Edrind

h1]Kingdom of Edrind

Proper Name

The Grand Kingdom of Edrind and the Eternal Forges of Su-Tera, Axe of the North, Bulwark Against the Deep

Government

Hierarchical Clan Monarchy

A stratified royal authority where the High King presides over a Council of Thanes representing the seven Great Clans. Surface affairs maintain diplomatic public face while the true power resides in the ancient Deep Halls where Master Runepriests inscribe laws upon mythril tablets that have accumulated for millennia.

Factions

Clan Stonehammer - Royal line holding ancestral right to the High King's throne
Clan Ironbeard - Masters of traditional forge-craft and weapon smithing
Clan Copperheart - Merchants controlling trade routes to surface realms
Clan Silverbrow - Keepers of ancient lore and runic traditions
Clan Graniteshield - Premier warriors and defenders of the realm
Clan Gemfist - Miners and masters of jewel-craft
Clan Deepdelver - Explorers and wardens of the lower realms
Runeguard - Elite warriors sworn to protect royal bloodlines
Guild of Enchanters - Specialists in binding elemental magics to crafted items
Order of the Molten Core - Secretive cult worshipping primordial fire entities
Wardens of the Veil - Scouts monitoring the borders of wild Su-Tera
The Unbroken Chain - Mercantile consortium maintaining surface relations
Deepguard - Military force defending against threats from below
Children of Stone - Traditionalists opposing surface-world contact

Law

Lawful Neutral with Complex Clan Honor System

Justice follows ancient codes inscribed upon mythril tablets, with interpretation guided by precedent stretching back twelve thousand years. Crimes against clan honor demand harsher punishment than mere property offenses. Underground realms enforce stricter codes than surface territories, with penalties including exile to the untamed depths—a fate worse than execution.

Capital

Khazak-Dûm (Surface: Mountaingate)

The visible city of Mountaingate serves merely as the antechamber to true Edrindian glory. Beyond massive mythril doors carved with the deeds of seven hundred kings lies Khazak-Dûm, the immeasurable underground capital spanning seven major levels and countless minor chambers. Its Great Forgehall could encompass three mortal cities, while the King's Hall features columns carved from single diamond crystals taller than the highest towers of Hangard.

Population

The Kingdom of Edrind houses approximately four million souls, with seventy percent being dwarves. Surface settlements contain roughly 800,000 inhabitants, while the remaining 3.2 million dwell within the underground realm of Su-Tera. Population density varies dramatically, from sparsely populated frontier outposts near the wild depths to the densely packed districts of Khazak-Dûm where ten thousand dwarves might inhabit a single massive hall.

Race Demographics

Dwarves (70%) - Various clans forming the majority throughout the kingdom
Gnomes (12%) - Primarily in specialized technical and alchemical districts
Deep Gnomes (Svirfneblin) (7%) - Dwelling in lower reaches of Su-Tera
Mortals (6%) - Concentrated in surface territories and trading enclaves
Stone Giants (2%) - Ancient allies dwelling in specialized large-scale halls
Goblins (2%) - Permitted tribes serving as scouts and miners in dangerous zones
Others (1%) - Various permitted guests, traders, and special residents

Cultural Archetype

Nordic-Prussian with Elemental Mysticism

Dwarven culture elevates craftsmanship to sacred art while maintaining martial discipline permeating all aspects of society. Clan pride dictates social standing, with lineages meticulously recorded in grand ancestral halls. Their architecture favors grand scale combined with intricate detail, creating spaces that humble visitors through sheer magnificence while simultaneously displaying technological mastery beyond comprehension of surface races.

Conglomerates

The Seven Forge-Guilds of Khazak-Dûm

These legendary smithing collectives control the production and distribution of Edrindian masterwork armaments throughout the northern realms. Each guild maintains secret metallurgical techniques passed through generations of master craftsmen, creating weapons and armor whose quality commands prices equivalent to a mortal lord's entire yearly revenue for a single blade.

