Nestled on the jagged eastern edge of the Valley of Spines, Khaz Narak stands as a testament to dwarven resilience and courage.

The Ironvein Clan, the keepers of Khaz Narak, are renowned for their forging prowess and runesmithing, their weapons and armor being sought far beyond their mountain home.

Despite its modest size, Khaz Narak is one of the few inhabited holds left on the eastern edges of the Ironhelm Mountains. The hold’s location near the treacherous Valley of Spines makes it both strategically important and perilous. Bands of goblins and orcs that infest the lowlands to the east have tested the Ironvein defenses for generations, yet the hold has never fallen.

But Khaz Narak is not without its shadows. Beneath the well-trodden halls lies a sealed vault, long abandoned by dwarves of generations past. Whispers among the smiths and runescribes speak of a darkness that slumbers below, a presence older than the hold itself. Some say it is a cursed forge, others a prison for a creature best left undisturbed. The Ironvein elders forbid entry, claiming the halls were sealed “for the good of all,” but rumors persist—strange noises echoing up the stone stairways, fleeting glimpses of a shape in the darkness, and the occasional dwarf disappearing for days only to return changed and silent.

Visitors to Khaz Narak often notice a subtle unease in the hold’s atmosphere: a chill that lingers in the lower levels, the flicker of shadows in corners where no torchlight reaches. Yet life continues—hammers ring, runes glow, and the forge fire never dies.

Key Info

Leader: Lord Tharan Ironvein

Political System: Clan structure

Population: 600 estimate

Trade Goods: Forged Goods and Runesmithing

Founded: BDE 1458 by Lord Tain ‘Black Axe’ Ironvein