Well, I've finished the nation at least, so I guess I'll post what I have so far. The god is a major WIP at the moment, but hopefully I'll get him finished tomorrow. But we'll see.
...Also I think I wrote way too much, eheh. ^^;
• Name: Khazukan Ankor (lit. "Dwarf Realm")
• Location: A great mountain range (possibly the largest in the world) that runs down the length of one of the continents of the world. Whilst the nothernmost territories are almost perpetually covered in snow, the southernmost keeps are in more temperate areas. The dwarven cites are built within the very mountains themselves, and are all interconnected by a vast network of tunnels and passageways beneath the earth. Whilst most of these are well maintained and safe, more than a few of these tunnels have fallen into disrepair for numerous reasons (although not because the dwarves did a shoddy job), becoming treacherous caverns prone to cave-ins, gas leaks and attacks by goblins, trolls and other, even more vicious and unspeakable horrors.
• Government: The Khazukan Ankor is divided amongst several dwarven clans, each with an appointed high elder who rules over them and provides for their welfare. Each of these high elders is also part of a council that meets at Karaz Grimazul once every year to discuss how the clans are faring, what they could do to make things better and generally grumbling about how things aren't as good as they used to be and how the beardlings take all of the advances the dwarf race has made over the years for granted. Naturally, Gnollengrom Whitebeard has a seat on this council, although he is notably not the high elder of Karaz Grimazul; this spot is instead taken by the dwarven king.
• Dominant race: As could be expected from the name, the Khazukan Ankor is primarily populated by dwarves. Dwarves are short, strong, stocky people with an average lifespan of roughly five centuries, and each one of them (including the females; outsiders find it impossible to differentiate dwarven females from males, whilst the dwarves seem to have no problems whatsoever for some reason) possesses a long, often magnificently styled beard. Dwarves respect age and wisdom above all other things, and the beard is seen as the ultimate symbol of both these things; dwarves know to respect someone with a longer and more magnificent beard than them, and one of the gravest insults that can issued to a dwarf is to claim their beard is unkempt or scruffy (and don't even think about suggesting they should shave; wars have been started over such comments, even if they were only offhand and said without thinking). Dwarves are a straightforward folk, as blunt as hammers and as stubborn and unmoving as the mountains. They are without exception honest, hardworking folk; in fact it is almost physically impossible for a dwarf to lie, cheat or cut corners on a job. Whilst they are aware of the fact that other races are not as honest as they are, they take breaches of faith very seriously; added to that the fact that they can hold grudges for a long time and believe that no wrongdoing should go unpunished means that abusing the trust of a dwarf is one of the worst mistakes you can ever make. The most extreme insult in the dwarven language, "unbaraki", translates as "oathbreaker", which just goes to show how seriously they treat such things. On the other hand, if you uphold your end of a bargain and gain a dwarf's trust, you will gain a staunch friend not just for life, but for your descendants' lives too. Whilst they find physical concepts incredibly easy to get their heads around, dwarves struggle when it comes to the abstract and insubstantial; thus, they are completely unable to get their heads around magic unless it has first been beaten into some kind of item, although this is something they are very good at doing. As mentioned below, dwarves craft the finest magical items and weapons in the world. As for things they like, dwarves are especially fond of two things: gold and booze. Dwarves love gold so much that their language contains at least fifty different words for it, describing differences in softness, luster and other details that the other races would see as insignificant. As for booze, well... Dwarven brewers, just like their blacksmiths, are widely considered to be the greatest in the world at their craft, and most taverns and inns will have at least one barrel of genuine dwarven ale as the most expensive item on their menu. Notably, dwarves have no gender inequality; many outsiders joke that this is because no-one can tell the difference between the two genders, making discrimination nigh-impossible.
• Other races:
•• Humans: Living atop and around the mountains of the Khazukan Ankor are several scattered human villages. These humans are mostly farmers, and for several generations they have engaged in trade with the dwarves. Due to providing the dwarves with things they would otherwise struggle to get on their own, they have been noted as being true friends of the mountain dwellers, and thus the dwarves try their best to make sure no harm comes to them. They do not take kindly to others messing with their friends.
•• Giants: As their name would suggest, giants are physical opposites of dwarves, being gigantic humanoids of at least 15m tall. They are noted as not being very intelligent, but making up for it with their sheer brute strength. It is unusual to come across more than one or two at a time, and so it can be assumed that they are solitary creatures; this is rather fortunate for both the dwarves and humans living around the mountains, as they are known to hunt and eat both if given the chance.
•• Cave Goblins: Diminuative greenskinned creatures that are even shorter than the dwarves and have a mean streak almost as large as the mountain range making up the Khazukan Ankor. They wear black cloaks to help them hide in the shadows of the underway and wage a war of attrition against the dwarves. It's not sure just how this war began, but for as long as anyone can remember the two races have been at war for underground supremacy. Whilst the goblins are not as strong or technologically adept as the dwarves, they are fiendishly cunning and often set traps for poor, unsuspecting dwarves. For this and many other reasons, they are considered to be eternal blood enemies of the dwarves.