Ruler

High King Durin Bloodaxe XIX

We do not merely craft weapons, armor, and jewelry. We craft eternity. Every hammer strike echoes through the ages; every rune carved shall outlast empires. Surface dwellers build for generations—we dwarves build for epochs.

— High King Durin Bloodaxe XIX

Allies

Kingdom of Hangard - Military alliance and primary trading partner
Clans of the Maggmantle Heights - Distant dwarven cousins
Stone Giant Enclaves - Ancient defensive pacts still honored
Kingdom of Vorcia (tentative) - Recent diplomatic overtures
Gnomish Technocracy of Glimmerdeep - Scientific collaboration

Enemies

The Aboleth Sovereignty - Ancient horrors from the deepest waters
Drow Houses of the Underdark - Competitors for subterranean dominance
The Crawling Void - Nameless horror spreading through abandoned mine systems
Cult of the Black Flame - Corrupted fire worshippers seeking primordial power
Mind Flayer Colonies - Psionic threats preying upon isolated outposts
Kyondor Goblin Hordes - Surface raiders threatening mountain trade routes

Climate

Surface: Alpine Continental / Underground: Geothermally Regulated

Surface territories endure harsh mountain winters with heavy snowfall eight months yearly, while the underground realm maintains consistent temperatures through elaborate ventilation systems tapping geothermal heat sources. Moisture levels vary by depth and proximity to underground rivers, creating diverse microclimates supporting specialized ecosystems throughout Su-Tera's vast expanse.

Terrain

Edrind encompasses two radically different yet interconnected realms. The surface territory spans the western slopes of the Maggmantle Mountains, featuring alpine forests, terraced agricultural zones, and fortified passes guarding access to the kingdom's heart. Vertical shafts connect to Su-Tera, the true majesty of Edrind—a subterranean realm extending hundreds of miles beneath the mountains. This underground domain contains countless interconnected caverns, halls, tunnels, and chambers, some natural but most painstakingly carved over millennia. Seven major levels descend in order of prestige, from the Grand Upper Halls housing nobility to the Deep Frontier bordering unmapped abyssal regions where ancient horrors dwell beyond the light.

Languages

Khazdul - Sacred dwarven tongue with complex honorific structures
Clan-speech - Dialectical variations marking clan affiliations
Trade Tongue - Simplified language for commerce with outsiders
Deep Speech - Secret runic language for communicating dangers
Mountain Common - Used primarily in surface settlements
Rune-script - Ceremonial written language carved rather than written

Event 1: Epic War

The Abyssal Incursion (9762-9781)

When dwarven delvers breached an ancient seal, they unleashed untold horrors from realms beyond mortal comprehension. For nineteen blood-soaked years, the Deepguard fought a desperate holding action while civilians evacuated lower levels. Six entire clans perished before the survivors managed to forge new mythril gates and seal the breach, permanently abandoning the kingdom's deepest levels to the nightmare creatures that now dwell within.

Event 2: Expansion

The Grand Excavation (11326-11691)

Three centuries of coordinated mining and construction doubled the habitable volume of Su-Tera. Under the guidance of Master Architect Kadrimm Ironbeard, seven new major halls were carved, thirty-three mineral veins discovered, and the legendary Diamond Cathedral revealed—a natural formation containing crystals of unprecedented size and purity. This period marked Edrind's ascension as the wealthiest kingdom in the northern realms.

Event 3: Invasion

The War of Forsaken Stone (7453-7459)

When surface allies fell to warlock corruption, dark magics penetrated Edrind's outer defenses. Six years of corridor-by-corridor combat followed as dwarven Runeknights battled mind-controlled former friends. Victory came only through the sacrifice of Clan Obsidianfist, whose members enacted a forbidden ritual binding their souls to stone guardians that continue their endless vigil to this day, neither truly alive nor dead.

