The Niandi Mountains

Location
The Niandi Mountains are an extensive and rugged range to the north of The Grand Duchy of Enrieme .

History
The history of the Niandi Mountains is the history of dwarvenkind. The dwarves of this region claim they were the first, carved from the deepest bones of the earth by the Great Sculptor, Nain, in the days before humans, orcs, and even elves lived on the surface of the world.
But of course, they would claim that; the dwarves of Mount Stonedelving  and the few surviving dwarves from the Ingrim Mountains have exactly the same legendary claim about themselves. Whichever legend is true (or maybe none of them) it is certainly the case that dwarves have lived in the Niandi Mountains for at least the last 4000 years. During this time, they have gradually built up a great and powerful civilisation deep below the snow-clad peaks.
Despite many wars, and unlike the sorry history of the dwarves of the neighbouring Ingrim Mountains, the Niandi dwarves were never overwhelmed by orcish hordes. Support from the various human civilisations of the plains over the millennia, and vigorous trade connections across Argull, have given the Niandi dwarves the economic strength to maintain a healthy-sized population. The orcish kindreds were virtually driven out of the Mountains over five hundred years ago and are now little more than a nuisance.
In more recent years, the Niandi have formed a close alliance with The Grand Duchy of Enrieme . This is based on both military necessity as the two work closely together to keep each other secure from barbarian and orcish incursions as well as the ambitions of Sidhiara, and also on increasingly strong trade ties. There was a brief period of tension when Enrieme was under the misrule of Grand Duke Eltos III, but his successor Ossirian has put significant effort into reining in the robber barons involved and forcing them to pay restitution.

Terrain
Originally a volcanic range, the Niandi Mountains are now thought to be extinct. No eruptions or volcanic activity are known to have occurred in historical times, However, there are rumours that the Niandi Dwarves used deep volcanic heat sources as a way to warm their lower levels, create heated pools, thermal baths and underground streams.
The peaks of the mountains are above the snow-line all year round. To the casual traveller, the Niandi Mountains appear like typical sparsely inhabited, inhospitable mountainous terrain. It is only those welcomed by the dwarves who know of the splendour to be found deep below the surface. The underworld is honeycombed by cavernous great cities, dwarven holds and individual deep sub-surface homesteads. The entrances to these are usually hidden with great cunning, both in terms of stone-craft and magical protection.

Climate
The Niandi Mountains have a fairly harsh climate.
In winter, strong north winds bring storm clouds heavy with snow down from the icecaps, blanketing most of the range in blizzard conditions. If the snow fell as rain, the mountains would have the highest precipitation of any part of Northern Argull. The snows melt in spring and summer to feed the great Remvar River, as well as delivering occasional spring floods which challenge the hydrological skills of the dwarven architects.
In summer, warm southerly winds crossing Enrieme deposit the last of their moisture as rain on the southerly slopes of the range, raising the water table further and becoming the source of the numerous small streams and rivers which flow back south across the Grand Duchy.
Autumn is the best time to travel in the Niandi Mountains. It doesn’t have the blizzards of winter or constant rains of summer, sudden flash floods are not a risk as they are in springtime, and the temperatures are cool but bearable.
Underground, of course, the climate is pleasant all year around, helped by extensive ventilation and geothermal heating works created long ago by Niandi dwarven engineers.

Ecology
The ecology of the mountains really needs to be considered in two parts.
Above ground, the mountains are an incredibly hostile environment. There are conifer and evergreen forests on the lower slopes, and alpine meadows along the banks of the less flood-prone rivers, but most of the range is a snow-covered wasteland of sharp peaks and jagged crevasses. There are hardy predators present; snow leopards, mountain foxes, as well as flying creatures of all kinds, from common birds up to rocs, gryphons and manticores. It is said the mountains used to be rich in dragons, but they are rare nowadays, the dwarves and knights of Enrieme having virtually hunted them to extinction.
Below ground, the ecosystem is dominated by the civilisation of the dwarves. There are few truly wild beasts present, although undiscovered orc warrens pop up on an annoyingly regular basis until dwarven extirpation teams find and deal with them. A surprising amount of plant life can be found underground, almost all of it deliberately cultivated by the dwarves. In the upper levels, great caverns of fruiting shrubs and other high-yield, high-value crops can be found, with sunlight provided by complex systems of light-shafts and mirrors. In the lower levels, fungi and mushroom farms flourish, although the dwarves do occasionally admit to problems with some of the more sentient types of saprophytes.

