The Lands of Warlderia

The Great Halls of Xuthzan

The Great Halls of Xuthzan

Rising amongst the western mountains of the shattered Kingdom of Gar'anash, the Great Halls of Xuthzan remain one of the most formidable fortresses in all of Warlderia. Hewn deep into the living rock by the master craftsmen of an ancient Dwarven kingdom, the city once rivalled the greatest subterranean realms of the age. Even now, centuries after its conquest, visitors cannot fail to marvel at its immense vaulted chambers, perfectly fitted stonework and colossal gatehouses that still guard the mountain approaches.

Unlike many conquered cities, Xuthzan was never destroyed. When the Orc Kingdom reached the height of its power during the Higher Wars, the city was recognised as far too valuable to sack. Instead, the surviving Dwarven artisans were forced to continue their labours beneath Orc rule, maintaining the mines, repairing the forges and passing on enough of their craft to ensure that Xuthzan remained the industrial heart of the kingdom. Though the last true Dwarven masters disappeared generations ago, fragments of their knowledge still survive amongst the Orc smiths who now occupy their workshops. Time has transformed the city.

Elegant Dwarven avenues now echo with marching soldiers rather than merchant caravans. Royal halls have become barracks and feasting chambers for tribal warbands. Ancient temples dedicated to Moradin have been defaced and converted into shrines of Gruumsh and Hextor, whilst magnificent statues of forgotten Dwarf Kings stand scarred by centuries of neglect. Smoke from thousands of furnaces hangs beneath ceilings once polished like mirrors, and the constant thunder of hammers echoes through the mountain day and night. Yet beneath the grime and decay, the greatness of the old city endures. No Orc mason could recreate such vast halls or raise gatehouses of such astonishing scale. Even the Orcs themselves grudgingly acknowledge that they inherited a masterpiece of engineering whose secrets have largely been lost.

The Great Forges

If Tulka commands the seas and the Dark Cleft commands the tribes, then Xuthzan arms them. The mountain contains some of the richest iron and silver deposits remaining within the old Kingdom of Gar'anash, and its workshops produce weapons and armour sought throughout the north-east. Thousands labour within the great foundries, where ore from the upper mines is smelted, forged and fashioned into everything from crude axe heads to finely balanced swords, heavy mail and massive siege engines. The clang of hammer upon anvil never truly ceases. Caravans arrive almost daily from neighbouring Orc settlements carrying timber, charcoal, livestock and slaves, returning laden with arms, armour and mining equipment. Even merchants from Human frontier settlements quietly trade with Xuthzan through intermediaries despite official prohibitions, for few smiths elsewhere can match the quality of its steel. Amongst the Orcs, ownership of a weapon forged in Xuthzan is regarded as a mark of honour.

The Lost Mithril Mines

The true wealth of Xuthzan, however, lies far beneath the workings still known to the Orcs. When the Dwarves first discovered the mountain, it was not the rich veins of iron and silver that transformed Xuthzan into one of the greatest kingdoms beneath the earth, but the vast deposits of Mithril hidden in its deepest reaches. For centuries the precious metal flowed from the mountain in such abundance that entire halls were faced with polished Mithril and the kings of Xuthzan grew fabulously wealthy through trade with the great empires of the age. That wealth ended abruptly. Almost a century ago the Mithril mines were abandoned, and not a single ingot has left the mountain since.

Officially, the richest veins were exhausted long ago, leaving only poorer seams that proved too costly to exploit. Few, however, believe such a convenient explanation. Entire mining companies disappeared without warning. Experienced foremen returned from the depths speaking of unnatural sounds echoing through abandoned galleries, only to refuse ever to descend again. Several of the great shafts were sealed with enormous stone barricades, and passages that had served the mines for generations were collapsed deliberately from above. No records explain why. Amongst the Orcs, countless rumours attempt to fill the silence.

Some believe the Dwarves uncovered an ancient guardian left to protect the mountain during the earliest days of creation. Others claim that the deepest workings finally broke through into the endless caverns of the Underdark, allowing the horrors that dwell below to invade the forgotten galleries. There are whispered tales of entire Dwarven cities still lying intact beneath the Seventh Deep, abandoned so quickly that their forges remain cold but untouched, while darker legends speak of an evil imprisoned by the Dwarves thousands of years ago—an evil whose chains weakened after the fall of their kingdom. The oldest miners tell a different story. They insist that the mountain itself is alive.

They speak of distant hammering from tunnels that no longer exist, of lights moving through sealed galleries, and of voices carried upon currents of air from depths where no living creature could survive. Those few who claim to have seen the deepest levels rarely remain sane for long, and none has ever agreed upon exactly what they encountered. King Mazuug has made no attempt to reopen the Mithril mines. Instead, he has reinforced the ancient seals left by the Dwarves, stationed companies of the Blood Guard throughout the abandoned districts, and declared that no one may descend below the Seventh Deep without his personal authority. Even the Blood Guard obeys that decree without question, and those few explorers who have ignored it have never returned. Whether the Mithril still lies waiting beneath the mountain, or whether something else now claims those forgotten halls, remains one of the greatest mysteries of the shattered Kingdom of Gar'anash.