History

The dwarves of Edrind trace their origins to the Dawn Age when seven brothers, master smiths all, sought refuge from surface calamities within the Maggmantle's depths. There they discovered not merely safety but unprecedented mineral wealth and natural caverns of staggering beauty. The eldest brother, Brolfin Stonehammer, proclaimed they had found their eternal home and founded what would become the mightiest dwarven nation in the northern realms. As centuries passed, successive generations delved ever deeper, discovering both wonders and terrors. By the fifth millennium, Edrind had established contact with neighboring surface kingdoms, developing trade while maintaining isolation for sacred sites and critical defensive positions. The kingdom's expansion continued unimpeded until the Abyssal Incursion, which taught costly lessons about the dangers lurking beyond their mapped territories. Modern Edrind maintains careful vigilance against threats from below while engaging in trade and occasional alliance with surface nations, primarily Hangard. Today, High King Durin XIX—claiming direct descent from the founding Stonehammer—rules a realm of unparalleled wealth, ancient tradition, and constant vigilance against the darkness that lurks beyond the light of dwarven forges.

Imports

Surface crops and agricultural products
Timber for construction and fuel
Exotic materials from distant lands
Magical components unavailable underground
Luxury textiles and fashion from mortal realms
Sun-dependent herbs and medicinal plants
Fine wines and spirits from Vorcian vineyards

Exports

Masterwork weapons and armor of legendary quality
Precious metals refined to unmatched purity
Cut gems and jewelry of exceptional craftsmanship
Architectural expertise and stoneworking services
Enchanted items with bound elemental essences
Alchemical compounds requiring high heat forge-work
Runecrafted artifacts inscribed with ancient power

Currency

1 Drakhammer (platinum) = 10 Ironmarks (gold) = 100 Copperseals (silver) = 1000 Stonechips (copper)

Dwarven coins feature anvil-struck rather than cast designs, with denomination indicated by metal type, weight, and elaborate edge-work impossible to counterfeit. Each coin bears runic inscriptions denoting the clan forge responsible for minting, creating subtle hierarchies of value beyond mere metal content.

Commerce

Trade forms the lifeblood connecting Su-Tera with the surface world. The Unbroken Chain, a consortium of merchant clans, maintains elaborate trade networks through mountain passes and subterranean routes. Surface goods descend via massive weight-and-counterweight elevator systems at designated trading posts, while dwarven crafts ascend in return. Foreign merchants rarely penetrate beyond the outer trading halls, as deeper markets remain exclusive to citizens and specially invited guests. Clan Copperheart dominates commercial interests, utilizing ancient contractual forms requiring sixteen signatures and seven witnesses for major transactions.

Economy

Resource-Based Crafting Economy with Guild Specialization

Edrind's prosperity flows from unparalleled mineral resources combined with craftsmanship elevated to art form. Strict guild hierarchies regulate production, with master craftsmen commanding influence rivaling minor nobility. Surface territories focus on resource gathering and processing, sending raw materials downward for transformation into finished goods whose value increases exponentially with depth of production.

Prominent Figures

Lord Thergir Ironbeard - Grandmaster of the Seven Forge-Guilds
Runelord Gottri Silverbrow - Keeper of Forbidden Knowledge
Lady Helga Gemfist - Wealthiest merchant-noble controlling diamond mines
General Bonnar Graniteshield - Commander of the Deepguard
Arcane Smith Grurgan Copperheart - Foremost magical weaponsmith
Pathfinder Beldail Deepdelver - Explorer of unmapped Su-Tera regions

Political Organization

Stratified Clan Aristocracy with Craft Meritocracy

The seven Great Clans form the aristocratic backbone of Edrindian governance, with the Stonehammer line holding hereditary claim to the High Kingship. Each major settlement operates under a Thane appointed from local dominant clans, while the High King's Council brings together representatives from all Great Clans for matters affecting the entire kingdom. Craft Guilds provide alternative paths to influence outside noble lineages, with Grandmasters sitting as equals to clan lords in many councils.

