Member
KuroName and Title of Vassal State: Kal-Ishtulshak
Ruler: Shugil-Gandas
Race:
- Dwarves: Physically indistinct from their Lyndenstrathian cousins. Short and stocky, hardy, as one would expect.
- Gnomes: The gnomes of Kal-Ishtulshak are the last of their kind. They are frail, ugly creatures about size of a dwarf, but typically hunched, with longer, bony limbs. Most gnomes are old and wrinkled. Their kind is afflicted with a disease that affects their bones, forming calcified lumps that give them a deformed look. The severity ranges from small lumps to hideous deformations. In extreme cases, these rock-like growths spread throughout the entirety of the body. Most gnomes are sterile and almost entirely male, leading to a dangerously low population and a public absence of females.
Location: The area to the left of the other dwarves
History:
Kal-Ishtulshak was, in ancient times, one of the many dwarven kingdoms that vied for control of the mountains in the north. Where others excelled at trade and the arts, Kal-Ishtulshak distinguished itself militarily, exerting its will on weaker neighbors through force of arms and lending its steel in countless wars between the dwarven polities that existed then. When foreign incursions marched into the valleys it was Kal-Ishtulshak that led the defense, clashing against human spears. In those times, the deep roads - massive underground highways connecting cities and forts - were an important, or perhaps the most important factor in dwarven power, facilitating trade and movement throughout the region. Kal-Ishtulshak dominated the eastern roads, enriching itself in gold with tribute, tolls and passing trade from those it protected using steel.
The decline of Kal-Ishtulshak came before the arrival of the Gaülletics. In a span of a decade, what was quickly becoming a mighty dwarven empire headed by the Lyndenstrathian kings crumpled, and shriveled into a collection of struggling city-states. The flow of trade slowed and in times the deep roads fell into disrepair. The statues and carvings of kings and heroes adorning the walls of these cavernous highways weathered away as the remaining powers sealed their cities, isolating themselves from one another - disease had caved dwarven hegemony. Kal-Istulshak fought a hopeless war against the earth until it could no longer. The deep roads to Kal-Ishtulshak were deliberately collapsed. Sappers punched holes into the rocks where great aquifers were held and rivers flowed, bringing forth a great flood that swept away much of what remained. Kal-Ishtulshak sealed its doors with what little wealth it still possessed and with its fighting steel broken.
Kal-Ishtulshak held on to its surface dwellings for a time, as they had not yet been tainted and provided a boon of needed resources. When the Gaülletics arrived, Kal-Ishtulshak resisted, first alongside their Lyndenstrathian cousins, and then alone when they submitted to elven rule. The betrayal shifted the balance of power, and in the span of several years the kingdom's holdings on the surface had been lost. Lyndenstrathians guided the elves through the valleys like only dwarves could, helping them navigate the treacherous terrain with expert ease, and revealed ancient passageways hidden from outsiders since time immemorial. When the surface was lost, it fell into the possession of the Lyndenstrathians, as did some of the underground fortresses and outposts the elves found and plundered with their aid. Kal-Ishtulshak was spared only by the belief that it had been swept away under rock by the waves in a desperate act of self-annihilation. In reality, it had comepletly sealed itself off from the outside world.
With access to the deep roads and the surface prohibited by royal decree, Kal-Ishtulshak faced starvation. A once shining city blackened. The Gandashkishar - then little more than a band of cutthroats - came to prominence during this time. Crime had been dealt with harshly in times past, with known criminals subjected to all manner of grotesque punishment, and Agum-Gandas, the then king, attempted to follow in the steps of his predecessors by exacting brutal measures on criminals, but this did not last. Food shortages turned the people against their king - with the rumored backing of Gandashkishar agitators -, and with his own head at risk of separation the king turned a blind eye to the guild's activities. This passive acceptance became a mutually beneficial arrangement when the Gandashkishar grew in power. With the king's blessing and support the Gandashkishar expanded and some semblance of order was reestablished. The Gandashkishar transformed into a complex and highly organized crime ring with political leverage at the royal level. The city survived on what the Gandashkishar smuggled. In time, the Gandashkishar passed from a band of thugs hiding in back alleys to a political force with representation on the assembly - a legislative body created by the king, at their insistence, that stripped the city's monarchs of their absolute power.
At present, Kal-Ishtulshak remains partly sealed from the outside world. For a time, and after the arrival of the elves, the dwarves of Kal-Isthulshak were naught but ghostly apparitions in the valleys. The Black Ones, as they came to be called, were thought dead by many, but have recently resurfaced and established contact with the Gaülletic hegemon. Its newest king, Shugil-Gandas, is an opponent of the Gandashkishar and uncertainty has gripped the population following his decision - some say in opposition to the Gandashkishar and their representatives on the assembly - to reopen the city. It is believed to have been a decision taken in a bid to break Gandashkishar power, and to turn the people - many of whom are restless to leave the depths - to his side. As one of the newest admissions to the Gaülletic realm, it has not benefitted tremendously from imperial aid, in part also due to Shugil-Gandas' opposition to Gaülletic presence in Kal-Ishtulshak in the interest of not upsetting the balance within, as there are those who liken him to a traitor in the same vain as Belgath Brittletooth of old.
