Kaladim
Kaladim is the underground city of the Dwarves of Norrath. A huge carved statue of a dwarf marks the entrance of their city onto the rugged Butcherblock Mountains.
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Map
 North Kaladim
Note that there is a merchant who sells Ore located at approximately 750, 200 on this map. |
 South Kaladim
Note that the Loom is located in a short dead end tunnel at approximately 30, 200 on this map. The short tunnel is on the map, but the Loom isn't marked. |
Surrounding Areas
Butcherblock Mountains is a vast expanse of rough terrain on the north end of which lies Kaladim. The dwarves have guard stations scattered throughout the mountains, but they have been unable to claim the region for their own, and many dangerous monsters still wander around freely.
Traveling To and From Kaladim
Kaladim's entrance is along the northern border of the Butcherblock Mountains. To the west of this entrance lies the port where the dock from the continent of Antonica arrives, taking travellers to and from Freeport. Far in the other direction, through the mountain passes, lies the entrance to the forest of the elves, Greater Faydark. To the south lies the narrow pass to Dagnor's Cauldron.
History
From the time of Dagnor Butcherblock, the first Dwarven king, before the Elven Empire was established in the east, the dwarves thrived in the mountains to the west, surrounding the forest presently known as "Lesser Faydark." The dwarves settled into the jagged cliffs of what is known as the Butcherblock Mountains and there established their golden kingdom of Kaladim, the "forge of Norrath."
In the rule of Grimmly Fireforge, the 12th Dwarven king, nearby Ogres grew envious of the gold-rich mountain mines and the stone cutting skill of the Kaladim kingdom. This resulted in an intense racial hatred and many small fights occurred between the two kingdoms. In the middle of the second age, with the Elven wars raging to the east, the Dwarven nation was beset with an unanticipated and bloody war of their own when the Ogres took advantage of the situation in the east by launching a campaign against the kingdom of Kaladim, knowing the Elves could not afford to lend aid to the Dwarves.
The 5th warlord of the Rakthokian kingdom believed the key to annihilating the Dwarves was through destroying the trading centers and mining villages scattered through the northern Butcherblocks. He marched his army of Ogres and orcish slaves west across the Hills of Shade directly to north without fear of Elven intervention. The Dwarves still retell the horrible tales of the first Ogre attacks. The Dwarves were unprepared to meet such an unanticipated invasion force and the peaceful outlying cities of northern Kaladim were overrun in the opening days of the war. Ogre warriors showed no mercy, killing hundreds of Dwarves; no quarter was shown for women or children, for old or infirm. The bloodthirsty Ogres and their orcish slaves were thorough in their destruction. To this day very few hamlets outside of the capital of Kaladim can be found.
While the vile warlord's army reveled in its wicked deeds, dawdling over the eradication of the Dwarves outside the gates of Kaladim, King Grimmly was not lying by idly. He rapidly gathered a defense of stalwart miners and axe men, trained warriors and the men and women of Brell Serilis's temples. Anyone strong enough to lift an axe, sword, or pick was out fitted to meet the invaders. Within days of first hearing word of the threat to Kaladim, Grimmly was prepared to make his wrath known. On Crakthorn Ridge, just south of the Gates of Kaladim, the largest force of Dwarves ever assembled was ready to meet the invaders, their king at the fore. It was now the Ogres' turn for surprise. The fighting on the ridge was savage and brutal and the Ogres were forced to retreat to more favorable ground. The Ogre army was pushed back into the Hills of Shade with the Dwarves in close pursuit.
Unnoticed by Rakthokian horde, King Grimmly sent a small band of seasoned warriors to the south and east to see what could be seen of the enemy. Near the edge of the Faydark they observed a remaining fighting reserve of the Ogre army guarding the enemy's southern flank. This reserve, however large and potentially capable of swinging the war back in the favor of the Ogres, was populated primarily with orcs. For the only time in known history, Dwarves and orcs entered into an alliance of sorts. Appealing to the innate cowardice of the orcs, Grimmly's representatives convinced the orcs to slink into wilder lands of Faydwer, avoiding the risks of battle and a continued life at the feet of the Ogres. The Dwarves promised the orcish slaves they would leave them to their new freedom if the orcs would discontinue fighting for their masters. Thus the orcish slaves retreated from Lesser Faydark to the east, leaving the Ogres' southern flank wide open to an amassing second force of Dwarves. Caught between the two pincers of the Dwarven army the Ogres were decimated. The warlord fled with his few remaining soldiers to the south, escaping Faydwer altogether. Kaladim was safe once again.
As an historical side note, it is significant to briefly mention here the founding of Crushbone. While the Dwarves intended to keep their pact with the orcs, one group of orcs failed to keep their end of the agreement. A third of the freed orcs opted to settle much to close to the civilized lands of Faydwer. Founding Crushbone, the Dwarves felt, was a breaking of the limited alliance, re-igniting the feud between the Dwarves and the orcs. Accepting their role in loosing the orcs on nearby Kelethin, the Kingdom of Kaladim maintains a bounty on the orcs of Crushbone.
In more recent times, the local papers and bar talk are a buzz with the official trading embargo King Stormhammer has placed on Qeynos. Stemming from a case of discrimination against Dwarves by the tavern known as the Lion's Mane in the western Antonican city, the Dwarven king has called for a halt to trade until an apology is made by the tavern.
Local Color
Places
This town is completely carved out of the mountains, and winds its way ever deeper. The guilds have each carved out their own niches in different areas of the caverns, forming a network of warrens that all dwarves call home.
People
The dwarves wander throughout their town, busy on business and protecting their community from the pressures outside. Many of the strongest warriors of the land, as well as its most devout, hail from these halls, and the inhabitants carry themselves with pride because of it.
