The Mountainhomes
The Mountainhomes comprise the civilization of the Dwarves, underground cities that dot the Central Mountains.
Structure
The Mountainhomes are a loose organization of Dwarven city-states. One Mountainhome is one city, one settlement, or even one cave where a hermit dwarf has decided to set up residence. The idea of a Mountainhome is more than the idea of a place to live but the definition of security and unity with one’s fellow dwellers and the Dwarven race as a whole through the act of digging, crafting, and living in the earth’s embrace.
Part of this experience is the will of the High King. For the Dwarves this guidance is the constant in a world that often seems chaotic and full of existential turmoil. Even for the most independent and rebellious Dwarf, there is a certain comfort in knowing that if the High King was ever to ask anything of you, you simply do it. No further thought needed.
Below the High King is the King. Mountainhomes with a population of above 1,000 are sent a King from the noble houses of Thorangar Utkarnat, the High King's Mountainhome. Usually the King comes from one of the noble houses that sponsored or settled the new Mountainhome. Other times they are chosen by the High King. The King of a Mountainhome is responsible for the distribution of a Mountainhome's wealth, and so in an inverse of many Human systems, the King has the power of the purse in the Mountainhomes, while the Dwarven Guilds (and/or noble houses) make independent proposals and ask the King to finance them. The Dwarven armies also function in this way, they are self organized and petition the King for a budget.
Noble Houses are groups of related people who the King or High King sanctions to finance projects on his behalf. They get a portion of the King's money which they are responsible for growing and must pay part of their profits to the King every month. The King may create a Noble House whenever he wishes, but must think twice or else he will dilute his own power. The King may also revoke a Noble House's sanction at any time, but must consider the consequences to the Mountainhome's economy of doing so. Noble Houses are generally in the businesses of banking, prospecting, real estate, or trade.
Guilds are groups of Craftsmen who share a common skill set. There are guilds for nearly every profession a dwarf can have. Guild members are employed by others but the guilds themselves can also take on their own projects. Guilds also support members who fall on hard times. In this way they act as a check on Noble Houses by forbidding members to work for those who mistreat them and compensating them for their lost work. They are basically unions.
Gnomes make up an important part of Dwarven society. They are creative idea-people where as Dwarven thinking is often shaped by habit and convention. Gnomes who live in Mountainhomes have a sort of symbiotic relationship with Dwarven society and they are usually employed as advisers, researchers, and designers. The voice of an individual Gnome can carry a lot of weight in any Dwarven deliberation. Historically there were usually about one Gnome for every twenty Dwarves in each Mountainhome, however this has risen drastically to about one in ten. In some cases, Gnomes form entire Noble Houses rather than simply advise them.
Public Agenda
The Mountainhomes seek first and foremost to protect and grow the Dwarven race. To this end they seek to reclaim their past territory, which once stretched from the The Green Horn through the Central Mountains all the way up the Backbone Mountains. Constant war with Thalassa has brought the empire low and just a few Mountainhomes remain among the Central Mountains.
Kolthis' timely attack on the Thalassan capitol saved the dwarves almost a thousand years ago, and though they now find each other in opposing graces the Dwarves have not forgotten this. Dwarven intercession saved Kolthis from Imperial invasion two decades ago and the High King has stated that the Dwarves consider this debt paid. All this being said, Kolthis' unchecked magical research scares the Dwarves, and there is no formal agreement binding the two powers.
The Dwarves also see valued longtime allies and business partners in the Free Cities, who are also beneficiaries of Dwarven intercession. Unlike Kolthis, though, the Dwarves still consider themselves bound to the Free Cities by their alliance against the Dark Elves in the 700s, and the Sultans and Aristocrats of that land never miss an opportunity to remind them of this. The reclaimed mountainhome at Zhona, now considered one of the Free Cities, holds a special place in the Dwarven heart.
These two glaring exceptions notwithstanding, the Dwarves are truly serious about their commitment to The Union of Granmor. Their ideological commonalities with the Verdonese Empire and its invaluable millitary aid have surpassed all past debts to other non-union powers. In return, they have put both their troops and their money behind the Union, alerting the Empire to the imminent threat of The Serene Republic of Xethess and spearheading the war that crushed the growing power and its ambitions of an Elven Coalition.
Internal conflict is a major concern as well, driven by rapid demographic and social change. The Xethic Faction is slowly turning from a xenophilic Gnomish counterculture to a terrorist threat. The Stonewardens are also fomenting unrest and civil disobedience amongst the conservative Dwarven majority, stymying many of the King's initiatives despite their pleged loyalty to the nation.
