King of the Dwarves

The King of the Dwarves is the leading political figure of the Dwarven people, and one of the most powerful people in all of Totania.

Bartharn Nurdesh by Jarhed

Duties

The King is the face of the Dwarven government, and is also the representative of the will of the people from when he was elected. While the Prime Minister has the authority of recency, the Dwarven King carries with him tradition, which it is his duty to uphold.
Kings command the Dwarven Generals, placing them as the Commander-in-Chief of all military forces in Dwarven territory, and giving them the greatest military command of all rulers in Totania.
They are meant to lead upkeep in Castle Ironforge, as well as lead all major prayer services in the case public figures like Generals, Thanes, or Prime Ministers pass away.
They are not only a political, but also a religious figure, and after a Prime Minister becomes King, they must get a blessing from the God of the Dwarves, Hadur, to prove themselves a true King under his judgement.

Prime Minister

Kings are not appointed through blood relations. Instead, the Dwarves are actually a democratic monarchy. As a King serves, elections take place every four years. Here, a Prime Minister is elected.
The Prime Minister takes on some duties that otherwise the King would do, for instance many foreign meetings are done by Prime Ministers. But most of all, a Prime Minister is the successor of a King.
If, during their reign, a King dies or resigns, the Prime Minister at the time will take over and serve for life. If no King dies or resigns during their reign, the Prime Minister is subject to another election.
This keeps Prime Ministers on their toes, always doing their best so they can be re-eleceted if necessary, or can become a good King in the case something happens to the current King.

History

Upon the creation of the Dwarven people in Totania, they were brought together and led by a man named Maevell. He was no real leader or King, instead just the head of hunting and gathering efforts in the mountains.
However, after 32 years, Maevell's son Vonron gathered many of the Dwarves together and brought them to Ironforge, where he founded the city and built Castle Ironforge. He was crowned as a King and was named the official first King of the Dwarves, though there are fringe groups that call Maevell the real first King despite Maevell wanting nothing to do with the Dwarven Kingdom.

"I found my father, Maevell, sitting on the side of a mountain with a broken spear. He watched the sun rise, and I sat with him until it set again. He barely looked at me, and he said very little.
He wanted no words. He wanted only peace... you don't get peace with a crown. A crown incites violence. A broken man like him was no king."

— King Vonron

Few changes came to the title of King of the Dwarves for centuries until the year 548 and the death of King Lorvyn and the start of the Dwarven Civil War.

The Eight Kings

The Dwarven Civil War of 548-550 was a war where Dwarven Territory was, at one point, divided amongst eight different Kings. Those Kings, and their Kingdoms, were:

• Krankyl- The Dwarven Kingdom
• Harbek- Automatia
• Schmeelon Cunkuck- The Capital Kingdom of Vreslo
• Melmin- The Maevell Dynasty
• Rotbrek- The True Dwarven Kingdom
• Nysnura- The Kingdom of Zwergenberg
• Thargrun- Dwarvome
• Bromdrus- The Felldragon

Not all of these candidates for King had equal weight. Bromdrus was killed on the very first day of the war, and his successor, Thyrik, joined Krankyl's side. Thargrun and Nysnura were so busy fighting over southern lands that they had no true claim to the throne itself, while Rotbrek was only trying to keep the throne warm for Krankyl.
This left four people actually trying to be King. Melmin tried to make Maevell's lands the seat of power and bring forth the idea that Maevell was the first King, which led to poorer reception than the others. Schmeelon Cunkuck had conquered the entire western half of the Dwarven Kingdom and tried to turn the Kingdom into one that makes money, while Harbek tried to forge a new, more peaceful kingdom through war.
Krankyl was the one elected as Prime Minister, but he died fighting Harbek. When all major candidates were dead and Rotbrek and Nysnura surrendered, a Dwarf from Feldweg named Bartharn took the title of King, uniting the Dwarven people in the peace that was made through Krankyl's sacrifice and seeking better relations. Trying to make the Kingdom and the title of King one with less bloodshed attached to it.