Barak Ongazi

This gate marks the spot where the dwarven settlers first begun digging into the stone to create their subterranean homes. At first it was roughly hewn, making use of existing cave networks in order to more easily reach the depths where veins of silver and tin waited.

Over the centuries, many dwarven stonecutters attempted to improve on the gate's design, for while in Ekrund's early days function was more imporant than form, in later days the dwarves felt their foremost gate should be an impressive sight even by dwarven standards. No dwarf was ever truly happy with the result of his work, and so the work was never truly finished.

This allowed dwarves of different eras to work on improving the gate, providing contemporary scholars with a clear image of how the architectural preferences of the Ekrundfolk evolved over the centuries. While damaged in the final battle for Ekrund, subjected to goblinoid cruelty ever since, the gate is nonetheless of immeasurable value to scholars studying the dwarves and their craft.