History
Dwarven history goes back more than 6,000 years and the Dwarves have long memories. Mostly it consists of battles against the elves and a cyclical ebb and flow of Dwarven power, rising as the Elves decline and vice versa. The Seventh Thalassan Crusade was one of the closest calls in all of Dwarven history, with the entire race reduced to just over fifteen thousand war-weary individuals in Thorangar Utkarnat. Only the intercession of Kolthis saved the Dwarves from extinction.
Over the next thousand years, the Humans of the Great Desert would prove invaluable allies in the struggle for survival. After allying to eject the ever-threatening Dark Elves of Bol'Tein from the Central Mountains and The Great Desert, the two civilizations would establish trade routes that helped speed the Dwarves' recovery. Dwarves would go and live in the cities, establish a community trading with the Mountainhomes, prosper and have a couple generations of children, then petition the High King and Noble Houses to start a Mountainhome of their own. This process continues even today and allows the Dwarven population to grow faster than the restrictive space an underground fortress would allow. There are now dozens of Mountainhomes, many of which have populations of thousands. Thorangar Utkarnat itself has reached a population of 125,000, and the Mountainhomes have a total population of around 500,000
One major stumbling block for the Dwarves has been the ever-growing unrest of the Gnomes. Once a very small minority of outsize importance, Gnomes have been steadily increasing in number and have been asserting their own cultural values and need for more economic freedom. The most noticeable developments in this respect have been the Fragglecrux Strikes and the recent emergence of The Xethic Faction. This new and grave development was spurred on by the social upheavals wreaked by the Royal Mages' Guild, the Dwarven version of Magoc.
Demography and Population
Thorangar Utkarnat
75% Dwarven20% Gnomish (80% Rock, 20% Hill)
5% Other ( Sergal, Human, Halfling, Orsenman)
125,000 population total.
Large Mountainhomes
70% Dwarven20% Gnomish (75% Rock, 25% Hill)
10% Other (Humans, Sergal, Halflings, Orsenmen)
5 x ~60,000 population = ~300,000
Small Mountainhomes
60% Dwarven25% Gnomish (50% Rock, 50% Hill)
10% Halfling
5% Other (Humans, Sergal, Orsenmen)
15 x ~5000 = ~45,000
Surface settlements, Upstart Mountainhomes
50% Dwarven30% Gnomish (10% Rock, 90% Hill)
15 % Halfling
5% Other (Humans, Halflings, Orsenmen)
~45 x 500 = ~22,500 492,000 total population The population is changing overall, with the wider trend towards more gnomes and outsiders and generally more diverse settlements. With around 345,000 or approximately 75% of the total population being Dwarves, the Mountainhomes are one of the most diverse societies in Granmor outside of the Free Cities. The Dwarves are extremely urbanized, in fact almost exclusively urbanized, with only 13% of the population living outside cities, compared to 60% in the Empire. Also note that Elves are not allowed to dwell in the Mountainhomes. Even Elven visitors are often treated with hostility.
Territories
Dwarven territory is currently limited to the Central Mountains. However, there are numerous upstart Mountainhomes in the Backbone mountains, protected from Thalassan interference by Imperial and Free Cities patrols. Dwarves have started Mithril mining concerns in the Green Horn but these are not considered Mountainhomes as they are Empire-administered.
Military
Every able-bodied Dwarf is expected to fight, the current standing army of the Dwarves is about 15,000. Their military is mostly Infantry and Mages, with the infantry containing a mix of Fighters, Clerics, and Paladins. Dwarven infantry is famous for its heavy armor.
Like the Elven military, the Dwarven military is supplemented by constructs. However Dwarven constructs are generally of Gnomish design and tend to take on Insect-like forms or have mechanical parts such as treads.
Technological Level
Dwarves have a relatively high magical technology level. However they are culturally uninterested in integrating magic into their daily lives and prefer to work with their hands and live simply. Gnomes are a different story, but they are still a small but growing minority.
Religion
Dwarves formerly worshiped Galney and Solon almost exclusively. However they have accepted Ecumenical Pantheonism and the Theurgical Society is very active in the Mountainhomes, especially the smaller ones.
Foreign Relations
Formerly working relations with Kolthis have suffered dramatically since the Kolthians decided not to join the Union and the Mountainhomes severed ties. The Dwarves are in a state of war with all of the Elven nations. The Emperor's waning faith in the Dwarves was restored after the success of the Xethess campaign and relations with Verdon have recovered accordingly. The Dwarves have a special relationship with the Sergal as the two are united in their hatred of the Elves.
Delve Ever Deeper
Founding Date
6352 PE
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Alternative Names
The Dwarven Confederation
Demonym
Mountainhome Dwarf
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Mixed economy
Currency
Kaht: Stone currency that entitles the bearer to a proportional weight in Gold.
Official State Religion
Parent Organization
Subsidiary Organizations
Controlled Territories
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