Government
The Ice-peak Concord is a democratic nation that enforces dwarven law, and regulates commerce along the dwarven mountain-city. The nation is composed of seven independent mountain-city, each ruled by its own king, which operate as one union under the banner of the Ice-peak Concord. This arrangement ensures uniform laws, regulation of trade, and mutual protection between the mountain-city. These seven cities are
Montmend,
Kaghrihm,
Vurnwohrum,
Vul Darum,
Dugh Dural,
Bhaghbuldar,
Mern Kuldor. In Addition to those seven mountains city, the Goliath joined the concord, and now the
Frostwolf clan is part of the concord.
Each of the city, is ruled by one of the noble dwarven family, These Family are
House Frozen,
House Icebeard,
House Amberforge,
House Hardheart,
House Orewar,
House Zultik,
House Cascogne.
The dwarves of the Ice Peak Concord believe that when one of the heads of a noble family is crowned ruler of the mountain town, the act of taking the crown imbues them with the knowledge of the previous rulers—both their wisdom and their mistakes.
Each of those kings are usually surrounded by advisors, to be in one of the mountain city's courts, it is required to be a noble. Nevertheless, this system is appreciated by the population, which admires the families reigning on the mountains.
There are 7 noble families in the Ice-peak Concord, the leader of each one ruling over one of the mountain cities.
Culture
Some would call dwarves selfish and ethnocentric, but ask a dwarf, and he will tell you that he knows the importance of a united nation in the face of danger and that only the land he walks on will protect him and his comrades.
Moreover, dwarves also have high esteem for honor, dare to insult the honor of a dwarf to receive a punch in the face at best, and a judicial duel if it was a noble. Most dwarves attach particular importance to the glory that a profession can give them, or that an action can bring them. Thus, the hard work of the dwarves in the mines becomes a competition for the one who will have the honor to bring back the most ores, the craftsmen putting their honor at stake with the making of each new workpiece, etc...
The justice of the land is a two-tiered system, with conflicts between common folks being settled in the courts, where a noble judge, based on what everyone says. Alternatively, there might be a judicial duel. But if the conflict involves the nobles, then the large families are called to judge, and this almost always takes the form of a duel to wash their honor.
The troublesome part comes when a common folk dares to bother a noble, the latter often related in some way or another to a judge, can easily force the commoner to be found guilty. This more often than not lead to the cultrip crumbling under debts, languishing in prison, and losing any honor he had.
Dwarves are also rather religious, but their culture and belief push them to work rather than pray, but some dwarven festivals and celebrations revolve around their gods.
Religion
Dwarves do not worship, but respect the goddess
Nesiven, and as she's protrayed riding a purple worm, the many barrels of beverages of the god strapped further back on the purple worm body.
Thanks to this, dwarves have a certain veneration of purple worms, of course, they fight those who dare to intrude their city, but as much as possible, they try not to disturb those monsters.
Crowns
Dwarves believe that the wisdom of previous leaders remains in the crown. They are a total of 7 crowns, one for each of the dwarven noble houses, all possessing similar powers. Those 7 crowns are invaluable.
The
Dwarven Crowns are made of gold and ebony. Forged for the first representant of each dwarven house, it is said that the wisdom of previous leader reside within the crown's metalwork once they perish. Wearing the crown also imbue the wielder with the might of previous kings.
Diplomatie
Relations
From a diplomatic point of view, the dwarves extended themselves to the outside world only belatedly, at least compared to most other nations.
Therefore, the only official treaties of the nation are with the goliaths, now living on their territory, and with
Lightfoot Kingdom.
- Ice-peak Concord & Golitah: Alliance
- Ice-peak Concord & Lightfoot Kingdom: Trade agreements (Lightfoot sell magic objects to the Ice-peak Concord and buy raw material)
- Ice-peak Concord & Lightfoot Kingdom: Non-aggression pact (technically still at war)
- When it comes to their relation with the lightfoot Kingdom, it is conflictual since the war began. With the non-aggression pact, trading is possible again, but limited.
The Ice-peak Concord spent centuries in isolation, so they are autonomous and can sustain themself despite very little trading.
