Kizan

covering Orphan Maker Pass

Kizan is a rugged valley in the southwestern tracts the High Wood Country. It has low vegetation with any vantage point give by trees non-existent. The woods on the valley's fringes are spare and often burnt-out. This is done for defensive reasons by Rumaktharga civil defense. They keep the vegetation in the valley sparse, so as to better defend against their bothersome Angrod neighbor. The people of Rumaktharga are by no means short on timber though, when they need it, they head to the Taurquion Tendril southwest of the valley. They cut down large swathes, giving no worry to the environment, because they know that the Taurquion regenerates much more rapidly than any normal forest.

Kizan is a heavily defended valley with dozens of forts and castles. Most of the forts and castles are within cannon and mortar range of a nearby bastion, thereby allowing a fallen fort to receive fire from another. When a fort of Rumaktharga falls, the dwarves set-off demolitions and spike their artillery. They then do a fighting retreat through tunnels to another defensive area, which is not the nearest fort. In this way, a captured fort can receive fire from a nearby fort, and not be taken from the tunnels. The heavy defenses of the area are called the Rumaktharga Defense Matrix. They are perhaps one of the strongest in the realm, and have proved so costly to the Angrods that they have nicknamed the gullies, passes, forts, and other defensive areas with elven names that mean "Suicide Alley", "The End", "Last Charge", "Orphan Maker", and so on.