Thodin Longbeard followed his father Throrgrim quickly up the long spiral staircase. Even though he was but a beardling of 15 years, he kept pace with the longer strides of his father, excitement driving him ever onwards. That morning his father had told him he would see all the clan's holdings . They had been down to the mines and the both the upper and lower forges. They had taken lunch in The Bellowing Boar, a tavern the clan owned, and visited the brewery attached to it after. The long climb they had been on had taken them at least 2 hours, ever upwards. Thodin had never been this high in the mountain of Karak Azul, and after all the grumbling his grandfather did about being in the fresh air and how it was only good for elves, he wondered what was happening.
'Keep up lad, were nearly there” rumbled Thodin's father from a few steps above. Thodin doubled his pace and could now see dim twilight at the end of the tunnel. Thodin followed his father out onto a platform, and instantly felt the wind whipping through his short beard for the first time in his life. Thodin was amazed. They steep on the flat plateau that dominated the southern side of Karak Azul. The plateau was not big, perhaps 500 meters long at the apex of its oval shape, but it was the view that impressed Thodin. You could see for hundreds of miles in all directions except north where a taller spear of the mountain rose up. In the growing dark, he could see the lights of cities and villages along the plains to the north and west, the camps of orcs or robber barons seeking their fortune in the badlands.

All around the plateau was a curtain wall, built right onto the edge of the mountain, and a dozen or so tall round towers covering every angle on the wall. Thodin could see steel hoardings and platforms, and siege equipment stored in strong boxes.
“These me lad, are the famous Iron Towers of Karak Azul. They were built by our ancestors, almost 6000 years ago. Impressive eh?” Thodin nodded and followed his father as he began to give a guided tour. “Karak Azul's got lots of things other holds don't me lad, iron being number one. Ah yes, iron! We also have dragons though, lots of em.” They now faced south east, and his father pointed to the source of the red glow illuminating the dark ash clouds. “That is Karag Hazag, the reason for these towers being here.” Thodin looked through the gloom and saw a dark imposing shape, taller than the mountain he stood on. Its peak was lit with a pulsating red glow, which he realised to be lava spewing from the top of the worlds largest active volcano. “Aye, Fire Mountain. The darn thing started erupting before the Goblin Wars and has never stopped since. It throws up ash that sometimes covered the Karak, if the wind is right. That's not a problem though, maybe a bit more work at cleaning your chimney, aye. The problem is the dragons.” said Throrgrim, his arms folded over his chest and flowing long blonde beard. “Dragons love the heat you see, it puts them to sleep for a good long time and keeps em healthy. Also melts their golden hoard a bit, and makes a nice bed for em. Crazy critters. Problem is, all the dragons want Fire Mountain as their home. Brings a lot of them down here. They are always fighting over who gets to keep the lair. Now sometimes a big dragon, will make his home there for decades, and that's good for us, because if he is big and mean enough, he will sleep there and kill the younger ones that come to challenge him. Not always though. If there is a new dragon in his lair there, he will get hungry and swoop down on the badlands and eat his fill. And they come up here too lad. Trying to get at our people and our gold.”

Thodin nodded as his father spoke, filled with wonder, excitement and fear. “These towers are our greatest defence against the dragons. Each one is kept and maintained by one of the great houses of Karak Azul, and the King keeps that barracks behind us. Each tower is brimming with cannons and bolt throwers. Any dragon coming here to fill his belly on dwarf flesh will get a belly full of Azul iron! Ha!” Proclaimed Throrgrim. Some of the eavesdropping guards in the tower nearest them cheered from the battlements. “This tower on the right is the one belonging to our clan, the Ironforge clan. Its my duty as Lord to make sure that its ready for battle at any time. A duty you will one day take when I am gone me lad.” Thodin looked up at the tower and saw it was made from a dull black stone with a slight sheen in the light. Iron ore. The Iron Towers was not just a name. He also recognised several runes inscribed in the base, the rune of furnace, a protection from flame and fire magic. Throrgrim looked down at his son and saw the look of recognition on his face as he studied the tower. Good lad, he knew his runes and his stone. “You know, i've heard it said on a clear night and with a spy glass, you can see the dragons fighting from here. And some guards even take bets on who is going to win. Although I wouldn't mention that to yer mother now lad.” Said Throrgrim with a wink at his excited and curious son.
“I wanted ter show you this, because it will one day be yours, but lad its time I told you a thing or two about being a thane.” Thodin pulled his eyes away from Karag Hazag and looked up at his father. “Being a thane is all about duty, sacrifice and honour lad. Now honour is in your blood, and the blood of all dwarfs. You don't need any lessons on that. Duty and sacrifice, now they are tricky, and often one and the same. Our house is mighty indeed, but we are not the kings of Karak Azul. Aye there is royal blood in us, mighty Kazador is my cousin on me mothers side and your great uncle after all, but kingship is not our place. The manlings and their empires are riven with tales of treachery and murder, all in the name of gaining power. Elves pass laws and make moves against their kin in court, ever seeking to up their station, and the ratmen grope about in the dark with long fingers, strangling their own in search of a quick meal or a promotion or both. Thodin lad, we aren't like that. You were in the mines this morning, and ya heard the miners moaning about candle tax and shift hours and grobi and stubborn ponies and so on. Thats them, they moan, but you will never hear a miner say he wants to be something other than a miner. Thats the dwarf way, you do your task and your duty and you do it with honour. From baker's apprentice to the High King himself” Thodin nodded in understanding as his father spoke.

“Sacrifice, now its linked to duty. As thane, there are so many things you will miss my lad. Aye, the thrill of adventuring, you'll never know it, because your place is here son. You can't go off looking for fortune and glory while you have to learn about running mines and forges, and how to settle a dispute between two miners looking to make helmet dents with their picks. Oh don't look so glum now, there will be plenty of fighting and grobi slaying when you are old enough for it lad.” chuckled Throrgrim at seeing the disappointment on his young son's face.
“The love of a rinn, now thats something that might miss you by too. See, I already know who you will marry lad, was arranged the day you were born. Can't tell you who it is now because you already bicker in school, or so the longbeards tell me. Haha! But its set in stone, ye can't change it. Now I don't know if you will love her or not, but its your duty to to your clan to at least try. And there may be a rinn that catches your eye, or perhaps your heart, and you will find true love, but its not for you my son. Duty and sacrifice.” silence followed the deep sound of Throrgrim's voice.

“There is one more thing you will have to give up my boy. I don't know what its called, but you can only learn it for yourself. I see your eyes now, how they sparkle at the mention of dragons and giants, and how you love to hear the old sagas over and over. Thodin, when you have truly known the horror of war for yourself, you will understand. You will know the sacrifice of having to call your kinsmen to war, knowing that some or even most of them might die. That you will take sons and husbands, and make widows and orphans. Only when you truly know this, will you be a great and mighty thane.” Throrgrim's voice was full of sorrow but he cleared his throat with a deep rumble.

“Right, enough of that for now. Lets get back down, we'll use the lift this time, its down on the south end. I can show you the Land of the Dead from there too!” Said Throrgrim with a burst of energy. “And maybe your mother, the old battle axe, has made us some of that famous Thunder Sausage her clan is so famous for!” Thodin scurried off and his father watched the young beardling peer over the southern wall with a great sense of nostalgia for the time when his father showed him the Iron Towers.