The Steel Claws

The ruling Steel Claw tribe differs greatly from the other Orc tribes of north-eastern Warlderia. Whilst many Orcs value personal strength above all else, the Steel Claws prize discipline, organisation and military excellence. Every warrior belongs to a recognised company. Officers are promoted for ability rather than birth, and even the humblest soldier is expected to maintain his equipment to an exacting standard. To outsiders they appear almost Dwarven in their discipline. The Steel Claws consider this an insult only because they believe they have surpassed their former rivals. Their philosophy is simple. The Kingdom of Gar'anash did not fall because Humans became stronger. It fell because the Orcs became divided.

The Iron Tusks

At the heart of Xuthzan's military stands the legendary Iron Tusks, the finest professional soldiers in all the Orc realms. Originally formed as the personal household warriors of the Kings of Gar'anash, the Iron Tusks have survived the fall of the ancient kingdom and remain the symbol of disciplined Orc warfare. Unlike the temporary warbands raised by most tribes, the Iron Tusks serve throughout the year. They train constantly in mountain warfare, siegecraft and close-order combat, drilling until they fight with a precision almost unknown amongst Orcs. Every warrior is expected to master shield, axe and spear, whilst officers study engineering and fortification alongside the arts of war. Each warrior is equipped from the Great Forges of Xuthzan with heavy mail, iron helms and finely crafted weapons that are the envy of every neighbouring tribe. Their equipment is maintained to exacting standards, and every suit of armour bears the mark of the Steel Claws.

Although numbering little more than four thousand warriors, the Iron Tusks are widely regarded as the most formidable military force amongst the Orcs. Their discipline allows them to withstand charges that would shatter ordinary warbands, whilst their mastery of mountain fighting has broken more than one invading army upon the approaches to Xuthzan. King Mazuug himself rose through the ranks of the Iron Tusks, eventually commanding the entire force before seizing the throne. Their loyalty to him is absolute, and many believe it is the Iron Tusks—not the tribal chiefs—that truly secure his rule over Xuthzan.

King Mazuug

Only a year ago, the throne of Xuthzan changed hands in blood. For nearly two decades Mazuug had commanded the legendary Iron Tusks, the elite household warriors of the Steel Claw kings. During that time he transformed them from little more than ceremonial guards into the finest professional soldiers amongst the Orcs, forging a force whose discipline rivalled that of the greatest Human armies. When the ageing King finally grew weak, Mazuug acted with ruthless precision. His warriors secured the armouries before the first alarm could be raised. Every gate to the city was occupied by the Iron Tusks, while trusted officers quietly arrested those tribal leaders most likely to resist. By dawn the royal household lay dead, the palace was firmly under Mazuug's control and the banners of the Steel Claws flew above every fortress within Xuthzan. As the sun reached the mountain peaks, the assembled tribal chiefs were summoned before their new ruler.

They were offered only two choices. Swear loyalty or die beside the king they had failed to protect. Few chose the latter. Unlike many Orc rulers who seize power only to squander it in endless feasting and warfare, King Mazuug immediately turned his attention to rebuilding the strength of his realm. Corruption within the mines was ruthlessly eradicated, neglected fortifications repaired and production from the Great Forges increased beyond anything seen since the fall of Gar'anash. Roads through the western mountains are now patrolled year-round, banditry has been almost eliminated and caravans once again travel safely beneath the protection of the Steel Claws.

The Iron Tusks have expanded dramatically under his rule. New companies are raised every year, supplied with the finest armour that Xuthzan's forges can produce and drilled relentlessly until they fight as disciplined formations rather than the unruly warbands favoured by most Orc tribes. Many neighbouring chiefs dismiss such methods as un-Orcish. None question their effectiveness. King Mazuug rarely speaks of conquest or empire. He makes few speeches, holds no extravagant celebrations and seldom leaves the Great Halls except to inspect his armies or the mountain fortresses. Instead, he builds. Each season another section of wall is restored. Another forge is opened. Another company of Iron Tusks marches beneath the banners of the Steel Claws.

Across the fractured lands of the old Kingdom of Gar'anash, many have begun to ask whether Mazuug truly intends only to defend Xuthzan, or whether he is patiently laying the foundations for something far greater. If a new Orc kingdom is ever to rise from the ruins of Gar'anash, there are many who believe it will not be born through fiery speeches or glorious victories at sea, but from the steady rhythm of hammers upon anvils echoing through the Great Halls of Xuthzan.

The Dream of Gar'anash

Many believe King Mazuug intends to restore the ancient Kingdom of Gar'anash. He has never publicly declared such an ambition. Nevertheless, every neighbouring ruler watches Xuthzan with growing concern. Its armies become larger. Its armouries grow fuller. Its walls grow stronger. Whilst the rival tribes of the Dark Cleft squander their strength in endless feuds and Herzag Bloodyhammer builds a maritime empire from Tulka, Xuthzan quietly accumulates the one resource that has always decided the fate of kingdoms. Power. Whether King Mazuug intends merely to defend his mountain realm or to march beneath the ancient banners of Gar'anash once more remains unknown. For now, the furnaces continue to burn, the hammers continue to fall, and deep beneath the mountain something ancient waits in the darkness beyond the sealed Mithril mines