Dvurgen Empire
The Dwarven Empire is a practical, ancient, and much diminished country. The empire has been around for thousands of years, at one point controlled the entirety of the Dreaming Sea, and built cities and infrastructure on a scale that was inconceivable to most of its contemporaries. It conquered, either through force or diplomacy, all of Ereb and much of Assuwa and Ifranca. But those halcyon days are long since passed. The old ways of imperial governance were long ago replaced by a government made up of a collection of Elector Princes, who elect a Monarch for life; this was in response to the ever present threat of rebellion and succession that plagued the empire in the years leading up to the Reign of Steel. When that crisis came, the pressures on the Dvurgen Empire only increased. Today it is a fraction of its historical size, and shares the Dreaming Sea with neighbors who used to be subjects.
But while kingdoms and duchies have peeled away in the ages since the Dvurgen Haf, the empire still teems with non-dwarves. They are included in most every facet of society, with non-dwarf priests of Moradin, and even non dwarf Elector Princes. There have even been a few non dwarf Emperors. The current stability of the land is in doubt due to the Magic Reformation, but the Elector Princes have decided on a policy of, “Ríki hans, galdur hans,” which means literally, “Whose Realm, His Magic.” The idea being that both viewpoints of Magic have a place in the Dvurgen Empire, but each ruler under the Emperor has the right to decide which is practiced in their realm. Time will tell if this is capable of relieving the tension that goes back millennia.
Demography and Population
Though the empire was founded by dwarves, it is made up of every race in Ereb. Dwarves, Humans and Gnomes make up the largest percentage of people in the empire, while halflings, dragonborn, half-orcs and others make up the rest.
Territories
The Empire is centered around the traditional homelands of the dwarves, the Dvurgenheim Mountains in central Ereb. Territory spans the breadth of the continent, even still, from the Waking Ocean to the Dreaming Sea.
Military
Each prince, count, duke and king is expected to raise and maintain forces capable of defending and maintaining the lands they control. There are also some forces that answer directly to the emperor, that are still organized into the cohorts and legions devised during the days of the Dvurgen Haf.
Technological Level
Dwarven smiths and practical technologies are still considered some of the finest in the world, even if their empire does not live up to those potentials.
Religion
The Morndinsamman is still the official religion of the empire, but it is not the only one practiced in imperial lands. Denkandrian temples can be found in most cities in the empire, and the Gnomish and Halfling gods have also been incorporated into the dwarven pantheon.
Foreign Relations
- The Dvurgen Empire has been at war with the United Territories of Hafland for 60 years, ever since Hafland rebelled against imperial rule.
- The Kingdom of Aquitaine has fought numerous wars with the empire in the centuries since it's founding, and tensions are currently rising over the question of ownership of an important parcel of land between the two.
- The empire fought itself to exhaustion against the dragonborn army of Tiamat, and many consider the Reign of Steel to mark the end of Imperial domination of the Dreaming Sea. Now, even a thousand years later, the empire still has a grudge against Imzal'Da.
Founding Date
-1384 BT
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Capital
Alternative Names
Dwarven Empire
Demonym
Imperial
Government System
Monarchy, Elective
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Mixed economy
Legislative Body
The Elector Princes serve as a legislative body in addition to the duties they have es Electors.
Location
Official Languages
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
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