The Porcupine

The Porcupine is the common name for the conglomerate of dwarven clans that is led by the Mountain King and that is housed within the Porcupine Mountains. It is an enormous cavern complex that separates the Northern Arm and the Southern Arm. From north to south, it ranges some 700 kilometers and faces the Central Sea to its west. The Porcupine Mountains derive their name from the sharp peaks that line their outside and tower over the sea, surrounded by the outflow of smokestacks from dwarven activity.
Within the Porcupine, the dwarves live. While separated in clans, they collectively guard the complex against intruders and use it as a base for mining, refining and crafting weaponry. Their settlements are contiguous and interwoven.

The Clans of the Porcupine

Life inside the Porcupine is mostly unknown to outsiders, but many do know that dwarves live in various clans, which share regions within the cavern complex. Different clans can be known for different trades, or for military reasons. Clan Bardor, for example, made fame as well-trained mercenaries during the War of the Sisters. Clan Arad meanwhile, is known as a clan of traders, while Clan Bordirūn has deep mining expertise. Clan Arutan is traditionally guarding dwarven territory. Clan Kandarin is specialized in secure transport and safekeeping.
Within the Porcupine, the clans are grouped according to role. Those oriented towards fighting can be found in the outer caverns, defending the Porcupine against intruders from the Northern Arm, the Southern Arm, The Wild and the World Beneath. In the top caverns, this includes many smiths, who wish to be close to natural waterfalls and artificial chimneys.

Architecture

The Porcupine is a complex network of caverns and halls. While dwarves are short creatures, they tend to raise the ceilings of exceptionally important sites and they enjoy embellishing natural formations with mosaics, tapestries and statues. Most of their housing as well as workplaces are communal and dwarven dwellings are therefore hardly personal.

Moot Hall

Moot Hall is the hall that Clans use to convene. It is also where the dwarves meet with foreign emissaries and make trade deals. The Mountain King is never present in Moot Hall, so only meetings that can take place outside of his overview are held here. It is forbidden to lie against or dishonor others in Moot Hall. Doing so is considered to be high treason.
Moot Hall is a large hall near the northupper part of the Porcupine. Almost all non-dwarves in The Porcupine live in its vicinity, most notably ambassadors from the Kingdom of Laeryll, the Labarean Empire and Zhai. It has an extraordinarily high ceiling, embossed with detailed, geometric ornaments. A stone table with seats for one hundred men stands in the middle of the hall. Alcoves line the room, some containing benches that are optionally cushioned for visitors and some containing statues.
The eastern wall of the hall is made of delicately polished stone, in front of which stand several statues. One of these is a statue of Olyxx the Young. The statue, which is slightly larger than life and shows Olyxx sporting a beard that is considerably bigger than it is in real life, was commissioned and gifted by the Kingdom of Laeryll in 904 LC, in an effort to convince the dwarves to declare war on the Labarean Empire.

Shrine of the Rock Lion

This important location is a holy site of Khandar. It is here that dwarven Clanstones are inscribed and handed to newborn dwarves.

Structure

The Porcupine is led by the Mountain King. This secluded, mysterious figures does not belong to any of the Clans and lives isolated from the others. Below him stand the Clan Elders, which represent the many dwarven clans.
Within the dwarven clans, the Elders have formal leadership, but are embedded in a network of confidantes.

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Alternative Names

Mountain Kingdom

Leader Title

Mountain King

Subsidiary Organizations

• Clan Kandarin

Location

Porcupine Mountains