Underhall

Underhall is a city located in the Empire of the Clockwork Battleaxe that lies on the northwestern edge of the Endless Peaks.
The city is made up of five distinct layers, known as 'Rings', which form an overlapping, concentric structure displaced around a central point. The upper Ring is the only one that is above ground, with the other four built ever deeper into the mountain.
"I suppose you want the five rings of Underhall, as well?" is a common and sarcastic dwarven response to being given a ridiculous or seemingly impossible task.

Demographics

The population of Underhall is almost exclusively dwarven, though gnomish bankers and orcish labourers are not uncommon. Most dwarves of working age that don't belong to one of the Five Families work in the mines on the bottom layer of the city. Humans are an uncommon sight in the city's streets, and elves are even rarer. A small clan of Stone Giants also call the city home, though they are never seen outside of the mining level and keep to themselves as best they can.
Underhall is also home to a more exotic race of people known as Goliaths. At the beginning of Underhall's history, these towering humanoids resisted the dwarven settlers, but were so impressed with their strength that they ultimately chose to serve them rather than be conquered and potentially destroyed. Though they were not slaves, the goliaths remained in Underhall for several generations, working alongside the dwarves to help the city prosper.
Although there is no animosity between the races, these days the old obligations are not felt by many, and a considerable number of goliaths born in the city choose to leave and return to their tribal roots in the mountain wilderness. Their numbers have dwindled over the years, and it is widely believed that the current generation of goliaths in the city will be among the last.

Government

The city is governed by the Grey Council, a collection of 7 individuals representing the five most influential dwarven clans within the settlement. These clans, known as the Five Families, are otherwise in constant competition with both one another and the other non-seated clans, and it is relatively common for a family to be forced to give up it's seat to another family in light of some political upheaval.
The exception to this rule is the titular Underhall family. By law, the Grey Council must always be chaired by an Underhall, and all decisions made without an Underhall present in the council chambers are considered void and non-binding. As founders of the city, they have an established right to this seat of power, and whilst they generally don't actively participate in making decisions, they act as the final arbitrator when the rest of the Council reaches a deadlock. For this reason, it is common for the other four families to make temporary alliances with each other, in order to carry motions they don't want to risk leaving to the whim of the Chair.
As leaders of the community, the Five Families are expected to take care of their own troubles and affairs; failure to do so is an open display of weakness, which cannot be tolerated in a position of power. It is considered taboo for a seated family to bring a personal matter before the council, and doing so usually results in a scandal that ends with the family in question being usurped by a rival or having their influence reduced.
The current Grey Council consists of: 1 member of the Underhall family
2 members of the Shattershield family
2 members of the Battlestone family
1 member of the Rockrunner family
1 member of the Earthshaper family
In wartime, or times of other sustained threat to the city, the Grey Council expands into the Stone Senate and encompasses a single delegate from each of the 19 noble families. Full agreement among the Stone Senate is required to enact the last-resort defence measure known as Amalgamation, which fully collapses the upper levels of the city and confines its remaining population to the mines deep beneath.

Defences

The entrance to the city sits atop a plateau overlooking the northern coast of Eternium, and has natural protection on three sides; two from the imposing mountains of the Endless Peaks, and on a third by a sheer drop that tumbles down to the shoreline half a mile below. As a result, the only conventional means of approaching the city are by traversing the Underhall Pass; a winding road through the foothills of the range that features three gates and a secret network of tunnels which allow the dwarven defenders to methodically fall back and regroup as needed. This makes any assault on Underhall a difficult and daunting task, though the upper level of the city is vulnerable to attack from the air or any force that can easily traverse the mountains.
Reaching the upper level of the city is only the first challenge that a potential conqueror will have to overcome. Owing to it's modular construction, different levels of the city can be progressively closed off by simply sealing the Goliath Winds, allowing the population time to migrate themselves and the city's wealth ever further downward while Underhall's armies and militia organise choke points and defensive strategies.
The final - and most extreme - defence that Underhall has at it's disposal is a scorched-earth strategy known as Amalgamation. Magical orbs are buried at secret locations in the rock around the city, and when the Order of Amalgamation is given, they trigger a series of localised earthquakes that cause Underhall to collapse in on itself, destroying any invaders along with the four upper levels of the city. Such a drastic measure can never be taken lightly, and as a result this decision is the only one that the Underhall family does not have overall veto power for; the order to collapse the entire city can only be given by a unanimous vote from the Stone Senate, who must authorise and action the measure in person.
The intention of Amalgamation is to allow Underhall's people to survive an overwhelming assault on their way of life and eventually emerge from the mines with the wealth and means to rebuild it. Whether this would be successful or not is unknown; the Amalgamation measure has never been enacted, and it hasn't been considered as an option in close to a thousand years.

Infrastructure

Gnomish engineering features prominently in the architecture of Underhall, and clockwork mechanisms can be found on all layers of the city. The most impressive of these works are Underhall's renowned Goliath Winds; huge elevators constructed from bronze and steel that connect the city together, and facilitate transport between the Rings.
The Goliath Winds get their name from their history. When Underhall was first founded, the settling dwarves encountered a tribe of giant-like humanoids known as goliaths. After a short and brutal war, the goliaths submitted themselves to dwarven rule in recognition of the strength they had displayed.  The goliaths moved into the city and began working for the dwarves, and one of the most prominent places they found employment (aside from the mines) was driving the lifts.
Today, the Winds are mostly driven by beasts of burden and clever Gnomish counterweight systems (owing to the gradual exodus of the goliath population), though small teams of the remaining goliaths driving the lifts are not a rare sight.

Type

City

Population

27,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Hallian

Owning Organization

Empire Of The Clockwork BattleAxe