Kiralyno
The dwarven city of Kiralyno is the largest of its kind in Emicara. After the relentless Shin-Dwarven wars of the Apps, the Kiralynans kept their freedom and independence thanks to their close alignment with the Jakonian Empire. They have since become known as feared warriors and mercenaries, training in their halls and selling the services of their regiments to whoever can afford them. Today, the city of Kiralyno is where these regiments muster and prepare themselves for war, as well as forge their weapons and armor. The dwarves are rarely welcoming to outsiders, but the markets of the surface city are open to humans and others, while the underground is reserved for only their own people.
Demographics
The overwhelming majority of Kiralyno's population are the hill dwarves. Over the years Jakonian humans have also settled in the city, building up areas of the surface city for their own people. The numbers of humans have declined dramatically in recent years, but their dwellings are still popular for use by others who have found the city worth living in for one reason or another.
Government
The administration and governance of the day to day affairs of Kiralyno fall into the hands of the various clans that make up the kingdom. Although all answer to the High Queen and her throne, every element of dwarven society is dominated by different clans that specialize in the different machinations that keep the city and nation running smoothly. Those who break out of these clans and cycles quickly become outlaws, and all crimes are judged by randomly selected juries of dwarves from within the city rather than appointed judges. The laws that have been passed are enforced by rotating military clans that come into the city as part of the rota for defense, rather than undertaking mercenary work.
Defences
The outer stone walls of Kiralyno are some of the most impressive on the Jakonian Peninsula, and some of the most iconic. The walls stand at over thirty feet in height, and the defensive towers placed evenly among them tower up to fifty feet. The gates themselves are impressive, made out of rare minerals that are a carefully guarded secret among the dwarves. The most fascinating part of it is that the gates are carved and crafted in the shape of a gigantic bear's mouth, and the towers along the walls are built to resemble standing and angered bears too. These have created an intimidating sight to many would-be invaders and the claws on the towers have even been used effectively in combat.
Beyond the surface walls are numerous fallback points and defensive lines both in the Upper and Lower Halls. Chokepoints and narrow corridors can be easily closed off, making any advance into the depths a nightmare for attacking forces. The dwarves are willing to concede multiple defensive lines, while being able to draw food and water from the depths nearly indefinitely.
Adding on to these formidable constructed defenses, the mercenary nature of the Kiralyno dwarven clans has allowed for fifteen clan regiments being available for the defense of the city at any given time. While only six are mandated, any clan not currently deployed in a mercenary contract is expected to provide guards and other personnel to aid in the defense of the capital. These can be quickly reinforced from the camps at nearby Atkeles, in the case of a siege or unexpected assault. Communications are kept constant with Atkeles and watchtower outposts along the border to make sure that just such a surprise never happens.
Industry & Trade
As with the rest of the nation, the industry of Kiralyno is predominantly geared towards the support and deployment of military mercenary clans to points around Emicara. The capital provides the main city where the regiments can receive advanced training, equipment, and other support. Nearly all trade and commerce that takes place here relates, in addition to the normal logistical purchases and concerns of a settlement, such as the provision of varied foods and luxuries to the people. A handful of smaller industries do exist, but all are dedicated towards providing for local demand rather than export to other countries.
Infrastructure
The surface city alone of Kiralyno is an impressive feat, with paved roads and running water providing unparalleled standards of living when compared to other extant dwarven strongholds. The streets are kept lit by lanterns with oil and a dedicated service clan that makes sure that the nights never go truly dark. Furnaces and forges are also kept burning around the clock, providing another orange glow into the medley of light and sound that is the surface of Kiralyno. Excepting the formidable surface defenses, Kiralyno looks not too different from other human towns of small size and stature.
Underground, however, is a different story. The oldest and most intact of dwarven strongholds, the upper levels are the great halls which have been constantly expanded and refined over centuries. These are all lit through numerous dwarven engineered devices, both magical and mundane, and illustriously carved stone walls shaped and crafted by generations of artists and workers. Numerous elevators and cranes provide rapid transit through the depths, along with elaborate pulley devices that allow people and goods to pass quickly from one part of the stronghold to the next. Great pipes provide water and sanitation to the dwarves, deposited and drawn from a series of aquifers deep in the earth.
Districts
The surface city is the one most travelers and traders will ever see, with the underground closed off to most outsiders. The surface offers the majority of inns, taverns, and shops for those types to use. Housing is also available for the humans and halflings who live among the dwarves here, built appropriately to size. Most commerce and trade of foodstuffs and other goods only obtainable on the surface can be found here.
The Upper Halls are the oldest part of the city, and the closest to the surface. It is here that the majority of governance and industrial activity takes place in Kiralyno. The garrisons, training grounds, and administration all occur here, allowing for quick response to the surface city's defenses. The royal quarters and clans' headquarters are also positioned here and the interests of all of these groups are managed by those trained for it from this level.
The Lower Halls are the newer parts of the city and contain the vast majority of dwarven residences and gathering of raw resources. The aquifer is the biggest draw here, miles beneath the earth, and maintained by several clans which help the water reach the surface city and Upper Halls. This is where the poorest dwarven clans reside, in the newest homes and dwellings that have been dug out only in the past few centuries. Unlike other dwarven cities, there is not much in the way of mines or minerals to be found in the depths, with a handful of underground farms and water drawing plants that act as the majority of employment. There are a few smaller marketplaces, where enterprising dwarves will sell goods obtained on the surface to those who cannot or will not enter into the light above.
Points of interest
Outside of the impressive architecture of the surface city's defensive walls and decorations, there are several other places of interest for travelers. The Kiralyno Archives are the most intact collection of resources and histories of the dwarves in Emicara, having never been sacked or captured by invaders. With the loss of most of the dwarven mountain strongholds, there is no better resource to learn of the lineage of the clans or the history of their wars prior to their arrival in Emicara. The archives have other information and old data as well, preserving the records of every engagement fought by Kiralyno's armies in the last thousand years, either on behalf of the Jakonians or independently.
The Hall of the Armored Bear is another curiosity, the site of the dwarven king or queen's throne. This massive chamber in the Upper Halls marks the center of power in Kiralyno. Decorated with the trophies of victorious conflicts, and memorials to tragic defeats, the Hall of the Armored Bear provides all hill dwarves a chance to revel in the heart of their own history as a people. Some of these wonders include monsters of great size that were preserved or standards captured from enemy armies, well maintained by dwarven scribes and scholars.
Founding Date
510 BF
Type
Underground / Vault
Population
83,000
Related Ethnicities
Inhabitant Demonym
Kiralynan
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
~78,000 Hill Dwarves
~4,000 Columban Humans
~1,000 Various Other Races
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