Communities

Khazak-Dûm - The vast underground capital and seat of royal power
Mountaingate - Surface city controlling access to underground realm
Forgekeep - Legendary smithing center producing finest weapons
Deepwatch - Military stronghold guarding against abyssal threats
Glimmerdeep - Gnomish enclave specializing in arcane technology
The Diamond Cathedral - Holy site where mineral meets mysticism
The Underhalls - Frontier settlements bordering unmapped depths

Su-Tera: The Realm Below

The true majesty of Edrind lies not upon the mountain slopes but within them. Su-Tera—the Underkingdom—spans a vast network of caverns, halls, mines, and passageways extending hundreds of miles beneath the Maggmantle range. This subterranean domain divides into seven distinct levels, each representing different aspects of dwarven society and measuring status through depth and proximity to ancient clan holdings.

Seven levels lie the halls of stone
Seven clans to call them home
Seven forges burning bright
Seven kings to hold the right
But deeper still where none should tread
Lie nameless horrors long thought dead

The uppermost levels nearest the surface house trading posts, diplomatic chambers, and mixed-race communities where outsiders may dwell. Deeper levels reveal increasingly magnificent architecture and settlements reserved exclusively for dwarven citizens. The Fourth Deep contains the legendary Great Forgehalls where masterwork weapons are crafted in furnaces tapping the mountain's molten heart. Beyond civilized territories lie the Wild Deeps—unmapped regions where dwarven control grows tenuous and ancient horrors lurk. Specialized scout teams from Clan Deepdelver venture into these dangerous realms, mapping resources and threats while establishing defensible outposts. Despite millennia of exploration, vast sections of Su-Tera remain unknown, with some passages descending toward unfathomable abysses where light has never penetrated.

The greatest threat to Edrind comes not from surface enemies or political rivalries, but from what slumbers beneath our deepest halls. We carved too greedily, too deep. The seals hold for now, but I have seen the ancient warnings. They will not hold forever.

— Runelord Gottri Silverbrow, Keeper of Forbidden Knowledge

The Runepriests and Living Stone

Among Edrind's most closely guarded secrets lies the Order of Runepriests—mystics who have discovered methods to commune with the living essence of stone. Through ancient rituals involving blood sacrifice and elemental binding, these priests inscribe runes that pulse with inner power, allowing stone to serve functions impossible through mundane crafting. The grandest example of their work appears in the Vigilant Guardians—massive stone constructs animated through runic inscriptions that patrol Edrind's borders with the Wild Deeps. Some contain the bound souls of fallen warriors who voluntarily underwent the Ritual of Stone Binding, sacrificing afterlife for eternal service. These constructs retain fragments of personality and combat experience, making them far more effective than mindless golems. More controversial are the Whispering Pillars found within the deepest council chambers. Created through forbidden techniques, these columns allow communication with the spirits of deceased kings and master craftsmen, providing wisdom spanning millennia. The exact methods for creating such vessels remain known only to the highest-ranking Runepriests, who take their secrets to the grave—or perhaps beyond.

The Abyssal Threat

The darkest chapter in Edrindian history—one spoken of only in hushed tones—concerns what truly dwells within the deepest, abandoned levels. Official histories describe the Abyssal Incursion as a war against invading aberrations, but fragmentary records in the Forbidden Archives tell a different tale. The creatures were not invaders but prisoners—ancient entities sealed away by powers predating even dwarven civilization. The breach occurred not through accident but deliberate action by a corrupted faction seeking forbidden knowledge. Though official histories claim the lower levels were sealed, rumors persist of continued incursions and whispers of corruption spreading through isolated communities near the deep borders. The Deepguard maintains constant vigilance against these threats, rotating soldiers regularly to prevent prolonged exposure to the subtle influences emanating from below. Their casualties remain high, yet applications to join their ranks never diminish—for in dwarven culture, there exists no more honorable sacrifice than standing against the darkness that would consume all.

We tell surface dwellers we fight against goblin raiders and ancient monsters for control of precious resources. The truth would shatter their fragile minds. We fight to prevent the end of all things, a battle that has raged since before mortals learned to forge steel. And should we ever fail in our eternal vigil, no realm—above or below—shall survive what follows.

— General Bonnar Graniteshield, Commander of the Deepguard

Type

National Territory