Deep in the Stonetalon Range, nearly fifty-five miles northeast of Fort Valiance, where the mountains achieve their most savage and unforgiving peaks, there stands a settlement that echoes with the endless percussion of creation. Hammerfall rises at an altitude where breath comes thin and the very stone seems to pulse with ancient, slumbering power.

The vast majority are dwarven by blood and tradition, though a hardy contingent of human miners has taken root in recent decades. The settlement exists as a semi-autonomous entity, acknowledging Fort Valiance's authority in official capacity while governing itself according to ancient dwarven customs and the unyielding laws of mountain craft.

Dwarven traditions hold deeper roots in Hammerfall than perhaps anywhere else in the region. Family clans maintain practices that predate Fort Valiance by centuries, and the masters of the Great Forge answer first to their own ancestral authorities, not to distant commanders. Yet there exists an understanding — Hammerfall's prosperity flows partly from Fort Valiance's protection and market access.

Two roads connect Hammerfall to the wider world. The route to Frostwatch Keep winds through some of the most treacherous mountain passes in the range. The Miner's Trail to Ironholt is older and somewhat more reliable, though still brutal in winter months.