Few nations in Loriath can match the might, splendor, and vast scale of the Under-Realm of the Dwarves. This subterranean empire spans the entire length of the Shatterspine Mountains, and many are the tales of its beauty and riches. The Under-Realm is one of the mightiest nations in the known world--or it would be, if its inhabitants ever stirred themselves from their steadfast isolation. The Dwarves are an insular and suspicious folk, caring little for the goings-on of the outside world. They have no patience for the haughtiness of the High Elves or the capriciousness of humans, nor the patience to pretend otherwise. Instead, they focus on their own affairs, tirelessly mining the earth's bounty and crafting artifacts that could make lesser beings weep with envy, or great machines powered by steam and coal and magic-infused crystals. It is an empire that could, if it wished to do so, dominate a considerable swathe of the world. But the Under-Folk have little desire outward expansion. If their realm expands, it does so downward, into the very roots of the world, rather than outward. They have no desire to conquer lands that they cannot build upon or mine into, but when roused to wrath, they are formidable indeed.
Structure
The Under-Realm is composed of cities and outposts stretched across the span of the Shatterspine Mountains. The capital, Thafar-Gathol, is a city like no other, a gleaming bastion of innovation and arcane might nestled deep within the earth. It is a marvel of subterranean engineering, an impregnable defensive bastion, and a great, sprawling metropolis both.
Thafar-Gathol is also the resting place of the Pulse Forge, created when the Under-Realm was new using arts now lost even to the long memory of Firebeard’s kind. It is a huge, looming edifice of black stone edged with veins of gold and inscribed with dwarven runes that told the history and stories of the greatest kings and heroes and craftsmen of the Under-Realm. Its massive domed center towers above all who behold it, and the walkway leading to it stretches over a lake of searing magma. In the event of an attack, the walkway can easily be demolished, leaving the Pulse Forge alone on a small island of rock surrounded by a sea of fire. So long as a single one of the Under-Folk draws breath, the Pulse Forge will be protected at all costs.
Within, the Pulse Forge consists of twelve enormous workshops arranged in a circle around a central forging complex, and at the heart of that complex is the heart of the Pulse Forge itself: an anvil large enough and strong enough for a hundred Under-Folk to labor on it at once. But this anvil is not made of metal. It is made instead of purest Hearthstone—enchanted crystal of a quality and flawlessness never seen before or since. Legend says that the first High King of the Dwarves pulled it from the first mine ever dug in the Under-Realm. Today, magic crystals cannot be worked on such a large scale; it is even harder than diamonds, and most of the Under-Realm’s machines used raw crystals. The knowledge of how to shape them has been lost to time, but the ancient Under-Folk knew the secret. They wrought the Great Anvil using forgotten lore in the earliest age and covered it from base to tip in layers of pulsing white-hot runes. The runes have been maintained and added upon by countless generations of arcane blacksmiths to increase the Forge’s awesome potency.
When used, the Pulse Forge acts as a conduit of unfathomable arcane power. Any item, anny object that is shaped upon the anvil is imbued with an echo of that power: it becomes stronger than dragonscales, immune to tarnish, invulnerable to chipping or cracking. It never loses an edge, never breaks, and can be enchanted with rune-spells of awesome potency. The Pulse Forge has wrought such wonders as swords that blaze to flaming life when drawn from the scabbard and enormous siege engines that hurl not stones or ballista bolts but arcs of searing lightning that incinerate everything in their path. The uses of the Forge are infinite, and only the High King and a select order of blacksmiths are permitted to use it.
Outside of the capital, other notable cities in the Under-Realm include Draz Uzkor, the Black City, named for the enormous quantities of black iron hewn from its mines. Where Thafar-Gathol gleams and glitters, Draz Uzkor is utilitarian and minimalist. It is a city built specifically to train, equip, and resupply the Under-Realm's armies, and its streets are not lined with statues but with armories and barracks. Its inhabitants are particularly stoic even by Dwarf standards, for they are the guardians of the empire's security, ready to march into the tunnels at a moment's notice to repel any who dare threaten their way of life. Draz Uzkor contains training grounds where they drill relentlessly, and testing grounds where new and deadly machines and weapons are put through their paces.
