Chapter 38 Trivia - Disputes in the North

The lands of the Silver League and the northern Sword Coast have historically been the scene of feuds and political events.Threats come from the constant invasion of orcs, giants from the Spine of the World and some evil creatures who have been coveting any opportunity to profit.Yet tenacious dwarves and humans settled there, and they refused to be driven out.Drizzt Do'Urden and his friends live with the dwarves in this troubled land, fending off the intrigues and dangers that lurk everywhere. (RA Salvador's latest Hunter's Blade series is the story under this background) What are the people here like, and what kind of society did they create?

Northern Faerûn is pretty cold - full of tundra areas like the famous Icewind Dale.Frost giants and white dragons live in the mountains on the Spine of the World.Because it is covered by ice and snow all the year round, farming here is very difficult, and people who live here must find special ways to make a living. Rich mineral deposits are the main source of life for the dwarven fortresses in this area.Mithril, silver, iron, copper and various mineral sources are buried in the mountains.The dwarves joined humans to turn the mined deposits into sellable products, ranging from weapons, horseshoes, wheels, and other exquisite crafts.These goods were sold to the south through merchant trade in Silvermoon City, and a larger part was transported from Mirabar, the mining capital, to Waterdeep City.With the increasing prosperity of the Northland, the competition and conflicts among the cities have become increasingly fierce.

The dwarves founded Felbar centuries ago, and they handed over the stronghold to humans after they moved deep into the mountains of the Spine of the World.Fort Fairbar is located in the north of the Supreme Forest and northeast of Silvermoon City. This fortress has always been prosperous. Three hundred years ago, the orcs breached the fortress and renamed it "Fortress of Many Arrows".Orcs have occupied the fortress for centuries, and they should be able to continue, as they have greatly increased in number.However, they were troubled by their own kindred. Another huge tribe of orcs migrated south from the Spine of the World, planning to plunder all the cities to the south along the way.

On the way, they passed the Keep of Many Arrows, and for some reason they decided to lay siege to the Keep of Many Arrows instead of pushing south.The battle was fierce, and many Orcs on both sides were killed.The orcs who had been besieging the fortress had been fighting for more than four months to break through the gates, and they would have had every chance of killing King Obould Many-Arrows if no third enemy joined the conflict.A powerful team of dwarves found that the infighting among the orcs was an excellent opportunity for them. When the time was right, they attacked the orcs on both sides, and it was a massacre.The dwarves drove Obard and his orcs from the fortress, and they killed most of the besieging orcs.Thus the South was saved, and Fort Felbar returned to the dwarves.

At that time, the dwarf king of Fairba City was Emerus Warcrown.He held the fort and waited for reinforcements, hoping that the orcs would not organize a comeback against his weakened army anytime soon.Luck, or the gods, were on his side, and six hundred shield-bearing dwarves arrived the following spring.Four years later, the defenses of the fortress of Felbar were strengthened again. Felbar Fortress was built on the plain between the Moon Forest and the small mountains to the east.The mines are more scattered here than in the great mountains, but the dwarves do a good job.Recently, they have started doing business with Mithril Hall, Mirabar, and even Silvermoon City in the west.The success of the trade allowed the population to continue to grow and ensure dwarven rule for centuries to come.

When the Warhammer Horde, the greatest dwarven tribe, came to the North, they built this fortress at the corner of the Spine of the World, which leads directly to the mineral resources and to the Underdark.It is the Underdark that curses the fate of its dwarven inhabitants.The dwarves dug far too fast and too deep for mithril, and terrible things happened to them.No one knows how this happened, they awakened a Shadow Dragon from the Shadow Plane.The dwarves had no preparations against such a powerful foe, but they fought bravely, though in the end they were slain by the Shadow Dragon and his followers.The shadow monster teamed up with the evil gray dwarves to hunt down and drive out the remaining survivors, and finally occupied the dwarven fortress.

