The Kingdom of the Dark Dwarfs

((WIP))

The Kingdom of the Dark Dwarfs is a monarchy (theocratic, magocratic, and technocratic) made up of the ten major corrupted Dwarven holds, located in the Sandstone Mountains. The Kingdom of the Dark Dwarfs is renowned for its industrialization and sorcery. The Kingdom is led by a quadumvirate, made up of the thanes of the four great holds- Olgrankral (Engineering, Doomforge Thanedom), Kulgramkral (Necromancy, Bonestone Thanedom), Mukrankral (Sorcery- Pyromancy, Firestone Thanedom), and Zavgornkral (Sorcery- Demonology, Demonhammer Thanedom).

The four thanes- the Demonologist Thane (Zavgornkral), the Sorcerer Thane (Mukrankral), the Necromancer Thane (Kulgramkral), and the Engineer Thane (Olgrankral), elect a High Thane, also known as a High King to rule over them. The remaining six holds are- Trukulkral (Doombinder Thanedom), Ronaakkral (Warscream Thanedom), Kruramkral (Burninghammer Thanedom), Lumvorkral (Doomcrusher Thanedom), Karzarrikral (Firehorn Thanedom), and Kuzulkral (Dragoneye Thanedom).

The incumbent Thanes of the four great holds are Demonologist Thane Malgorn Demonhammer, Engineer Thane Grimtarl Doomforge, Sorcerer Thane Oronarok Firestone, and Necromancer Thane Bhalnik Bonestone. The incumbent Thanes of the six additional holds are Thane Thadaragg Doombinder (Trukulkral), Thane Konarugg Warscream (Ronaakrall), Thane Hagngron Burninghammer (Kruramkral), Thane Cagald Doomcrusher (Lumvorkral), Gandful Firehorn (Kazarrikral), and Horrus Dragoneye (Kuzulkral). The incumbent High Thane of the Dark Dwarfs is Belgurom Firehorn, from Kazarrikral.

Corruption (0-15)
During the Third Demonic Incursion, that took place during the Year 0, demons invaded much of the Worldforge Mountains, especially the dwarven holds. The goal of their conquest of these mountains was to obtain a large supply of slaves to support their war effort, through their technological prowess and skilled armorsmithing.

While large holds, such as Khaz Drakk were able to fend off the demonic invaders, the holds of the Sandstone Mountains became isolated from the rest of the Worldforge Mountains as a result of a great earthquake caused by Dark Geomancers loyal to the Demonic lord- Krat'dur, known as the Ruination. Via this separation, the Sandstone Mountains became isolated, and had to deal with the demons on their own. Not only did they have to deal with the demonic invaders, but the defeated demons attacking the other dwarven holds, as well as the Kingdom of the Sands, swarmed the mountains seeking to enslave the Dwarves.

However, instead of being enslaved, the Dwarves endured for fifteen years against all forms of demonic energies. In the end, they were victorious, although they were tainted by the demonic energies that had surrounded them for so long. After engaging the Dwarves to rejoin their kingdoms, the High King refused, saying that, "You are no longer our mountain-kin, you are only demonspawn." They were dubbed, "Dark bearded ones," or "Duergbildir," in the Dwarven tongue of Kharadar. These Dark Dwarfs enslaved the demons who remained, and utilized their magics in exchange for continuing the work of their master- Krat-dur. They began to view the Ruination as a holy awakening, and reinhabited their holds in the Sandstone Mountains.

Founding Years (15-434)
The Kingdom of the Dark Dwarfs was established in the year 15, although they began to develop themselves as they are known today over the course of a four hundred nineteen year period, during which the Dark Dwarfs began to learn about demonology and how it could be applied to their daily life, from sorcery to war engines.

Additional holds
In the year 15, there were two Dark Dwarfen holds, who still bore their old names- Khaz Thydir and Khaz Grulhahn. By the year 434, there were thirty two established holds, with a government set up with the ten largest, with the four oldest leading it in a quadumvirate, representing the four pillars of their warfare- Demonology, Necromancy, Pyromancy, and Engineering.

