Barat Tor (pronounced bah-ROT TOR) was founded by a small number of dwarves from Barat Rkund who moved to the Western Coast around six centuries ago. Though economically quite significant for their production of cold iron and other important metals, the dwarves have aggravated the towns downriver from them by carelessly dumping toxic runoff into the waters of the Silika River.
Geography, flora, and fauna
Barat Tor is located in the interior of the Western Coast, encompassing part of the Kheldezir Hills and the headwaters of the Silika River. The area is drier and more arid than most of the rest of the Western Coast.
In addition to the many wild animals and magical beasts that are common throughout the Western Coast, the incessant mining of the dwarves has also brought some creatures of the Darklands to the surface.
History
The land that is now Barat Tor was sparsely inhabited when a group of dwarves arrived in the region from Barat Rkund in Y9340*. Searching for new sources of wealth away from the traditionalist confines of Rkundi society, these dwarves discovered large amounts of valuable ore in the Kheldezir Hills. The town of Avaz was established as a base of operations, soon growing into a de facto capital.
Demographics
Most of the inhabitants of Barat Tor are dwarves. They are joined by smaller populations of humans, duergar, and half-elves.
Culture
Though the dwarves of Barat Tor have kept some of their cultural practices from their roots in Barat Rkund, they are rather less conservative about their traditions. Torri dwarves have syncretized their religious beliefs, for example, worshiping both the dwarven pantheon and the more widely followed gods of the common pantheon. Likewise, the traditional roles of the individual in relation to their family and community have been loosened or dropped entirely in Barat Tor. To the dwarves of Barat Rkund, the Torri dwarves have abandoned their history and gone astray, to which the Torri reply that they simply refuse to cling to the past.
Due both to the scale of their operations and new methods they have pioneered, the mines and refineries of Barat Tor produce large amounts of toxic waste as a byproduct. Slag is deposited back underground in vast caverns, while liquid waste is dumped into the Silika River. By doing so, the dwarves keep their operations running yet poison the river for those that live downstream. The town of Isto is now uninhabited as a result, as the waters they relied upon had become poisonous. The Torri have regularly butted heads with druids who have attempted to protect the river, thus far unsuccessfully.
Government
The Torri dwarves govern themselves using a much looser and simpler version of the council system used in Barat Rkund. Instead of multiple hierarchical councils for different aspects of governance, in Barat Tor the single Guildmaster Council makes the decisions that affect political life in the nation. Positions on the Guildmaster Council are nominated by the major guilds of each community - large and noisy, the Council has a reputation for rarely getting anything done.
Economy
The mines and refineries of Barat Tor operate day and night, producing valuable metals that are then sold to merchants downriver. Cold iron, copper, and iridium account for most of the dwarves' trade, along with smaller but still highly valuable amounts of adamantine.