Then there is Dhun Badir, the City of a Thousand Pillars, which is known for its intricate mushroom farms and brewing of ale so potent it can knock a dragon unconscious with a single whiff. The city's caverns are illuminated by the soft glow of bioluminescent fungi, casting a serene blue light across the faces of the industrious Dwarves as they tend to their crops and ferment their brews. Dhun Badir is the breadbasket of the Under-Realm. No other city can match its agricultural output, and so great is its importance that it is just as heavily defended as Thafar-Gathol itself. It is fortified with rings of the heaviest, thickest walls, and guarded by a legion of stalwart defenders who know that to lose Dhun Badir would mean starvation for the rest of the empire. Batteries of steam-powered artillery and arcane machines that shoot great bolts of lightning stand ready to protect the food supplies and the farmers who cultivate them.
Krakka Dhar, the Iron Gate, is another city of renown, for it is here, and only here, that the Dwarves permit those of other nations to come and trade with them. Its gates, wrought of adamantine and iron, are so thick that they require enormous machines to open and close them. Beyond them lies one of the largest, most cosmopolitan marketplaces in all of Loriath, and because the Dwarves know the value of first impressions, they have deliberately contrived to make Krakka Dhar as impressive to outsiders as possible. Huge statues of ancient Dwarf heroes stand sentinel over the trading floor, and the floors are wrought of gleaming marble veined with gold and studded with gemstones in geometric patterns.
Another city of note is Khar Morok, the City of Sorrows, where the dead of the Under-Realm are laid to rest in elaborate crypts and the walls are adorned with intricate bas-reliefs depicting the afterlife of the Dwarves. It is a place of solemnity and quiet where even the most boisterous of the Under-Folk come to pay their respects to their ancestors. The dead outnumber the living by magnitudes in Khar Morok, and those who live there are known to be especially dour, grim, and fatalistic.
Then there is Angbar, the City of Fire, named for the lake of magma on whose shores it sits. Long renowned as a bastion of creativity and innovation, many of the Under-Realm's most powerful technologies, machines, and spells were first invented here. It was in Angbar that the Dwarves mastered the art of golem-making, in which hulking behemoths of stone and metal are created and infused with magic crystals as a power source. Golems are used throughout the Under-Realm for almost every task imaginable and make up a large portion of the Under-Realm's armed forces. When fitted with weapons and unleashed on the foe, golems are a force of incredible destruction. Other famous inventions pioneered in Angbar include the mighty war-striders, towering suits of armor operated by dwarven pilots, and the ingenious crystal-powered airship, which allow the Dwarves to travel the skies as easily as they navigate the tunnels beneath the earth and provide them with a surprising aerial advantage.
Culture
Dwarven culture is deeply insular, with traditions that stretch back millennia. They are, as a whole, stubborn, resistant to change, fiercely loyal to their own kind, and suspicious of outsiders to the point of borderline xenophobia. They view non-Dwarves with suspicion until given a reason to do otherwise. They are not unfriendly, but they are blunt and direct to a fault, with a dry, often sardonic sense of humor that can be misunderstood by those who do not know them well. Dwarven society frowns upon lying and deception of any kind, which means that Dwarves will always say exactly what they think without sugar-coating it or pandering to the feelings of others. They are also incredibly stubborn, and once they have made a decision, it is nigh impossible to sway them from their chosen course. Dwarves despise pretentiousness and hypocrisy of any kind and have nothing but contempt for other races that engage in double-dealing or backstabbing.
This does not, however, preclude the Dwarves from having longstanding trade relations with many of Loriath's other major powers. The goods that leave their realm are highly sought after, for things of Dwarf-make are universally renowned for their quality, endurance, and craftsmanship. The industrial might of the Under-Realm churns out vast quantities of weapons, armor, gemstones, precious metals of every kind, and many more. In exchange for these treasures, they take in supplies and goods that they cannot produce in their subterranean world.
Public Agenda
The public agenda of the Under-Realm is straightforward and clear: to preserve their culture, protect their lands, and maintain their technological and magical prowess. Yet, beneath the gleaming surfaces and the steadfast traditions, whispers of dissent echo through the tunnels. A faction of young, progressive dwarves, known as the Iron Vanguard, advocate for greater engagement with the outside world and a more robust foreign policy. They argue that the arrival of the Americans represents a unique opportunity for the Under-Realm to expand its knowledge and influence beyond its ancient borders. Privately, King Azaghal Firebeard tends to agree with the Iron Vanguard, but he knows he must tread carefully. The old guard, steadfast in their traditionalist beliefs, would never accept such a radical shift in policy without significant persuasion.
