Deepforge

Deepforge: Founded originally as a city of the duergar in its lower regions, and as a city for dwarves in its upper reaches, the two halves of Deepforge eventually grew until they started to overlap. At first this overlap led to a bloody conflict. However, an influx of gnomish jewelers soon opened diplomatic ties between the two groups, and introduced a guild system that allowed the two rival races to live and work together, even though they still do not like each other very much. From these beginnings, Deepforge is as egalitarian a society as is to be found in the Underdark, and as long as an individual is not actively hostile, and obeys the strict rules of this underground country, then race is not an issue for entry. However, laws are very firmly enforced, and those who break them are dealt with harshly, the least of punishments being expulsion from the cities of Deepforge into the hostile realm of the Underdark.

Major Races: Dwarves, gnomes, duerger, many Underdark races.

Government: Meritocratic Geriarchy.

Nation Alignment: Lawful Neutral.

Major Cities:
Undermountain: Built into the roots of Mount Kudurru itself, Undermountain is the first city of Deepforge, from dwarves that built downward, and duergar that built upward, before they were met in the middle by gnomes from the surface. This city is almost constantly filled with the sounds of work going on, though there are specially-made areas that are soundproofed, designed by gnomes, where most residents of the city go to sleep and enjoy privacy. The upper and lower regions of the city have security checkpoints between them, to ensure that defectors from either side of the line do not cross over, though security in the mining areas of the city, and in the trade area between the checkpoints where the ruling Guild Council meets, tends to be far more lax, since working dwarves are usually happy dwarves. The city itself is ruled by a council of Guild Elders, the oldest and most skilled members of their trades, irrespective of race or creed (though you must be a dwarf or gnome subrace, of course). Most of these Elders are nobles of their respective races, at least among the dwarves and deurgar, but it is not uncommon to see those who, while holding the title of Guild Elder by right of skill and age, choose to send a representitive in his or her place to Guild meetings who has more political ambition and skill in negotiation to take their place and act with their authority in making decisions on the Council.

Riventerr: Meaning "split earth," Riventerr is a duergar-dominated city on the northeastern side of the Kudurru Range, which uses the river there to trade with the surface world, especially the dictatorship of Lichthamner. While ostensibly still under the control of the Guild of Undermountain, Riventerr has a reputation for trading high-quality dwarfmade goods with anybody who has the coin for it.