| Category | Ruins |
| Continent | Karterus |
| Region | Ma'Ohari |
| Founded | 17 Hollow 481 LE |
| Map | Anutoth |
In the Lith-Crillion Era, Ilagandam prospectors, seeking precious ores, ventured into Aerruxa and then to the Underdark city of Urbal Nabad. There, they boarded elemental barges and were towed up the Earth Seam by earth elementals, as only the Earthen could navigate against the Seam's current. At the Bandu cave network, they discovered thick gold veins. This gold, to the envy of Urbal Nabad, was transported back down the river, through the city, and then elevated up to Ilagandam. The influx of gold ore from the Mazal-Maram mining camp transformed it into a place of wealth and growth, with the camp's mining leaders also governing the settlement. They grappled with the challenges of ascending the Earth Seam, negotiating costly treaties with its earth elementals, and managing the increasing tolls imposed by Urbal Nabad, as well as potential future tolls to their Ilagandam overseers. In the interests of security and future prosperity, they dug upwards to the surface, founding Tholig-Mizin. This opened up trade with the surrounding people and provided Mazal-Maram a location to refine their gold ore.
The auriferous vein extended upwards for numerous feet, encompassing substantial regions of gold the magnitude of a giant's thigh, followed by hundreds of feet harboring only faint, sporadic traces, until nearing the surface where it diverged into four directions.
The elemental denizens of the Earth Seam, akin to the ferryman of the Styx, frequently demand payment in the form of valuable minerals and gemstones. Some can even be hired to assist with navigation through the Earth Seam. Their services do not come at a modest cost, and they take offense to the unimpeded traversal of areas they chaotically deem as their own domain. On occasion, one may pass through without incident, but at other times, they insist upon a toll. Due to their innate abilities, they can sense the abundance of gold, silver, iron, gems, or other resources from Geb's grace that you possess.
Zûn Rakhs, the dwarven mining overseer, recounted the following in his personal journal - "Gold Spring": The veins of golden ore we discovered last season have proven to be a bountiful find Our team has been working tirelessly to extract the precious metal from the depths of the mountain The seams are rich and plentiful, yielding an impressive quantity of pure gold with each passing day Our progress, however, has not come without its challenges The tunnels are treacherous, requiring great skill and caution to navigate Rockslides and cave-ins have plagued our efforts, forcing us to reroute and shore up the passages Despite these obstacles, our resolve remains unwavering The rewards of our labor are evident in the growing stockpile of ingots we have amassed The luster of the gold is a sight to behold, filling me with a sense of pride and accomplishment I know that our haul will bring great wealth and prosperity to our clan As we continue to delve deeper into the mountain, I remain steadfast in my conviction that this discovery will secure our future The Gold Spring will be the crowning achievement of my career as a mining boss With the blessings of the Forge-Father, may our work continue to be fruitful and our efforts rewarded
Over the subsequent three decades, owing largely to the influx of mining wealth, Tholig-Mizin had flourished in tandem with its Underdark counterpart. In 555 LE, they seceded from Ilagandam. Given the vast distances between the city-state of Ilagandam and the newly established city-state of Tholig-Mizin, this newfound independence gave rise to minimal conflict.
The bustling city of Tholig-Mizin flourished over the subsequent century. This thriving prosperity did not go unnoticed, drawing the keen interest of the formidable red dragon, Urkra'gom. Alone, the great wyrm was never able to muster the requisite strength or cunning to seize control of Tholig-Mizin. However, this dynamic shifted during the Kilth Deeps War, wherein the Reds of Kilth united their forces. Tragically, Tholig-Mizin became the first city to fall before their onslaught.
After the downfall of Varelay, the dwarves returned to their decimated urban centers and commenced the arduous process of reconstruction. When the esteemed Smizerak Empire was founded, the dwarven populace voted with unanimous accord to become a part of this unified domain - none desired to be fragmented and subjugated once more, as had occurred during the Kilth Deeps War.