Orzammar is one of the two remaining bastions of the once great
dwarven kingdom that once expanded all over
Thedas.
This underground metropolis is located deep beneath the
Frostback Mountains. It once served as the capital of the dwarven empire. According to legend, Orzammar was named after one of the seven dwarven brothers who originally began the empire.
Caste Division
Orzammar's design makes it such that their separate castes seldom interact between one another, though a little bit of mingling is usually not looked down upon.
Noble Caste
At the highest points of Orzammar, well above the rivers of lava, the nobles and king can be found in their palaces.
Scribe Caste
Dwarven scribes and scholars can be found in a majestic institution known as the Shaperate. This place serves as an organic library where lore, history, and events will be remembered and blessed by the Shaperate. Following the disappearance of the Tevinter Imperium and the destruction of
Rivain's Grand Library, it is believed that this is the best kept source of world history. The institution is apolitical and solely devoted to their work, though very few are allowed access to their archives. No non-dwarves are let in unless allowed so by the currently presiding king.
Smith, Mining, & Merchant Castes
These folk are found in the Commons, where merchants hawk their wares and craftsmen can be found openly working. Entrances to the mines and the Deep Roads can be found here, though they are heavily guarded.
Casteless
Down by the fiery rivers, there are ruins of old dwarven palaces which have fallen into disrepair. The cities lowlifes reside here.
History
If dwarven history is to be believed, their empire once spread all across Thedas. There were more than a dozen great cities, which they called thaigs, that dotted the entire subterranean structure of the world. Originally, Kal-Sharok was the initial capital of their empire. It was in that citadel that those of noble caste lived. Orzammar was the home of mining and the smith caste.
At some point, the dwarven king moved the capital of his kingdom to Orzammar. He did so to have a more direct hand in the matters of dwarven commercial aspects of life, as well as mining and crafting. It is also claimed that he moved to Orzammar to create a greater distance between him the magistrates and archons of the
Tevinter Imperium.
Following the outbreak of strange, monstrous, and otherworldly creatures in the Deep Roads, the kingdom began crumbling. When things became far too dangerous for the dwarven people, brave warriors went on suicide missions to bar off caverns in the Deep Roads. Many of them never returned.
This decision weighed heavy on the king since it meant that the thaigs other than Orzammar were left to defend themselves. Most supposedly have been destroyed and their people killed. The only other thaig supposedly still going is Kal-Sharok, though they are completely isolationist.
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