Rhul
Perhaps alone among the kingdoms of western Immoren,
the dwarven nation of Rhul has been largely at peace for
thousands of years. In fact, the dwarves claim to be the oldest
and most stable civilization on Caen—and with records dating
back over six millennia, they may be right.
Rhul’s peace and prosperity can be traced in part to its mountainous terrain. Home to many of the tallest peaks on the entire continent, Rhul exists within and beneath the mountains of the Silvertip, Glass, and Thundercliff Peaks, as well as the Borokuhn Mountains. These northern ridges all surround the glassy waters of the massive lake known as the Armsdeep, which serves as the heart of Rhul. More accurately described as an inland sea, the Armsdeep produces drinking water, fishing, and trade opportunities for more than a million dwarves, and its deepest depths are said to be unfathomable. It is the source of the Black River, which provides one of the most important trade routes on the continent. From here, the Rhulfolk ship goods south to Llael, Cygnar, and just about everywhere else.
Further cementing Rhul’s prominence, the kingdom welcomed refugees from across the Iron Kingdoms. Thousands have taken sanctuary in new Freehold villages, lower cities that have sprung up at the feet of the most populated Rhulic mountains. Menites from the floundering Protectorate of Menoth, numerous Iosans escaping the strange fate that has fallen on Ios, and those displaced by the Claiming call these lower cities home, making Rhul among the most cosmopolitan nations in western Immoren.
This is causing the character of Rhul to gradually change. As a neutral ally to all of the Iron Kingdoms, which now has significant Human populations, Rhul has become a hotbed of intrigue. From the Freeholds, spies can be recruited by any of the espionage agencies of the kingdoms, while Rhulfolk spies can glean information from their new citizens—which they are happy to sell, for a price. Next to the kingdom of Cygnar, Rhul is the clearest beneficiary of the new renaissance in the Iron Kingdoms.
The Rhulfolk have stayed out of most of the conflicts to the south, primarily by maintaining good diplomatic ties and avoiding open declarations of war. Mercenary by nature, the Rhulfolk prefer interacting with their neighbors via trade. In recent years, the dwarves of Rhul have seen opportunity in the south, and many of them, especially from the younger and less established clans, have journeyed to the human kingdoms to either make their fortunes or lose them. Some go as speculators, some as mercenaries, and some as trade envoys, but all go in search of new deals with promising prospects. No matter their specific predilections, Rhulfolk are usually welcomed throughout the southern kingdoms because they are clever, hardy, and generally trustworthy folk who excel in craftsmanship and negotiation. Rhulic stonecraft and metalworking are second to none in all the Iron Kingdoms, and dwarven Mechankia is legendary for its remarkable efficiency. The dwarves of Rhul are also stalwart fighters. Whenever peril has come to their mountain home—as it did during the Orgoth invasion—they have repelled it with shield and hammer, and Rhulfolk mercenaries are highly prized throughout the Iron Kingdoms.
Although the kingdom of Rhul is governed by the thirteen Stone Lords—dwarven lords who can trace their ancestry directly to the original Great Fathers of the dwarven people— clans influence virtually every aspect of a dwarf’s life, from choice of career to choice of marriage partner. Clans are vast, extended families, and each is ruled over by a clan lord. The most influential clans have seats on the Moot of the Hundred Houses, the most important lawmaking and governing body in the land.
Political infighting and jockeying for position are common in Rhul, but even longstanding feuds and political rivalries are governed by ironclad laws and norms and overseen by Moot judges, who can declare a feud over should it interfere too much with the smooth operation of trade or day-to-day life in the realm.
Rhul’s peace and prosperity can be traced in part to its mountainous terrain. Home to many of the tallest peaks on the entire continent, Rhul exists within and beneath the mountains of the Silvertip, Glass, and Thundercliff Peaks, as well as the Borokuhn Mountains. These northern ridges all surround the glassy waters of the massive lake known as the Armsdeep, which serves as the heart of Rhul. More accurately described as an inland sea, the Armsdeep produces drinking water, fishing, and trade opportunities for more than a million dwarves, and its deepest depths are said to be unfathomable. It is the source of the Black River, which provides one of the most important trade routes on the continent. From here, the Rhulfolk ship goods south to Llael, Cygnar, and just about everywhere else.