When the dwarves have to discuss and make an agreement, they never send a delegation, but rather wait for one to come to their mountains, as they prefer to have the upper hand in political discussion.
The only trading international trading route of the concord connecting them to Lightfoot Kingdom, but due to the tension, the borders are heavily secured, and crossing them is not possible with the necessary papers.
Apart from the trading with the kingdom further south, there is little transit, and even migrants are rare, especially with the tension at the border.
Conflicts
The war with Lightfoot Kingdom is still going on, and the dwarf armed forces are still standing by for a potential assault, potential revenge from the time they marched south. Therefore, crossing the border requires authorization and motive, as well as detailed inspection, as both nations want to avoid spies and terrorists.
This war, called the
Blood War, is unlikely to end officially until the death of
Trone Frozen, and the Queen of Lightfoot Kingdom,
Tulia Greyhard. And those because, both father and daughter are incredibly stubborn, neither will give in or admit to any past wrongdoing.
In addition to this historical conflict, many internal tensions exist between the noble family, as they fight for power, hoping to become the next king, this is more evident when the king gets old, as their fight becomes quite obvious. Thankfully for the folk of the Ice-peak Concord, the frozen family has been there for 2 generations now, providing some kind of stability, at least if the next generation is also a member of the frozen family.
Economy
Exchange
Most of the trade and other transactions are done between members of the concord, given the rather limited international openness of the concord, this is quite understandable. Nevertheless, some ways are the same as in other countries, for example, the definition of the value of a good is done according to its rarity. Of course, other factors can influence this value, like a monopoly for example.
In addition, the dwarves have adapted the common currency system, and use the ecu.
The Ice-peak Concord coins, their ancient coin were showing the symbol of the family ruling the mountains under which they were created, the shape varying from a perfect circle, to oval. Mixing copper, silver, gold, and platinum coins.
This currency is regulated by the gnomes, nevertheless, during their conflicts with
Lightfoot Kingdom, the dwarves have created an independent organization of management of the currency, the organization is not officially recognized at the international level, but makes faith among the dwarves.
As a result, dwarf coins are often subject to detailed inspection by banks, which consider them counterfeit if they were made by dwarf forges.
The centralization of this currency is done in the royal vault. This room dedicated to the accumulation of goods serves as a bank, and each of the mountain nations has a similar room. It holds the vast majority of the wealth of the dwarves living in this mountain, and the banks of the Ice-peak concord are not centralized. This impractical system has been made in order to guarantee the security and potential independence of each mountain in the event of a new apocalypse.
But, these treasure rooms work like banks, it does not include modern comforts such as borrowing, at least for individuals. Professionals can apply for a "royal investment fund".
Commerce and fiscality
The businesses within the concord are as diverse and varied as anywhere else. However, there are no alliances or associations that carefully monitor trade, instead, the leaders of each mountain city are in charge of regulating trade in the cities. Thus, taxes can vary from one mountain to another, creating trade flows that are quite specific to the dwarf territories.
This creates a rather uneven form of competition, however, due to the relative independence of each mountain city, it is difficult to do anything about it.
These taxes are paid to the state, or to be more precise, to the noble family in charge of the city where the taxes are paid. A percentage will necessarily go to the crown, but the majority benefits the family reigning over the city, in the hope that this money will be used for the improvement of the city and the concord.
In fact, much of this money goes into the pockets of the nobles, but what is left is indeed used to develop each mountain-citiy.
Wealth
The small population represents a majority of the population and lives with about one gold coin per day. This amount may seem ridiculous, especially compared to the lifestyle of the nobles, and the few dwarves who can boast of being rich.
The majority of the people work in what we would call manual jobs, killing themselves to bring glory and honor to their name, and the rich benefit from this work effort. Nevertheless, despite the obvious inequality, no revolution is rumbling.
Of course, listening to the tavern stories, you can hear the miners complaining about their conditions, the blacksmith complaining about the delays, and the innkeeper complaining about the taxes. But it is almost the nature of a dwarf to be grumpy and complain constantly.
History
In the days of the first dwarves, they venerated
Valhir, for they needed his indomitable strength to survive. When the demon poured in Toriel, the War of the Ancients started, and the dwarves fought, clad in rune-inscribed armor made by
Stronmaus, god of crafmanship.
