Horhiskali, the City Beneath the Spire

Horhiskali is a small city-state built into the side of the Spire, a great mountain at the northernmost end of the Dufthaksholt Range. Towering miles and miles above the arctic waters of the Unbroken Ocean all the way down to their rocky shores, Horhiskali survives on the grit of its people. The City Beneath the Spire is covered in snow and raging blizzards most of the year, but the thermal vents cut deep into the Spire keep the populace quite comfortable.
Horhiskali is governed by the Horhiskalian Congress, a democratically elected house of representatives from all the various tiers of the city. Currently, the congress is overseen by Chief of State, Brottor Rumnaheim. The Horhiskalians pride themselves on their style of government and the fact that it gives a voice to all citizens, though large changes in laws can be quite slow.
The City Beneath the Spire is too far from most other kingdoms to reliably engage in commerce, nor are its people particularly concerned with engaging in business with the other nations of Edras, though some trade is exchanged with Tiriath and Bastion when possible.
The people of Horhiskali are as tough as the mountain itself. Colonial settlers who long ago left Tiriath and Bastion, they pride themselves on the kingdom of ice and stone that they have carved out of the harsh north. The most common professions in Horhiskali are hunters, stonemasons, miners, and gatherers.

The Parties of the Congress

• The Platinum Consensus: This party is led by the social and economic elite. It stands for the idea that the state should have a greater control over the economy, disbursing its products according to need and determined efficiency. Their goal is increased power and influence for the nation of Horhiskali.
• The Copper Brotherhood: This party is led by both clergy of the Brisingelion and devout laymen. It stands for the idea that the state should take a vested interest in the moral and philosophical development of the populace. Their goal is increased faith, support for individual industry, and the eradication of poverty within the city.
• The Golden Banner: This party is led by the old guard of Horhiskali - intellectuals, clergy of higher ranks, those coming from old money and with memories long enough to remember a time before the nation was founded. It stands for the idea that a nation in the Age of Kings requires a strong centralized monarchy, not a group of elected representatives. Their goal is to strengthen the Congress and push the position of Chief of State closer to that of a monarch. They place the defense and well-being of Horhiskali above all else - even the philosophical and moral principles upon which it was founded.
• The Iron Guild: This party is led by the workers of the city - farmers, herdsmen, artisans, miners, and other residents of the rural zones on the outskirts of Horhiskali (or even outside the mountain itself). It stands for a laissez-faire approach towards governance, which the state influencing the economy and the daily lives of the citizens as little as possible. It is their belief that the men and women of Horhiskali do best when given wide leeway. Their goal is governmental reform resulting in less centralized power in the Congress.

Structure

Secular Hierarchy

• Chief of State
• Cabinet Member
• Congressman/woman

Demography and Population

Population: 835,000

Dwarves 33% 

Goliaths 28% 

Genasi 18% 

Gnomes 13% 

Misc. 8%

Religion

Horhiskali worships the deities of the Brisingelion, though maintains a special devotion to Enmensur.

Foreign Relations

Allied, although only loosely, with Tiriath and Bastion. Occasionally reach out to Kharagess for aid or trade.

Laws

• Arcane, Divine, and Natural Magic are all generally legal. 
• Necromancy is outright illegal. 
• Magic that comes from pledging oneself to Outsiders or agents of the Primordials is strictly illegal. 
• Sorcerers are viewed with distrust and fear by some, but accepted by others.

Priesthood

Religious Hierarchy

• Stonelord/lady
• Oathkeeper
• Overseer
• Disciple

Founding Date

3296 AS

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Capital

Horhiskali

Alternative Names

Stoneholme

Demonym

Horhiskalii

Leader

Chief of State Brottor Rumnaheim

Ruling Organization

The Horhiskalian Congress

Government System

Democracy, Representative

Power Structure

Unitary state

Economic System

Market economy

Currency

Congressional Crags

Official State Religion

The Brisingelion

Official Languages

• Eolian

Neighboring Nations

• Austrvegr