Not a true "kingdom" in the traditional sense, the Kingdom of the Twelve Mountains was an alliance of Dwarven High Clans in the Snoutridge, dating back thousands of years. Once, the Kingdom was a closely-knit group of small kingdoms and city-states, but during the War Of The Dark Dwarves, they united under the banner of Copperbreach leader Diarmuid Brasshand, and named him High King.
Power in the Kingdom was not distributed equally, and there were not always even twelve members; as clans splintered and merged, membership amongst the Twelve Mountains varied. The one constant in the alliance, however, was that the ruler of Brazenthrone was considered to be the High King or Queen, with power above all other clan members.
After his success in the war, Diarmund ruled from Copperbreach, but centuries of poor communication and weak statehood made it obvious that leadership needed to stem from a central location. A new settlement was established in Brazenthrone, found to be the possibly the most valuable location in the Snoutridge, and the Brasshand house took ownership of the city. This hierarchy remained static until the Bending Of Brazenthrone.