After the war, the dwarven society started to change, new ideas began to usurp the old beliefs.
Rise of the Dwarven Kingdom
Three dwarven sisters, Avarosa, Lissandra and Serylda sought power after the war of the ancients. In their pursuit of power after the war of the ancients, the three dwarven sisters, clashed with Valhir, who opposed their attempts to reshape dwarven society. The sisters aimed to create a new order and establish a society they deemed fitting for the dwarves' new form. Valhir, representing the more primal and stormy aspects of dwarven culture, strongly disagreed with their vision.
Valhir looked to the most animalistic and savage of his followers, and graced them with his gift, turning them into werebear. With them, he would defeat the three sisters. In preparation, he sought out Stronmaus to arm his warriors for battle.
But Stronmaus refused. He did not approve of the Werebear's savage ways, and a terrible fight erupted between the two gods. In the aftermath, Valhir cursed his brother's name, and cast off his rune-inscribed armor. He would fight from then on with just tooth, and claw, and might, and thunder. Far from being lessened, Valhir found his full power was now unleashed.
With newfound rage, he confronted Lissandra. Before her entire army, he struck her down, killing her—but he was unable to stop what she had already set in motion. As the decades rolled by, and despite Valhir's resistance, tribes gathered under the two sister's leadership, forming the Ice-peak concord as we know it, the dwarves converging into 3 houses, called hammers representing each of the three sisters.
Many of the more ancient practices were forgotten. He saw dwarves cowering under their mountains rather than face the rawness of nature. He saw fields being tilled, and farmers herding cattle rather than hunting. He bellowed in fury to see great rivers dammed rather than be allowed to roar free.
The 3 hammers split into 7, to occupy each of the mountains within the frozen mountains, becoming the dwarven noble houses.
Insect Swarms
In 4326 BD, legions of insectoid monster called
Mantis emerged from the underdark and swarmed the concord. House Cascogne was at the forefront of the defense
Although the Mantis forces dealt a devastating blow to House Cascogne, leaving it severely weakened, the dwarven house managed to rally their strength before facing destruction. United, the bulk of the ice-peak concord armies successfully repelled the
Aq'id soldiers.
Ultimately, neither the Dwarves of the Ice-Pak Concord nor the Mantids of Aq'id emerged as victors. The dwarves' mining operations were halted after the war, as numerous dwarves feared the insectoid monsters would use their tunnels and mines to launch attacks on the dwarven mountain-cities. It took an entire generation before the dwarven mines were entirely reopened.
fly you fools
After the destruction of
Mern Kuldor, the survivors and refugees of House Cascogne, led by their leader Dain Cascogne, looked for a new mountain to claim as theirs. Managing to establish themselves in the Grey Mountain further north. In their escape they managed to bring their fortune to this new settlement, mountains of gold stored in the newly created city.
This drew the curiosity of a nearby dragon, Numinex, who declared war on the dwarves of the Grey Mountain.
For 19 long years, the dwarves of Cascogne managed to hold out against the dragon, who relentlessly attacked them, seeking their gold. It is only with the death of Dain and his son that the dwarves retreated. Led by Thor Cascogne, brother of Dain, the dwarves fled from the Grey Mountain that was claimed by Numinex, leaving behind their gold, losing the war against the dragon.
The dwarves, like all other races, were severely damaged after the
Great Extinction in 1070 BD. A huge part of the population was annihilated in a snap of the fingers. The survivors, aware of the danger that the humans who caused this disaster represented, took refuge in the mountains, barricading themselves and fortifying the accesses. In their isolation, they developed a bitterness for the humans, but more generally for all foreigners, seeing them as responsible for this disaster.
Seeking refuge for himself and the people that followed him,
Reghar Fireforge begged
Duncan Frozen, High King of the dwarves, to offer them shelter. However, the High King refused, explaining that there were not enough resources to share in this now desolated world.
Filled with rage and despair, Reghar knew the king was right, but he also knew that without a solution, he and his people would soon meet their demise. Faced with this grim reality, he agreed to join
Kovintus' armed force when he encountered the mage. With their forces united, they launched an assault on Montmend , a battle known as the Battle of Montmend and the start of the Mountaingate War .
