Ammarindar (kingdom)

Ammarindar was an ancient dwarven kingdom of the North, spanning the Greypeak Mountains and the region of the Northdark under the Delimbiyr Vale north of the High Forest, that dated back to the Age of the Proud People. It was a smaller realm of the Stout Folk, the sister-nation to the larger Northkingdom of Delzoun.

The symbol of Ammarindar was a three-horned crown topped by a trio of four-pointed stars.

Trade
Despite its smaller size and lesser influence, the realm was incredibly wealthy. The Ammarindar dwarves mined a sizable amount of the extremely-rare-occurring, natural veins of adamantine ore from beneath the Greypeaks. and crafted legendary suits of everbright armor from the near-indestructible alloy.

Relations
Although the ravaging orcs of the North would constantly harass dwarven civilizations, Ammarindar was relatively safe from their onslaughts.

Notable Locations

 * Geography
 * Blacktooth Rock: Blacktooth Rock was an intersection of tunnels in Ammarindar named for the large black stalactite that looked like a fang biting into the abundant intelligent fungus Araumycos.
 * Northpeak: Northwest of the High Gap was a series of tunneled-out mountains that served as the kingdom's most prosperous adamantine mines.

Ammarindar cities were built within large hollowed areas located beneath the mountains and within the Underdark. These tremendously vast areas allowed for ample room for their gracefully carved spherical buildings, ornate archways, and roads. The overall design made it appear as if the dwarven cities extended right out of the stone walls.
 * Settlements:
 * Ammarindar: This 15-century Northdark city continued the legacy of the kingdom in name alone, as it was the lair of the Scoured Legion of tanarukk orcs.
 * Citadel Yaunoroth: Constructed in 1 DR as a southern bulwark against the growing orcish hordes, the ruins of this once-great city were haunted by dwarven ghosts and other non-corporeal undead.
 * Splendarrmornn: The royal capital of Ammarindar was a spectacular network of caverns, extending out from a central vault that housed the legendary Adamantine Palace.
 * Unspoken Hall: This secret lair was constructed by a cult of evil dwarves founded by Balik Blackhand who worshiped the demon lord Baphomet. They established several hidden portals connecting the hall with the Mithral Kingdom and the Labyrinth.
 * Xothol: This was a college of the arcane, where dwarven mages could develop new spells, particularly focused on defending the nation against the spellcasters from Netheril.

History
The fabled kingdom of the dwarves was founded in −4100 DR, a couple of centuries before the farther-reaching Delzoun. While they were quite hostile with the drow of Ched Nasad since the founding of the City of Webs in −3843 DR, the construction of the Low Road in −3416 DR allowed them to trade with the arcanists of Netheril.

In -2270 DR, King Connar IV led the forces of Ammarindar into the High Forest to defend the elves from the demonic hordes that had been unleashed by the fey'ri survivors of Siluvanede. During the battles, the king himself vanquished the red wyrm Rithaerosurffel.

Around -2200 DR Baphomet-worshiping cultists of Ammarindar created the Labyrinth, which was later abandoned and taken over by baphitaurs.

The year −897 DR saw the defeat and death of the legendary hero-king Olaurin at the claws of the deep dragon Erthungaron.

With growing concern about the increasingly hostile Netherese wizards, King Azkuldar III established the arcane college of Xothol in −550 DR. It would serve as an arcane workshop of sorts for the spellcasters of Ammarindar for almost 300 years.

In the same year as the founding of the Standing Stone, in 1 DR, the Ammarindar dwarves completed construction on the city of Citadel Yaunoroth, intended to defend their southern reaches from the increasingly aggressive orcs of the North. Although they stood strong, and sacrificed their lives against the ravages of the surface-dwelling orcs, the kingdom fell in 882 DR. When the demons of Ascalhorn ravaged the North and set upon Yaunoroth, Queen Helmma and her sister Princess Olmma sacrificed themselves in defense of the dwarfhold, allowing many of their people to flee south to Oghrann.

The kingdom was abandoned so quickly that a great wealth of gems, treasure, and the finest weapons and armor were left scattered through its cities and subterranean network of tunnels. This abundance of riches would bandits and human scavengers for years to come, especially from the town of Loudwater. The adventuring companies of the Black Band, the Company of the Horse and the Company of the Scaled Tail all met their end in their search for the riches of the dwarven kingdom.

The tanarukk Scoured Legion, led by the cambion Kaanyr Vhok of Hellgate Keep stripped the capital of Splendarrmornn of all its riches in 1220 DR, arming themselves with the looted suits of adamantine armor, and established a city that came to known as Ammarindar the continued into the 15 century DR.