Khazad-Valdar
Scales:
- Spread: Commonly Known.
- Importance: Significant.
- Age: Ancient.
- Region: The Veiled Lands - Kor’Talor and Valdoria.
- Culture: Duir, Dwelmer and Jotunn, but it is known by all cultures across the Veiled Lands.
Cultural Variations:
The myth of Khazad-Valdar is known by many cultures across the Veiled Lands, although not as important to non-dwarven cultures, the myth is still common knowledge. All the cultures that know the myth have their own name for the city that can mean different things and have a different name for the god that blessed Thror Bergkönig. Although Khazad-Valdar is the universal name for the city, the other names are used to refer to the city in a more poetic way.
| Culture | City Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Alonian (Tallman) Generic | Throrhold | Thror Fortress |
| Asteni (Tallman) Italian | Valdis Magna | Great Valor |
| Dal (Tallman) Hispanic | Montaña Perdida | Lost montain |
| Duir (Dwarven) German | Bergkönigheim | Mountain King’s Home |
| Dwelmer (Dwarven) Nordic | Skaldheim | Home of the Poet |
| Eldar (Elven) Elven | Thalendôr | Fortress land |
| Eldarin (Elven) Japanese | Ichizoku-shiro | Clan’s Castle |
| Mularir (Tallman) Greek | Pantropos Polis | City of Pantropos |
| Yotunn (Dwarven) Giant | Jotunhollr | Jotun’s hall |
The Myth:
Legends speak of a colossal dwarven city-kingdom, lost to time, known as Khazad-Valdar (a common dwarven term for “Mighty Fortress of the Dwarves”) a city made by the direct sons and daughters of the very first clan of dwarves. It is said to be nestled deep within a ravine inside a mountain, in a land with no shores. The city is renowned for its grandeur, its intricate architecture, and its extensive network of tunnels and chambers that span miles. Its halls are adorned with gems and precious metals, and its forges were once the hottest and most productive in the known world.
Legend say that Khazad-Valdar was founded by the first dwarf that found the mountain it was built on, Thror Bergkönig, who was said to be a master craftsman and a mighty warrior. He was known for his wisdom and his ability to forge powerful magical artifacts, in which he would carve poems and songs of his people using powerful runes. The city was said to be a testament to his skill and his vision, a place where dwarves from all over the world would come to learn and to trade. Many of the greatest dwarven heroes and artisans of old were said to have hailed from Khazad-Valdar, and their names are still remembered in the songs and tales of the dwarven people. The city was said to contain endless ores, gold and rare gems, where dwarvenkind would never need to see the moonlight again, as the city was said to be self-sufficient and self-sustaining.
At the entrance of the city, a golden chalice was said to be placed in between a stalagmite and a stalactite, such item was created after Thror Bergkönig lead the dwarves to the mountain, the chalice was made using the first gems and ores found in the mountain, a testament to the endless riches that the mountain would provide to the dwarves. As Thror drank from the chalice, he was blessed by the allhammer and the stormlord, so that his kingdom would always stand strong like the mountain itself. It is said the chalice is immovable and unbreakable, and only the true successor of Thror Bergkönig would be able to remove it from its place. Tales say any dwarf that can move the chalice and drink from it will be blessed by the gods and will recieve the wisdom of the ancestors.
The city was said to have been attacked by a great red dragon, that forced the dwarves to abandon the city, it is unknown if the city still stands and if any dwaves still live there, but the legends say that the city is still strong and that when the time comes, the dwarves will return to their ancestral home and meet with their king and ancestors to reclaim their lost glory, killing the dragon once and for all.