Assets
The Under-Realm has vast assets and tremendous resources. Its mineral wealth alone is the equal of many nations combined. Jaw-dropping quantities of gold, silver, copper, iron, bronze, and tin are hewn from its mines and sent to vast fortress-factories, where enormous smelters and refinery-vats remove their impurities and pour them into molds to fashion into innumerable ingots. Precious gems of every kind are meticulously extracted from the rock and sent to the jewel-crafters. But by far the most precious resource of the Under-Realm are the magic-infused crystals, the Hearthstones, which the Dwarves use to power their machines and cast powerful enchantments to increase the potency of their arms and armor. Alone of all other races, the Dwarves have mastered the use of Hearthstones in the same way the Americans have mastered electricity. No other race, not even the High Elves, can boast of such a deep understanding of these mystical crystals. And for their part, the Dwarves guard this knowledge jealously.
History
The Under-Realm is one of only a handful of civilizations, alongside the High Elves, Dark Elves and Ti-Amatu, that can credibly claim to predate all other known sentient life in Loriath. Yet the Dwarves' origins are shrouded in mystery. How they came to be, when their kingdom was founded and where they originated are not discussed with outsiders, nor is anything of their religion known beyond the vaguest details. The Dwarves have ever been a pragmatic people, and while they do not deny that gods may exist, they have long preferred to trust in the strength of their hands and the solidity of stone and metal. Their gods, if they have any, are silent and unseen, and they do not presume to speak for them or interpret their will. Their religious practices, such as they are, are personal and private, and none but the most honored of their own kind are privy to their deepest rites and ceremonies. For the Under-Folk, the strength, courage and agency of each individual is paramount, and their gods are silent witnesses to their deeds rather than active participants in their lives.
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Demography and Population
The Dwarf population numbers approximately 5 to 6 million, with the vast majority residing in the cities mentioned. They are a robust and hearty race, with a lifespan of approximately 350-400 years, and they reach physical maturity at around 50. Their society is stratified by craft and skill rather than by birthright, with the most adept blacksmiths, engineers, and miners holding esteemed positions of honor and respect. The Dwarves, like the Dark Elves, reproduce slowly, but this is mitigated somewhat by their hardy constitution and long lifespans.
Military
The Under-Realm boasts one of the most powerful militaries in all of Loriath. It is particularly famous for its war-striders, those towering suits of enchanted armor in which Dwarven pilots, encased in layers of rune-spelled plate, can smash into enemy lines while shrugging off arrows, spells and even musket balls. War-striders come in a variety of specializations: Bone-Breakers are equipped with a huge metal hammer instead of a left hand, and a crushing metal claw in place of the right. They are used to tear down fortifications, create breaches in enemy formations, and as living siege engines. Flesh-Grinders are equipped with a huge spinning saw blade and a whirring drill to rip through enemy infantry, while Fire-Walkers are equipped with twin cannons that spew a form of Dwarven napalm and an arm-mounted, steam-powered bolt-thrower that spits out explosive crystal shards. These detonate on impact and spray razor-sharp shrapnel in all directions. No other nation in Loriath has any equivalent to Dwarven war-striders, and the art of making and maintaining just one is so complex that only a few are built every year.
The war-strider pilots are the elite of the Dwarven army, and High King Azaghal has the most sophisticated, advanced suit of war-strider armor in the Under-Realm. Known as the Earthshaker Armor, it consists of layers of steel plates inscribed with the most powerful protective wards and spells known to Dwarf-kind, and each plate is meticulously engraved with Dwarf runes in gold, silver, copper, bronze, and brass. The Earthshaker's primary armament is an enormous double-sided battle-axe affixed to the right arm, while the left is equipped with a high-velocity, one-of-a-kind weapon, similar in function to a minigun, that fires volleys of solid steel crossbow bolts that can punch through armor like tissue paper, and instead of gasoline, it is powered by steam and a complex system of gearworks and pressure valves. When the High King of the Dwarves takes to the battlefield, he is as destructive and unstoppable as an avalanche.
