Five Kings Mountains

Five Kings Mountains

The Five Kings Mountains are tall and imposing peaks, rich with ore and ironbloom mushrooms. Heavily populated by dwarves, they are the largest center of dwarven culture on or beneath Golarion. Highhelm, the largest dwarven city on Golarion is located under one of its peaks: the lofty Emperor's Peak.

Structure

The region has no central authority, as each of the various city-states has its own government and traditions. Because it is the only remaining Sky Citadel in the range, the city of Highhelm is considered the de jure capital. High King Borogrim the Hale convenes a meeting of the Gathering Council, composed of the rulers of Larrad, Highhelm, Kovlar, Taggoret, Rolgrimmdur, and Tar-Kazmukh once every 200 years. The meetings of the Gathering Council are known to go on for months.

History

Darklands prehistory

The Five Kings Mountains were not always populated by the dwarves. They believe that Torag himself forged the first of them deep in the Darklands during the Age of Creation, where they continued to live and work quite happily throughout their early history. Even though they were content in their sunless home, Torag prophesied that one day the ground would shake and mark the beginning of a great migration to the surface of Golarion. 

The Quest for Sky

In -3293 AR, the massive earthquakes caused by Earthfall not only devastated the surface, but shook the dwarves' Darklands tunnels as well. Their priests declared that this was the fulfilment of Torag's prophecy, and initiated a mass migration of all dwarves to the surface known as the Quest for Sky. Some dwarves refused their call and chose to remain in their ancient cities. Over the millennia, those left behind were transformed by their environment into an entirely new species: the duergar.

This massive movement of people was not without its problems. As they moved closer to the surface, they displaced their ancient enemies, the orcs, causing countless battles, and driving the orcs upward as well. The dwarves also squabbled amongst themselves, even erupting into open warfare that stalled the Quest for Sky. It was not until the great king Taargick united the dwarves through diplomacy, wisdom, and quite a bit of coercion that the migration was resumed. Taargick crowned himself the king of all dwarves in -3133 AR, and founded the kingdom of Tar Taargadth, and the dwarves finally emerged on the surface in -2987 AR.

Retaking the Surface World

Upon their arrival, the dwarves discovered that their migration had unleashed a deluge of orcs upon the surface, and that their enemies had easily overpowered the few peoples who had survived Earthfall and the subsequent Age of Darkness. In order to better defend themselves, and to commemorate the successful completion of the Quest for Sky, they built 10 massive city-fortresses known as Sky Citadels. The first and greatest of these Sky Citadels was Highhelm in the Five Kings Mountains and it was from here that the rulers of Tar Taargadth started to bring civilization back to the decimated surface world. Even though the two races continued fighting, the Sky Citadels, combined with the return of the sun and the end of the Age of Darkness, gave the dwarves significant tactical advantages over the next 1,000 years. Once the orcs had been driven back into the hills and mountains, the dwarves began a rapid expansion of their domain, coupled with rapid population growth that led to their golden age.

Decline of Tar Taargadth

Sadly nothing lasts forever, and the golden age of Tar Taargadth was no exception. The orcs, once confined to the edges of the civilized world, gained in strength and began attacking the Sky Citadels. Under the command of Belkzen, the greatest orc hero of all time, they conquered the Sky Citadel of Koldukar (now known as Urgir in the Hold of Belkzen) in -708 AR. This defeat, and the loss of other Sky Citadels in the subsequent centuries, led to a decline in dwarven power and prestige. Even though Tar Taargadth continued into the Age of Enthronement, it never recaptured its lost greatness.

Era of the Five Kings

The government of Tar Taargadth finally collapsed in 351 AR, leaving each of the four remaining occupied Sky Citadels to fend for itself: Dongun Hold in what today is the Mana Wastes, Janderhoff in Varisia, Kravenkus in the World's Edge Mountains of Taldor, and Highhelm. As the first and greatest of the Sky Citadels, Highhelm held as special place in the imaginations of the dwarves, and it was around this great fortress-city that a new dwarven kingdom rose after the disbanding of Tar Taargadth.

Five separate dwarven nations were founded around Highhelm in the Five Kings Mountains in the decade following Tar Taardath's collapse, each ruled by one of five brothers. Gardrick I founded Gardadth in 357 AR, Saggorn the Holy established the Pious Kingdom of Saggorak in 359 AR, Doggon followed suit with the Impenetrable Kingdom of Doggadth in 360 AR, Grak the Younger founded the Laborious Kingdom of Grakodan in 361 AR, while Taggrick I established the Everlasting Kingdom of Taggoret in 362 AR.

A mere nine years after the founding of the last of the five kingdoms, the first of no less than nineteen civil wars broke out in 371 AR. Known as the Five Kings War, it lasted 700 years before the kings of the five nations finally negotiated the Kerse Accord in 1032 AR with the help of a delegation from Druma. This treaty ended the civil wars and began a long-lasting peace. It is these five great kings that give the region its name, and in celebration of the event, they carved the likenesses of these forward-thinking monarchs into the the sides of mountains overlooking the important passes in the region.

