Brookhill Dwarves
History
As early as fifteen generations ago the High Kingdom of the Dwarves sent out parties in all directions of Dol Cadarn to establish outposts and secure ressources for the kingdom. While most groups were able to secure mountain passes that would grow into important trade and migration routes, in the long term the party heading east was the most succesful.It is still unclear why they found the area around what is now known as Brookhill unclaimed. It was a lush land while other regions in Valorden were still covered by ice or swamp. Historians speculate that fighting between local human tribes and their nomadic way of life had left Brookhill temporarily abandoned, as there is evidence of previous settlement in the area. On all accounts the dwarves were quick enough to secure the region and fortify what was first meant to be a simple outpost to establish contact and trade with human tribes. It is likely that the immediate surroundings were not uninhabited but the sudden appearance of a race then unknown to the local humans as well as the continuously arriving reinforcements kept the humans from making contact and interfering with the growing outpost at first. After the first winter in Brookhill the dwarves had realized the potential of the land and many volunteered to try to establish a permanent settlement for farming. With the king sanctioning the endeavour, families and resupplies followed as soon as summer. This might make Brookhill or Bhan Brokar, as the dwarves had named it, one of the earliest, if not the first permanent settlement on valordan ground, as the human tribes were only just migrating into the territory and for the most part lived in small nomadic communities.
By the time the king retired eighty years later, the Brookhill settlement had become largely self-sufficient and none of his sucessors ever had to overly concern themselves with the Brookhill Dwarves.
Politics
The area on and around Brookhill is nowadays home to multiple dwarven settlements and they inhabit quite a large span of Valordan territory. Despite living within the nation's borders the Brookhill Dwarves are not considered citizens of Valorden. Yet, of all the tribes that inhabit the kingdom in a geographical sense without being affiliated to the nation politically, the Dwarves are by far the best liked and are well integrated. Moreover, they have deep running ties of friendship with the valordan monarchy all the way back to the days when the first would-be king of Valorden went out on his quest to unify the human tribes. Having had an economic interest in the unification and restructurization of the lands around them, the Dwarves supported this effort early on. The mercenaries sent from Brookhill had always stood out as warriors as strong in battle as they were vast in numbers. After the war Brookhill was officially granted to the dwarves during the process of founding the Kingdom of Valorden. As stated in the Iron Accords Brookhill Dwarves remain citizens of the High Dwarven Kingdom while living in Valorden. They are legally allowed to hold lands in Brookhill and are protected under valordan jurisdiction on these grounds. Furthermore, a tax treaty between the Dwarves and Valorden exists to account for the Brookhill Dwarves and they are not obligated to provide levies for any Valordan military conflicts. The warriors who made a name for themselves during the unification are still a major organization in Valorden. Over the centuries they morphed into a mercenary band and nowadays operate under the name Ironguard, a moniker that originated from the days when they were sent to the first king's aid. The Ironguard mainly takes private mandates providing security details for nobility or escorts travelling merchants. They do not serve in wars of any scale but as Dwarves could be drafted into the dwarven military. Politically the Brookhill Dwarves still owe allegiance to the High King of the Dwarves in Dol Cadarn. In reality they hold a lot of sway over their kin in the mountains due to their fertile and prosperous lands and population numbers are essential for all the dwarves of Valorden.Major organizations
Ironguard
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