Khul'Zarek
“In the forge, all things are tested. Even oaths.”
The dwarves of Khul’Zarek are born not merely in fire—but for it. Their lives are shaped by molten rivers that run through their cities, threading between forge, hall, and hearth. Every settlement is built with lava-veins in mind: they cook over them, smelt by them, light their homes from them. Over generations, their bodies have adapted—skin toughened like fired clay, lungs lined with silicate meshings that filter ash and endure heat. Infants are presented to the Forge-Fume during the Naming Rite, their first breath taken in steam and ember-scent. To outsiders, the air is blistering and cruel; to Khul’zareki, it is as familiar as a mother’s breath. They do not merely tolerate the heat—they carry it within.
Dwarves of the Black Breach Mountains
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Settlements of Note
Ashkarûl – Capital of volcanic forges and fire-bound treaties (25,000 Dwarves, 18,750 Yndrellin)
Vulkrad-Khûl – Known for pyresteel, slagglass, and battlecraft (20,000 / 15,000)
Cindrûn-Thal – Gateway to the lava rivers; makers of ember-shields (15,000 / 11,250)
Lavak-Kharn – Cliffside forge-town channeling molten flow (2,500 / 1,875)
Volgrath’s Hollow – Caldera-settlement famed for obsidian vaults (2,000 / 1,500)
Zarvûn-Dûl – Quarry of emberstone and crimson-brick (1,500 / 1,125)
Forgefall – Ashplain outpost (1,000 / 750)
The Yndrellin of Khul’Zarek
Found in every hold, especially Ashkarûl and Vulkrad-Khûl, the Yndrellin here are revered for their flame-carving, lava-glass inlay, and stone-light filigree. Their domes glow with soft bioluminescence beneath the blackstone ridges.
Technology
In the depths of Khul’Zarek, where volcanic fumes drift unseen and the breath of the mountain can turn deadly, the dwarves employ Resonance Chimes—thin metal rods tuned to frequencies only distorted by certain gases. Hung at thresholds, tunnels, and ventilation halls, these chimes sing in the silence of stone. A clear, steady ring means safety. A warped hum, a stuttered echo, or silence where sound should be warns of danger. The dwarves say the mountain speaks first through the chimes, and wise folk listen. Some Yndrellin smiths even embed whisper-gems into the chimes to record their last song before failure—turning death into a final note of warning.
Resonant Chime
