[hider=Dunmar Dominion] [b]DUNMAR DOMINION[/b] [center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/c44a9899-419a-4157-8f77-9fbb1d4941cd.png[/img][/center] [b]Government Form:[/b] Dunmar is ruled by an Emperor who’s dynasty has lasted for thousands of generations, even before the time of the calamity. The current ruler is Ulrik Longbeard. He has a number of retainers and advisers that are heads of their own dwarven clans who in their own right have followed the Longbeards for as long as they remember. [b]Demographics:[/b] The Dominion is mostly made up of Dwarves and enslaved goblins. [b]Population:[/b] They are an empire of Dwarves that number around 2.5 million in population. Disincluding enslaved goblins. --- [b]Plane Description:[/b] The planes of Ruhk are mountainous, harsh, and desolate. However, for the people of Dunmar it was home. The underground biomes of glowing forests, rivers, and rich soils. This was however, also home to their enemy who had followed them through the rift - the Goblin menace. For hundreds of years, the brutal back and forth between the savage goblin tribes and the armies of Dunmar have continued above the surface and deep underground. [b]History:[/b] [center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/087c40fb-6405-477a-bbf0-7c29cac82700.jpg[/img][/center] The Dunmar made the most of Ruhk, however their way of life has not changed. They stubbornly retained their way of life and adapted it to this harsh environment. The only thing that has changed is the number of dwarves and which Longbeard sits upon the imperial throne. First was the establishment of Scibriz, the capital of Dunmar. Then was the expansion of their territories and the establishment of thirty more settlements. There were no natives to this land and if there were, they were long gone. It was only when they met their Goblin foes again did they experience troubles. The long wars with their green foe had pushed them to become more militaristic. Their brutal purges against their goblin settlements have been the mark of every settlement after the first thirty. They still continue to this day to fight for territory, for resources, and for survival. Indeed - Dunmar has learned to live with less and turn it into more. [b]Culture and Society: [/b] [center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/c7453a8e-699d-400d-a2f1-3e612f71046d.jpg[/img][/center] Dunmar culture hasn’t quite changed. They still hold large festivals that worship their gods of fortune, innovation, and war. They also are surprisingly unbiased in terms of gender roles. They have a saying, [i]“If you can do it, no one can say you can’t.”[/i] From this it is clear that they value strength and integrity. There are many dwarven clans, some very highly renowned, some less so. A number of these clans are favored by the Emperor and serve as the overall governors of Dunmar’s expansive territories. Clan Strongarm, clan Ironhand, and clan Swordsworn are three of the Emperor’s most successful clans. There are plenty more. Each clan has their own doctrines and ways of life. Clan Ironhand for example usually have the best equipped fighters, they pride themselves on their craftsmanship. Clan Strongarm have some of the best slingers, capable of throwing heavy lead shot so strong as to dent or peirce heavy steel plate at range. Clan Swordsworn claim to have the best fighters in the dominion. There are plenty of other clans like clan Hammerfist, clan Earthensong, clan Firebeard, clan Greatmane, and many more. These clans all come together and share their knowledge and expertise to make Dunmar as a whole united as one people. Dunmar has a martial tradition in which even the young must learn how to fight. Often as one would walk through a Dunmarii street, one would see a child learning how to fight on one occasion and another learning how to craft and cook on the next. Despite their martial nature they still have artisan virtues towards their stonework and steelcrafts. This is reflected in their architecture and the meticulous designs that they put on their weapons and armor. They also take very careful attention to their appearances, often grooming their beards or braiding their hair. Their clothes are simple and practical, pouring more time and effort not in their tapestries, but rather their utensils, their plates, their pots and pans. Only the more wealthy clans care about such things. Aside from this, there is something new they developed as part of their society and culture. They have made mounts of the very common mountain lizard they call grumak. These are large, feisty lizards the size of three adult human men. They take their eggs and train them from a young age as brutal warmounts that they ride into battle. The ones they could not tame they hunt for sport. Grumak riding has become a staple of the Ruhk plane. They can ride long distances, assist dwarves on the hunt, and are excellent beasts of burden. However, their meat isn’t exactly the best of quality. It’s gamy, tough, and hard to chew through. Other animals of Ruhk are better farm animals than the Grumak. Nevertheless, grumaks have become a part of Dunmarii culture and, like most Dunmarii traditions, that