Umahanbad

In 901, over 2,000 criminals, "the Bloodbeards", were exiled by Phlehorn's possessed king. They were teleported to the ancient ruin of Hezvix, a fortress built by a demon engineer named Skinaere. An expansive place with a fell prison, it proved to difficult to secure, they headed deeper into the Giant Steps founding the settlement of Naram-Gunal.

In 906, the leaders of Naram-Gunal formed a ruling council, the Umahanbad Oligarchy.

In 959, an exploratory expedition into the subterranean chambers of Kangjald led to the group being charmed and seduced by Dispaters Concubines. The charmed were sent back to Naram-Gunal where they spread the word of Dispater and founded cults dedicated to his worship. are the source of spreading his influence among the nation's populace. They also task others with bringing female dwarves to their labyrinth under Kangjald. In this place they either willingly, or were forced into having intercourse with devils. The outcome of this were half-devil dwarves known as Gradorians; not the first of their kind.

In the Second Epoch, Kangjald's half-devils came to be the core of Umahanbad's leadership. Control and mastery in their blood, they took the prized positions even when lacking in skill. They have come to influence all aspects of Umahanbad society and are the main reason for it serving the whims of Dispater, ruler of one of Hells worlds. The influence of Tarâk and Graz'zt were introduced with Mîmêk falling into Umahanbad's sphere of control. They brought their own gods with them, and to the consternation of Dispater, the cunning demon lord Graz'zt. The Church of Neld-Rac came much later in the Third Epoch. They are blamed for getting Umahanbad embroiled in the Grashakh Front.

The dwarven-kind of Umahanbad, the Turkûn, the Mîmêk and the half-devil dwarves, are commonly called the Bloodbeards. It is a name comes that comes from the dying their beards a blood red color, and not as is commonly reputed - of dipping their beards in the blood of their dead enemies.

Umahanbad is governed by a clan confederacy. They rule over an empire spreading along the southern reaches of the Giant Steps and into the darkness below. Their greed for land and resources is contested by the many giants of these mountains, distant descendants of the Titan Empires, and also the Orchish Empire. With the latter, the conflict that made them a regional power was the Blood Offensive.

During the Black Tide War (1465 - 1504), 20,000 Bloodbeard mercenaries served under the Black Tide general Pinth Blackstrike. They comprised one army of the Kazurâg-Gulan.

The Bloodbeards are composed of many clans of evil dwarves. The slave population of Umahanbad is mostly composed of goblins, Mîmêk, derro, drow, and Githirmil.

The people of Umahanbad are masters at forging and crafting armor and weaponry. Umahanbad craftsmen invented the manufacturing process called Elem-Guard.

In the Year 1795, the worship of Neld-Rac began gaining momentum.

Umahanbad's has holdings in the southwestern tracts of Grashakh and in the Underdark region beneath - Imgangreth. They have four cities, two on the surface and two underneath.