In 434, the additional twenty two holds were Ragduhrkral, Magmkral, Kraggarakkral, Karzokkral, Muragartorkral, Thratonkral, Urthuuskral, Saggunkral, Tharnrakkral, Ogguzurkral, Kranokkral, Kotrankral, Dratarkral, Urkadakral, Kulzufurkral, Asomuraldkral, Kurtarudakral, Dratstankral, Thargaldkral, Karozarzalkral, Thrudarvenkral, and Grimthukkral.

Population
Furthermore, in the year 15, the Kingdom of the Dark Dwarfs had four hundred demons as slave laborers and combat soldiers. In the year 434, the Kingdom of the Dark Dwarfs had twelve thousand demons as slave laborers, and an additional three thousand as combat soldiers. Moreover, in the year 15 the population of the Kingdom of the Dark Dwarfs was fifteen thousand (not including demons). In the year 434, the population of the Kingdom of the Dark Dwarfs was seventy six thousand three hundred.

Mines
In the year 15, the Sandstone Mountains were home to ten mines, which mostly mined sandstone, which was used for construction and traded with the natives of the Kingdom of the Sands for carpets and other goods. In the year 434, the Sandstone Mountains were home to four hundred and thirteen mines, most of which were mining new ores required for the demonic technology utilized by the Dark Mechanists, most notably Demonore, Doomstone, and Onyx.

Engineering (Workshops, Foundries)
In the year 15, the Sandstone Mountains were home to four engineering workshops and one foundry for producing steel. In the year 434, that number was expanded from four to ninety six workshops, and from one to thirty seven foundries, which were now producing the new alloys of demonsteel, infused with demon soul and doomsteel.

Sternhelm's Invasion (434-435)
In the closing months of the year 434, General Hjalni Sternbeard of Khaz Drakk was given orders by Mountain King Karthorn Thunderhelm to invade the Sandstone Mountains to rid them of the corrupted bearded ones. General Sternbeard was given an army of four thousand soldiers to destroy the Dark Dwarfs. Unfortunately, the Dwarves greatly misunderstood the strength of the Dark Dwarfs, believing that by this point, they would be, "Discolored degenerates on the verge of bondage to the demons they had defeated," in the words of Mountain King Karthorn.

The Dark Dwarfen army was informed of the movements of the Dwarven army, and thus the two armies squared off against one another in no man's land between the two areas- the Abazu Valley. The Dark Shaman, Shalmaneser Hellhorn took leadership of the army. Originally, Shalmaneser had been one of Snorri Runebeard's apprentices, and was born in the year -134. Shalmaneser was a practitioner of rune-magic before being corrupted, and upon being corrupted, became one of the leading dark shamans after studying under a demonic dark shaman and became a servant of the Dark-god Ashur.

Initially, the Battle of the Abazu Valley seemed to be in favor of General Sternhelm. Sternhelm had established a well-fortified camp, Camp Dirgepike, named after one of Sternhelm's scouts- Emuiggs Dirgepike. The Dark Dwarfs surrounded the Abazu Valley and attacked Camp Dirgepike, although so long as supplies remained in the camp, it seemed like General Sternhelm would prevail.

Steadily, Sternhelm's resources began to decline, and within three weeks, his men were starving, dehydrated, and out of ammunition. Dark Shaman Shalmaneser led a charge into Camp Dirgepike, and killed General Sternhelm by using his legendary stave- Journey's End. With General Sternhelm dead, the men broke ranks and fled into the surrounding highlands, while Shalmaneser's men flooded the Ashur Valley. They hunted the Dwarves for ten weeks, enslaving each one to work in the mines of the Sandstone Mountains.

Snorri Runebeard, after hearing words of his apprentice gone rogue, ventured south to the Sandstone Mountains to find out for himself. He spoke with Mountain King Karthorn, and gathered information on the Ashur Valley and the Sandstone Mountains himself.

Ultimately, Sternhelm's Invasion was a sign of the beginning of the end for the Confederacy of Dwarven Holds, as the Dark Dwarfs would soon begin their invasion of the Dwarven holds.

The Exploration Years (435 to 567)
Over the next two hundred and thirty two years, the Dark Dwarfs realized that they would have to soon focus on conquesting outside of their lands, as the Dwarves would soon send a force too strong for them to repel, even with their demon slaves.

First Contact with the Goblinoid Peoples
High King Alalngar Firehorn, accompanied by Dark Shaman Shalmaneser sought to expand the Kingdom of the Dark Dwarfs by finding allies to undermine the Dwarves of the east with.