• Wild Flora/fauna:
•• Above Ground: Atop and around the mountains many hardy animals live, such as wild goats, sheep, highland cattle and bears. Griffons make their nests on the hilltops, and trolls roam the land at night looking for unlucky victims to devour. To the north, yetis and mammoths make their home, whilst to the south creatures such as owlbears and wyverns are often sighted. There are no notably unusual plants above ground, as they are mostly regular trees, flowers, crops and the occassional fungi.
•• The Underway: The caves and tunnels running beneath the mountains are home to many creatures other than the dwarves and goblins. Many species of spider inhabit the dark caverns, from ones only slightly bigger than a speck of dust to the collosal Tyranterror Trolleater (who at their smallest are still the size of a small house), many of them carrying deadly poisons. The most notable of these, however, is the giant cave spider, an arachnid about the size of a small pony that is used as a mount by cave goblins. Large bats and moles are also known to dwell in the dark catacombs, although none of them grow as large as the Tyranterror. Trolls often head into the underground in order to escape the rays of the sun, and have been known to ambush anyone who gets lost in the dark. Most dreaded of all the creatures of the underground, however, are the mighty Despot Dragons, gargantuan winged reptiles whose scales are like steel and whose breath is like an inferno. Those creatures are the only beings in the world with a greater lust for gold than the dwarves, and they have been known to attack dwarven cities in order to claim their vaults for themselves. Despite the dwarves being mighty warriors, even they struggle against these beasts, and more than a few fortresses have been conquered by these avaricious beasts. They are seen as such a threat that they have been declared an enemy of the dwarven race so hated that they must be exterminated.
As far as non-animal life in the underway goes, many types of moss, lichen and fungi grow in the dark, many of which dwarves cultivate for food. One notable plant is the glow moss, which true to its name glows faintly in the dark. This is a very important plant to dwarves, as it only grows nearby a stone that they call "Zharrkar" (lit. "Fire Stone") and which other races know as Sun Stone, a miraculous mineral that glows bright enough to light up a dark cave to look like a bright, clear day. Of the fungi that grow, many of them are both edible and delicious; however, many of them are also highly toxic. Dwarves are expected to know the difference between dinner and death. Most delicious of all fungi found underground is the rare Rainbow Mushroom, so named due to its beautiful, multicoloured cap. However, not only is it incredibly tasty, it is also a strong hallucinogenic in its raw form, and only through thorough cooking does it become safe to eat without any side-effects. Notably, the Rainbow Mushroom is the most well known ingredient of Brewmaster Grizdal Lemonbrick's infamous Fungus Brew.
• Specialization: Mining, industry and craftsmanship. As the dwarves live underground, mining is an essential part of life, allowing them to expand their territories. Not only that, but the rich mineral deposits in the mountains lead to them often coming across gemstones and metal ores, the three most important of these being gold (which is a subject of some obsession for the dwarves), iron (the source of dwarven steel), and orichalcum. Orichalcum is a strange metal that is noted for being quite possibly the best magical conductor in the world, and when smelted with steel it forms the dwarves' most prized metal (well, second most prized after gold), orichalchite. Orichalchite is not only stronger than steel, but is the best metal for forging magical weapons and armour with, as the alloy is able to amplify the enchantments put upon it to increase their power without risk to the structural integrity of the item in question. Dwarves are incredibly skilled with metalwork, blacksmithing and crafting magical items, as whilst they cannot use magic to throw out fireballs with a fingersnap they are most adept at hammering it into physical objects through the engraving of magical runes. In fact, their skills with the forge are unmatched by any race, and dwarf-crafted weapons and armour are in high demand, forming a large part of their trade.
In addition, dwarves are easily one of the most technologically advanced races in the world, having long ago discovered the secrets of steam power and gunpowder; only the oldest and most traditional minded dwarves still cling to their crossbows rather than the newer and more powerful muskets. Steam power have became a simple fact of life for the dwarves, as the great gates to their mighty fortresses utilise mightly steam-powered pistons to open and close, and their mining operations are assisted by minecarts pulled by small steam locomotives. Travel between the cities of the Khazukan Ankor is much easier than it was in the old days, thanks to a simple yet growing system of railways.
Finally, and what many races consider to be their most important craft, dwarven ale is considered the finest in the world. Even the lowest grade ale they produce is equal to some of the greatest drinks of other races, and the most famous dwarf brews such as Lemonbrick Premium and the notorious Fungus Brew are known to sell for outrageous prices for even a single glass.
