Shanatar

Shanatar or Deep Shanatar was the underground realm of the shield dwarves. It first came into being around -10800 DR when Taark Shanat and his dwarves migrated west from Bhaerynden and defeated the inhabitants of the Rift of Dhalnadar in the Cloaker Wars to found Alatorin.

After the Spawn Wars, the subterranean part of Shanatar consisting of the eight sub-kingdoms became known as "Deep Shanatar" whilst the part above ground became known as "High Shanatar".

Sub-kingdoms
The eight sons of Taark each formed their own kingdom in Shanatar, adopting one of the children of Moradin as a deity. Of the original eight kingdoms that composed it, the sole surviving one is the reclusive Iltkazar.

Whereas in Alatorin the dwarves of Shanatar primarily venerated Moradin and Berronar, the eight subkingdoms each venerated their own deity:
 * Barakuir (Laduguer)
 * Holorarar — merged after its fall with Barakuir
 * Drakkalor (Abbathor)
 * Iltkazar (Clangeddin Silverbeard)
 * Korolnor (Diinkarazan)
 * Sondarr (Vergadain)
 * Torglor (Diirinka)
 * Ultoksamrin (Dumathoin)
 * Xothaerin (Sharindlar)

Ages
The ages of Shanatar are periods in the history of the dwarven realm.

First Great Age of Shanatar
Around -10800 to -8137 DR

This age began when Taark Shanat and his dwarves founded Shanatar by winning the Cloaker Wars, and contained both the first and second Spider Wars, ending at the conclusion of the Second Spider War when the drow of Guallidurth withdrew from Alatorin.

Second Great Age of Shanatar
-8150 to around -6150 DR

The alliance of the eight kingdoms of Shanatar and the successful repulsion of the Guallidurth drow marked the beginning of this age, although this alliance did not stop certain tensions between the kingdoms. The dwarves asked the gods to decide which of them should sit on the Wyrmskull Throne of Brightaxe Hall in Taark Shanat's place and Dumathoin chose the king of Ultoksamrin. Dumathoin then became the patron of the shield dwarf race. This age ended with another invasion of the Guallidurth drow and the Third Spider War that lasted around thirty years.

Third Great Age of Shanatar
Around -6120 to around -1800 DR

When this age was ushered in, the emperor sent dwarves to the surface to found new subkingdoms. This saw the creation of High Shanatar and later, its destruction at the hands of the humans of Calimshan around -2600 DR. This age also saw the rise and fall of Oghrann and Haunghdannar and the rise of Delzoun and Ammarindar. It ended when all of Deep Shanatar with the exception of Iltkazar was destroyed by the invading Duergar who had once been its inhabitants.

Geography
Shanatar was located beneath the lands of Amn, Tethyr, Calimshan and the Lake of Steam.