Citadel Adbar
Citadel Adbar
Region Silver Marches
Power Center Conventional
Alignment Lawful Good
Authority Figure King Harbromm
Population 19,962
Primary Source Silver Marches

This mighty redoubt is the northernmost signatory to the confederation of the Silver Marches. Despite its remote location, it is an active trading city. The citadel’s badge is the personal forge mark of its ruler, King Harbromm: an upright, single-bladed handaxe enclosed by a circle of flame, inscribed in red on a silver field.

The city’s army, the legendary Iron Guard, is one of the strongest bodies of soldiers in northern Faerûn. Patrols mounted on warponies guard the surface approaches to the citadel for a day’s travel in all directions, and sometimes range even farther afield to secure the road for caravans bound to or from Citadel Adbar.

Life and Society

The portion of this mighty stronghold that rises above the surface of the ground is visible for miles around, due to the stinking clouds of smoke and flame that belch forth from the venting tower of its main foundry. Built atop a spur of solid rock, the granite walls and towers of the upper levels of the fortress command an impressive view of the surrounding countryside, making it difficult for enemies to approach undetected.

Huge, wicked barbs protrude from its uppermost towers as a deterrent to dragons and other flying opponents. Concentric rings of deep pits and high walls that can be defended one-by-one encircle the surface works. Dozens of defensive platforms line the surface walls, from which defenders train siege engines, fire crossbows, and cast spells down upon the heads of would-be assailants. Overlying all is the constant stink of hot metal. In short, it is clear even to the untrained eye that Citadel Adbar is ready for war, and that its residents do not welcome visitors.

The subterranean areas of the fortress are no less well defended, and good deal more extensive. Countless miles of passages, rooms, chambers, and mines (many of them rigged with traps to contain or kill intruders) wind and twist their way under the solid rock into which the stronghold is built.

There is ample space for many thousands of dwarves to live comfortably for extended periods of time in the underground chambers. However, they were built by dwarves for dwarves. Most other folk find the underground portions of the city uncomfortable, not to mention cramped, and elves find them positively depressing.

Brief History

The citadel is named after its builder, King Adbar, who constructed the place over a thousand years ago as the last hurrah of Delzoun, the ancient dwarf Northkingdom. The stronghold has since then been besieged nearly one hundred times by orc hordes, some reputedly as large as one hundred thousand warriors strong. No enemy force has ever taken the citadel, however—King Adbar’s folk built the stronghold to withstand even prolonged sieges, and successive generation of dwarves have only improved and modified the defenses of the original builders.

Today the stronghold produces fine metalwork for trade throughout the North. Its weapons, armor, tools, and building materials are considered among the best available, and it is a mark of status among some communities to bear arms forged here. Adbar is remote and insular; the dwarves of Citadel Adbar are seldom seen in other areas of the Silver Marches except when traveling on their king’s business or patrolling the mountain slopes near their home.

King Harbromm was initially opposed to conjoining Citadel Adbar with the Silver Marches confederation. He saw no benefit in it for Citadel Adbar and believed that he could best safeguard his folk by maintaining a strict policy of isolationism. He changed his opinion when a delegation headed by Emerus Warcrown and Bruenor Battlehammer visited him to illustrate the benefits to be gained from the league. Although Harbromm still has his doubts, Citadel Adbar is now the primary source of the confederation’s military ordnance, and a regular (if somewhat reluctant) participant n its government.

Game Statistics

Citadel Adbar (large city): Conventional; AL LG; 40,000 gp limit; Assets 39,924,000 gp; Population 19,962; Mixed (shield dwarves 84%, gold dwarves 6%, humans 5%, urdunnir dwarves 3%, deep gnomes 1%, earth genasi 1%).
_ Authority Figures: King Harbromrn, LG male shield dwarf Ftrl7.
_ Important Characters: Rorann Stonehammer, NG male shield dwarf Clr17 of Moradin (leader of the Hammers of Moradin, and high priest of the Hall of Moradin’s Hammer); Throm Forkbeard, LG male shield dwarf Ftr6/Clr5/Chm5 of Gorm Gulthyn (commander of the King’s Guards); Captain Druggath Shieldcleaver, CG male shield dwarf Ftr8/Def6 (commander of the Iron Guard); Helva Darkwatcher, CG female urdunnir dwarf Rog4/Rgr7 (leader of the Deepscouts); Dama Blademaker, N female gold dwarf Exp3/Wiz11 (creator of many magic weapons and most talented weaponsmith of the hold).
_ The Iron Guard—Clr7/Ftr6, Pal13, War13, Bbn12, Ftr12, War12, Clr11, Ftr11, War11 (3), Bbn10, Clr10, Ftr10 (2), War10 (2), Bbn9, Clr9 (2), Ftr9 (2), War9 (3), Bbn (2), Clr8 (3), Ftr8 (2), Pal8 (2), War8 (3), Bbn7, Clr7 (2), Ftr7 (2), War7(6), Bbn6 (2), Clr6 (4), Ftr6 (4), Pal6 (2), War6 (8), Bbn5, Clr5 (5), Ftr5 (5), Pal 5, War5 (12), Bbn4 (2), Clr4 (7), Ftr4 (8), Pal4 (3), War4 (28), Bbn3 (3), Clr3 (11), Ftr3 (11), Pal3 (5), War3 (110), Bbn2 (5), Clr2 (18), Ftr2 (25), Pal2 (4), War2 (344), Clr1 (26), Ftr1 (39), War1 (1,715).
_ The Deepscouts—Rgr9, Rog7, Rgr6 (2), Rog6 (2), Rgr5 (3), Rog5 (2), Rgr4 (4), Rog4 (5).
_ The Hammers of Moradin—Clr9, Clr8 (2), Mnk8, Pal8 (2), Clr7 (4), Mnk7 (2), Pa17 (2), Clr6 (6), Mnk6 (4), Pal6 (3).
The other citizens of Citadel Adbar are too numerous and diverse to enumerate here.
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