Dwarfholds of Ezrenhelm

Written by Aragottix

Government

The Monarchy

The Dwarfholds of Ezrenhelm are a constitutional monarchy, where the ruler, here titled as King, presides over the Dwarven holds according to a writ list of laws which vest both great power and great responsibility within the monarch. The title is hereditary, and succession is up to the rule's discretion. An heir is chosen by the King, but in case no successor is chosen prior to the King's passing, a moot is convened of the High Lords of the Dwarfholds, who then elect a new King or Queen from among his children.
The King rules the realm with the aid of his High Council, which consist of his many advisors, but more importantly, his direct vassals, here titled as High Lords, who the King delegates much of his authority and responsibility to. The title of High Lord is similarly determined as the title of King. If no direct successor is chosen, the Lords, here being the nobility of a High Lord's Dwarfhold, gather to elect an heir.
As per the constitution, the government is to adhere to the wishes of the common Dwarf, so the realm maintains a Hall of Matters, which is the equivalent of a parliament, made up of representatives from the many different guilds and provinces of the realm, who with high enough support, pass or amend the realm's legislation, with the approval of the King. These representatives are chosen by the respective members of the guilds and communities.

Ruling Dynasty

The King of Ezrenhelm is the old and wise Dane Mithrin the 2nd, who counts 217 years of age. He is married to his wife Yula, age 185, with whom he has two sons, Gromli, age 33, and Kane, age 41.
The King and Queen married at a late stage of their lives, and have thus relatively young children in their winter years, this is due to the King's many adventures and multitudes of muses across several realms, both Dwarven and other. But at last, his age and his responsibilities caught up with him, and he was required to settle down and have a family. His marriage with his wife was more out of political reasons, but their relationship has worked out nicely none the less, working mainly due to their respect for one and other, not because of passion.

Geography

Above ground

The entirety of the realm lies within the Valpine mountain range, which stretches from the western coast at the Jagged Sea, eastwards towards the great Messial mountain range that runs through the heart of the continent. The region is predominantly mountainous, but there are chains of valleys that snake their way through them, often along rivers. These valleys are forested, mainly with pine trees, and is where dwarves have come to settle above ground to fish, hunt, obtain lumber, grow overworld crops, and graze overworld livestock.
The majority of Dwarves in Ezrenhelm dwell within so called Dwarf-holds, or Mountain-holds. These are fortresses built in to the side of a mountain and occupy much of the underground within it. These can be great, the size of grand cities, with multiple tiers, reaching far down in to the abyss, mined out and occupied for untold generations. Or, they could be a small outpost, with several private quarters occupied by individual families spread out around a central gathering hall.
Wherever they go, the Dwarves make a home by mining out a hole for themselves. Other people quarry rock to build buildings with, while the Dwarves mine out the mountain to make it their home. Dwarves above ground also live in individual ''houses'', of sort. These dwellings are of lesser effort than the great Dwarfholds in the sides of mountains, and are humble homes dug in to the inside of a hill or cliff.

But what is seen above ground is but one third of a Dwarven realm, as it is the depths that the Dwarves call home, and there they reside in their burrows, safely entombed within the thick rock of the mountains.

Underground

Within the Dwarfholds lies the heart of Dwarven civilisation, this is where the majority of them live, work, and die. Great halls of glory were dug with high ceilings that appear massive even to tall people, endless hallways and tunnels dug, serving as streets that connect the residentials, the commercial squares, the industrial caverns. Grand temples to their deities are found along the grand halls located in the heart of such fortresses, halls which are flanked by huge statues to Dwarven glory and heritage, at the very end of which, large gates to the majestic throne room of the local authority.
Dwarves, when they dig, follow nature. Where valuable mineral veins are, there they will follow. Where an underground river runs, there they will dive. Where cavern wall gives way to unknown darkness, there they will explore. And as their populations grew, those paths of expansion they then settled. A vast network of old mineshafts and rivers now teeming with civilisation, put to practical use. They live within the mountains, and become a part of them.
Much of Ezrenhelms's deepest most reaches have unfortunately been lost during the Cataclysm, with entire underground regions cut off from the mountainhomes above, and either flooded by molten rock or water, or overrun by underworld beasts in the aftermath. Excavations and expeditions in to these forgotten tunnels are common enough, and often time dangerous. As these were lost over a thousand years ago, and many generations have passed, very little is known of these places, and very little records of them survived.
The most famous of these underground complexes is the wonder that is, or was, the Underway. An underground highway network built by the Under-empire of old, which used to connect all the far reaches of Dwarven civilisation, now broken up in to innumerable segments, the majority of which remain unexplored, even inaccessible.

