kainan’s expansion should be checked, and the Great Compact is a step towards protecting the nations in and around the Great Forest from a potential Kainish invasion.

Capital
Thrundalin
Government
Monarchy
Banner/Flag
Red background with a stylized, gold outline of a mountain and a crossed hammer and axe underneath
Population
515,000 (Dwarves 73%, humans 20%, gnomes 3%, halflings 3%)
Demonym
Thrundan
Religions
Artis, Moradin, Pontus
Imports
Fruit, grain, livestock, textiles, timber, vegetables
Exports
Armor, gems, metal, metalwork, ore, weapons
Language
Dwarven
Alignment
LG, LN, NG

The Continent of Velen

Open full size