Khezdur
The main settlement in the Magrannor Halls and home to Clan Magrannor
Government
Khezdur, like the rest of the Magrannor Halls, is ruled by the King of the halls. The King (or occasionally queen) works through their ministers who are usually drawn from the nobility. Each minister is assigned a group of activities to oversee, such as trade, food supply, construction, or crafting. The ministers are expected to gather ideas and send out instructions through committee meetings to which the leading clans of each cavern are invited. The larger clans have different representatives for each committee but the smaller clans usually have a single person attending all of them. By tradition the ministers are supposed to schedule their meetings at different times, but this doesn't always happen.
Most daily decision making is handled by the ministers, with the ruler only stepping in to resolve disputes or to countermand a minister's orders if the minister is going against the ruler's wishes. With ministers needing to compromise and negotiate with the representatives from each cavern change is slow if it happens at all, and ministers tend not to last long if they try to push things through. The system is designed to maintain the current position unless there is a significant driver for change and it has proved surprisingly flexible when it comes to adapting to lazy or active and interfering monarchs.
Laws are set by the King with the advice of the Voices. The laws specify what is a crime and the maximum punishment. Enforcement of the law is left up to the leading clan in each cavern. Some are like the Ironbeards who actively seek out criminals and punish them to the maximum amount allowed, while others adopt a more relaxed approach, only dealing with larger and more obvious crimes. As each clan's jurisdiction ends at the edge of their cavern, criminals used to be able to take refuge in adjacent districts. However, some clans have made arrangements with each other to allow pursuit across the boundaries. The king also has a square known as the Spikefists who are permitted to hunt criminals throughout Khezdur.
Defences
Khezdur's main defense is that it is underground with the main entrances guarded by Varbeck’s Walls on the surface and Torunn Hall underground. Each clan maintains a force of guards to protect their caverns. These guards are separate to the Dwarven Army and answer only to their clan leader. As there is little open conflict between the clans many of them use these forces to maintain law and order in their caverns.
Heavy stone doors are fitted to the entrances of most of the large caverns. While a legacy of more turbulent times in dwarven history the clans have kept them well maintained. The doors to every cavern are closed once a month during defenders call to ensure that they can still function in an emergency.
Khezdur is also protected by a mystical barrier provided by the elves during the 8th Cycle. The barrier is generated by a glowing sphere which is kept in Rocksoul Palace. This barrier is responsible for keeping the demons out of Khezdur during the years of darkness.
Industry & Trade
Khezdur can be mostly self-sufficient, but the skill of it's miners and crafters means that traders are willing to offer extremely good prices to the people of Khezdur. With the Magrannor Mines sitting on a site that crosses with the elementatl plane of earth the deposits of ore, coal, and gems is near limitless. Unlike with other races the dwarves of Khezdur don't try to increase their profits by cutting corners on safety, instead focusing on efficiency in extracting useful substances. There are still accidents and dangers, but far fewer deaths than would be found in a human or dragonborn mining settlement.
The skill of the smiths of Khezdur is legendary, and while ore and processed metal are a good source of revenue, where Khezdur really makes a profit from other lands is in selling finished metal goods. Becoming a mastersmith is seen as the highest achievement for a dwarf of Khezdur and there is constant competition between smiths to be acknowledged as the best.
Dwarven ales and spirits have also gained a good reputation in other lands. While some of this is down to the skill of the brewers, it is also partly due to the strength of the drinks with the weakest of dwarven ales being twice as strong as that created by any other race.
Most of the dwarves food comes from crops grown underground, and animals that can be raised in the tunnels. While the people of Khezdur can grow some crops in the space between Varbeck's walls, there is relatively little fertile land so they are usually eager to trade with other lands for things like wheat, barley, and other grains. Goods like wool and linen are also in high demand as an alternative to the leather which is the most easily obtained material for clothing.
Districts
Caverns of Khezdur by Tanai Cuinsear
Guilds and Factions
Points of interest
Rocksoul Palace
Located in the centre of Crystal Spires this large structure is the home of The Magrannor and the seat of government. Unlike the homes of other clan leaders the palace is not carved out of a cavern wall. Instead it was formed by a flow of melted rock that was summoned from the depths by Styll Magrannor during the first cycle. The liquid rock was shaped and smoothed as it was brought up by Styll and his fellow clerics to create the palace. The palace stands 4 stories high and has designs honouring the Khelerate and Clan Magrannor on the outer walls. The inner walls and ceilings have a glassy, reflective finish which lets even small light sources illuminate whole rooms or corridors.Hall of Echoes
Home to the Voices of Wisdom the Hall of Echoes is located at the edge of Crystal Spires. A small unobstrusive doorway in the side of the cavern leads into a plain tunnel which winds along for around 100ft before opening into the central chamber of the hall. The central chamber is dominated by al a large statue depicting Moradin at his forge. Considered to be one of the finest statues of Moradin in existence it's creation was what earned the Stonesmiths their name. The statue is enchanted to move and the sound of it's hammer striking the anvil constantly echoes through the hall. Numerous chambers open off the central hall with each containing wisdom collected and recorded by the Voices. Access to this hall is restricted to the Voices and those they deem worthy of entering. Most dwarves wouldn't dream of trying to enter, but there are several guards stationed inside the hall to discourage those who attempt to force their way in. The echo of Moradin's hammer also acts as defence as the sound can stun the unworthy into unconsciousness.Architecture
Khezdur consists of both buildings carved out of the cavern walls and those built with stone blocks or bricks. Older buildings tend to be carved while newer buildings tend to be of build up with blocks or bricks. While there is prestige in having a carved home, concerns over the stability of the caverns has meant that it has become illegal to expand caverns or existing homes in this way.
The outsides of buildings are decorated with statues and frescos depicting heroes and significant moments in a clan's history. The finest statues are created by the Stonesmiths and though they work to ensure their own cavern has the finest decorations they will happily charge large sums to provide work for other clans.
Even stone isn't immune to wear so the floors of caverns and the connecting tunnels are paved with uniform square flagstones so that they can be easily replaced as needed. The tunnel walls are also decorated in a similar way to the outside of buildings, but the subjects depicted are from wider dwarven history rather than being about the glory of an indivisual clan.
Type
City
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