Inhabitants of the Underkingdom

Primarily composed of Dwarves, Gnomes, and, to a much lesser extent, Gremlins, the Underkingdom is a joint effort to colonize as much of the land beneath Mordrekain as possible. This coalition was unofficially the way of things for hundreds of years when the Dwarves and Gnomes were both young species eking out a living in the same caverns, but they broke apart for quite a long time after disagreements in governance led to a growing number of hostilities. The Gnomes spent a good deal of time living on the surface - despite being far less adapted to it than the Dwarves would have been - before they were driven back into the arms of their once-compatriots by what they termed 'The Human Invasion'.

The Human Invasion - Forged in Conflict

Humans from both Duwallen and Stirge, competing with one another for territory in what they believed to be a uninhabited land, ended up stumbling across the Gnomes from different directions and found common purpose in purging them from the area first. This proved to be all the catalyst needed to get the Dwarves and Gnomes working together once more, as they forged a new alliance to take on the foreign aggressors. The conflict was long and bloody, but eventually the humans were forced from their shores.

Almost immediately following the end of hostilities, both victorious parties realized they had no real interest in the surface land they'd spent so long fighting for, and so they left only a token force of volunteers top-side while the rest returned to the caverns to draw up more permanent plans for cohabitation. In time, the humans would return, but this time as refugees from their respective homelands, seeking to escape the perpetual conflict between them and create a new life for themselves. These more humble humans were welcomed in with open arms, as the surface towns had languished without stable, sizable populations to work their fields and keep up with repairs. Eventually, these shared lands would become known as The Topside Commonwealth.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Though the traditional languages of the Dwarves and the Gnomes are still used by many families and in most traditional ceremonies, the Qoatl Tradespeech project quickly became the de facto 'official language' of the Underkingdom, both because of its convenience for an empire of their size, and because many of its foundations borrowed heavily from their languages and from their close Human neighbors. In Gnomish families in particular, children are often taught the 'mother tongue' first, then transitioned quickly into Tradespeech, leaning on its structural similarities to make it easier to pick up.

Shared customary codes and values

The primary values of the Underkingdom are Motion and Progress. One may not always be able to be moving forward, but so long as one is moving at all, they can keep themselves ready for when opportunities arise once again. To this end, the Underkingdom is constantly seeking to expand and improve, digging out new holds or assisting the Topsiders in establishing new settlements with shipments of stone and ore, all while individuals endeavor to ever be on the forefront of industrial and technological advancement. Dwarven industriousness meets with Gnomish creativity and ingenuity to create one of the more inventive and productive cultures in the world, though admittedly bolstered by its size, population, and the incorporation of a wide variety of cultures and mindsets.

Average technological level

Collectively, the people of the Underkingdom are some of the most technologically advanced folk in the world. This is a misleading superlative, however, as it's not an even distribution by any means. Because of the emphasis they place on personal creation and innovation, some of the most modern tech they've created have not yet escaped the places in which they were created, limited by their creator's ability to patent, sell, or market their developments, let alone pitch them to the leaders of the Underkingdom itself in order to get them standardized.

Art & Architecture

The standard Underkingdom architectural style falls somewhere between a purely utilitarian minimalism and Art Deco stylings, with simple geometric shapes, sweeping curves, and a significant number of sharp edges. To some extent, it's often meant to evoke the jagged points of stalactites and stalagmites, as well as the smooth edges of quarried stone, fusing the natural and the industrial worlds into forms that meet somewhere in the middle.

Coming of Age Rites

The traditional 'First Work' of the Dwarves - wherein a young adult is expected to craft something uniquely 'them' in order to represent their entrance into adulthood - has steadily become quite popular in the Underkingdom at large, especially since the standards for it widened to include things as varied as art, music, or scientific discoveries. Gnomes especially, but even some Human Topsiders have taken to having their children partake in the rite. If nothing else, it serves as a wonderful proof of skill and interest for a young person, and often a convenient entrance exam for apprenticeships under more experienced craftsmen.

Common Myths and Legends

Brádach MacNamara, Dwarven Folk Hero by Retro Hurricane

Legends say that Brádach MacNamara, a real individual who was a giant by Dwarven standards, did all manner of supernatural things during his travels across the globe. From personally reaching the Heart of Mount Hold's Bane to being the reason the isle of Sanctuary is floating out in the center of Malephesh's Tear. Nearly all of these stories are sensationalized beyond reasonable belief, suggesting that the Dwarf lugged a magical anchor with him everywhere he went. Some even claim that he became a demigod late in his life, rather than dying, but because his final public act was to disappear in the depths of Mavensreach's jungles in search of supposed divine treasure, no one really knows for sure what his true fate was.

Diverged ethnicities