One thousand years ago, when the race of dwarves was at its zenith, the dictators of the dwarves ordered five great dwarf fortresses or fastnesses to be built across the Grey Mountains, to keep the passes from being overrun by invaders.
Of the five, four were finished (Hoth Akbir being the exception: 02.05). Of the four, three were ever manned (the unnamed fortress in 14.02 went unmanned). Of the three, two survived their first siege. Of the two, one lasts to this day: Titan’s Skull (33.00).
Of the four cursed fortresses, the dwarves do not speak their names. The failure of each in turn caused deep schisms and reformations in the dwarven polity, such that the culture of Titan’s Skull today would be unrecognizable to the dictators who ordered the fortresses to be built.
After all, the fortresses were built to protect from goblin invasion from the south, and they were built by the very orcs that now hold what they call Hoth Achaar and the dwarves call ‘First to be Returned.’
The fortresses, since they were built by orcs in collaboration with the dwarves, are in the distinctive Titan-Grumludish architectural style (referring to Titan’s Skull, 33.00, and Grumluda).
- Hoth Akhbir (unfinished) (02.05)
- Unnamed fortress (finished, unmanned) (14.02)
- ? (finished, manned, didn’t survive first seige)
- Hoth Achaar/First to Be Returned (finished, manned, survived first seige, in orcish hands today) (26.01)
- Titan’s Skull (finished, manned, survived first seige, in dwarven hands today) (33.00)