Ruler: Shugil-Gandas
Race:
- Dwarves: Physically indistinct from their Lyndenstrathian cousins. Short and stocky, hardy, as one would expect.
- Gnomes: The gnomes of Kal-Ishtulshak are the last of their kind. They are frail, ugly creatures about size of a dwarf, but typically hunched, with longer, bony limbs. Most gnomes are old and wrinkled. Their kind is afflicted with a disease that affects their bones, forming calcified lumps that give them a deformed look. The severity ranges from small lumps to hideous deformations. In extreme cases, these rock-like growths spread throughout the entirety of the body. Most gnomes are sterile and almost entirely male, leading to a dangerously low population and a public absence of females.
Location: The area to the left of the other dwarves
History:
Kal-Ishtulshak was, in ancient times, one of the many dwarven kingdoms that vied for control of the mountains in the north. Where others excelled at trade and the arts, Kal-Ishtulshak distinguished itself militarily, exerting its will on weaker neighbors through force of arms and lending its steel in countless wars between the dwarven polities that existed then. When foreign incursions marched into the valleys it was Kal-Ishtulshak that led the defense, clashing against human spears. In those times, the deep roads - massive underground highways connecting cities and forts - were an important, or perhaps the most important factor in dwarven power, facilitating trade and movement throughout the region. Kal-Ishtulshak dominated the eastern roads, enriching itself in gold with tribute, tolls and passing trade from those it protected using steel.
The decline of Kal-Ishtulshak came before the arrival of the Gaülletics. In a span of a decade, what was quickly becoming a mighty dwarven empire headed by the Lyndenstrathian kings crumpled, and shriveled into a collection of struggling city-states. The flow of trade slowed and in times the deep roads fell into disrepair. The statues and carvings of kings and heroes adorning the walls of these cavernous highways weathered away as the remaining powers sealed their cities, isolating themselves from one another - disease had caved dwarven hegemony. Kal-Istulshak fought a hopeless war against the earth until it could no longer. The deep roads to Kal-Ishtulshak were deliberately collapsed. Sappers punched holes into the rocks where great aquifers were held and rivers flowed, bringing forth a great flood that swept away much of what remained. Kal-Ishtulshak sealed its doors with what little wealth it still possessed and with its fighting steel broken.
Kal-Ishtulshak held on to its surface dwellings for a time, as they had not yet been tainted and provided a boon of needed resources. When the Gaülletics arrived, Kal-Ishtulshak resisted, first alongside their Lyndenstrathian cousins, and then alone when they submitted to elven rule. The betrayal shifted the balance of power, and in the span of several years the kingdom's holdings on the surface had been lost. Lyndenstrathians guided the elves through the valleys like only dwarves could, helping them navigate the treacherous terrain with expert ease, and revealed ancient passageways hidden from outsiders since time immemorial. When the surface was lost, it fell into the possession of the Lyndenstrathians, as did some of the underground fortresses and outposts the elves found and plundered with their aid. Kal-Ishtulshak was spared only by the belief that it had been swept away under rock by the waves in a desperate act of self-annihilation. In reality, it had comepletly sealed itself off from the outside world.
With access to the deep roads and the surface prohibited by royal decree, Kal-Ishtulshak faced starvation. A once shining city blackened. The Gandashkishar - then little more than a band of cutthroats - came to prominence during this time. Crime had been dealt with harshly in times past, with known criminals subjected to all manner of grotesque punishment, and Agum-Gandas, the then king, attempted to follow in the steps of his predecessors by exacting brutal measures on criminals, but this did not last. Food shortages turned the people against their king - with the rumored backing of Gandashkishar agitators -, and with his own head at risk of separation the king turned a blind eye to the guild's activities. This passive acceptance became a mutually beneficial arrangement when the Gandashkishar grew in power. With the king's blessing and support the Gandashkishar expanded and some semblance of order was reestablished. The Gandashkishar transformed into a complex and highly organized crime ring with political leverage at the royal level. The city survived on what the Gandashkishar smuggled. In time, the Gandashkishar passed from a band of thugs hiding in back alleys to a political force with representation on the assembly - a legislative body created by the king, at their insistence, that stripped the city's monarchs of their absolute power.
At present, Kal-Ishtulshak remains partly sealed from the outside world. For a time, and after the arrival of the elves, the dwarves of Kal-Isthulshak were naught but ghostly apparitions in the valleys. The Black Ones, as they came to be called, were thought dead by many, but have recently resurfaced and established contact with the Gaülletic hegemon. Its newest king, Shugil-Gandas, is an opponent of the Gandashkishar and uncertainty has gripped the population following his decision - some say in opposition to the Gandashkishar and their representatives on the assembly - to reopen the city. It is believed to have been a decision taken in a bid to break Gandashkishar power, and to turn the people - many of whom are restless to leave the depths - to his side. As one of the newest admissions to the Gaülletic realm, it has not benefitted tremendously from imperial aid, in part also due to Shugil-Gandas' opposition to Gaülletic presence in Kal-Ishtulshak in the interest of not upsetting the balance within, as there are those who liken him to a traitor in the same vain as Belgath Brittletooth of old.