War-striders make up only a small portion of the Dwarven armies, however, and cannot be made in large numbers due to the sheer amount of resources it takes to construct and maintain even one of them. The bulk of the Under-Realm’s military is made up of heavily-armored foot soldiers alongside a variety of smaller, more specialized units. The resources of the Under-Realm allow it to equip even the standard rank-and-file with some of the best armor and weapons available: a typical Dwarf soldier is clad head to toe in gleaming steel over a shirt of fine chainmail, with a trusty axe in one hand and a sturdy shield in the other. Dwarves favor the use of axes and hammers over spears or swords, preferring the sheer brute force that can be brought to bear with their sturdy, broad-shouldered stature. Their shields are round and thick, designed to absorb blows and crush opponents in a tight press of combat, and often made of solid steel.
The infantry is always supported by one of the most devastating artillery corps in Loriath. Dwarves make use of arcane machines powered by Hearthstones, steam, or both, which can spew devastating bolts of electricity, pressurized gouts of molten lava, or heavy iron balls filled with explosives. These machines grind forward on heavy wheels and are operated by teams of engineers and gunners who are protected by their own suits of scaled armor and sturdy shields. Many of these machines have a storied history all their own and are centuries old, and the units that operate them compete fiercely with each other to gain greater honor and prestige.
The Dwarves also have a surprisingly powerful navy. Their expansive trade relations demand a force capable of protecting their interests, and the subterranean rivers that run through the Shatterspine Mountains eventually lead to the sea, where the dwarves have established several hidden ports. Their ships are made of ironwood reinforced with steel plating, powered by coal and steam-powered engines that turn huge waterwheels to propel the ships forward. They are often outfitted with the same kind of esoteric artillery that serves the Dwarves so well in land engagements. They are not fast, but they are extremely sturdy and resilient. They are capable of smashing through icebergs or withstanding storms that would wreck ships of any other design. The few attempts by corsairs from the Sultanate of Jal-Hadar to try and capture Dwarven vessels ended so catastrophically that all Jal-Hadaran captains now avoid them as a matter of course.
On the other hand, the Dwarves do not have an established cavalry unit. Usually, they do not require one because of their superior engineering and the nature of their subterranean environment. However, in the rare instances they must fight on the surface, they deploy groups of riders atop fast, nimble ponies to perform reconnaissance duties and act as light skirmishers if necessary.
Technological Level
The Dwarves pride themselves on their level of scientific and technological development. They have mastered steam and the use of Hearthstones to an extent that no other race has come close to achieving. The Dwarves have railways and trains when many other races are still using horses for transport, and their use of Hearthstones as power sources is so advanced that they have built colossal war machines powered by them. This blend of magic and engineering is found nowhere else in Loriath, and it makes the Under-Realm formidable indeed. Their society thrives on innovation, yet remains deeply connected to its ancient traditions.
Foreign Relations
The foreign relations of the Under-Empire range from tepid to downright hostile. Prior to the arrival of the United States, their closest relationship--if one can call it that--was with the Dark Elves of Sarnath. It was the Dwarves that taught the Sar'Kadan how to harness the lava flows and geothermal energy of their homeland, in payment of some unspecified debt incurred long ago. What this debt was, and how it was incurred, is something both the Dwarves and Dark Elves refuse to discuss. What is known is that the Dwarves and the Dark Elves share some sort of bond, and each has sent troops in aid of the other on several occasions over the long centuries.
The Dwarves also have trade relations with many of Loriath's other realms, but all of these are strictly business-related. They are commercial agreements, nothing more. The Dwarves particularly look down on the Sultanate of Jal-Hadar, viewing them as mere pirates and slavers, and think just as little of the arrogant, expansionist Empire of Morghast. Relations with the Merchant Republic of Argonis are marginally warmer, and contact with the Serpent-Realm of Ti-Amatu is virtually non-existent. The Dwarves harbor an especially fierce hatred of the feline rakshasa of the Kesharan jungle. They despise the scheming, underhanded methods of the cat-men and deeply resent the efforts of the rakshasa to meddle in their affairs and steal their technology. When agents of Keshara are uncovered, they are summarily executed and their heads sent back to the Jungle-Realm as a matter of course. Relations with the High Elves of the Glittering Isles are little better, for the Dwarves are suspicious of any spellcraft not their own and the detached, casual arrogance of the High Elves never ceases to rub them the wrong way. They view the High Elves as decadent and irresponsible, using magic as an easy solution to everything in order to compensate for their lack of hard work and discipline.