People & Culture

The Dwarves of Ezrenhelm are a proud people, much like every Dwarven culture, but not too proud to know what is good for them. The Ezren Dwarves have come out of their mountains after the ending of the old world, and have embraced a new future by cooperating with their neighbours to survive, and adopted tolerance. They are one of the most widespread culture of Dwarf even abroad, just ahead of Messial dwarves, and are renowned for their warm personalities and are seen as characters of honor.
As such, when abroad, they are often in the position of trust, and of dutiful service, such as innkeeps or bankers, but most typically, as Dwarves will be Dwarves, they are renowned and well sought after smiths and engineers due to their race's natural ingenuity.
They are a tough people, brawny, enduring, and long lived, so they make for formidable warriors, but they are also patient, for all great things take time.
They are notoriously stubborn, and unwilling to budge from what they believe is right. Be it their possessions, loyalties, their work, or a vow.
''Their skin is hard as rock, and steel is in their bones'', as the saying goes, ''Yet their warm heart you might unlock, with words of praiseful tones.''
Dwarves are universally mute to magic, but that does not mean they are unable to use it. Using ancient runes, Runewrites are able to inscribe runes that trap magical energy within them on pieces of gear or items, which can bestow an enchantment or curse upon it, depending on the inscription.

Religion

The Dwarves of Ezrenhelm have always been devout followers of their traditional Ancestral Worship, believing their elders who have passed on now watch after them and continue to serve and guide them, yet only if they were sufficiently honored and properly buried upon their passing. If not, they believe they risk being haunted by their spirits, their mountainholds cursed, deemed a failure, and unworthy, if it isn't even able to honor those who have contributed to it.
At the turn of the age however, the Ezren Dwarves have begun accepting a new belief, a new truth, the Faith of Light, which has rapidly been rising in popularity, and which has even been adopted by the royal family.
The Light preaches understanding and cooperation, to work together with all peoples and reap the rewards of everyone's strengths for a brighter future. It promises an utopia through enlightenment, and after the The Cataclysm, several cultures in close proximity have been easily swayed by such notions, to achieve strength through unity for the survival of all against a dangerous world.
The faith in the Light benefits Ezrenhelm not only spiritually, but also politically, as several nations to it's immediate north and west are it's followers as well, with whom they have secured an alliance, known as the Pact of Light.
The Light has easily found it's way in to the hearts of the people of Ezrenhelm as it in no way conflicts with their ancestral traditions.

Military

Doctrine

Ever since the dwarves of Ezrenhelm emerged at the dawn of the 3rd world, they have been continuously harassed by the Vallerian Elves from the south. As such, they have taken great precaution and effort to secure their realm from any armed intrusion. Their dwarfholds and outposts are heavily fortified and can be locked down on a moment's notice, and their underground strongholds are all but impenetrable.
Ezrenhelm is a Dwarven nation, a wealthy and powerful one at that. The gains it achieves through cooperating with it's allies have allowed it to expand their military capabilities considerably, and have done so rapidly after the 1st Vallerian Invasion.
Dwarves are short stunted people, not very agile, but strong, so they rely on heavy armor to protect themselves within in the field of battle. Their soldiers are one of the best equipped in the north, and they are trained to hold their ground against all odds. Their most well known maneuver is the shield-pike wall, which is a double layered wall of shields, from which a row of pikes protrude forward. The shields are designed to be able to interlock with one and other, and having two rows of them one over the other makes it difficult to climb or topple. These heavy units are always at the front of every army, and are to hold the line while their fellow Dwarves whittle down enemy numbers with ranged weapons and artillery fire.

Specialties

Dwarves are master engineers, and have been building advanced siege machinery since before Humanity opted to build wooden huts instead of tents, though they protect their secrets with care, to not let too much be known too fast, lest the knowledge falls in to the wrong hands and they loose their advantage. They field your ordinary canons most often, as they are the easiest to mass produce, but in their arsenal they also have organ guns, volley guns, siege bombards, and the mortar.
Dwarves have always invented such weapons with combat taking place underground in mind, never above ground in an open space, so this was a new frontier for them in arms development when they were forced to emerge from the depths. The Messial Dwarves have worked extensively with the Humans of Ardechia after they lost the entirety of their homeland to The Cataclysm, and have been developing so called Landships, armored steam wagons with mounted canons... which the Ezren Dwarves have been attempting to copy.
The Ezren Dwarves also put their knowledge of Rune Magic to use, using it to enhance weapons and armor with greater durability and status effects.

Navy

Ezrenhelm is a land locked nation, and thus has no outstanding navy. It does however have plentiful rivers and lakes, especially underground ones. The underground bodies of water have shifted and changed drastically after the The Cataclysm, and many of their ancient tunnels were flooded by them, which is why the Dwarves have put much effort in to developing Submarines with which they are able to explore these ancient depths.

Air

The Dwarves of Ezrenhelm, as innovative as they are, do not have any machine with which to achieve flight. And that is because, for the most part, they never needed to develop one, as they have found a valuable ally in the Gryphons of the Valpine mountains early after they emerged from the destruction of their deep holds. The Gryphons have been tamed and have been used for transport, communication, and even combat purposes ever since.
They have become so useful, and such a boon to Ezrenhelm, that the Gryphon has become the nation's mascot, and is the main feature on Ezrenhelm's national banner.

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Location

Valpine Mountains

Controlled Territories

• Valpine Mountains

Neighboring Nations

• Kingdom of Ardechia
• Princedom of Lynora
• Reich of Sturmgard

Related Species

• Dwarves

Related Ethnicities

• Ezren