Dwarven Empire
The Dwarven Empire, known simply as 'Das Reich' in Dwarvish (literally translated 'The Kingdom'), is a vast empire built underneath the surface of The Alyssian Continent. The population is seemingly only made up of dwarves, as most under species cannot live without sunlight, and the empire's genereal xenophobia. Genereally speaking, the dwarves are proud and stubborn, and look to the past and the wisdom of the ancestors to guide them in the present.
The dwarves consider the sun holy, seing as it is the task of Aries eldest daughter, but their veneration is filled with fear. Most dwarves never venture to the surface, and tales of a sun that burns your skin and eyes as well as an open sky that you can fall into strike fear into the hearts of many brave dwarves. Genereally, the only dwarves to go to the surface are the merchants responsible for foreign trade or the occasional diplomatic envoy - though the latter has not really happened since the fall of The Alyssian Empire.
Structure
The Dwarven Empire has a rigid caste system that define large parts of their culture. When a baby is born they are branded with the mark of their caste, and both marriage and affairs between castes is forbidden (with the exception of the royal family, who may marry people from the noble caste). A child born from such an affair is made castless, a fate some think worse than death. The only way to ascend between castes is by doing something so extrodarnery that you receive the blessing of a deity approved by the priests (a blessing from Aries, their primary deity, is worth everything while a blessing from Amalthea is hardly considered a boon).
The Royal Family
The Royal Family is responsible for ruling the Empire and ranked above everyone but the gods. Their every word is tracked by Historians, a unit of the Scholars, to set an example for future rulers. Names are passed in every second generation, with the heirs/emperors being named either Theodoric or Alberich. The emperor is guided by a senate, with each noble house holding one seat, and a trinity of priests - one representative of each deity.Priests
The priest caste can in some ways be divided into four - priests serving Aries, Adhara, Pollux or a collective temple for the remaining deities of the Creed of the 21. Priests are born and raised within their temples, taught only the way of their deity. They lead sermons for the masses and are responsible for organizing festivals and ceremonies for their deities. Marriage between temples is rare, almost nonexistent, but not forbidden - though they would have to convert to serve the same deity.Nobility
The noble caste consists of several ancient houses, each tasked with governing different areas and each with a seat in the senate. These families are strictly hierarchical, with rankings mainly depending on age. They are typically strict when it comes to family planning, as too many nobles/high ranking officials causes a slow running society, increases chances of civil wars/mutiny and means there would not be enough titles without expanding to the surface. This has caused some houses to be wiped out, and the number of nobles is slowly dwindling.Scholars
The Scholars are a diverse group, living in universities across the larger dwarven settlements. They study history, warfare, social studies, chemistry, physics, farming, and occasionally magic. They work across all castes and have had the most inter-caste affairs, due to actually meeting people of other castes, but are genereally well received and respected within their fields. It is not uncommon for the senate or emperor to summon experts within certain fields, and their words are usually taken into consideration.Warriors
The warrior caste are trained to fight from birth, and families typically decide the inner hierarchy by tests of strength - not age, like other castes. The warriors are tasked with protecting the empire from all threaths, be it casteless, rebellions or invasions. Typically, most of their fighting is against denziens of The Underdark. They also function as a police force, while the scholars are lawyers and the nobles judge. In times of peace the warriors are known be restless, to the point of taking it out on less fortunate member's of society. To solve this they opened several gladiator rings, where any warrior who wishes can fight.Merchants
The merchant caste is the only one to regularly travel on the surface, as they are responsible for all trade. They pay craftsmen, miners or harvesters for goods that they then sell to others, keeping the goods flowing across the empire and bringing goods from the surface. They are typically sociable and speak many languages.Craftsmen
Craftsmen get their materials delivered by merchants and use them to craft anything from weapons to clothes or houses. They work closely with the merchants, but do not typically venture to the surface.Miners
Miners work the mines, and make up the bulk of the population alongside harvesters. They are known to be hard workers, children start in the mines as soon as they can push and crawl. They are the stereotypical dwarf, gruff and distrusting of outsiders but jolly and loyal with their friends.Harvesters
The Harvesters crawl around tunnels in the darkest reaches of the empire and are prone to 'dissapearing' in cave-ins and underdark incidents. They are responsible for gathering food, which is scarce, and are as such more crucial to society than their low position in the caste hierarchy would indicate.Servants
The servant caste is the smallest of the lower castes, consisting of families who typically take great pride in their work. Each family serves a family from one of the upper castes, or if they are lucky the royal family themselves. Despite techincally being the lowest caste, their work brings many perks in the form of good food, safe homes and quality clothes as well as priority in healthcare.Casteless
The casteless are dwarves living in the empire who do not belong to any caste, a fate many consider worse than death. If your parents do not belong to the same caste or are casteless themself you will be made casteless, but it can also happen as punishment for a serious crime - such as blasphemy or in some cases murder. The casteless have no rights, no caste markings, and are not considered living beings. They are not recorded by the historians, and nothing done to them is illegal. On the flip side they techinacally cannot break any laws (seeing as they don't exist), but they are treated as heinous criminals regardless. Due to this most casteless dwarves either go to the surface or turn to a life of crime.Foreigners
Foreigners do by definition not belong to any caste, but are treated as equals to the middle class - unless they are dwarves, in which case they are always considered casteless. Clerics of Aries, Pollux and Adhara are treated as priests, and foreign rulers are treated as nobles when visiting.Auf Tradition vertrauen wir / In tradition we trust
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Capital
Alternative Names
Das Reich
Training Level
Professional
Demonym
Reiker
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Location
Official Languages
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Comments