Economy
The Niandi mountains are incredibly rich in mineral resources; gold, silver, iron, and many other precious metals, as well as gemstones of several kinds. In addition, they are an abundant source of igneous and metamorphic building stone; marbles, granites and basalts.
The dwarves mine and export all of these valuable commodities, as well as fashioning them into finished goods. Niandi arms and armour are highly regarded and sought after across the Northern world. Many Royal and Ducal crowns are fashioned by the Niandi with some spectacular diamond, ruby or sapphire as a centrepiece. More prosaically, huge quantities of more mundane jewellery and bejewelled products are exported.
The revenues from these exotic exports have made the dwarves fabulously wealthy, but there is one other export which is highly valued. Mercenaries. The Niandi hire out not individual freeswords, but rather elite regiments. Their discipline and loyalty are legendary; unlike feudal troops and traditional mercenaries, they won’t change sides for coin or advantage. The Niandi are very discerning who they allow to hire these regiments, and in many cases they form royal bodyguards whose existence goes back generations, with son following father into the ranks.
In terms of imports, the prime import is foodstuffs of all kinds, largely from Enrieme although luxury foods are imported from across the world. Sarassid spices are particularly popular, as are alcoholic beverages of all kinds. Other imports are primarily composed of natural materials which cannot be produced in the harsh climate of the mountains; furniture, other wooden goods and textiles, although the dwarves prefer to import raw textiles and then fashion their own clothes rather than importing finished (and usually poorly-sized) garments.
With their reputation as fierce fighters, the Niandi are able to travel in areas other merchants struggle with. They have agreements with Milmar for safe passage down the River Remvar and along coastal waters. The Jagvar barbarians give them no such guarantees, but it is a foolish chieftain who would challenge a well defended dwarven caravan.

Social Structure
A key problem that all nations of dwarves wrestle with is their relatively long lifespans and low birth rates. The Niandi solve it by carefully protecting their womenfolk and young. Not for them the iconic dwarven shieldmaiden seen at Mount Stonedelving, bearded and hard to distinguish from the menfolk. Rather, their families live in some of the deepest, best protected caverns. Even in the smaller Holds, the best protected areas are reserved for family life.
But it would be a mistake to think that the womenfolk of the Niandi dwarves are subservient domestic wives and daughters. They hold equal status at all levels of society, and the Queen is likely to be just as influential as the king. Inheritance is through the female line. For example, when the King dies the first in line to the throne is the first son of the Queen, no matter whether a son of the old King or not, and if there are no sons, the successor is drawn from the Queen’s family, not the King’s.
It is notable that much of the finest workmanship produced by the dwarves is, in fact, the work of their womenfolk. The men do the mining and fighting, the women work the forges and craft the jewellery.

Political Structure
The Niandi dwarves are an hereditary monarchy. Each mountain and each stronghold has it’s king, but over all of them is the Great King. His role is not just as a figurehead, but as absolute ruler over the entire realm. The lesser kings form a series of Councils, each advising on specific aspects of policy, but the Great King’s decision is always final.
Despite this, the dwarves are inherently quite democratic, and occasionally quarrelsome. No dwarf thinks a king (even the Great King) is infallible, and every dwarf will happily argue a decree if he or she thinks it wrong. Of course, they are polite about it if the person they disagree with is more important than they are, but it is a matter of pride that all dwarves are considered equal, and being a king is regarded as just an accident of birth with a whole lot of undesirable responsibilities.
This all serves to keep the kings on their toes, and a good king will be careful to consider the popular mood when issuing a decree. It can lead in many cases to a decision-making process that outsiders sometimes see as frustratingly slow, with interminable debates and changes of mind. But in crucial matters, the dwarves appreciate that a wise Great King will know when it is time to cut through all the talking and issue a snap decree to bring instant action.
The Court of the Great King is mirrored down the tiers of Niandi society, with each lesser king being an absolute ruler in his own stronghold. Or at least as long as their wives agree. It is common for a king to consult his wife before making any serious decisions and considered normal for a queen to attend and speak at council and court sessions with equal voice. Although the dwarves have kings rather than queens, this is purely because they wouldn’t want to expose their queens to the risks of warfare, and the queens are often the real decision-makers.

