Temple of Ur-Thaldaar
by HåvardPopulation: Mostly Hobgoblins, but also sword masters of other races
Location: Mystara, in the Dwarfgate Mountains (Unofficial placement. Eberron has also been suggested)
Secrets: Iron Heart Fighting Style
1600 BC - Akilla-Khan, Hobgoblin Chief of the Ethengar Steppes witnesses a bolt of lightning shattering a tree. From the secrets this teaches him, he forges the blade Kamate, known to his minions only as Death. Akkila-Khan later ascends to Immortality as Yagrai (Gaz10)
1500 BC - One of Akilla-Khan's descendants, Kuyibet, now wields the sword of his ancestor. Fleeing a band of dwarves he climbs onto a mountain top before summing powerful magic from the blade, destroying his enemies. At the site of this very mountain top, Kuyibet builds the Temple of Ur-Thaldaar (ToB, p138) and begins teaching the fighting style that will become known as the Iron Heart to his followers.
700 AC - Reshar, a young man of mysterious origins arrive on Mystara in the Altan Tepes Mountains. At the Temple of Ur-Thaldaar, he is captured by Hobgoblins and tested. Eventually they understand that they need to teach him and from them he learns the way of the Iron Heart. Reshar will later go on to learn all of the nine fighting styles and found the Temple of the Nine Blades on a distant world. He also learns about the sword Kamate which is now in the possession of a Dragon.
800 AC - Reshar returns to Mystara carrying all nine swords including Kamate. He travels to the Temple of Ur-Thaldaar and recruits a young hobgoblin named Magya Ghor who becomes Reshar's apprentice and later one of the masters of the Temple of Nine Swords. On Reshar's world, Magya brokers peace with nearby goblin and Hobgoblin tribes.
Known Students at the Temple of Ur-Thaldaar
- Allek Thrazt (Hobgoblin).He was once a master of the Iron Heart School, but has become an outcast because he trains those unworthy for gold.
- Mardilkuthor Pwarna, a dwarf from the Khurrish Massif (Mystara), he is a member of the Seekers of Reshar, a group who search for the Nine Swords in order to hasten Reshar's return. He is currently on the World of Nine Swords.
- Vardalak Axebearer (Dwarf Warblade, ToB p 26)
I decided to adapt the temple of Ur-Thaldaar to Mystara in its entirety. In the discussion earlier in the topic, it was suggested that the temple could be placed in Eberron (given the idea of well disciplined Hobgoblins) while the story of the sword Kamate could fit well with Mystara, but this would leave us with very few factoids for each.
Nothing here is set in stone though. I am mostly writing these adaptations to see what fits.