is unlikely to change in the near future. --- [b]Governance and Politics:[/b] [center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/4548510d-3480-4e11-be0f-0337f6cb9520.jpg[/img][/center] The Dumar dominion is expansive. The emperor alone cannot realistically keep his empire together. He allows some control over his chosen retainers who are given their own lands to govern and become great clan leaders. Clan Longbeard, clan Ironhand, clan Strongarm, and many more. They are given some autonomy, but are ultimately subject to the Emperor’s will - Ulrick Longbeard. When there are several clan leaders in one place, authority will usually default to the region's governing clan. If it cannot be resolved this way, they will default to the eldest, and if not in that way it will default to the one with the most strength. An arm wrestling match is usually how one would settle such a thing. Less commonly it could also be settled by who could hold their drink better, it's more common in times of peace or during less urgent matters. However, if the Emperor is present, he is the one with the final say, he is the one in command, all other clans respect this arrangement. If the Longbeards should fall, the clans with claims to the throne are clan Strongarm and clan Ironhand. Clan Swordsworn are named such as they swore an oath to follow the emperor's will, therefore they cannot lay claim on the imperial throne unless the emperor himself wills it so. Other clans may have a claim to the throne, however, they recognize the strongest claims lie on either Strongarm or Ironhand. [b]Technology and Magic:[/b] The Dunmar used to be miners, engineers, and most of all professional soldiers. Before the great cataclysm the dwarven kingdoms that made up Dunmar united in order to fight the goblin hordes that came to raid them in large numbers. A great campaign was headed by the first great Longbeard who led several successful crusades against the green scourge. To do this, Dunmar developed their siege equipment, their weapons, their armor. They’ve even developed a way of fighting using earthen magic to create walls and fortifications. They call it the crawling offensive. It takes a considerable amount of energy to push and sustain these walls as they approach their enemies. They then use this earthen magic to create ramps or bust holes into their enemies' fortifications. In close range engagements, their above average strength and excellent equipment usually outmatch most opponents. The Goblins however counter this with alchemical concoctions, simple fire spells, and overwhelming numbers. This is why the war against their green foe has never been resolved. [b]Military Overview: [/b] [center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/c2991910-600b-4dc4-aee0-bc5e63d0db5b.jpg[/img][/center] As they are always at war with their goblin foe, they have several large regional armies. Some of these regional armies are mostly comprised of that region’s clansmen. They all have their own orders of battle, but they all do so in the name of the Emperor and to fulfill their vow of exterminating the goblin scourge. Their usual order of battle is to use a main body of heavy infantry and pikemen that will make up the middle. The flanks will be watched by grumak riders. In front of the main body will be the light infantry that will skirmish with crossbows and slings. This is their standard formation. The skirmishers will initiate as the main body marches forward. In the chaos the grumak riders with their sturdy mounts will tear apart the enemy formation from the flanks. The main body will then break off into smaller sections led by a dwarven captains to exploit the gaps created by the skirmishers and the grumak riders. Sections of grumak riders will break off to finish off any routing enemies. The dwarven doctrine is to apply steady pressure and exploit the mistakes the enemy makes under this pressure. Most dwarven regiments are stubborn enough to fight towards near annihilation. This tendency to fight till they die is ingrained into dwarven culture - [i]"Those who run from battle are bloody cowards and a disgrace to their bearded clansmen!"[/i]. However, this steady formation has been beaten by their goblin foe by simply throwing more numbers and using more chaotic tactics to break apart the well coordinated dwarven lines. Goblins have also learned to kill high ranking dwarven leaders in order to further cast the dwarven ranks into disarray. This has made it so that Dunmar now has a complex order of ranks from highest to lowest so that even when a leader is killed, dwarven ranks will remain in tight order. Dunmar has experienced war. Most citizens know how to fight from an early age because of the constant threat of large goblin raids. The goblins that they fight multiply faster than they can kill them and so they must continue to train each generation from a young age so that they can fight even when their armies fall. It is better to fight and take a few of the inbred scum with you rather than surrender and die a tortured death. --- [b]Additional Info:[/b] (I would put a theme song here but none of them feel genocidal and dwarven at the same time) [/hider]