Amberkin
Glérdvergur
Overview
The Glérdvergur, the Amberkin Dwarves, in Common Speech the Yellow Glass Dwarves, are a relatively old clan and one of the few which splitted up from the Stonekin clan right after the minor Clan Wars. They searched for a new home and found it at the coast of the Northern Realms.
Up or down?
The problem with the Northern Realms is, that they are mostly occupied with wild dragons, barbarians, a few odd Dragonborns and the humans. The Dvergur decided not to have any of it and as their scouts discovered small traces of amber in one of the sea bays, it was settled: Brestængir was founded. It got its name from the cave systems leading to the bay with the shore.
The biggest difference between Brestængir and the other cities? It has a port. For humans it isn't a big deal, but dwarves hate water. No, they hate it.
Not that they hate the water per se. They do bath and even have inhouse baths, but the moment the water is deeper than 150cm? Nuh-Uh, Sir, no going, not happening!
But the Glérdvergur managed. They built sturdy ships out of stone and wood, infused the stone with runes and started to trade. For materials they needed for their daily life. But also with the amber they found in the water, at the shores and sometimes - for whatever reason - in the caves. And because of this they got the name of the Yellow Glass Dwarves, the Glérdvergur.
Brestængir is a city built into the cave system and bleeding onto the shore where they built a port. The port is defended with torsion turrets, large ballistae and chains which can be pulled so that most of incoming ships will break. The icy waters of the ocean are doing the rest of the work.
Structure
Glérdvergur have a more simplified structure. There are only the Hierarchs (Mekwa) and the Commoners (Asverath) and both bleed into each other. They also have elections to form the leading council of the city, all picked from various families around the city
Religion
In addition to Greybeard, the father Anghalar, the mother Jurniara and Death they believe in the God of Amber (not to confuse with the God of Ember, who is basically the god of firestarters) who provides them with pure amber. Yes, amber is hard tree resin, but that doesn't mean that a god can't have a bit of fun, aright?
They praise the gods in the small temple and in the altars of their homes. It is easier to keep warm than the giant temple in Bjarghjarta.
The God of Amber provides the amber for the Dvergur. Obviously. He is a kind god and normally doesn't intervene with mortal affairs. With the flick of his wrist some of the dwarven ships are finding smaller and larger quantities of amber in the caves or deep down at the bottom of the ocean. During his normal days he sits in his chair, reads a book or sometimes walks among the Dvergur as one of them.
God of Amber by CrazyEddie via Midjourney
Warfare
The Glérdvergur are one of the few clans who are not really interested in common warfare. They are more interested in targeted operations and provide the Shadow Dwarves, the Skuggadvergur, dwarves skilled in shadow and stealth, if you believe it or not. They do have an army, but it is more of a small guard because they are not many.
"Never saw a dwarven assassin, haven't ya?"
Liquid monopol
Brestængir and the Glérdvergur have the monopol on Amber and are the only dwarves with ships. And they do not tell their secrets how they make it work. The runes for swimming stone are on the inside of said stone so no one can copy their secrets. And every ship is armed with weapons and magic defenses, so attacking one is always a risk one has to consider more than once.
Tales
"A dwarf. On a ship? On a dwarven ship?" asked the befuddled elf. The dwarf just nodded frowning, munching his freshly cooked meat with the strange yellow ooze on it.
munch munch munch munch munch munch
"I assume our dumplings are to ya liking, ma leader?"
"Hm? Oh, ya. They are really tasty. With ya Sponge marmalade?"
"Yes, ma leader."
"Perfect." munch munch munch "Ya may speak, what is ya business?"
Culinary
Loaf Sponge by CrazyEddie via Midjourney
The liquid of the Loaf Sponge can be cooked, cooled again and then used as some kind of thick marmalade. If you cook the flesh of the mushroom and let it simmer a bit, it gains the consistency of bread and can be treated as one. If one fries the mushroom, it has a similar consistency, but it reacts more like a flatbread.
If one freezes and thaws the mushroom again, it gains a soft, fluffy texture like honeybread without the sugar in it. Which is basically the recipe for the Dumpling Exchange and in their case a mix of the outer shell of the dumpling with meat, turnips and a bit of the shrooms liquid.
The marmalade is for other dwarves than the Glérdvergur and some humans a delicacy and the second-largest export of the Glérdvergur. The third-largest export is the mushroom itself.
I love the idea of seafaring dwarves.
Never saw a swimming stone? Now you have :D