The Dhar
When looking to outfit cavalry the purebred rams of the Dhren are second only to a trained Taranian warhorse. They are sturdy, sure of foot, stubborn, and their head can deliver a nasty wallop. In other words, they take very closely after their masters.
The Dhar is the second-largest of the three dwarven nations in Nalunara. After splitting from Khazarak some two centuries ago the Dhar has remained fiercely independent from its 'parent' nation, whilst still remaining a proud member of the Grand Alliance and a steadfast opponent of the the Kwal Dominion.
Life and Society
The Dhren are all of one clan, which gives them a deep sense of togetherness within their nation. On a day-to-day basis however they operate within relatively close family groups (typically around twenty to thirty individuals), in which the oldest woman's word is law. There are not many towns in the Dhar, and instead most family groups live on large homesteads.
The ways of the druids are highly valued by the Dhren, and most family groups will attempt to get at least one member inducted into the local circle. A skilled druid is invaluable in helping the Dhar's poor land yield useful quantities of crops, and in maintaining the health of a family's prized ram flocks.
Although the Dhren mostly speak Dwarvish comfortably, most of them also speak an older language known simply as Dhren, which has been spoken in the Dhar since before the formation of Khazarak. While the Dhar was a part of Khazarak, the Dhren language flourished as a way for Dhren to emphasise their independent nature. Now that the Dhar is independent in truth, many younger Dhren are not really seeing the point in a language that virtually no one outside their own borders speaks or understands. The Dhren language shares its roots and alphabet with Dwarvish, but diverged so long ago as to be unintelligible to Dwarvish-speakers.
A Dhren druid
Government and Politics
The flag of the Horned Queen
The Dhar is ruled by a queen, known as the Horned Queen, who has absolute authority over the country. She, as with all of the royal bloodline, bears great horns on her head. The current Queen has horns of a ram, but others in her bloodline have horns from either a ram or an ibex. Over time the bloodline has become rather diffused, and quite a number of Dhren bear horns (usually quite small) which indicate distant royal ancestry. In general, the larger the horns the stronger the royal blood. Official sources are firmly silent when questioned about the origin of the horns.
International Relations
The Dhar maintains close relations with its parent nation of Khazarak, despite its secession. Dhren cavalry contingents are frequently deployed to assist contingents of Khazarak's Iron Army, and the two nations freely share military intelligence. The Dhar is a member of the Grand Alliance, but has not gone out of its way to cultivate strong relationships with other member nations.
The Dhren remain passionate in their defiance of the Kwal Dominion, and fight its forces fiercely wherever they can.
Military
The Dhren have always been known for their cavalry, and their skills have only grown with time. Riding on rams and ibexes that are completely at home in the Dhar's hills and vales, Dhren cavalry serves as a scouting force and also an excellent medium cavalry. Compared to horses the rams are better able to traverse rough ground and steep terrain, even at speed, but they are not as large as a warhorse and cannot carry as much. Their horns provide them extra impact on the charge and an extra weapon when the melee begins. They are, however, much more stubborn than a horse, and harder to train.
The Dhren use infantry units as well, but despite their competence there is much less prestige associated with them. The rough terrain of the Dhar makes traditional battle-lines difficult, so the Dhren infantry are trained in more flexible formations. In pitched battles they mainly serve to hold the enemy in place while the cavalry get into position for a flank.
The Dhren are closely in touch with nature, and often deploy druids to aid their forces in battle. These druids typically act in a supporting role, using their spells to aid the Dhren while hindering the enemy.
A Dhren ram-rider
Religion
Religion is a much less significant part of life in the Dhar than it is in Khazarak, a fact which has never pleased the Church of the All-Father. The Dhren acknowledge Moradin as their creator, and occasionally offer prayers or thanks to him or the other gods relevant to their lives, but in general they are content to ignore the deities. Most Dhren follow a vaguely-druidic philosophy, though they tend not to make a big deal of it.
Industries
The Dhar countryside
The land of the Dhar is not particularly rich, either in crops or in natural resources, and the Dhren are not a wealthy people. They pride themselves on being self-sufficient and import little from other nations. They do not share the Karzat reputation for craftsmanship, but they are not unskilled in this regard. In contrast to their cousins they prefer to work with leather and wood than with metal. The Dhar's only export of any note is their thoroughbred rams, which are highly sought-after in Khazarak and Yol as excellent mounts. The Dhren do not export many rams each year, as most are required for their own purposes.
Power Groups
Druidic Circles
Druids are common in the Dhar, and like every group of people they have become factionalised. The circles have different priorities and concerns, but in truth their differences are relatively minor and they often present a unified front on issues dear to them. Although the Horned Queen is the absolute ruler of the Dhar, it is a rash queen indeed who does not heed the words of the circles, for the druids have both much wisdom and the ear of the common folk.
Major Settlements
Camor
The capital of the Dhar, and its only real city, Camor is located atop a large plateau carved flat in the distant past. It is the seat of the Horned Queen, and the centre of both government and military power in the Dhar.
History
When the various dwarven clans unified to form the nation of Khazarak, the Dhren clan was the last to join the new nation. Even then the Dhren held themselves apart, never really assimilating as most of the other clans did. The Dhren kept mostly to their ancestral lands, and maintained their own traditions and culture with fierce independence. Although they maintained their individuality the Dhren were happily to fight alongside their cousins in Khazarak, and other than some political squabbles (mostly to do with taxes) the situation worked for centuries. Until, that is, Vekril broke away. The secession ignited old debates in in the Dhar, which culminated in the region declaring their independence Khazarak. The Horned Queen of the time handled the situation well, and managed to part on amicable terms. Their peaceful seperation was in part thanks to the Karzat being tired of fighting fellow dwarves following the failed attempt to return Vekril to the fold, and partially thanks to the Dhren's long-standing arms-length relationship with their parent nation.
The Dhar
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