Laws
The Under-Realm's citizens are bound by the Code of Stone, a set of laws and customs that govern every aspect of their lives from birth to burial. The Code is so vast that it could take a lifetime to describe in detail, but its fourteen most important tenets are as follows:
1. No Dwarf shall betray the secrets of the Under-Realm to outsiders. Any Dwarf who reveals to an outsider any technology or secret of the Under-Realm which has been declared forbidden or secret shall suffer death.
2. The Pulse Forge is sacred, and its knowledge is for the High King alone to wield.
3. All must contribute to the craft and defense of the realm.
4. The earth's treasures are to be honored and used wisely.
5. None is so accursed in the eyes of his fellow Dwarves as the oathbreaker. He who breaks a contract signed, or forswears any oath, promise, or vow, shall be cast out. His name shall be stricken from all record, his deeds forgotten, his lineage erased.
6. No invader or foe who takes up arms against the Under-Realm is to be shown any mercy or quarter whatsoever.
7. The dead are to be revered and remembered.
9. No Dwarf shall be forced to fight in battles outside the Under-Realm unless the very existence of the realm is threatened.
10. No Dwarf shall refuse assistance to another Dwarf in need.
11. Dwarf shall not fight with Dwarf, nor shall Dwarf shed Dwarven blood. All disputes must be settled through legal means.
12. The Under-Realm is for Dwarves alone, and no non-Dwarf may live within its borders without the explicit permission of the High King.
13. Any Dwarf who shows cowardice in the face of the enemy shall suffer death.
14. The Code of Stone is inviolate and immutable.
Agriculture & Industry
Dwarf agriculture centers around the cultivation of fungi and tubers, as they are perfectly suited to the subterranean conditions of the Under-Realm. In Dhun Badir, vast caverns are illuminated by bioluminescent fungi, which casts an eerie, shifting blue-green light over the sprawling mushroom farms. The air is thick with spores and the scent of earth. Here, the agriculturalists of the Under-Realm have perfected the art of growing these fungi into a staple food source and the base ingredient for their famous ales. The farms are meticulously organized, with each variety of mushroom allocated its own section of the cavern, carefully monitored by the dwarven farmers to ensure optimal growth. The sight of these vast, underground gardens is as surprising as it is awe-inspiring to the rare outsider who is granted permission to visit. Sheep and goats are a favored source of meat and dairy products and vast herds are tended to on the cold, mist-shrouded slopes of the Shatterspine mountains.
Trade & Transport
The Dwarves trade widely with many of Loriath's other races, for Dwarf craftsmanship is a guarantee of unsurpassed quality and the trade goods churned out by the Under-Realm are almost innumerable. The Dwarves trade items such as weapons, armor, tools, vast quantities of metals and gemstones of every size, color and description in exchange for resources that cannot be found or cultivated in their subterranean home.
Infrastructure
The Under-Realm's infrastructure is one of the most advanced in all the known world. Its many cities are connected via a complex network of railways and pneumatic tubes which allow for swift transport of goods, people, and messages. The Dwarves have harnessed the power of steam to an extent that even the most industrialized human cities of Loriath would envy, and this allows them to respond rapidly to any threat or intrusion into their territory. Any army that crosses their border will find itself facing nigh-impenetrable fortifications that guard the entrance to each Dwarven city, defended by legions of merciless soldiers equipped with the very best weapons and armor the Under-Realm can provide. The Under-Realm also boasts a truly jaw-dropping industrial capacity. Its cities are filled with enormous factories, smelteries, refineries, and workshops that produce everything from the most delicate jewelry to the mightiest of siege engines. Even if they work for twenty years, the greatest of human blacksmiths cannot rival the quality, strength, and craftsmanship of what the Dwarves produce in the space of only a few hours.
Finally, it is worth noting that the Dwarves do not reside in the Under-Realm alone. They are supported by and live alongside another subterranean race, the gnomes. Gnomes are smaller than Dwarfs, slighter of build and nimbler of foot, and each race plays a vital role in ensuring the Under-Realm’s stability. Where the Dwarfs innovate, build, delve, and craft, the Gnomes tinker, maintain, and see to the countless repairs and upgrades that the kingdom’s infrastructure in good working order. The gnomes have little say in the kingdom’s governance, and are not interested in having one. They are more than happy to leave the running of the kingdom to the Dwarves and be left to their labors—not as a servile class, but as valued partners. Chief Engineer Fizzwizzle is the highest-ranking gnome in the Under-Realm and a close confidante and friend of King Firebeard himself.