The peace last only 160 years, before their ancient enemy, the orcs, invaded the dwarven kingdoms in 1192 AR. One by one the five kingdoms collapsed and their great cities fell to their enemy; the only city to resist was Highhelm. With the demise of the other five kingdoms, the Era of the Five Kings was over.

The Wild Era and Tar Khadurrm

Khadon the Mighty arrived in the Five Kings Mountains in 1297 AR aiming to destroy the orcs and end their 100-year occupation of the region. After 82 years of war, Khadon defeated the orcs in 1379 AR at the Battle of Splitmist Pass, and founded the empire of Tar Khadurrm. The city of Jernashall was founded under the mountains in 1412 AR and became the pre-eminent city of the new empire and later its capital. Jernashall's sister city of Raseri Kanton was founded on the surface in 1451 AR, and became a vital trade centre in the region.  

Recent developments

In the 250 years since Khaldon's death no single dwarf has been able to unite his people in the Five Kings Mountains. The remaining four Sky Citadels are great metropolises, but none can claim to be more than a city-state. No one has emerged with the will, ability, and charisma to reunite the dwarves of Avistan into a single, unified people.

Territories

The Five Kings Mountains are a harsh and dangerous area. The mountains are mostly rocky with occasional plateaus. They are home to savage giants and bloodthirsty wildlife, with few natural resources worth exploiting. The nations that surround the mountains (Druma, Kyonin, Galt, Andoran, and Isger) haven't establish settlements any closer than the foothills and don't approach the dwarven territory. They also do not interfere with the industry carried out by the stout folk in the higher reaches, although they usually conduct a profitable trade with the dwarves. At the forested foothills, dwarven lumber-mills work to procure timber and firewood to support tunneling operations, and to provide light and heat below the surface.

Massive iron gates decorated with a huge dwarf faces carved above the entrance, guard all primary ways into to cities of the Five Kings Mountains. Smaller entrances located on high, otherwise inaccessible plateaus allow the stout folk to cultivate crops and provide grazing land for their herds. Additionally, a large number of iron-grated tunnels ensure that fresh air reaches even the deepest tunnels, and smoke and toxic gases can be safely vented away. Reservoirs have been built that catch the seasonal snow-melt and fill the subterranean cisterns with clear water.

Underground, the dwarves have done miracles of engineering. Deep inside the mountains lie sprawling megalopolises that stretch the length of the Five Kings Range. Nearly all dwarven settlements of the Five Kings Mountains are linked by long tunnels, though there are occasional tunnel collapses, or tunnels that are sealed on purpose, in places like Droskar's Crag or the sealed-off ancient city of Saggorak. Dwarves are forced to travel above ground in these cases. The stout folk have constructed sturdy, iron gates throughout these tunnels, having learned their lesson during the orc invasions. The gates are usually open to help the travel between the cities. For safety reasons. the dwarven cities are arranged in dozens of discrete semi-autonomous caverns. Tunnels and caverns are supported by enduring vaulted arches. The dwarven tunnels are well planned, smoothed, and rune-curved, and the halls and passages of the dwarven cavern-cities are hung with rich tapestries and banners to honour of their history, heroes, leaders, and gods. Despite the ability of their race to see in the dark, most of the inhabited areas in the dwarven settlements are lit by oil lamps, tallow candles, torches, or magic spells, because the dwarves appreciate colour and the play of light. Their mines are never lit with true fire due to the existence of explosive gases.

Foreign Relations

The dwarves of the Five Kings Mountain have business relationships with Andoran even though the Andorens' democratic ideals fail to sit well with the conservative dwarves.

The dwarves will always hold a fondness for the people of Druma who helped them negotiate the Kerse Accord and put an end to their internal wars. Primary trade destinations of the stout folk are the Druman cities of Kerse and Macridi. Flat-bottom boats filled with metal goods and weapons move downstream from Highhelm to both cities on a regular basis.

The dwarves see Isger as a potential military threat, and are concerned by the large number of bandits coming from Isger. The Isgeris' infernal allies also do not sit well with the dwarves.

Their relations with the elves of Kyonin is good. There is a healthy trade between the two nations and they frequently discuss how to deal with their human neighbours.

Relations with Taldor are very good as both nations have cultural similarities, such as an ordered social hierarchy. Taldor has long encouraged dwarven immigration from the Five Kings Mountains as the dwarven skills of mining and metalworking are greatly appreciated.

The dwarves of the Five Kings Mountains are currently allied with the Pathfinder Society of Absalom to investigate a newly discovered Sky Citadel in the Worldwound.

Society

Because more dwarves live on and beneath the Five Kings Mountains than anywhere else on Golarion, and because Highhelm was the first and greatest of the mighty Sky Citadels to be built upon the completion of the Quest for Sky during the Age of Darkness, the mountain range and its city-states hold a special place in the hearts and minds of many dwarve