In 356DR, 65 years after the appearance of the dragon, Bruenor Warhammer returned from Icewind Dale.As a descendant of the old king Gundaron Warhammer, he eliminated the dragon through a fierce battle.After Shadow Dragon's defeat, Bruno's dwarf warriors drove away other monsters and took back the fortress. Bruno became the eighth king of Mithril Hall.It took years for the dwarves to return to their homeland, but the Warhammer Horde grew stronger.They continued to clear the remaining enemies from the Underdark, and began mining mithril and other metals again.Their success has changed the original economic structure of the entire region, especially the city of Mirabar.But the rise of Mithril Hall is a good thing for the development of Northland.

Mithril Hall is connected to the other dwarven strongholds, Felbar and Adbar, and Mirabar by passages in the Underdark. Dwarves can support each other without the knowledge of the enemy.This is a very important strategic advantage, and Bruno Warhammer intends to use it as much as possible.He traveled among the cities of the North, forming alliances with other dwarves, and his integrity and straightforwardness made his foreign policy more effective.But he doesn't impress humans who are prone to hypocritical decorum, lies, and politics. Although not part of the Silver League, Mirabar still has a significant presence in this area.As the mining center of the Sword Coast, it provides mineral deposits and other craft products to the residents of Waterdeep and the south.There is a direct commercial road between Mirabar and Waterdeep, with convenient transportation.

The city of Mirabar is actually divided into two parts.Dwarves who mined minerals lived in dungeons, and their work supported Mirabar and brought wealth to the city.Surface cities are mainly inhabited by humans, with a few gnomes and elves.These races work and live together, but their hobbies and living habits are completely different from each other. The city of Mirabar is ruled by a hereditary marquis who is, in fact, the king of the land.The Marquis wielded some power, but his greatest glory was as Lord of Mirabar.The real power to make decisions and make laws belongs to a council called Yaoshi.This council is composed of humans and dwarves, and they generally will not interfere with the Marquis unless his actions affect the city's property issues.The Yaoshi council decides the target output for the year and who to trade with.The Marquis manages the day-to-day affairs of the city.He is assisted by a consul, whose job is mainly to negotiate trade agreements, communicate with other cities, and so on.These trivial matters, in the Marquis' opinion, were not worthy of his attention, and he did not need to worry about them at all.

The resurgence of Mithril Hall has caused considerable distress to the Marquis of Mirabar, but it has not affected his advisors and members of the Shining Stone Council too much.The Marquis is a typical daydreamer, and he is not witty. He is worried that the future status and wealth of Mirabar City, as well as his own status and wealth, will plummet due to the high-quality metal products from Mithril Hall flooding into the market. The mountains known as the Spine of the World lie in the northernmost reaches of Faerûn.Farther away is a sea of ​​ice and storms, and anyone who tries to pass through here will only have a dead end.Additionally, the inhabitants of Faerûn consider it a sacred realm where their gods dwell.

The rolling Spine of the World mountains are thousands of feet high, and the steep southern slopes are forested to form a natural barrier.According to local residents, such terrain is just enough to effectively block travel to the north.Some of the inhabitants are concentrated in places like Icewind Dale, which lies to the west of the Northern Mountains, and traveling here requires a great deal of risk.The peaks and mountains are home to frost giants, dragons, yeti apes, and other fearsome creatures of the cold lands.Groups of humanoid creatures such as orcs, gnolls, and goblins live in the caves and mine tunnels dug by the dwarves at the bottom of the mountain.From the tunnel of the dwarves, you can go to Icewind Dale through the Spine of the World, which is the only road most travelers can choose.The tribe of frost giants, under their new leader, Gert Orelsdottr, controls the passes through the mountains. Exiled Orc King Obard All Arrows of the Keep of Many Arrows (Firba) has found his new home in the Spine of the World.He conspired with the frost giants and dark elves to attack the south and build a powerful new kingdom for him and his sons. He would never forget the shame of being taken from Fortress of Many Arrows. According to Obard's plan, the days when Emerys War Crown ruled in the kingdom that belonged to him would not last long.