The Iron Mountain lies amidst the southern plains of Hailgalad. It is a solitary peak that rises amongst the grassy sea. While it is a stronghold for Hailgalad, it was not always a part of the kingdom.
In the early decades of Hailgalad, there was a period of rapid expansion. This push quickly came to the borders of neighboring kingdoms. The friction of this newcomer led to sporadic wars. One of these conflicts was with Kaboutia. Hailgalad desired a stake in the iron deposits that lay in the vast mountain ranges in the south, but these were largely owned by Kaboutia or were overrun with goblins, vagabonds, or other kingdoms. However, there was one mountain that stood alone and seemed to be an easy target for the fledgling kingdom.
Finrathud was the solitary peak of which Kaboutia quickly lost control during its conflict with Hailgalad. Their garrison there was cut off by Hailgalad’s cavalry, and it was hard for the Kaboutians to maintain their defenses and supplies. After a long siege, the mountain was seized by Hailgalad. The conflict ended up being a long, drawn-out, twenty-year stalemate. Kaboutia could not contend with Hailgalad’s cavalry in the open field, but Hailgalad could not match the stout Kaboutians’ heavy infantry and spearmen in the mountainous terrain.
While this war raged on, the Kaboutians had to turn their attention to other foes, such as raiding parties of humans, goblins, and trolls who also called the vast mountainous expanses their home. It was a constant struggle for resources in those harsh lands. Hailgalad was likewise dealing with northfolk raiders on their northern border and the ever-present Vaelorans who wished to regain control of Hailgalad.
With pressure mounting, the two sides then agreed to establish that Hailgalad could control the northernmost mountain, Finrathud, which was later named the Iron Mountain. In the end, Hailgalad and Kaboutia turned the page on their relationship to create a flourishing ecosystem of trade and diplomacy. To this day, Hailgalad often calls upon Kaboutia to broker deals and peace agreements between them and Vaelor.
The Iron Mountain is a city half built underground and half within the sloping arms of its foothills. Inside the mountain, there are vast mines that produce minerals of every sort. The Kaboutains called it Finrathud, which can be loosely translated to Endless Spring. In the nearly thousand years of mining, the mountain has never seemed to run dry of resources. In addition to mines, there are large mills that process incredible amounts of metal for every kind of use in Hailgalad.
Outside the mountain halls is the city of the Iron Mountain. Here, there are many homes, forges, jewel shops, and factories to produce weapons and gear for the royal army. The city is unique in its construction in that it was expanded from the original Kaboutian architecture. The edges of buildings are more rounded and made of muted grey stone and dark wood collected from the nearby Blackwood Forest.
The Iron Mountain is the most diverse city of Hailgalad. Many Kaboutians still live there and work as tinkerers or smiths. Kuinans, jewel merchants from Sarisa, and many other peoples have set their roots here, making it a unique settlement of Hailgalad.
The royal-appointed governor and warden of the southern plains has often been a high-ranking general due to the strategic importance of the Iron Mountain. It is also the settlement the furthest away from Hailgrad. The road between the two cities is known to be the most dangerous to travel due to the high numbers of bandits and goblins that call the southern lands and mountains home.
Harrison DeVries Writing 