02 - Iron Kingdoms W.. - Captain Spud Is Amazing

108.1.141.197
No other city is like Ghord. It is the most ancient
bastion of civilization on Immoren built stone-by-stone
over countless centuries. It is the mighty capital of Rhul,
steeped in dwarven culture and history, and home to
almost half the kingdom’s population. Two-thirds
of the city is above ground and forms a bewildering
maze of interconnected walls, estates, towers, and
other masterworks of stonemasonry. The other third is
carved deep into the mountain. Buildings are terraced
like the city itself which sprawls across the sloping
side of the rocky mountain. The mighty Armsdeep
flows into a fjord that is Ghord’s port in the Armory
District. At the edge of the city, two massive iron doors
sit on either side of the fjord. Though they have only
been closed once in history, the doors may be shut to
barricade the port from invasion. Four land gates offer
entrance into the city, each in a different district and
with special rules regarding admittance.
Ghord is divided into thirteen districts and further
broken down into neighborhoods. Each district is
watched by a Stone Lord and his clan, all of whom
dwell in massive, ancient estates. The Mining District
overseen by Clan Dohl is entirely underground, yet
most other districts have underground sections as
well—if not as impressive as Dohl’s. Each district has
attracted trade, craft, and commerce loosely related to
the attributes associated with the clan. Overall nearly
200 clans are represented in Ghord with a couple
dozen of them feuding at any given time.
The Church of the Fathers has a presence in every
district, and most wealthy clans maintain a private
church and priests of their own. The largest place of
worship in each district is sponsored and maintained
by the resident Stone Lord as a leader of the Knights
of the Patriarchs.
CongLoMerates
the CongLoMerate is a dwarven organization Most CoMMon
in industries requiring the sMooth Cooperation oF workers
FroM MuLtipLe CLans. a nuMber oF CongLoMerates are
estabLished throughout rhuL, partiCuLarLy in ghord
and its sister-City uLgar. the Most CoMMon are For Mining
and ConstruCtion aLthough soMe trading and shipping
CongLoMerates aLso exist.
CongLoMerates are direCted by a CounCiL oF seats representing
eaCh oF the MeMber CLans. they ensure high quaLity work,
reguLar wages, and a Fair distribution oF proFits. generaLLy a
singLe CLan wiLL doMinate the CongLoMerate based on CLout
with the Moot oF the hundred houses or invested weaLth.
another CoMMon arrangMent Consists oF one CLan providing
the Funding, a seCond providing the Laborers, and a third
providing suppLies proteCtion. CongLoMerates soMetiMes
eMpLoy workers FroM unaFFiLiated CLans but usuaLLy pay nonrepresented
workers a Lower wage.
these groups are periodiCaLLy audited by representatives oF
the great CLans in ghord suCh as CLan dohL whiCh oversees
Mining. the stone Lords do not toLerate groups aLLowing
greed to threaten the seCurity oF rhuL, but their abiLity to
reguLate these groups is LiMited. in uLgar eaCh oF the ruLing
trine has estabLished Mining CongLoMerates oF Lesser CLans
to heLp preserve their MonopoLy over the region’s great
weaLth; they inCLude the bLaCkheeL granite and Copper
CongLoMerate, the durkin goLd CongLoMerate, and the
wroughthaMMer siLver and iron CongLoMerate.
Noted Persons
Stone Lord Guvul Godor (male dwarf Pal18): The
eldest of the Stone Lords, Lord Godor is roughly two
centuries old, ancient even for those whose blood
descends directly from the Great Fathers. Though
he is greatly admired and respected and sometimes
called upon to cast tie breaking votes for the Stone
Lords, the aged dwarf has cold blue eyes and a bristlybrowed,
intimidating gaze. Lord Godor is curious
about what lies beyond the wastes to the east and
believes Rhul must never grow lax. Despite his age
the clan lord still wears his armor for state occasions
and is said to retain great skill with his hammers in
both labor and war.
Bulin Jhord (male dwarf Rog8/Spy7): Bulin
Jhord is the younger brother of Stone Lord Kuld
Jhord. The Jhord clan has a unique relationship to
its peers, for it holds responsibility for Rhul’s noble
spies and protectors. While their Stone Lord is a
paladin like the rest, the second or third Jhord son
has traditionally been trained to master the arts of
stealth and deception. Although subservient to his
brother, Bulin controls the small corps of highly
trained spies utilized by the Mootguard. Like most
of his clan, Bulin has a strong dislike of the Glomring
which he considers unsavory competition. Bulin has
the characteristic dark brown skin of his clan and
has sharp eyes and a clean-shaven pate and chin. He
dresses in fine black cloth with his dagger Raventalon
tucked in his belt at all times. The blade is a symbol of
office for the spymaster of Rhul and a sacred relic of
the Great Father Jhord. Of note, Bulin delights in news
of misfortune for the Glomring and seeks to destroy
the black market in the Coin District.
World Guide 355