Reghar sought shelter and survival at any cost, while Kovintus was drawn by greed and power. When the city was overtaken by the humans, Reghar was granted a position of power. Years later, a brave dwarven warrior named Kharas Braveskin Frozen attempted to assassinate Kovintus. Although the attack left him crippled, Kovintus survived and retaliated, stabilizing his rule through iron-fisted governance.
Reghar knew this was only the beginning. Reports of dwarven troops marching towards the city echoed in his ears. As the inner struggle of Montmend consumed his attention, Kovintus was unprepared for the marching armies of other dwarven noble houses. Reghar fled the city before the Battle of the Frozen mountains.
Montmend fell back into dwarven hands, and Kovintus was defeated, bringing an end to his reign as High King. The Mountaingate War came to a close, and Montmend returned to its rightful rulers, the dwarves. Reghar now on the run again with a much smaller group of survivors, Reghar sought another way to survive, knowing that danger and uncertainty lurked at every turn. Reghar and his people ultimately died of starvation in the following years, unable to find shelter.
Victory against dragons
In 360 BD The fragile balance was shattered when a group of ravenous Hill Giants from the Frosted heights tracked wounded prey to the lair of a dragon named Numinex. Enraged that their feast had been usurped by the dragon, they attacked, managing to wound the dragon before meeting their demise at its claws.
Seeking justice, the dragon appealed to the Golden Five , hoping for intervention on behalf of the giants encroaching upon its domain. However, the council dismissed the matter as a trivial squabble, further infuriating the dragon. Incensed by the council's indifference, the dragon took matters into its own claws. Hovering above the hill giants' village, it unleashed its icy breath, encasing the entire settlement in a deadly frost, exterminating the giants within.
Upon learning of the massacre, the giants, though hill giants ranking lowest in the ordning among true giants, could not allow such an act to go unpunished. Dispatching a group of Cloud Giants , they ambushed the snow-colored dragon in its slumber, swiftly ending its life.
Neighboring dragons, in retaliation, decimated the villages of giants within their respective territories. Despite attempts by the Golden Five to quell the escalating conflict, their efforts fell on deaf ears, and soon, the skirmishes escalated into a large battles through the dwarven lands as the dragons of the frosted height united under a common army: The first dragon army.
Numinex, the original dragon attacked by hill giants became the breathking of that first army in 355 BD, assembling like-minded dragon under his commandment.
The first dragon army asserting its dominance against the giant of the frosted height, dispatched their forces to the dwarvish strongholds, looking to subdue the dwarven folks, using them as infantry into their war. Numinex held a personal grudge against the dwarves who previously opposed him.
For 3 years they fought a protracted campaign for control over the region. Many fiercely resist the First army occupation and the resistance, sponsored by Voninerike , managed to capture the first army breathking, Numinex, in 352 BD. The dwarves seeing in his caputre a vengeance for his past deeds against the dwarves.
Second in command, the wingduke Kansaldi Fire-eyes, another dragon and Numinex acolyte redirected the army away from the dwarvish strongholds, unwilling and unable to sacrifice more ressources to save her breathking, she became the official leader of the first army, and claimed the title of breathking.
Shelter
Siniador invasion
In the autumn of 136 BD, the First, Second, and Fourth Dragon Armies launched their long-anticipated invasion of Siniador.
Captured non-giant enemies were enslaved and sent to labor camps controlled by the dragon armies. However, a major riot within one such camp disrupted the First Dragon Army’s campaign, forcing them to delay their northern advance while dealing with the unrest. Amid the chaos, many slaves managed to escape, embarking on perilous journeys to the Ice-peak Concord in search of sanctuary.
The dwarves of the Ice-Peak Concord, wary of the danger and resources refugees might draw, refused them shelter. As a result, most of the escaped slaves found themselves hiding among the ruins of ancient kingdoms, while others succumbed to starvation in the harsh and unforgiving lands.
Recent history
Preparing for the worst, the king ordered resources to be allocated to the war effort. The miners dug deeper and deeper into the bowels of the earth. There they discovered monsters that no one wanted to know about, and put their armies to good use, but this was not in vain, as they discovered, much later in 434 AD, the adamantine.