• National History: Ages ago during the dawn of history, the dwarves were little more than a scattered series of tribes living upon the mountains, a primitive race far in the shadow of what they are today. The dwarves of old were hunted by the creatures of the mountains, their numbers dwindling with every passing day as they had nowhere to hide and no way to defend themselves. But just when all hope seemed lost, he appeared. Gnollengrom Whitebeard, venerated by all dwarves as the Great Ancestor, taught them the secrets of stone and iron, how to forge mighty weapons to defend themselves with and more importantly the secrets of mining. From here on, the dwarves fortunes reversed themselves, as they began to carve out their underground kingdom. In their subterranean homes the dwarves were kept safe from the monsters who preyed on them, their underground nation growing rapidly as they dug farther and deeper. Under the guidance of the Great Ancestor, they learned more and more about the mountains, and when they first came across a seam of orichalcum ore he bestowed upon them the knowledge of crafting magical items through the application of mystical runes. Proud of how quickly they had picked up the secrets of the mountains, Gnollengrom Whitebeard decided to leave them mostly to their own devices, only occassionally directly influencing them. After all, he saw them as his beloved children, and wanted them to find their own feet, to grow and learn to fend for themselves rather than to rely entirely on divine intervention. Whilst they have faced their hardships, such as goblin ambushes and attacks by despot dragons, the dwarves have stood as unflinching and unmoving as their mountain homes, a stalwart race who will break through any crisis with courage, hard work and a stubborn refusal to stay down when knocked over. Recently (as in the past few centuries), they have been experiencing a kind of industrial revolution, with the Age of Steam gradually overtaking the old Age of Iron as new ways of thinking and new ideas for tools and machinery are put forward by the Engineer's Guild. Truly, today is a marvelous time to be a dwarf, even if the old longbeards grumble about it being better in the good old days, when things were simpler and there was none of these fancy-schmancy steam engines and what's so wrong with the reliable old crossbow that they needed to replace it with those filthy new muskets and in their day it was just so much better and the young beardlings will be the death of good old fashioned dwarven values just yet, mark their words...
• Alliances: TBA
• Enemies: TBA
• Notable People:
•• High King Bjorn Goldhammer: As Gnollengrom Whitebeard prefers to see himself as more of an advisor than a ruler, the king of Karaz Grimazul is considered to be the de facto leader of the dwarven race. Bjorn Goldhammer is probably the most definitive example of a dwarf, being possessed of a somewhat grim and workmanlike demeanour when discussing serious business, but whilst amongst friends he is boisterous and hotblooded; he is one who repays kindness with kindness alike, and whose fiery passion for justice and punishing evildoers is an inspiration to all dwarfkind. Whilst he is known for wishing for peace amongst the different races and his attempts to forge alliances with others, he is also prepared for war if it becomes inevitable. Not only is he a great tactitian who uses the geography of the dwarven realms to their advantage, he is also a mighty warrior in his own right. At all times, he carries the heirloom of the kings of Karaz Grimazul, the glittering golden-headed warhammer Bryn Grund, forged by Gnollengrom Whitebeard himself. So powerful is this weapon that it is said that anything that is struck in anger by it will instantly explode into a shower of gold dust, although this may be an exaggeration.
•• Helmut Ironclad, President of the Engineer's Guild: Quite possibly the greatest scientific mind on the planet, Helmut Ironclad is the brilliant mind behind the steam engine, an invention that revolutionized dwarven life. Despite getting on a bit in age, Helmut is something of a radical; he believes firmly in the progression of technology and the invention of new devices for bettering the lifestyles of the dwarves, which is rather at odds with the common "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality of most dwarves his age. An expert in multiple fields, his true calling has always been engineering. The great steam-powered gates of Karaz Grimazul were designed by him, as was the small yet developing dwarven railway system. Currently, he is working on many new, even more radical projects, such as a collosal mining apparatus, a steam-propelled armoured war machine, a marvelous flying contraption that would allow dwarven rangers to scout the mountains from the skies, and a fully submersible aquatic vehicle. These projects, however, are still currently on the drawing board, but hopefully soon he will reach a breakthrough with one or more of them. As president of the Engineer's Guild, he is both a great teacher and an inspiration to the younger generation of engineers, who are dedicated to the same ideals as he is. In a way, they are like the miners, carving out the future of the dwarven race with the power of steel and steam; it is because of the guild that the dwarves are seen as one of the most technologically advanced races in the world.
•• Brewmaster Grizdal Lemonbrick: To many outside of the Khazukan Ankor, Grizdal Lemonbrick is the face of the dwarven kingdom. Literally, even, as his face is plastered on the bottles and kegs that contain the ale produced at his brewery, which is really more of a small city dedicated to the production of alcoholic beverages. Unusually for a dwarf, he is a rather jovial sort. Not to say that dwarves don't enjoy a good time, it's just that he's seen cheerfully laughing so often that it's generally assumed that he doesn't spit after tasting his brews to make sure they meet the quality expected of Lemonbrick Brewery. Possibly due to his constantly drunk status, he insists on being refered to as "Uncle Lemonbrick" by all. Despite his eccentricities, his skill is completely without question; he is without doubt the single greatest brewer in the world. Lemonbrick Premium, what the world considers to be his finest brew, goes for a hefty price outside of the Khazukan Ankor, and with good reason. As for what he considers to be his finest brew, the infamous Fungus Brew, well... Not only does it have mild hallucinogenic properties, but its alcohol content is so high that races without the fortitude and alcohol tolerance of the dwarves would drop dead of alcohol poisoning before they'd even drank half a glass, and even most dwarves find it hard to get through an entire glass without passing out.
• Other: Contrary to popular belief, dwarves don't eat rocks. Their cuisine is mostly composed of hearty stews and soups.
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