Further cementing Rhul’s prominence, the kingdom welcomed refugees from across the Iron Kingdoms. Thousands have taken sanctuary in new Freehold villages, lower cities that have sprung up at the feet of the most populated Rhulic mountains. Menites from the floundering Protectorate of Menoth, numerous Iosans escaping the strange fate that has fallen on Ios, and those displaced by the Claiming call these lower cities home, making Rhul among the most cosmopolitan nations in western Immoren.
This is causing the character of Rhul to gradually change. As a neutral ally to all of the Iron Kingdoms, which now has significant Human populations, Rhul has become a hotbed of intrigue. From the Freeholds, spies can be recruited by any of the espionage agencies of the kingdoms, while Rhulfolk spies can glean information from their new citizens—which they are happy to sell, for a price. Next to the kingdom of Cygnar, Rhul is the clearest beneficiary of the new renaissance in the Iron Kingdoms.
The Rhulfolk have stayed out of most of the conflicts to the south, primarily by maintaining good diplomatic ties and avoiding open declarations of war. Mercenary by nature, the Rhulfolk prefer interacting with their neighbors via trade. In recent years, the dwarves of Rhul have seen opportunity in the south, and many of them, especially from the younger and less established clans, have journeyed to the human kingdoms to either make their fortunes or lose them. Some go as speculators, some as mercenaries, and some as trade envoys, but all go in search of new deals with promising prospects. No matter their specific predilections, Rhulfolk are usually welcomed throughout the southern kingdoms because they are clever, hardy, and generally trustworthy folk who excel in craftsmanship and negotiation. Rhulic stonecraft and metalworking are second to none in all the Iron Kingdoms, and dwarven Mechankia is legendary for its remarkable efficiency. The dwarves of Rhul are also stalwart fighters. Whenever peril has come to their mountain home—as it did during the Orgoth invasion—they have repelled it with shield and hammer, and Rhulfolk mercenaries are highly prized throughout the Iron Kingdoms.
Although the kingdom of Rhul is governed by the thirteen Stone Lords—dwarven lords who can trace their ancestry directly to the original Great Fathers of the dwarven people— clans influence virtually every aspect of a dwarf’s life, from choice of career to choice of marriage partner. Clans are vast, extended families, and each is ruled over by a clan lord. The most influential clans have seats on the Moot of the Hundred Houses, the most important lawmaking and governing body in the land.
Political infighting and jockeying for position are common in Rhul, but even longstanding feuds and political rivalries are governed by ironclad laws and norms and overseen by Moot judges, who can declare a feud over should it interfere too much with the smooth operation of trade or day-to-day life in the realm.
History
The truth about how the Rhulfolk and the Ogrun first came to share common cause has been lost to history and myth. Some say that the dwarves provided the Ogrun with food during a great famine, while others link the relationship to the city known today as Hellspass, which was built by the Rhulfolk for the Ogrun. Whatever the origins of this arrangement, it is inarguable that both sides have benefitted from it, and today Rhul is home to the largest population of Ogrun in all of western Immoren. Although outwardly very different, the Rhulfolk and the Ogrun share many complementary characteristics, with perhaps the most important to their continued coexistence being the ogrun concept of the korune.
The Ogrun are a highly spiritual people despite their size and brutal appearance, and the korune is the central tenet of their society. An Ogrun who has not yet pledged personal fealty to a korune is known as bokur, or “unsworn.” The most important thing in an ogrun bokur’s life is finding a worthy lord to whom the ogrun can swear a binding oath that will persist until death. Indeed, an ogrun who has found a korune will gladly sacrifice life itself in that lord’s service.
In the mountains of Rhul, the ogrun find many worthy korunes among the mercenary, yet honorable, dwarves. For their part, the Rhulfolk respect the powerful ogrun’s loyalty and stoicism—not to mention their raw strength, which is especially useful in the kinds of heavy labor in which dwarves are often employed. This arrangement has held for centuries, and both groups continue to rely upon one another today
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