Krarthjar

Category	Strongholds
Continent	Brucrumus
Region	Grashakh
Built	19 Hollow 762 HE
Map	Inirthak

Krarthjar is an expansive complex situated within the picturesque Atlaknar highlands. Its fortifications and structures sprawl across a mountainous, hilly terrain, occupying a staggering twelve square miles. While some assert this to be the most colossal fortress in all of Brucrumus, others take a more technical stance, contending that it is not a single fortress, but rather an interconnected network of numerous such strongholds.

Work on the first castle, now an under-fortress, commenced during the Titan Era. In 760 HE, the exiled King Asmorgerd, banished for consorting with their blood-enemies, and his followers traveled south. Nearly 10,000 individuals left the fiery wastes of Borngring, journeying along the coasts of the Core Sea and into the Grashakh Region. After traversing a thousand miles, they discovered a new home. With unusual fervor, the king proclaimed, "Tomorrow we shall construct our new abode."

King Asmorgerd Tolfreid governed Hofthorm from 745 HE to 760 HE. He was banished from this empire after it was discovered he had Glangveif concubines. He and his followers, numbering nearly 10,000, fled southward out of Cinazan, settling in the volcanic vales of Atlaknar.

Ermikel the Balance, from the Species Codices - "Noble Bloodlines of the Titan Empires"

Work on Krarthjar commenced on 19 Hollow 762 HE. Since that fateful day, three millennia in the past, countless kings and warlords have held dominion over this land. Some have augmented its strength, while others have beautified it; even in periods of apparent lawlessness, the residents have continued to make their own improvements. In a matter of years, a simple shack can be transformed into a grand manor, the owner investing substantial wealth into the construction and seeing it through to completion by any means necessary, whether through force or other measures. This unwavering desire to leave one's mark on the ever-evolving fortress stems from an ancient artifact said to still reside within - a mere glimpse of Thyrm's Blueprints is enough to ignite a fervent building spree that may be completed in a matter of days or span an entire lifetime.

During the reign of the Tolfreids, Krarthjar was in constant conflict with the people of Izanargam and later Gimhak. In the later reigns, they came into conflict with the elves settling in the Nárfaltuin forest. These conflicts were usually the result of Krarthjar being an open buyer of slaves, or actively participating in labor roundups as they called them. Krarthjar's diplomats often proclaimed to their counterparts: "We are debt-ridden and broke, yet there is still much to be done in Krarthjar; it is for the good of the people, the good of Krarthjar, and what is good for her has always been good for the people around it." There is some truth in this, as during Krarthjar's building sprees, economies for hundreds of miles around benefited dramatically.

A vast host of humanoids called The Moles reside in the hills just north of this locale. These tunnel-crafting goblins spend the majority of their time below the surface. With an apparent multitude of tunnels in the hills, dozens are purported to lead into Krarthjar's subterranean labyrinth. The central surface area, the former palace domain of the Tolfreid monarchs, is governed by rebellious Bloodbeards. This collective is composed of dwarven clans that abandoned Umahanbad for political motives. In total, the population of Krarthjar and the immediately underlying regions is estimated to be 50,000 souls.

In the era of the Arduous March ( 1041 - 1096 ) , around the time when Othragmac was founded, eerie tales circulated about the mountains north of the Nárfaltuin forest being cursed. Some spoke of Krarthjar as a place built atop a slumbering Primordial, or that an ancient demon left over from the Demon Spawn War ( 89 GE - 269 GE ) lurked in the area, tormenting mortals with endless toil. These tales, coupled with reports of Krarthjar's extensive fortifications, convinced the Ageless Emperor, leader of the Orchish Empire, to decree that "Atlaknar was off limits, never to be settled."