Uthodurn

Uthodurn is a city north of the Ivory Lake and southwest of Kravaraad in the Flotket Alps of the Greying Wildlands. A rare haven for both Dwarves and Elves, Uthodurn has become a center for the highest levels of craftsmanship and blacksmithing. "Uthodurn" roughly translates from Dwarvish as "the new under salvation".

Description
Uthodurn is nestled at the base of a steep mountain valley, among the Flotket Alps and about 300 to 400 feet above the ground. The surface part of the city is built around a large gazebo-like roof roofing over a wide pit that descends over a hundred feet into the rock beneath. The perimeter is marked by protective fences and about a dozen stone watchtowers, four of which stand around the pit, guarding the entrance into the city proper. This portion of the city also has a number of liveries and stables for the city's horses and cliffneck goats. The buildings are small, with thatched rooves, and are built to withstand the harsh wintry conditions of the region.

The rest of the city can be accessed from this point by any of a number of spiral staircases, each of which is about 15 feet wide. Along the descent are many tunnels into the rock. The access is protected by iron-reinforced doors, protecting each tunnel, and safeguarded by the Glassblade Kaserne, centered around the entrance tunnels. The Kaserne is a semi-domed barracks for the Glassblades. The air at this point in the descent is warm even during wintry conditions outside, and smells like iron, wood fires, and wet earth.

Uthodurn is divided into three layers, which are, in order of descent from the surface, the Volition Disc, the Deliberation Disc (often called the Liber Disc), and the Grand Disc. Each district within the discs is divided by sets of wide pillars supporting the ceiling. The pillars also hold huge gates of dark metal, which can be dropped to defend the deeper regions of Uthodurn from an external threat. Some of the pillars have homes of elven style built into them.

Points of interest

 * The Volition Disk: The topmost, the widest and oldest level of Uthodurn, housing most of the city's residents. The district is a massive 120-foot high by 1500-foot wide underground cavern, bisected by the Auger Trail, so named for the way it curves further down into the mountain, which serves as both a thoroughfare and a public meeting space. On one side of the trail are mines, and on the other are the residential buildings, which, like much of the city, are in a mixture of elven and dwarven styles. A number of construction business are also found on this disc.
 * Gruffside Livery: A livery that sells and rents cliffneck goats.
 * Topper Mines: Uppermost mine in Uthodurn.
 * The Broken Stool: A tavern and inn run by Luda, an older dwarven woman.
 * Deanna's and FRIDA's house


 * The Deliberation "Liber" Disk: The Liber Disc holds much of the city's commerce; it is a busy marketplace full of stores, forges, taverns, and some homes. It smells of cooking tubers and meat, and the population mingles and relaxes here.
 * The Anvil of Smeltborne: A forge and blacksmith
 * The Candid Gardens
 * Catlyn's Clothier: Fine clothing boutique.
 * D&O Toy Emporium: Toy shop owned by Oltgar Dradegon and Drixlitch Ovana. Formerly Oltgar's Chest
 * Light Above Sanctum: A small temple to The Dawnfather.
 * Moradin's Mantle: A massive temple to The Allhammer
 * Padillia's Boutique of Bountiful Provisions
 * Plexus Post: An odds-and-ends shop
 * The Softer Stoneforge: A bakery
 * The Tumbled Tankards: A dive bar with root mead and live music, run by Vonbrag.
 * The Tumblecarve Residence: The home of the Tumblecarve noble family, located in Demerant Circle.
 * Vellum Steeple Archive: On the boundary between the Liber and Grand Disks, a for-profit library with a Teleportation Circle.


 * Grand Disk: Some of the wealthier citizens live here, and the city's palace is also located on this disc.
 * Grandcast Citadel: The palace of the diarchy of Uthodurn. It is carved into stalactite pillars and has marble walls. It is an inverted tower that resembles a "frozen, underground tornado".
 * Luddenbrock Mines: A source of precious metals.
 * Underrest: A high-end inn for dignitaries.


 * Other
 * Shrine to the Wildmother: a small shrine to Melora is built into the mountains outside the city, and is reachable by a staircase. It is in the open air, and is a small garden untouched by the surrounding snow.

Society
The symbol of Uthodurn is a mountain and a tree wrapping around it, representing both dwarven and elven societies of the city.

Demographics
Uthodurn's citizens are mostly dwarves, with a still relatively large elven population and a sprinkling of other races. Dwarven, Elvish, and Common are the most used languages in Uthodurn. In 835 PD, the population is 26,240: more than half are dwarves (56%), a little over the third of them are elves (36%), a small population of gnomes (4%), with the remaining 4% of representing other races.

The Diarchy
The city is ruled simultaneously by dual monarchs, a dwarven queen and an elven king, who each are advised by their own small council. They share the responsibility of governing the city.

Glassblades
Glassblades are the military and ranger force that guard the city. They gained the name when Uthodurn was founded.

