[center][img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/ff/dc/d5/ffdcd5915c3566cd7d2da8e96f5c0660.jpg[/img][/center] [center][b]0 - 100 A.E, the Century of Strife[/b][/center] After the Prometheans withdrew themselves from the Uthein mountains, our peoples were suddenly greeted with independence - an eery concept, that for generations, they knew little about. Initial infighting took place in the city of Uthein, between various factions that sought to take advantage of their period of administrative chaos, though little is known about the scale of casualties incurred by this brief conflict. All that is known, is that Henrik Stonehammer, patriarch of the Stonehammer Clan, asserted himself as supreme ruler of our peoples. However, his reign was brief, and by 3 A.E, he had been disposed by a popular revolt. In his place, the Council Under the Mountain was established, which for its part, was a semi-democratic body of elderly yet prominent Dwarves. With the Council, came the entrenched belief that the oldest and wisest amongst Dwarf-folk, should lead the infant nation in all matters. The first obstacle for the Council to overcome? A chronic shortage of food, that was crippling Uthein and causing widespread dissent. Denied the grasslands by their Promethean neighbours, our folk were being starved of the opportunity to set up large-scale agricultural operations, that many other species at the time enjoyed. A series of trade pacts were established with the Prometheans; food for stone, and similar agreements, but these were usually short lived affairs and often one sided in favour of the Prometheans. By 10 A.E, the Council decided on a military mission south, to claim some grasslands from the Prometheans. Whilst initially successful, this endevour ended in disaster; Uthein's citizen-soldiers were no match for Promethean battle prowess, and the mission resulted in a comprehensive defeat. Were it not for the sorry shape of the Prometheans, Uthein may have fallen in short order. Decades of hardship followed, as the population of Uthein waxed and waned along with the availability of food. Revolts were common, and at times, the city was divided by the Council and rebel upstarts. However, by 23 A.E, progress was being made in finding other food stocks - and for these, our folk looked to the mountains. The giant caverns within Mount Uthein were rich with all kinds of fungus-based vegetation, most of which was deathly poisonous, but some of which proved rich in nutrients and fit for eating. Over the course of a decade, Mushroom Farms started to establish themselves, and unleashing vast yields of food into the market. 62 A.E saw further advancements in the cultivation of fungus, and by now, a wide range of varieties existed for consumption. However, for the growing population of Uthein, a diet of mushrooms with a side of rare meat or crop was not enough. 63 A.E saw the Southern Expanse, in which the Council launched a renewed invasion of Promethean lands. This time, they were met with little resistance, and grabbed for themselves a stip of grassland south of Uthein. However, it would not be until 98 A.E that our folk had started to master the cultivation of surface crops well enough to make any noticeable difference to the city's food stocks. In 87 A.E, Hodgrar Greymane, a young warrior in service to the Council, betrayed his masters. All members of the Council were slaughtered in a military coup, and Hodgrar anointed himself King of the Mountain. Several revolts followed his ascension, and a series of civil wars were fought until finally, his enemies lay in piles of gore. With the increase in food production by 98 A.E, public opinion changed for Hodgrar, and his reign stabilised as the last of the revolts fizzled out. [hr] [center][h2][u]Major Events of Uthein - 1st Century[/u][/h2][/center] [b]Cultural:[/b] No significant cultural changes were measured at this time. [b]Technological:[/b] Advanced Fungus Cultivation, and Early Agricultural Developments. [b]Military:[/b] 10 A.E saw an invasion of Promethea, with the aim of establishing arable land. However, the Dwarves were crushed. 63 A.E Saw a second invasion with the same aims, however this time the Prometheans no longer had the strength to resist. 87 A.E Hodgrar Greymane massacred the Council Under the Mountain, and anointed himself King of Uthein, which resulted in a series of civil wars until the arable land of the Promethean conquest began to yield food - which eased tensions. [b]Government Changes:[/b] Hodgrar Greymane disbanded the Council Under the Mountain in 87 A.E, and has remained King up to 100 A.E. [b]Territorial Expansion:[/b] [IMG]http://i66.tinypic.com/2co4pwh.png[/IMG]