Religion
The Niandi dwarves are not a highly religious society. They have priests and chapels dedicated to Nain and other dwarven deities, but generally seem to regard religious festivals as an excuse to have a party and get drunk. However, in the kind of contradiction so frequently seen in their culture, the priests are listened to as wise men and women, and highly respected as advisers to the kings.

Foreign Policy
The Niandi foreign policy is best summed up as an armed neutrality. They aim to get on well with all those nations they trade with and try to avoid getting involved in other people’s wars. They have strong alliances with Enrieme and Jakta, and have been developing alliances with the newer nations of Filrath and Narheim. Their merchant convoys and caravans are well protected, and it is known that the dwarves will avenge any which are harmed.
They have a friendly rivalry with the two other dwarven realms of Mount Stonedelving and the Kamaran Mountains. Although all agree that the Kamaran dwarves were originally exiles from the time Mount Stonedelving was overrun by the barbarian hordes, the Niandi and Mount Stonedelving dwarves each claim to be the progenitors of the other. In truth, the origins of both are lost in the mists of time, and no-one knows which spawned the other.
Other than when hiring mercenaries out, the only human kingdom the dwarves have fought for in recent history is Enrieme. As neighbours, the two have long ties, and have fought side by side several times to defeat orcs and barbarians. The Niandi have provided significant aid in the form of arms and armour for the struggle fought between Enrieme and Sidhiara over the Warmark, but have never yet actively taken the field against the Sidhe.
The one enemy the Niandi are steadfast in confronting are the orcs. Those of the Niandi Mountains have been all but exterminated, and are rapidly hunted down and exterminated when any are seen. The orcs of the Ingrim Mountains are a concern, confronted if possible when they emerge, and a force driving the Niandi into closer alliance with Filrath. It is the dream of all Niandi to one day clear the Ingrim Mountains of orcish kindreds and avenge their fallen Ingrim Dwarven cousins (not to mention recovering their rumoured fabulous wealth…)

Armed Forces
Every dwarf is a warrior. Although they may spend their lives mining or manufacturing, it is expected that each and every dwarf will attend weapons training and drill at least weekly. This starts as soon as an infant is strong enough to carry a spear, and carries on until death.
The dwarven womenfolk train for war as well, but are always held in reserve as the final defence of the young. The Niandi have a saying “Even the women fought”, implying a last-ditch defence from which there is no retreat and little hope of victory.
The majority of dwarves form disciplined regiments, heavily armoured and armed homogenously with spear, axe or crossbow. Their strongholds have significant quantities of artillery, mainly ballistae and barockers of all sizes as these do not require lots of headroom to operate. This artillery is often manned by the old and crippled, thus utilising their experience and skill when it could not be used in close quarter combat, and the same experienced veterans are often also called upon to act as engineers.
The few light infantry skirmishers available are provided by adolescent dwarves, but the dwarven generals try to restrain and husband these despite their youthful enthusiasm. It is poor form to let the next generation die pointlessly, so they tend to be used as scouts rather than expendable combatants.
The dwarves have no cavalry, which would be rather useless in the mountains anyway. However, they do tame a few large birds to act as air cavalry. Tarns and rocs are used as mounts, and giant eagles and similar fly unridden to attack enemies.

Important People
Great King – Njall Ringwelder
Great Queen – Njalla Helmforger
High Priest of Nain – Bors Doomward
Ambassador to Enrieme – Millan Strongbracer
Ambassador to Milmar – Othel of Highglacierhold
King of Remvarrisinghold – Barni Shortshanks
Queen of Remvarrisinghold – Helgina Finehammer