Before Campaign 2
Uthodurn was founded by dwarves in the wake of the Calamity, shortly after 35 PD. After the fall of Molaesmyr, many of the elves fled what would later become the Savalirwood. Some of the refugees traveled into the Flotket Alps, and found sanctuary with the dwarves of Uthodurn. The Diarchy of Uthodurn was founded years after when a cause for the corruption was not found and it became apparent the elves would permanently live in the city. Amid rising social tensions and cultural clash, Queen Judessa Fruunast made the unexpected offer to Imathan Talviel, the former king of Molaesmyr, to institute the dual monarchy. They worked together in the following months to incorporate the elven refugees into Uthodurnian society, including discussions on where best to build new homes and expand the discs to accommodate the populace. The dwarven citizens accepted this with "only mild hesitation". Following Judessa's death in 794 PD, her daughter Simone Fruunast assumed the dwarven throne.

Campaign 2: The Mighty Nein
The Mighty Nein traveled to Uthodurn from the Cinderrest Sanctum in search of Dulgrim Smeltborne, who would be able to reforge the Star Razor. They were granted entry. The following morning, Jester purchased cupcakes, and the party found the Smeltborne Anvil. They learned that Dulgrim had since passed, but his son Umagorn Smeltborne believed he would be able to help them provided they obtained the iceflex, mithral that had been breathed on by a white dragon, necessary for the reforging.

Reani approached the group as they left the smithy, and introduced herself. She and the Mighty Nein then went to the Plexus Post to purchase mithral items. While there, the shopkeeper, Ava Endlewood, asked them to bring her a ring in the possession of the Tumblecarve Family in exchange for some residuum shards she had, which Caduceus needed. Fjord and Caduceus stopped by the smithy again so that Umagorn could melt down the mithral into a more usable form. The rest of the party went to the Vellum Steeple library, which Reani was able to gain them entry to. Beau learned from her research that Gelidon, a white dragon, could likely be found in the alps in Mythburrow. Caleb and Nott, however, attempted to run a con in order to obtain a page from a book that contained hidden items. Jester was able to tear out the page, but in the process, Caleb and Nott were expelled from the library. Eventually, after Reani promised 200 platinum and her services on an upcoming expedition to Molaesmyr, the Mighty Nein were granted permanent access to the library's teleportation circle. They then teleported to Rosohna so that Essek could teleport them to Mythburrow.

After getting Gelidon to breathe on the mithral, the Mighty Nein and Reani teleported back to the Vellum Steeple. The party scouted out the Tumblecarve Residence, and Beau and Caleb spent some time with Demid Sunlash, a Cobalt Soul researcher who was investigating the Moons of Exandria. The following day, the party successfully broke into the the Tumblecarve's home and stole several items, including the ring Ava had requested. They, Reani, Umagorn, and his assistant Deilin then left for the Cinderrest Sanctum.

The Mighty Nein briefly returned to Uthodurn via the teleportation circle to drop off the Clay family after they restored them from their petrified forms, and asked Reani to escort them back to the Blooming Grove.

Before Campaign 3
Chetney Pock O'Pea lived in Uthodurn for much of his life. While there, he worked as a woodcarver as part of Oltgar's business until the two had a significant falling out.

Campaign 3: Bells Hells
Chetney, Fearne, FCG, Imogen, Deanna, and FRIDA arrived in Uthodurn after traveling through the Crystalsands Tundra and Flotket Alps for several days. They noticed the city was busy, but much darker than usual, and that many shops and the temples were closed. They went to the Vellum Steeple to learn more, and Scribewarden Uvesic informed them that a number of long-standing enchantments had suddenly been dispelled. The party provided her with what they knew about the ritual performed at the Tishtan excavation site on the apogee solstice in exchange for her Wardens researching Ludinus Da'leth.

While at the Vellum Steeple, Bells Hells and their companions heard a large rumble from the Grand Disc beneath them and went to investigate. They found the gates to the Grand Disc had been closed following an attack in the Grandcast Citadel. FCG charmed a guard into letting them in. The party learned that a statue of a Great Beast of Veluthil had come to life. They went to the citadel to learn more, and Imogen sensed that the beast, a giant ethereal bull, was lost and confused. Initially, the bull attacked them, but Fearne and FCG charmed him and gave him the ability to communicate. After the bull, who introduced himself as Umudara, said he wanted to return to his home in the forest, the party convinced the royal guard and Glassblades to let them bring Umudara out of the city. They led him out of Uthodurn and directed him towards the Savalirwood. Meanwhile, Chetney investigated the throne room and found a secret escape route from the castle into the city. They were then approached by Sir Ludin, page to the Diarchy, who asked them to come to the Grandcast Citadel the following day at noon as thanks for their handling of Umudara.

Following a night's rest at Deanna's home, the party went to D&O Toy Emporium the next morning, where Oltgar's business partner Drixlitch Ovana hired them to deal with a number of pymon firebugs and his pet craskkalid who had escaped due to failed enchantments. The party were able to capture or kill the firebugs and dispose of the craskkalid outside the city gates. They also discovered that Drix had forged documents in Oltgar's name giving him ownership of the shop in the event of Oltgar's death, and was using child labor from Shadycreek Run to create some of the toys. Chetney told Oltgar about this, and also told him to leave the city within two days and start over elsewhere. Oltgar agreed, and expressed remorse over his initial choice to listen to Drix over Chetney.

Trivia
The adventure hook A Dreadful Bore in the Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, set in 835 PD, describes a Kryn raid on Uthodurn with the intention of capturing the dual monarchs. As the Vellum Steeple appears to have a cordial relationship with archives in Rosohna in 843 PD, it is likely that this adventure hook didn't come to pass.