Gauntlgrym

Gauntlgrym was an ancient dwarven city that fell into ruin before the memory of any living dwarves. Via the Underdark, Gauntlgrym connects with Deepearth, Nuur Throth, a long and treacherous tunnel to the Great Worm Caverns and an even longer tunnel to Shadowdale.

History
The building of the city was commissioned by the arcanist Maerin of Illusk in -335 DR. He tasked several dwarven artisans of Delzoun, including Immar Fardelver to begin construction of the subterranean city in the Crags east of Illusk. The job was completed within 4 years and Maerin invited humans from Illusk and netherese refugees from Runlatha and Sundabar as well as the Delzoun dwarves of Clan Goldspire to live in his new city. The Dwarves discovered a sleeping primordial who had escaped the sundering of Abeir and Toril named Maegera the Inferno. In a daring and ingenious move, the dwarves developed a power tap that took the fiery energies of the Dawn Titan and used them to power the city's forges and magically ward Gauntlgrym from its enemies.

In -111 DR Gauntlgrym and Illusk both fell due to the orc hordes descending en masse from the Spine of the World and Ice mountain ranges. Exactly who betrayed the secrets of the city's location and how to bypass the primordial-powered wards is unknown but after several frenzied attacks, the city fell. Gauntlgrym was resettled with the aid of Highlord Narandos of Illusk in 141 DR but by 153 DR the city fell again, this time to the illithid and numerous lycanthrope thralls. The few survivors were taken in by the Gray Wolf Uthgardt tribe and the city forgotten about.

In 1357 DR the Company of the Gryphon rediscovered the city but it was still ruled by the Illithid. They spent a huge amount of money on weapons and armour in Waterdeep and went back to loot the treasures of the city, but not one of them returned, nor did any news of Gauntlgrym resurface over the next 10 years.

Only part of the city was controlled by the illithid, the rest was controlled by several wandering banshees.

The Knights of Myth Drannor discovered Gauntlgrym on one of their many adventures. It was reported that they were able to make their way through the Underdark back to Shadowdale from Gauntlgrym.

The illithid residing there were undertaking research into cross-breeding illithid and derro. Their attempt proved successful in 1363 DR but the illithiderro or "madminds" bred too quickly for the mind flayers to control. They craved freedom as well and rebelled against their masters, hunting down and killing every single one of the mind flayers and their thralls. Since then, the madminds spread through Gauntlgrym's lower levels like a plague, but didn't reach the uppermost level which contained a company of bugbears, goblins and leucrottas who were led by a Baphitaur and called themselves the Hargrath.

Bruenor Battlehammer made it his life's quest to rediscover and claim the city in the name of the descendants of Delzoun and believed that Mirabar was also looking for this place, but that Gandalug Battlehammer knew more than anyone about it, although he was deceased by the time that Bruenor began his quest. Bruenor eventually became obsessed by his quest, abdicating his throne and searching for it in person. The nation of Thay beat him to it though. In 1451 DR Their agents followed tree-like roots coming from the Host Tower of the Arcane that went through the ruins of Illusk which eventually led to the city. The agents, as part of a bigger plan, hired the dwarf Athrogate and his companion Jarlaxle to escort them, bringing along Valindra Shadowmantle. It was all a ploy by the agents to release Maegera in the hope that his power would kill enough people for Thay's necromancy to spread to the Sword Coast. Athrogate was tricked and part of the city was damaged in Maegera's unleashed fury. 11 years later Maegera began to stir again and dwarven ghosts sought out Delzoun dwarves to save what remained of Gauntlgrym. Bruenor, Drizzt Do'Urden, Athrogate, Jarlaxle, their ally Dahlia Sin'felle, the Axe of Mirabar and a group of Clan Battlehammer dwarves from Icewind Dale made their way to Gauntlgrym to stop the primordial from reawakening while Ashmadai cultists and Maegera's elemental-kin tried to foil their efforts. Bruenor succeeded though and, for the time being Gauntlgrym would be safe.

By 1480 DR Gauntlgrym had been rediscovered by dwarven prospectors from Neverwinter, returning to the former Jewel of the North with a detailed written guide to a ruin occupied by dwarven ghosts, Ashmadai cultists and infested with Dire corbies. The cultists tracked and killed all of the prospectors and destroyed almost all of the books that had been written, though they couldn't find them all. The book reveals that the entrance cavern is partially flooded and littered with the bleached bones of humanoids. Luminous lichen and ancient - but still functional - magical lights illuminate the place. Dwarven stonework still survives in the tunnels that exist within the numerous stalagmites & stalactites the balconies atop which rusted ballistae sit, marking them as guard posts. Beyond those, sealing off the far end of the cavern is a wall made with stone blocks, enchanted still to hide & protect the city proper. A large pair of mithral doors flanked by towers which will only open for true Delzoun Dwarves opens into a heavily trapped corridor lined with murder holes. Those that get through here will find worked lanes, temples and grand palaces where the ghosts of the former residents still wander dreamily, roused only by overt aggresion. Below, are the extensive mines and the forges which to this day function with the unwitting aid of Maegera, burning hotter than a great red wyrm's breath. Dire corbies have created a kind of rookery in the upper reaches of the forge but are trapped down there so cannot escape to higher levels. They have established a rudimentary tribal culture in their imprisonment and attack anyone who enters their territory.