Khaz Morgris
Set high in the Sither Expanse, the fortress city of Khaz Morgris guards the border with Dolene, Harrowheart and the Republic of Idland. The Dwarves relations with Harrowheart have not always been civil, and while the ramparts of Khaz Morgris are no longer lined with aging skulls in elaborate helms from the past war against Harrowheart, they most likely remain in the fortresses cellars. These days, the soldiers of Khaz Morgris are more often called upon to patrol Grey Lady and Axe Bite pass, protecting travelers and merchants from orcs, bandits, and other menaces. Khaz Morgris' keep was carved directly out of the mountainside by Dwarfs long ago. Three tiers of stout stone walls buttress a great granite mountain, dominating the surrounding terrain and offering an excellent view of the roads below. Adjoining Helmgart proper, is a huge, imposing wall broken only by a single, long tunnel standing between the two, sheer mountainsides: the only route through to the Republic of Idland and beyond. Among the troops garrisoning the fortress are a number of storied regiments. Most famously, the gunners of Mackensen’s Marauders – a notorious ranger regiment of the Dwarves – are well known for their deadly accuracy, a fearsome reputation perhaps aided by the lack of cover on the road below the high walls. The fortress sits at one end of the great road that leads directly through the mountains. As guardian of the principle trade route between the nations of Sithre, Khaz Morgris is equal parts imposing citadel and bustling trade metropolis. Here, merchants barter brandy, wine, fine fabrics, arms, and armor. The local Dwarf clans trade ingots of silver, lead, and iron, along with precious pieces of Dwarf-smithed metalwork. With so many merchants and traders, the markets of Khaz Morgris is a bustling place, rife with endless opportunities and uncounted thieves. Khaz Morgris is situated within Roc Peak, high among The Sither Expanse. The road from the cities great gate skirts a small lake, Copper Tarn, at the foot of the mountain, and runs west, reaching Axe Bite Pass after two days. Along the northern mountain roadway toward Khaz Zengir, Dwarven Rangers patrol and gaurd, while seven days’ south lies the Spire of the Swan, a Dwarven fortress tower. A highland track leads eastwards from the hold, reaching Grey Lady Pass after a week, passing a handful of smaller villages, some above some below the range. Rock falls are common and sometimes the path crumbles away to a dizzying drop of thousands of feet. Orcs, trolls, and other highland monsters regularly prey on travelers. Travel is impossible for all but the hardiest dwarf ranger in winter, when the mountains are blanketed in thick snow, and ice storms howl through the peaks.
As long as the oldest dwarf can remember, a giant Roc has nested atop the highest outcrop of Roc Peak. Its wingspan is as long as thirty men, and it can speak the languages of dwarfs, men, and elves. The goat-herders upon the peak respect this bird as the true king of the peaks and offer it the pick of their flocks. In return, the eagle gives them information on the movements of the orc tribes.
Defences
Two-thirds up the western face of Roc Peak, an imposing bastion bristling with cannons guards a fifty-foot gate of brass, flanked by towering statues of Moridan. Over the centuries, countless orc hordes and winter goblin armies have tried to breach the rune-protected gate, but it stands unscratched. Orc and goblin skulls are piled high at the foot of the defenses. Squat watchtowers safeguard the road zigzagging up to the Gates of the city and dot the surrounding mountain sides, using a relay of beacons to warn the Khaz of approaching danger and messenger-hawks for quick communication.
Industry & Trade
Iron, copper, and tin are plentiful below Roc Peak, providing Khaz Morgris with the basic resources it needs to sustain its workshops. However, in recent centuries the hold’s seams of gold and silver have dwindled, and it has increasingly relied upon trade with the Grand Republic of Idland for the supply of these precious metals.
Type
Capital
Population
139,000
Location under
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
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