This fabulous metal was impenetrable to arrows and other projectiles and confident in their strength, they finally dared to leave their mountains. It came as a shock to the dwarves when they realized that the dragons were gone, the war was over, and societies of various races had sprung up all over the world. Despite their bitterness for others, they opened up to others, accepting the Goliaths in the icy plains that make up the north of their territories and began to open up to discussion and exchange with the halfling.
The trade of their new metal developed, and thanks to the support of the gnomes, they developed a weapon capable of piercing armor while being constituted, the blunderbuss.
Blunderbuss
This weapon was especially useful to penetrate armor, but it was not developed outside of the Ice-peak Concord. And due to its price, few of even dwarven soldiers possess this weapon.
Blood War
The Ice Peak Concord is an ancient civilization that has witnessed the reign of kings for centuries. Over the years, they have fostered strong relationships with the nearby halfling kingdom, maintaining friendly terms and granting them passage through their lands. Additionally, the dwarves of the Ice Peak Concord occasionally collaborate with the subterranean gnomes.
The borders opened, and the exchanges were numerous, so much so that the king fell in love with a halfling. The king loved her unconditionally and fought the noble families in order to marry her. Their union gave birth to a young daughter, Tulia. The birth sealed a new union, and the dwarf people, at first reluctant, cherished the child, for nothing in the world they wanted to see her leave. However, the laws of Lightfoot Kingdom said otherwise, and the child became the queen of Lightfoot Kingdom, abandoning the dwarves.
The coronation of the young Tulia triggered the fury of the dwarves, and their armies marched south to reclaim the royal child, starting the
Blood War. The conflict was bloody, but the gnomes, halfling, and verdan held their ground, and together they faced up to it. As the years went by, the fighting calmed down, the conflict lessened. And the king's remarriage, this time to a dwarf, eased tensions even more.
Nowadays, the 2 countries still fight the Blood War, but a non-aggression pact has been concluded for the moment, and some exchanges can be resumed. But on both sides, everyone knows that this war will only really end with the death of
Tulia Greyhard and Trone Frozen, the current king of the dwarves.
Wisdom thief
In 1135 AD a group of adventurer managed to get to Mern Kuldor, the volcano within the
Frosted heights. The region is plagued by creatures influenced by the power of the
Elemental Plane of Fire who stand in the advneturers way, and snow is replaced by ash.
The mountain having been transformed into a volcano by the elemental powers, the group decides to pass through the volcano's chimney to reach city's ruins. within the volcano, they fight the
Efreeti who took over the city, and manage to defeat it. But their fight provoke the eruption of the volcano, and the adventurers snatch the dwarven crown.
The explosion attract the attention of the entire Concord, and a contingent of soldiers is sent to apprehend them for questioning.
While most of the soldiers take charge of securing the area, a dozen or so stand in front of the adventurers to apprehend them. Not wanting to waste time with the dwarves, let alone return the crown, but also wanting to avoid a bloodbath, the plan is to escape from this situation.
Astriane, discreet as a shadow, sneaks out without being spotted.
Breizh Ankil has the bright idea of donning the armor of one of the dwarves in the camp, blending into the background as he also manages to sneak out of the camp.
The 3 remaining adventurers, less discreet, prepare another plan. Shouting,
Rakon uses his new powers once again to divert the soldiers' attention, leaving
Ginette and
Demia Bose free to try and use their powers to cast them to sleep and enchant them without having to hurt them. Their little tricks work, giving them a slim lead to escape before being pursued.
Stealing mounts, the adventurers speed deeper into the mountains, hoping to lose the soldiers. Luck was on their side, as the blizzard reduced visibility and covered the landscape in a white blanket, with only the smoke from the volcano still visible.
For over 3 weeks, the adventurers slowly make their way through the mountains and further south, avoiding the locals and hunting for survival. Word of their exploits spreads among the dwarves, and beyond the confines of the country. The troupe of Wisdom Thieves, as they are called by the dwarves, has a growing reputation.
With Mern Kuldor freed from the efreet, many dwarves hoped to reconstruct the ancient city, and revive house Cascogne.
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