Arem

Written by David Walsby-Payne

Demographics

Arem is a beautiful, sprawling, underground dwarven stronghold. The population consist of mainly dwarves, then a good handful of Gnomes and lastly a scattering of human and elf traders, ambassadors and diplomats.
Population by race; Dwarf - 75% Gnome - 15% Human - 6% Elf - 2% Other - 2%
The inhabitants of Arem tend to be wealthy when compared to the majority of Eidamir. The vast excess of precious materials has meant that there is a lot of wealth in Arem and whether you work as miner, smith or trader, the wages tend to be above what you'd find elsewhere. This also leads to very high quality goods coming from Arem.
Most of the population in Arem work either in the mining and smithing industry, banking or are actively involved in the Kingdoms politics.

Government

Arem is truly the heart of the Kingdom Of Arkhad and is where Train Goldhammer rules from. It a fortress without equal. Clan Gold Hammer like to brag that all the armies of Eidamir could march on Arem and never breach the walls.
Not only is Arem where Train Goldhammer rules from but it is also where representatives of all the dwarven clans will congregate to discuss matters of importance, decide the future of the dwarves and more often than not, argue for days on end. Getting anything done in dwarven culture is a long, arduous journey.
At the head of the dwarven government is Lord Train Gold Hammer, he has several personal advisers, though it often seems their words go unheeded. Under Train is the War Council of Arem. The War Council of Arem (WCA) serves a very special function in this dwarven society and only gains any real power during times of martial rule and war.
You then have the Council Assembly. This consists of at least 1 dwarven representative from each and every dwarf clan. Some smaller clans are simply logistically unable to have a representative at Arem on a regular basis and so you will at times find 1 representative who acts as proxy for several small clans. This has only been allowed in the last few hundred years and has made a big difference to dwarven politics.
Both WCA and the Council Assembly can be called at any time by any member of either council, though this is taken far more seriously by the WCA.
Train Goldhammer does have final say over the Council Assembly however during times of rule a unanimous vote from the WCA can outrank the Lord. There are many more specialised dwarven laws that are only relevant to wartime.

Infrastructure

Arem's infrastructure can be summed up as such; 1. Banking 2. Mining 3. Smithing
Banking
Arem itself is an impenetrable fortress, inside which lies the inner city. The inner city houses the councils, the military generals, elite vanguard, ambassadors and diplomats, all supporting staff and last but not least the Gold Hammer Bank.
The Gold Hammer Bank is a series of powerful rune guarded vaults, inside a secure building, in the most well protected part of an underground fortress. Lords, Kings, Successful Merchants and anyone else with substantial wealth know that their wealth is safest in these vaults. Anyone, who can afford it, is welcome to the services the bank offers.
Mining
Arem is perfectly placed in the mountains for harvesting the precious metals and gemstones that hide in the surrounding rock. There are countless mining companies in Arem, all of which have their own specialisations and skill sets. It's rare to see these companies fight, simply because of the abundance of raw material to harvest, but when they do things have been known to get nasty.
Smithing
The smiths of Arem are as superstitious as it comes. Sticking to tradition without question or thought. Luckily for them, there traditions and superstitions make for some very well crafted weapons and armour. Their craftsmanship is well known throughout Eidamir for pure quality. The smiths of Arem are constantly looking for apprentices to teach and pass on their knowledge. Not everyone is cut out for being a smith in Arem.
There are also a couple of rumors surrounding the Arem smiths. The most interesting is that it was in fact they would crafted Gleipnir, the unbreakable binds stopping Fenrir from ravaging the world and killing Odin at Ragnarok.

Assets

No one but Train Goldhammer really knows all of the assets at Arem's disposal. Everyone knows they have an impressive military force which compromises of troops from the Gold Hammer clan, Arkenstone Clan, Steel Mountain clan and even the Blood Axe clan.
Their vaults are bursting with gold, their walls are solid stone and their food stocks are nigh on endless. They have fresh water flowing through the mountain and everything they need for a long siege.

Natural Resources

The natural resources surrounding Arem all come from the mountains.

• Metals

• Precious Metals

• Gems

• Stone

Alternative Name(s)

The Golden City, Fortress Under The Mountain, The Mountain Heart

Type

Large city

Population

~2,000

Owner/Ruler

Train Goldhammer

Owning Organization

Clan "Gold Hammer"

Characters in Location

• Train Goldhammer