The Stoneroots

Underground Halls of the Dwehrlen

Down deep below the mountains of the Worldspine lie the sprawling Dwehrlen tunnels known as the Stoneroots. Some of these tunnel systems and caves date before the creation of the Rise, back when Deign himself first descended beneath the mountain range in search of rare metals. Since then, they have been expanded on extensively, stretching untold hundreds of miles beneath the earth. These tunnels have twisted over and under one another to create an intricate weaving of pathways like the roots of a great tree that gives the Dwehrlen territory its namesake.
Great caves will be hollowed out where multiple tunnels converge to create space for a great Dwehrlen city. For what they lack in numbers they make up for in quality creating some of the largest cities across Nora hidden below its surface. While there are only a handful of named cities within the Stoneroots, there lie dozens of unmarked settlements scattered throughout the tunnels for workers and travelers to call a temporary home in the great expanse below. Dwerlen settlements are typically very specialized in function to match the efficiency of their creators. Everything is built with a definite purpose in mind to better serve the local populace.
Tor Karrick, The Hammer, is the capital of the Stoneroots and the home for Dwehrlen smiths to create their greatest works. Tor Gamlin, The Gavel, is the second largest city and where the bureaucrats reside to make decisions covering the Stoneroots. Gromstrelm, Gutter City, is the largest mining settlement of the Dwehrlen found as a result of too many mining tunnels colliding with one another. Ironwall is a city-keep built into the wall of a great canyon to the west of the Worldspine where one of the far-reaching mining tunnels ran out through the side.

A Life Underground

Dwehrlen are well-known for their leanings on hard work and productivity. Mining is by and far the most common occupation as it leads to the development of new settlements and the gathering of ores which make up the majority of the economy in the Stoneroots. With their natural digging claws, it is said that a Dwehrlen is born with a pickaxe in each hand. Although the actual land coverage is low, it is believed that they have the largest country besides Nioyaathep due to the many twisting tunnels and vertical development from their many miners.
Behind them would be the smiths and the even more illustrious Magismiths that the Dwehrlen are famous for. Metal weapons and tools are the largest exports of the Stoneroots, particularly Magickal Apparatus coming from Tor Karrick. These smiths also make up the building force of the cities to support the miners. Many of the homes and buildings are carved from stone and supported with metal instead of wood. These lend the Dwehrlen structures to be absolutely solid in case of ground tremors or the occasional cave-in.
Where they dig deep into work, they go just as hard into pleasure in their few hours between work and rest. Dwehlren in the Stoneroots have a strong penchant for alcohol and tobacco as relaxants after a hard day of labor. They make their own liquor beneath the mountain with a variety of meads and gins being the most common, but they do have to rely on imports for tobacco as they have yet to develop a good alternative to grow beneath the mountains. Song and dance are also commonly found throughout the cities, though not exclusively in the after-hours. Mining crews can often be found digging and slapping their tails against the ground to a rhythm throughout their shifts. Brothels, while common on the surface, are almost non-existent in the Stoneroots where the Dwehrlen deem them immoral and unwelcome.

Ruling Council

Though the Dwehrlen as a whole aim to avoid politics, they do have a ruling council that operates out of Tor Gamlin. This is mainly to deal with international affairs such as balancing relations between the Dahlen and Ehlen and places little control over the citizens of the Stoneroots. Crimes are typically dealt with within city limits and by neighbors as each aims to hold the other accountable. The council itself maintains an even split of scholars who study the events and politics above the surface and workers who know all they could about the inner workings of the Stoneroots.

Crawling Food and Transport

Being largely insectivores, the Dwehrlen have developed the largest and most efficient bug farms in some of the caves throughout the Stoneroots. Grubs and cave crickets make up the majority of a worker's diet in the mining tunnels. Certain breeds of ants and beetles are harvested for the acid they produce is a key ingredient in Dwehrlen liquor. Larger insects from the Stoneroots are also used as mounts and carriage drivers, from the common Boulder Beetles or the more militarized Megapedes.

Dwellers in the Dark

As pleasant of a home that the Dwehrlen make these tunnels, the Stoneroots are not without danger. The Nycthera, an advanced species of humanoid bats, have long stalked the tunnels and old tombs far below the surface. They regularly clash with the miners any time they stumble into a nest during their regular work habits. Besides these, there have been reported sightings of Snow Elves ever since the Snowfall Conflict occurred, though these have been few and far between.