Deepmountain was a sprawling vertical city carved onto and inside a great
mountain range far to the north, and the ancestral home of the Urden. The
city was a true wonder of engineering, with cantilevered bridges spanning
the many mountains that made up different vertical districts of the massive
place. Aetheric mechanisms moved stone and person alike throughout.
Residents were proud to have called it home and deeply mourned its loss to
the Blight.

Though Urden were the most common citizens of Deepmountain, they welcomed
almost anyone who wanted to contribute to their city, particularly those
with the relevant skills. This is likely why such a large population of
Keldrii settled there, having been taken in following the Keldari Exile.
Continuous construction and maintenance of Deepmountain was the way of life
there. The Deepmountainers worked together and usually didn't attach too
strong a value on individuality, placing the good of the community above
personal gain, a trait they shared with many of the Tzizal, whose
hive-cities lay even deeper beneath the mountains.

The culture of Deepmountainers could appear gruff to outsiders at times.
They were traditionally parsimonious with their language; metaphor and
euphemism were generally seen as unnecessarily confusing. They instead
preferred to say exactly what was on their mind in the most direct way
possible, without mincing words. This directness often seemed off-putting to
outsiders, particularly Vaelandrians, who valued the richness of language
and were much more careful with their words. Despite this, it was well known
that the peaks of Deepmountain held wingship ports maintained specifically
to welcome visiting Vaelandrians. In addition, Deepmountainers cared little
for commonly-regarded gender expression, and their traditional fashion does
not assign gender-specific clothing or appearance styles. This is one of the
few things they have in common with the Vaelandrians, likely due to their
long history together. Many of the works and mechanisms of Deepmountain had
likewise been adopted by those peoples they freely traded with, often
willing to openly share their Aetheric advancements with any who were
interested, leading to strong, long-standing friendships with other cultures
despite the perceived gruffness of their people.

This is perhaps why Deepmountain had so rarely been involved in any external
conflicts. A common story, told across Aelus, recounts the tale of one of
the few times the stronghold was threatened. During an especially aggressive
period of expansion, the Empire of Galrathia sought to invade the north.
Having pushed back the Eldekai of the Steppes, the army then attempted to
claim Deepmountain. The Urden, unfazed by the approaching enemy, simply
closed their gates, sealing the mountainsides. However, their neighbors and
long-time trading partners, concerned by the silence from Deepmountain,
decided to rush to their defense. The invading army was given pause by the
abrupt appearance of a united horde of Eldekai warbreakers. And they were
certainly taken aback by the arrival of Quirithi Tempests. And even moreso
when the Zilarans began marching toward them from the south. But it was when
the Vaelandrians suddenly showed up with an entire fleet of wingships, and
were inexplicably Very Angry, that the entire Galrathian army wisely decided
to turn tail and run. No one ever dared to try to take Deepmountain again.
For their part, the Urden, who'd been perfectly capable of just waiting it
out until the invaders got tired of trying to break into a mountain, were
just mildly embarrassed by the whole affair.

It was not until the Blight itself, that Deepmountain was breached. If it
had not been for their allies, many of their people would have perished in a
futile attempt to outlast it. Deepmountain refugees still speak of that
harrowing escape, and of the bravery of the people of the Steppes who helped
them make the long journey to Altheria. And perhaps most surprising, is the
story of the Vaelandrii wingships that tried to evacuate as many people as
they could carry, before the Old Magic failed. One of those vessels still
lies shattered just outside the city walls, by some miracle all those aboard
having managed to make it safely to sanctuary. The Deepmountainers' ties,
despite their gruffness, to other peoples quickly made them pillars of
stability in the chaos following the flood of refugees in Altheria. As the
city grew into a community, many Deepmountainers played pivotal roles in
helping create and maintain the vital infrastructure needed to keep everyone
alive and safe.

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