The Alliance of Dwarven Clans in Aaldenbur
The Alliance of Dwarven Clans in Aaldenbur, more commonly referred to as either The Alliance or just Aaldenbur is the collective of clans who lay claim to the Aaldenbur mountains. Not a traditional nation, The Alliance allows each of it's member clans to fend entirely for themselves. The Alliance is only under actual leadership when a King is elected from the Eilarmøte, a meeting of clan leaders. Alliance law states that such a decision must be made unanimously, and as such the nation of Aaldenbur has only come under the banner of a King five times in the history of the Clans.
The Clans
The current Clans that make up The Alliance are- Clans Nur and Sur Aaldenbur, the Brother Clans
- Clan Nurazak, the Mountain Movers
- Clan Terro, the Clan of Proud Shepherds
- Clan Ursine, the Masters of the Wilds
- Clan Gaine, the Stewards of the Earth
- Clan Auror, the Learned Few
- Clan Barkun, the Keepers of Treasure Ancient
- Clan Sunforger, the Brotherhood of Father Sun
- Clan Trigad, the Walkers of Stoned Roads
- Clan Vrenshrrgn, the Humbled Horde
- Clan Eldine, the Forgemasters of Dwarvenkind
- Clan Agni Rathae, the River Clan of Ancient Kings
Affiliated Groups
These are not voting members of the Clans, but rather groups granted lands and protection by the Alliance- The Krieger are a group of humans that trace their lineage and lands back to the Forging of the Land, the First Age. They have lived alongside the Dwarves for millenia and consider themselves citizens of the Alliance, going back to their Blood Pact with Tur Aaldenbur, first of the Dwarf Kings.
- The Frontiersmen are humans descended from exiles from the First Empire many hundreds of years ago. They have settled the rocky coasts of northwestern Aaldenbur, and have taken in a great many refugees fleeing Imperial persecution.
- The Order of Mountain's Breath is a collection of Halfling and Gnome villages founded by those fleeing the conquest of Giant's Leap. They have petitioned the Alliance for full membership, renouncing their loyalty to the King in Rags who has settled in Kuasta.
- Avyund Lya is an underground Gwelin city that has taken in a great number of Ter Eiran asylum seekers. They have formed a close bond with the Frontiersmen over the centuries.
Structure
Collection of thirteen clans governed by a loose set of rules. In times of great strife, a King is elected to hold absolute rule until his death.
Culture
To the dwarves of Aaldenbur, one's Clan is everything. Aside from the individual cultures of the Clans themselves, citizens of Aaldenbur hold a few shared values, codified as the First Law of the First King. Those of Aaldenbur must always take in others fleeing persecution, they must always come together in times of strife, and must always strive to perfection in all things. Dwarves, Humans, and Orcs from Aaldenbur tend to be perceived as humorless or abrasive as a result, when in actuality they are more likely constantly judging themselves and their own deeds and works.
Public Agenda
To protect the freedom of the Clans, and to protect those who seek the aid of Aaldenbur
Assets
The Aaldenbur mountains are home to all kinds of precious or unique metals, and the Alliance produces more of these than anyone else. The gold that goes into the common currency is mined here, and the Alliance holds a near monopoly on exotic materials like falseiron and mithral.
History
The Alliance holds that it is the oldest political organization in all Illiria, and archaeological evidence seems to support this claim. Records show that the ancient five Dwarf clans were united into the Alliance by Tur of Clan Aaldenbur, who lent the northwestern mountains his name. His children would go on to form the clans of today. While clans have been created, expelled from the Alliance, or wiped out over time, the Alliance as a whole has endured. Tur Aaldenbur, first King of the Dwarves, forged the laws of the Alliance and led the nation during it's height, during the Forging of the Land (sometimes called the Age of Dwarves) before the coming of the Anubites and the Minotaurs to Illiria.
During the Second Era we call the Bronze Empires, Dwarvenkind was pushed back to the mountains of Aaldenbur by a series of famines. The second dwarf King, Hyxl of Clan Auror led the Alliance through a long series of harsh summer droughts and harsher winters by taking them into the hollow mountain itself named Tur Aaldenbur and established the cities within. To this day, these cities stand as the de facto capital of Dwarfkind.
The Age of Heroes had it's own Dwarf King, the shepherdess Mila of Clan Terro who led the Alliance into battle against the Blood King during the War of the Red Sky. The descendants of this crusade still live in The Blood Realms as Clan Ironbeard of the Spear, who were expelled from the Alliance thousands of years later.
King Grigori of Clan Nurazak took the crown during the Time of the Elves, during the Great Sundering of Atcandeun which sent a series of powerful earthquakes through Aaldenbur. By the end of his reign, King Grigori had established the fortresses at Kuta's Pass and Auror, forever strengthening the lands the Alliance held. His decree which still stands states that no Clan shall extend their territories beyond what are now the modern borders.
Also during the Time of the Elves, King Drucilla of Clan Agni Rathae was chosen during The Sylvan War, and she chose to keep Aaldenbur out of the conflict by any means necessary, including the famed collapse of the trade roads under the Brother Mountains. The Alliance was the only group on the continent left untouched by the war by the end of the conflict.
In this modern era, the Year of the Everking, thirteen Clans make up the Alliance. Though Aaldenbur is still referred to as the Dwarflands, non-dwarves have made a significant presence in the Alliance. While not official members, two large human communities and a tiny smallfolk nation enjoy the protection of the Alliance, as well as the Clan Vrenshrrgn, which is primarily Orc. The Alliance is famed for it's dedicated neutrality in all things and fierce protection of it's borders, and is well known for taking in political refugees from across the continent.
Demography and Population
While the majority of Aaldenbur is settled by Dwarves, the custom of taking in refugees has led to increased numbers of non-dwarves, notably Gwelin and Humans fleeing their homelands for political reasons. A non-insignificant number of Elves travel to Aaldenbur for this purpose as well, though nowhere near as many as other groups.
Military
Each of the clans is expected to maintain it's own fighting men, though clan Agni Rathae and The Brother Clans serve the sole purpose of raising soldiers to defend the Alliance and it's people. Dwarven ingenuity has led to the mass production of mechanical weapons and vehicles.
Religion
While all gods and all faiths are welcome in The Alliance, Tilanos is the most worshipped deity by far, as common lore holds him as the father of all Dwarfkind, and The Alliance's insistence on self-improvement matches his philosophy.
Foreign Relations
The reputation of Aaldenbur for being a dedicated neutral state has led to it being used as the place where international diplomacy gets done. They host the Guild conferences and any meeting between the great powers, overseen by a panel with representatives from each of the Dwarf Clans. The Empire sees The Alliance as an inconvenient necessity, while the Gwelin view Aaldenbur as a future ally.
Never Beaten
Founding Date
-25000
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Alternative Names
Aaldenbur, The Alliance, The Dwarflands
Demonym
Alliance
Government System
Monarchy, Elective
Power Structure
Confederation
Economic System
Traditional
Currency
The Alliance is one of the signatories of the Guilded Truce, and as such uses Standard Currency in the form of the copper Pennet, silver Noblet, gold Draget, and platinum Deilet.
Official State Religion
Location
Official Languages
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Comments